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Kyoichiro Kaga #4
Malice
From the bestselling Japanese author of The Devotion of Suspect X comes Malice, the most acclaimed novel in Higashino's outstanding Detective Kaga series.
Acclaimed bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka is found brutally murdered in his home on the night before he's planning to leave Japan and relocate to Vancouver. His body is found in his office, in a locked room, within his locked house, by his wife and his best friend, both of whom have rock solid alibis. Or so it seems.
Police Detective Kyochiro Kaga recognizes Hidaka's best friend from years ago when they were both teachers. Kaga joined the police force while Nonoguchi became a writer, though with not nearly the success of his friend Hidaka. When Kaga suspects something is a little bit off with Nonoguchi's statement, he investigates further, searching Nonoguchi's apartment. There he finds evidence that shows that the two writers' relationship was very different than the two claimed...
In a brilliantly realized tale of cat and mouse, the detective and the writer battle over the truth of the past and how events that led to the murder really unfolded. Which one of the two writers was ultimately guilty of malice?
Acclaimed bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka is found brutally murdered in his home on the night before he's planning to leave Japan and relocate to Vancouver. His body is found in his office, in a locked room, within his locked house, by his wife and his best friend, both of whom have rock solid alibis. Or so it seems.
Police Detective Kyochiro Kaga recognizes Hidaka's best friend from years ago when they were both teachers. Kaga joined the police force while Nonoguchi became a writer, though with not nearly the success of his friend Hidaka. When Kaga suspects something is a little bit off with Nonoguchi's statement, he investigates further, searching Nonoguchi's apartment. There he finds evidence that shows that the two writers' relationship was very different than the two claimed...
In a brilliantly realized tale of cat and mouse, the detective and the writer battle over the truth of the past and how events that led to the murder really unfolded. Which one of the two writers was ultimately guilty of malice?
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1996
1,569 people are currently reading
26.4k people want to read
About the author
Keigo Higashino
175?books7,634?followersAssociated Names:
* Keigo Higashino
* –|Ò° ¹çÎá (Japanese)
* ¶«Ò°¹çÎá (Traditional Chinese)
* ????????? ????? (Thai)
Keigo Higashino (–|Ò° ¹çÎá) is one of the most popular and biggest selling fiction authors in Japan¡ªas well known as James Patterson, Dean Koontz or Tom Clancy are in the USA.
Born in Osaka, he started writing novels while still working as an engineer at Nippon Denso Co.¡¡(presently DENSO). He won the Edogawa Rampo Prize, which is awarded annually to the finest mystery work, in 1985 for the novel H¨kago (After School) at age 27. Subsequently, he quit his job and started a career as a writer in Tokyo.
In 1999, he won the Mystery Writers of Japan Inc award for the novel Himitsu (The Secret), which was translated into English by Kerim Yasar and published by Vertical under the title of Naoko in 2004. In 2006, he won the 134th Naoki Prize for Y¨gisha X no Kenshin. His novels had been nominated five times before winning with this novel.
The Devotion of Suspect X was the second highest selling book in all of Japan¡ª fiction or nonfiction¡ªthe year it was published, with over 800,000 copies sold. It won the prestigious Naoki Prize for Best Novel¡ª the Japanese equivalent of the National Book Award and the Man Booker Prize. Made into a motion picture in Japan, The Devotion of Suspect X spent 4 weeks at the top of the box office and was the third highest©\grossing film of the year.
Higashino¡¯s novels have more movie and TV series adaptations than Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum, and as many as Michael Crichton.
* Keigo Higashino
* –|Ò° ¹çÎá (Japanese)
* ¶«Ò°¹çÎá (Traditional Chinese)
* ????????? ????? (Thai)
Keigo Higashino (–|Ò° ¹çÎá) is one of the most popular and biggest selling fiction authors in Japan¡ªas well known as James Patterson, Dean Koontz or Tom Clancy are in the USA.
Born in Osaka, he started writing novels while still working as an engineer at Nippon Denso Co.¡¡(presently DENSO). He won the Edogawa Rampo Prize, which is awarded annually to the finest mystery work, in 1985 for the novel H¨kago (After School) at age 27. Subsequently, he quit his job and started a career as a writer in Tokyo.
In 1999, he won the Mystery Writers of Japan Inc award for the novel Himitsu (The Secret), which was translated into English by Kerim Yasar and published by Vertical under the title of Naoko in 2004. In 2006, he won the 134th Naoki Prize for Y¨gisha X no Kenshin. His novels had been nominated five times before winning with this novel.
The Devotion of Suspect X was the second highest selling book in all of Japan¡ª fiction or nonfiction¡ªthe year it was published, with over 800,000 copies sold. It won the prestigious Naoki Prize for Best Novel¡ª the Japanese equivalent of the National Book Award and the Man Booker Prize. Made into a motion picture in Japan, The Devotion of Suspect X spent 4 weeks at the top of the box office and was the third highest©\grossing film of the year.
Higashino¡¯s novels have more movie and TV series adaptations than Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum, and as many as Michael Crichton.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,921 reviews
April 14, 2023
I continued reading this book after finishing Keigo Higashino's books, The Miracles of Namiya General Stores and The Devotion of Suspect X.
I loved the way he wrote crime stories.
You can see this novel from many points of view.
There are rooms for me to imagine the possible outcomes.
In retrospect, I should have read his books earlier.
This time, I could guess who is the suspect but I could not conjecture the motive of the killer. ?
I loved the way he wrote crime stories.
You can see this novel from many points of view.
There are rooms for me to imagine the possible outcomes.
In retrospect, I should have read his books earlier.
This time, I could guess who is the suspect but I could not conjecture the motive of the killer. ?
November 17, 2014
I find myself quite taken with Japanese mysteries. Not a word is wasted, not much descriptive language, but they are such puzzles. Like the puzzle boxes, where one must solve one part and then finds there is more to solve. So many times in this story I thought it was figured out only to quickly discover that everything first thought was totally wrong. Divided into individual parts between two characters, each part brought a new perspective and further evidence. A murder, but not graphic at all, and much psychological meanderings. Very good book.
April 23, 2017
An intelligent and page turning mystery that doesn't need to rely on gimmicks to get the readers attention. Just a good old fashioned suspenseful mystery that is perfectly paced and with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader interested.
Acclaimed bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka is found brutally murdered in his home on the night before he's planning to leave Japan and relocate to Vancouver. His body is found in his office, a locked room, within his locked house, by his wife and his best friend, both of whom have rock solid alibis. Or so it seems.
I really enjoyed Malice by Japanese writer Keigo Higashino, I had read a few Japanese mysteries and really enjoyed all of them and when I read a few reviews by some of Good Read friends on here I knew that one would suit me as well.
No gimmicks, blood or gore just a mystery with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested, good character and plot development and an all round very enjoyable read.
Acclaimed bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka is found brutally murdered in his home on the night before he's planning to leave Japan and relocate to Vancouver. His body is found in his office, a locked room, within his locked house, by his wife and his best friend, both of whom have rock solid alibis. Or so it seems.
I really enjoyed Malice by Japanese writer Keigo Higashino, I had read a few Japanese mysteries and really enjoyed all of them and when I read a few reviews by some of Good Read friends on here I knew that one would suit me as well.
No gimmicks, blood or gore just a mystery with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested, good character and plot development and an all round very enjoyable read.
January 31, 2019
Higashino is a best-selling, award-winning, and prolific mystery author in Japan, but only six of his works have been translated into English. They've been extremely interesting reads because--as least for the ones I've read--he rarely takes the traditional mystery approach. In The Devotion of Suspect X, for instance, the reader witnesses the who, what where and how of the death within the first few pages, but ends up following along with the detective as the witnesses conceal evidence. In Salvation of the Saint, the who seems obvious, perhaps, but the how is deeply puzzling. Malice uses an artifice of dual story-telling from pre-murder to resolution, alternating between the first-person narrative of a man who was friends with the murder victim, and the detective assigned to the case. Interestingly, though the who and the how seems to become clear about three-quarters in, Higashino still has a few tricks up his sleeve.
The writing felt particularly simple, at least the sections belonging to the witness and friend to the victim,?Osamu Nonoguchi. When the story switched to that of Detective Kaga, the sophistication improved and became more consistent with what I remembered from earlier books. I suppose the change in style emphasized the different voices, and as Osamu writes children's books, is perhaps supposed to represent a more straightforward style. I found I much preferred Kaga's voice. I wondered early on if we were dealing with an unreliable narrator--and those who read my reviews know that if I'm figuring things out early, it must not be particularly subtly done--which is really one of my least favorite devices. But even Christie used the device, so I soldiered on in good faith.
As an aside, both the murdered man and Nonoguchi are writers, so there are a number of bits and insights into writing and the pressures of publishing. I wondered if Higashino was inserting his own experiences, much like Christie did with Adrienne Oliver. Interesting insights, although I'm not sure where it falls into the timing of Higashino's works, which were turned into tv/movies and were prize-winning in Japan.
The other interesting aspect to Higashino's mysteries is that they are very much about the emotion of the crime, which I've only gradually realized as being radically different from my normal private-eye American mysteries. He usually does not follow the classic pattern of announcing the murderer at the end of the book; instead, the ending is more about wrapping up the emotional fallout, or about an explanation of the crime that includes the history of how the murderer arrived at their crime.
In this respect, Malice was somewhat unsatisfying. Originally published in 1996, I couldn't help but think that I was facing a large cultural and temporal divide. Though there are a couple of themes that continue to resonate--mild subject spoilers --in this case, the emotion of the mystery fell flat. The details of the crime were impeccable, and the cat-and-mouse byplay intriguing. As a crime, it all made sense, but the motive... didn't. I appreciated the 'twist,' and I could see how could develop, but in this case, the emotion of the crime failed to transcend the gap.?
On the enjoyment scale, two-and-a-half cherry blossoms, rounding up due to his other works.
The writing felt particularly simple, at least the sections belonging to the witness and friend to the victim,?Osamu Nonoguchi. When the story switched to that of Detective Kaga, the sophistication improved and became more consistent with what I remembered from earlier books. I suppose the change in style emphasized the different voices, and as Osamu writes children's books, is perhaps supposed to represent a more straightforward style. I found I much preferred Kaga's voice. I wondered early on if we were dealing with an unreliable narrator--and those who read my reviews know that if I'm figuring things out early, it must not be particularly subtly done--which is really one of my least favorite devices. But even Christie used the device, so I soldiered on in good faith.
As an aside, both the murdered man and Nonoguchi are writers, so there are a number of bits and insights into writing and the pressures of publishing. I wondered if Higashino was inserting his own experiences, much like Christie did with Adrienne Oliver. Interesting insights, although I'm not sure where it falls into the timing of Higashino's works, which were turned into tv/movies and were prize-winning in Japan.
The other interesting aspect to Higashino's mysteries is that they are very much about the emotion of the crime, which I've only gradually realized as being radically different from my normal private-eye American mysteries. He usually does not follow the classic pattern of announcing the murderer at the end of the book; instead, the ending is more about wrapping up the emotional fallout, or about an explanation of the crime that includes the history of how the murderer arrived at their crime.
In this respect, Malice was somewhat unsatisfying. Originally published in 1996, I couldn't help but think that I was facing a large cultural and temporal divide. Though there are a couple of themes that continue to resonate--mild subject spoilers --in this case, the emotion of the mystery fell flat. The details of the crime were impeccable, and the cat-and-mouse byplay intriguing. As a crime, it all made sense, but the motive... didn't. I appreciated the 'twist,' and I could see how could develop, but in this case, the emotion of the crime failed to transcend the gap.?
On the enjoyment scale, two-and-a-half cherry blossoms, rounding up due to his other works.
November 10, 2023
Keigo Higashino is a world no. 1 best-selling author you've probably never heard of. I came across him on a random recommendations article for upcoming mysteries to be released in 2022. sounded really interesting but upon further research, I found that it's the third book in a series which begins with Malice. The Japanese editions have a different starting point but the English translations say to start here.
The story begins with Osamu Nonoguchi or "the Gooch". He is visiting his friend Hidaka who is moving to Canada. Nonoguchi then returns later where he finds Hidaka's body killed by a blunt instrument and later strangled.
This book begins with Nonoguchi's narration which is unrefined and clunky. It read a lot like an amateur who was once told they were good in compositions and should try their hand at a novel. It was bland and almost offputting. But I figured it could be a translation issue or a narrative choice.
I'm glad I trusted the book because soon after Hidaka's murderer is unveiled, the narration becomes Detective Kaga's vehicle. He is described in a nondescript way and frankly, I found that dismaying. Every Great Detective? always has a key feature. Sherlock has his hawk-like nose, his funny hat, his pyramid fingers. Poirot has his height and his ridiculous mustache. Benoit Blanc had his accent and his Daniel Craig cosplaying a Kentucky know-it-allness. Detective Kaga was just a man who thinks a lot and relies a lot on hunches. A little too much if you will.
See my favourite detective stories usually have characters you care about. In this case, we meet Hidaka, and Nonoguchi through the latter's eyes. As the story unfolds we remain curious even with Nonoguchi's shambolic narrative voice. Then when Kaga narrates, the voice is a bit more polished. There's a play on skill here I'd say. A cat and mouse game that you'd only enjoy more if you dove into the book.
However, my other favourite part of mysteries is the interviews. Of suspects, of witnesses. Canvassing always brings out the best and brightest personalities. In this book they were condensed to notes that seem to be out of a journalist's notebook. It felt like a tease. A full course meal served as amuse bouches. There was a sleight of hand I didn't consent to. And I hate it.
Additionally, I wasn't a fan of how we didn't learn enough about Hidaka and his widow Hatsumi. In fact it's almost criminal how the arc of Hatsumi's history is resolved. There's no more we're told even during the interviews or the resolution.
The story just cuts itself off after Kaga joins the dots and dots the i's. I swear, this book is the sneeze that went away but comes back when you're driving. Or making out with someone. Ultimately, I highly recommend it for the batshit crazy ending, for Kaga, for Japan and for the 90s time capsule.
The story begins with Osamu Nonoguchi or "the Gooch". He is visiting his friend Hidaka who is moving to Canada. Nonoguchi then returns later where he finds Hidaka's body killed by a blunt instrument and later strangled.
This book begins with Nonoguchi's narration which is unrefined and clunky. It read a lot like an amateur who was once told they were good in compositions and should try their hand at a novel. It was bland and almost offputting. But I figured it could be a translation issue or a narrative choice.
I'm glad I trusted the book because soon after Hidaka's murderer is unveiled, the narration becomes Detective Kaga's vehicle. He is described in a nondescript way and frankly, I found that dismaying. Every Great Detective? always has a key feature. Sherlock has his hawk-like nose, his funny hat, his pyramid fingers. Poirot has his height and his ridiculous mustache. Benoit Blanc had his accent and his Daniel Craig cosplaying a Kentucky know-it-allness. Detective Kaga was just a man who thinks a lot and relies a lot on hunches. A little too much if you will.
See my favourite detective stories usually have characters you care about. In this case, we meet Hidaka, and Nonoguchi through the latter's eyes. As the story unfolds we remain curious even with Nonoguchi's shambolic narrative voice. Then when Kaga narrates, the voice is a bit more polished. There's a play on skill here I'd say. A cat and mouse game that you'd only enjoy more if you dove into the book.
However, my other favourite part of mysteries is the interviews. Of suspects, of witnesses. Canvassing always brings out the best and brightest personalities. In this book they were condensed to notes that seem to be out of a journalist's notebook. It felt like a tease. A full course meal served as amuse bouches. There was a sleight of hand I didn't consent to. And I hate it.
Additionally, I wasn't a fan of how we didn't learn enough about Hidaka and his widow Hatsumi. In fact it's almost criminal how the arc of Hatsumi's history is resolved. There's no more we're told even during the interviews or the resolution.
The story just cuts itself off after Kaga joins the dots and dots the i's. I swear, this book is the sneeze that went away but comes back when you're driving. Or making out with someone. Ultimately, I highly recommend it for the batshit crazy ending, for Kaga, for Japan and for the 90s time capsule.
March 13, 2024
MIND BLOWN! This mystery was the gift that kept on giving. Just when you thought the mystery was solved, another layer of the mystery was peeled back and the solution had to be rethought.
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March 24, 2021I have become addicted to these Japanese murder mysteries that manage to be hugely satisfying and not annoyingly meta while playing with the form of the genre. In this one we very rapidly learn who did it, and how isn't hard, so the main preoccupation is why, and the answer is of course twisty.
This one is about a murdered writer and there is one of the most jawdropping observations on writing craft I have ever seen (jawdropping because only when it's made do we see how it's worked) which I am going to think about forever. Actually, two now I think of it. Whoa this is clever.
This one is about a murdered writer and there is one of the most jawdropping observations on writing craft I have ever seen (jawdropping because only when it's made do we see how it's worked) which I am going to think about forever. Actually, two now I think of it. Whoa this is clever.
Read
June 24, 2021
I'm not a big fan of whodunnits. The idea of being fed clue after clue so I can attempt to crack the case along with the detective/inspector in the story holds zero appeal for me.
But here's the thing with Keigo Higashino's Malice: the first sentence of the publisher's blurb reads: ¡°Acclaimed bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka is found brutally murdered in his home on the night before he was to leave Japan and relocate to Vancouver.¡± Ah, thinks I, a bestselling novelist is the victim of a brutal murder, this mystery surely incorporates much about novels, authorship, publishing, reading and writing ¨C for me, topics holding special appeal.
After both reading the book and listening to the audio book, I'm here to report I wasn't disappointed; if anything, my expectations were exceeded ¨C this mystery novel features the many facets of what it can mean to be a bestselling author.
And once I started reading, I was completely and totally hooked. Keigo Higashino does a masterful job of handling all the elements critical for a good whodunnit ¨C atmosphere, setting, crime, sleuth, villain, narrative momentum, foreshadowing, red herrings, satisfying ending.
Additionally, a special call-out for the way Mr. Higashino develops his characters and varies the novel's rhythm by rotating first-person narrators, the inclusion of backstory and, most especially, the author's impeccable timing.
For added spice, bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka isn't the only writer gracing the pages of Malice. There's also Hidaka's best friend, Osamu Nonoguchi, published author of children's books and an aspiring novelist himself, a man who just so happened to be a teacher some years back at the same school where Kyoichiro Kaga, the detective assigned the murder case, was also a teacher.
No more from me since the layers of mystery begin right in the first chapter. Every reader deserves to be introduced to the details of the case, fresh, free from anything remotely suggesting a spoiler. However, before calling it quits, one more tidbit: we find out on the first pages someone poisoned a next door neighbor's cat, a beautiful cat like the one pictured above. How dreadful!
If you're after a good mystery where authorship and bestselling novels play a central role, Malice is your book.
Japanese novelist Keigo Higashino, born 1958
April 13, 2023
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????? ????????? ????????? ?????? ???? ??? ???????? ??????? ???? ??? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ???? ?? ????? ???????? ?? ???????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ??????? ?????? ??? ???,????? ????? ????? ????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??,?? ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?? ????????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ????????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ????? ???? ??? ???,?????? ????? ???? ?????? ??????? ?? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???? ??????? ????????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???? ?????????? ??? ??????? ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ??????? ????, ???? ?????? ?? ????????? ????? ????? ????????????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ???? ?????,????? ?????, ????? ?????? ??? ??????? ??????? ???? ??? ??????? ?????? ???? ???? ???,????????????? ??? ??????? ??????,????? ?? ??????? ???? ???????
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?????? ?? ?? ????? ??????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ?????????? ????? ???????? ?? ? ??? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ?? ???? ???
June 30, 2018
Malice is a standalone Higashino novel, at least in terms of what's available in English in the US market at this time. It's a puzzle-solving police procedural, that may turn on true love, infidelity, a cover-up of a past crime, jealousy of professional success, bribery, middle-school bullying. From early on, the question isn't, who? or how? (We know both of those answers almost immediately) it's why? It's not a thriller. There's no racing against a clock. Unlike in American and British police procedurals, the investigator, Detective Kaga, appears to have all the time he desires to investigate the motive behind Nonoguchi's murder of Hidaka, a successful author. Nonoguchi isn't likely to skip town. Kaga's supervisor tweaks him gently once over his efforts to understand Nonoguchi¡¯s motive, but he neither reassigns him nor directs him to stop. Note to self, impatient American mystery reader: "Toto, we aren't in Kansas any more."
We have two narrators, one of whom is unreliable and the other the reader believes to be reliable. Malice switches back and forth from one to another, and also includes a section of a dozen or so 3/4 page interviews with a variety of persons who knew the victim and the murderer back in middle school. Each has a distinct voice and perspective, which few authors beside Higashino could pull off.
There's also an element of inside-baseball for writers. One of the core possible explanations for Nonoguchi's motive for murdering Hidaka - one that receives an inordinate amount of Malice's page-count -- is that Hidaka may have taken several completed novel manuscripts penned by Nonoguchi, and used them as the basis for several of his award-winning, NYT bestselling books. If the term, "plagiarism" makes your blood boil, you know who you are, and Malice is the book for you.
On the other hand, I didn't give Malice 4 or 5 stars because it has, to my mind, a glaring flaw. Higashino makes both the victim and the murderer unappealing from the beginning of his novel, and Detective Kaga is a blank slate. That choice is fundamental to his ultimate solution, e.g., the public and the reader (and perhaps even the police) must despise Hidaka and feel nothing or negative emotions for Nonoguchii. When I have time to read, I implicitly make a choice of which world I want at that moment to inhabit, including which characters I want either to know better or to spend time with. With Malice, because of the author's choice, that choice could easily have led to a DNF, had I not been committed to finishing it based on past, good reading experiences with Higashino's works. I made myself keep reading and finish this book, as if finishing it was on my task list, not because I wanted to read it. Higashino didn't make me care "why"? In The Devotion of Suspect X and Salvation of a Saint, the victim was equally unappealing, but either the murderer or the investigator was interesting, or likeable, or fascinating. Not here. Kaga was a polite, smart blank slate. No one was interesting. Plus, there was a dangling fact that never mattered and wasn't a herring of any shade.
We have two narrators, one of whom is unreliable and the other the reader believes to be reliable. Malice switches back and forth from one to another, and also includes a section of a dozen or so 3/4 page interviews with a variety of persons who knew the victim and the murderer back in middle school. Each has a distinct voice and perspective, which few authors beside Higashino could pull off.
There's also an element of inside-baseball for writers. One of the core possible explanations for Nonoguchi's motive for murdering Hidaka - one that receives an inordinate amount of Malice's page-count -- is that Hidaka may have taken several completed novel manuscripts penned by Nonoguchi, and used them as the basis for several of his award-winning, NYT bestselling books. If the term, "plagiarism" makes your blood boil, you know who you are, and Malice is the book for you.
On the other hand, I didn't give Malice 4 or 5 stars because it has, to my mind, a glaring flaw. Higashino makes both the victim and the murderer unappealing from the beginning of his novel, and Detective Kaga is a blank slate. That choice is fundamental to his ultimate solution, e.g., the public and the reader (and perhaps even the police) must despise Hidaka and feel nothing or negative emotions for Nonoguchii. When I have time to read, I implicitly make a choice of which world I want at that moment to inhabit, including which characters I want either to know better or to spend time with. With Malice, because of the author's choice, that choice could easily have led to a DNF, had I not been committed to finishing it based on past, good reading experiences with Higashino's works. I made myself keep reading and finish this book, as if finishing it was on my task list, not because I wanted to read it. Higashino didn't make me care "why"? In The Devotion of Suspect X and Salvation of a Saint, the victim was equally unappealing, but either the murderer or the investigator was interesting, or likeable, or fascinating. Not here. Kaga was a polite, smart blank slate. No one was interesting. Plus, there was a dangling fact that never mattered and wasn't a herring of any shade.
February 3, 2025
Bestselling author Hidaka Kunihiko was murdered right before he was set to move to Canada. He was found in a locked room by his wife Rie and by his friend and fellow writer Osamu Nonoguchi. Detective Kaga investigates the crime and immediately recognizes Nonoguchi from when they were both teachers at the same school. But will the past have an impact on this investigation?
While this is definitely a murder mystery story, it¡¯s not a classic whodunit. The murder mystery is actually solved in the first third of the story. This is a murder mystery story that tells you who did it and how pretty much at the start, and focuses on the mystery of why the murder was committed. The detective needs to see through the smokescreen the killer has put up for him, and discover the motive for the murder.
This author came to my attention from many highly rated reviews by a few of my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friends. After reading this book, I can see why. This is not a standard murder mystery story, but that¡¯s part of the appeal. Despite featuring some rather heavy themes, it feels like a very light and easy read that keeps the pages turning.
While this is definitely a murder mystery story, it¡¯s not a classic whodunit. The murder mystery is actually solved in the first third of the story. This is a murder mystery story that tells you who did it and how pretty much at the start, and focuses on the mystery of why the murder was committed. The detective needs to see through the smokescreen the killer has put up for him, and discover the motive for the murder.
This author came to my attention from many highly rated reviews by a few of my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friends. After reading this book, I can see why. This is not a standard murder mystery story, but that¡¯s part of the appeal. Despite featuring some rather heavy themes, it feels like a very light and easy read that keeps the pages turning.
December 2, 2023
Ok, I have a problem with this book. I don¡¯t know if I hate it or love it. I will try to explain.
Kunihiko Hidaka, a famous novelist has been found dead in his house by his wife and long time friend Osamu Nonoguchi.
The book begins by Nonoguchi¡¯s account. For some reason he has written down that day¡¯s sequence of events. We are told about the victim, his movements on the day of the crime and about his enemies. We are made to understand that the victim was not a good person.
Enter detective Kaga, who interviews Nonoguchi and the victim¡¯s wife and conducts his own investigation and in a very short time finds who the real killer is.
I usually don¡¯t like it when the killer is revealed right at the beginning, but this book was brilliant in the sense that we don¡¯t know what the real motive for the murder is and we keep on not knowing until almost the end. This is truly a game of cat and mouse. But who is the cat and who is the mouse?
I have read several books by Japanese authors and more or less know their style. Less description, more conversation, short sentences, abrupt endings.
You know those detective crime/mystery novels from the early 1900s, in which the detective talks a lot, explaining and re-explaining everything; focusing on the 'method' and 'motive' rather than the 'who'? Well, this book is like that. We already know who the killer is, so the motive shouldn¡¯t be important, but somehow the detective is obsessed with it and so is the reader.
Other than the talkativeness, the twists were very clever and I loved the way the author kept the reader in suspense.
Kunihiko Hidaka, a famous novelist has been found dead in his house by his wife and long time friend Osamu Nonoguchi.
The book begins by Nonoguchi¡¯s account. For some reason he has written down that day¡¯s sequence of events. We are told about the victim, his movements on the day of the crime and about his enemies. We are made to understand that the victim was not a good person.
Enter detective Kaga, who interviews Nonoguchi and the victim¡¯s wife and conducts his own investigation and in a very short time finds who the real killer is.
I usually don¡¯t like it when the killer is revealed right at the beginning, but this book was brilliant in the sense that we don¡¯t know what the real motive for the murder is and we keep on not knowing until almost the end. This is truly a game of cat and mouse. But who is the cat and who is the mouse?
I have read several books by Japanese authors and more or less know their style. Less description, more conversation, short sentences, abrupt endings.
You know those detective crime/mystery novels from the early 1900s, in which the detective talks a lot, explaining and re-explaining everything; focusing on the 'method' and 'motive' rather than the 'who'? Well, this book is like that. We already know who the killer is, so the motive shouldn¡¯t be important, but somehow the detective is obsessed with it and so is the reader.
Other than the talkativeness, the twists were very clever and I loved the way the author kept the reader in suspense.
August 22, 2019
1. Cu?n s¨¢ch m¨¤ m¨¬nh y¨ºu th¨ªch nh?t trong s? 15 t¨¢c ph?m ?? ??c c?a b¨¢c Keigo.
2. C?c k? th¨ªch h?p v?i b?n n¨¤o c¨® ? ??nh l¨¤m nh¨¤ v?n v¨¤ mu?n hi?u v? th? gi?i c?a nh?ng ng??i vi?t v?n. Nh?ng nh?n v?t trong s¨¢ch c?ng truy?n ??ng l?c r?t l?n ?? m¨¬nh m? m?ng ng¨¤y n¨¤o ?¨® s? vi?t s¨¢ch d¨¤nh cho thi?u nhi.
3. ??c 1/4 s¨¢ch t??ng l¨¤ t??ng t? nh? T¨ºn c?a tr¨° ch?i l¨¤ b?t c¨®c, ??c th¨ºm m?t ch¨²t th¨¬ th?y gi?ng Ph¨ªa sau nghi can X, ??c xong c¨¢i k?t th?y nh? B¨ª m?t c?a Naoko, t?ng h?p h¨¤i ho¨¤ r?t nhi?u n?i dung v¨¤ th? ph¨¢p tr??c ?¨® m¨¤ Keigo hay s? d?ng. M¨¤u s?c c?a trinh th¨¢m T? Kim Tr?n c?ng xu?t hi?n r?t nhi?u,hai b¨¢c n¨¤y qu? l¨¤ c¨® nhi?u ?i?m chung v?i nhau.
4. Kh?ng nh?n ch?ng, kh?ng v?t ch?ng, th? ph?m th¨¬ c¨® th? ai c?ng ?o¨¢n ra ???c, nh?ng c¨¢i hay l¨¤ Keigo ?? khai th¨¢c c?c k¨¬ t?t v? ??ng c? g?y ¨¢n. N?u ??ng c? g?y ¨¢n trong cu?n S? c?u r?i c?a th¨¢nh n? l¨¤ r?t r? r¨¤ng (cu?n th¨¢nh n? t?p trung v¨¤o th? thu?t g?y ¨¢n) th¨¬ ?c ? d¨¤nh th?i gian v¨¤ ph?n t¨ªch r?t thuy?t ph?c v? ??ng c? g?y ¨¢n.
5. Nh?ng nh?n v?t ph?n di?n trong Keigo th??ng kh¨¢ kh¨® ?? th?ng c?m, ho?c l¨¤ t¨¢c gi? ch?a kh?ng gian ?? ??c gi? t? l?a ch?n g¨®c nh¨¬n th?ng c?m ho?c kh?ng, nh?ng r?t kh¨® ?? t¨¬m ???c l¨ª do ch¨ªnh ?¨¢ng, h?n l¨¤ h?n, gh¨¦t l¨¤ gh¨¦t h?i.
6. M?t t¨¢c ph?m xu?t s?c t? c¨¢ch k? chuy?n, t?m l¨ª nh?n v?t v¨¤ nh?ng m? r?i r?m m¨¤ t¨¢c gi? b¨¤y ra ?? ??a ??c gi? v¨¤o chi?c b?y c?a m¨¬nh.
7. S? c¨® review s?m ? k¨ºnh Youtube Vui L¨ºn
2. C?c k? th¨ªch h?p v?i b?n n¨¤o c¨® ? ??nh l¨¤m nh¨¤ v?n v¨¤ mu?n hi?u v? th? gi?i c?a nh?ng ng??i vi?t v?n. Nh?ng nh?n v?t trong s¨¢ch c?ng truy?n ??ng l?c r?t l?n ?? m¨¬nh m? m?ng ng¨¤y n¨¤o ?¨® s? vi?t s¨¢ch d¨¤nh cho thi?u nhi.
3. ??c 1/4 s¨¢ch t??ng l¨¤ t??ng t? nh? T¨ºn c?a tr¨° ch?i l¨¤ b?t c¨®c, ??c th¨ºm m?t ch¨²t th¨¬ th?y gi?ng Ph¨ªa sau nghi can X, ??c xong c¨¢i k?t th?y nh? B¨ª m?t c?a Naoko, t?ng h?p h¨¤i ho¨¤ r?t nhi?u n?i dung v¨¤ th? ph¨¢p tr??c ?¨® m¨¤ Keigo hay s? d?ng. M¨¤u s?c c?a trinh th¨¢m T? Kim Tr?n c?ng xu?t hi?n r?t nhi?u,hai b¨¢c n¨¤y qu? l¨¤ c¨® nhi?u ?i?m chung v?i nhau.
4. Kh?ng nh?n ch?ng, kh?ng v?t ch?ng, th? ph?m th¨¬ c¨® th? ai c?ng ?o¨¢n ra ???c, nh?ng c¨¢i hay l¨¤ Keigo ?? khai th¨¢c c?c k¨¬ t?t v? ??ng c? g?y ¨¢n. N?u ??ng c? g?y ¨¢n trong cu?n S? c?u r?i c?a th¨¢nh n? l¨¤ r?t r? r¨¤ng (cu?n th¨¢nh n? t?p trung v¨¤o th? thu?t g?y ¨¢n) th¨¬ ?c ? d¨¤nh th?i gian v¨¤ ph?n t¨ªch r?t thuy?t ph?c v? ??ng c? g?y ¨¢n.
5. Nh?ng nh?n v?t ph?n di?n trong Keigo th??ng kh¨¢ kh¨® ?? th?ng c?m, ho?c l¨¤ t¨¢c gi? ch?a kh?ng gian ?? ??c gi? t? l?a ch?n g¨®c nh¨¬n th?ng c?m ho?c kh?ng, nh?ng r?t kh¨® ?? t¨¬m ???c l¨ª do ch¨ªnh ?¨¢ng, h?n l¨¤ h?n, gh¨¦t l¨¤ gh¨¦t h?i.
6. M?t t¨¢c ph?m xu?t s?c t? c¨¢ch k? chuy?n, t?m l¨ª nh?n v?t v¨¤ nh?ng m? r?i r?m m¨¤ t¨¢c gi? b¨¤y ra ?? ??a ??c gi? v¨¤o chi?c b?y c?a m¨¬nh.
7. S? c¨® review s?m ? k¨ºnh Youtube Vui L¨ºn
July 21, 2023
????????? ?? ????? ????? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ????????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???????? ?? ????? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ????? ??? ????????? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ????? "???????" ? ????? "???????? ????" ????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ???? ?????? "?? ?????"? ????? "??? ? ?????? ?????" ????? ?????? ?????????????????????? ????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ? ????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ???? ?????? ? ???????
August 9, 2016
¡°Because teachers, no matter how kind, no matter how friendly, are sadistic and evil to the core.¡±
----Heather Brewer
Keigo Higashino, the most popular and biggest selling Japanese fiction author, has penned an intriguing thriller, Malice that is the fourth book in the detective Kyoichiro Kaga series. This book revolves around the murder of a bestselling author right before he was going to leave Japan with his new wife to Canada and also right before the publication of his another book. The infamous detective soon arrives in the crime scene, and within few days he suspects the best friend of the author to be the killer behind the author's death.
Synopsis:
Acclaimed bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka is found brutally murdered in his home on the night before he's planning to leave Japan and relocate to Vancouver. His body is found in his office, a locked room, within his locked house, by his wife and his best friend, both of whom have rock solid alibis. Or so it seems.
At the crime scene, Police Detective Kyochiro Kaga recognizes Hidaka's best friend, Osamu Nonoguchi. Years ago when they were both teachers, they were colleagues at the same public school. Kaga went on to join the police force while Nonoguchi eventually left to become a full-time writer, though with not nearly the success of his friend Hidaka.
As Kaga investigates, he eventually uncovers evidence that indicates that the two writers' relationship was very different that they claimed, that they were anything but best friends. But the question before Kaga isn't necessarily who, or how, but why. In a brilliantly realized tale of cat and mouse, the detective and the killer battle over the truth of the past and how events that led to the murder really unfolded. And if Kaga isn't able to uncover and prove why the murder was committed, then the truth may never come out.
Police Detective Kyochiro Kaga is assigned on the murder case of the popular Japanese fiction author, Kunihiko Hidaka. On the crime scene, he is surprised to find his old college-cum-teaching-mate, Osamu Nonoguchi, who claims that he is the best friend of the deceased author and have found himself in the crime scene along with the author's new wife. Kaga's quest and later investigation soon places Nonoguchi as the prime suspect, but going back into the past of the two friends reveals a different relationship between the two authors than Nonoguchi claims to be. But why did the prime suspect kill an innocent author? Can Kaga reveal the truth?
Well this is the first time that I ever read any book by Higashino, and I've only heard good things about him and his books. But very unfortunate to say that I found his book very dull, monotonous and predictable. Crime fiction being my favorite genre, I take the books of this genre pretty seriously, and I was very much surprised after the end of the book that this one turned out to be so much disappointing, where a regular reader like me could easily guess out the whodunit and the reason behind it, but the author has tried to twist the reason so much, that in the end I felt confused.
The author's writing is really emphatic, yet it has too much depth, maybe over depth that mars the overall charm and intrigue of the story. Being a thriller/crime fiction, tension should have been a key ingredient of this book, but there was neither any tension, nor any major twist that will leave the readers in awe. The narrative of the book not only reflects the local Japanese dialect with its proper translation into English, but the author has managed to make it quite arresting, yet if the plot lacks from any suspense, then even if the narrative is engaging, the readers won't manage to find any interest. The pacing is very, very slow, I do not know, how I finished reading despite of the constant torture.
The mystery lacked depth and closure, mid way through the book, I expected that the killer would be someone else, as the detective kept going back to the core of the two characters, and coming back with failed results. The mystery could have been much more well-developed with fast pace and more unexpected twists and turns.
The characters are honestly way too boring and lacked dimension or layers to view them as otherwise. Besides the main character, Kaga, the rest of the characters could not leave an impression in the minds of the readers. Kaga is an exceptional and smart-witted hero and he is the one factor that makes the story so compelling to read. His notes and his mindset works so intelligently yet his demeanor reflects of no such brilliance, he projects as someone simple yet clever.
In a nutshell, this is the last time that I bought any book by this author and I would suggest the hardcore crime fiction fans to skip this book, otherwise, if you're looking for a light thriller, then go for this one.
Verdict: A boring and a predictable thriller!
----Heather Brewer
Keigo Higashino, the most popular and biggest selling Japanese fiction author, has penned an intriguing thriller, Malice that is the fourth book in the detective Kyoichiro Kaga series. This book revolves around the murder of a bestselling author right before he was going to leave Japan with his new wife to Canada and also right before the publication of his another book. The infamous detective soon arrives in the crime scene, and within few days he suspects the best friend of the author to be the killer behind the author's death.
Synopsis:
Acclaimed bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka is found brutally murdered in his home on the night before he's planning to leave Japan and relocate to Vancouver. His body is found in his office, a locked room, within his locked house, by his wife and his best friend, both of whom have rock solid alibis. Or so it seems.
At the crime scene, Police Detective Kyochiro Kaga recognizes Hidaka's best friend, Osamu Nonoguchi. Years ago when they were both teachers, they were colleagues at the same public school. Kaga went on to join the police force while Nonoguchi eventually left to become a full-time writer, though with not nearly the success of his friend Hidaka.
As Kaga investigates, he eventually uncovers evidence that indicates that the two writers' relationship was very different that they claimed, that they were anything but best friends. But the question before Kaga isn't necessarily who, or how, but why. In a brilliantly realized tale of cat and mouse, the detective and the killer battle over the truth of the past and how events that led to the murder really unfolded. And if Kaga isn't able to uncover and prove why the murder was committed, then the truth may never come out.
Police Detective Kyochiro Kaga is assigned on the murder case of the popular Japanese fiction author, Kunihiko Hidaka. On the crime scene, he is surprised to find his old college-cum-teaching-mate, Osamu Nonoguchi, who claims that he is the best friend of the deceased author and have found himself in the crime scene along with the author's new wife. Kaga's quest and later investigation soon places Nonoguchi as the prime suspect, but going back into the past of the two friends reveals a different relationship between the two authors than Nonoguchi claims to be. But why did the prime suspect kill an innocent author? Can Kaga reveal the truth?
Well this is the first time that I ever read any book by Higashino, and I've only heard good things about him and his books. But very unfortunate to say that I found his book very dull, monotonous and predictable. Crime fiction being my favorite genre, I take the books of this genre pretty seriously, and I was very much surprised after the end of the book that this one turned out to be so much disappointing, where a regular reader like me could easily guess out the whodunit and the reason behind it, but the author has tried to twist the reason so much, that in the end I felt confused.
The author's writing is really emphatic, yet it has too much depth, maybe over depth that mars the overall charm and intrigue of the story. Being a thriller/crime fiction, tension should have been a key ingredient of this book, but there was neither any tension, nor any major twist that will leave the readers in awe. The narrative of the book not only reflects the local Japanese dialect with its proper translation into English, but the author has managed to make it quite arresting, yet if the plot lacks from any suspense, then even if the narrative is engaging, the readers won't manage to find any interest. The pacing is very, very slow, I do not know, how I finished reading despite of the constant torture.
The mystery lacked depth and closure, mid way through the book, I expected that the killer would be someone else, as the detective kept going back to the core of the two characters, and coming back with failed results. The mystery could have been much more well-developed with fast pace and more unexpected twists and turns.
The characters are honestly way too boring and lacked dimension or layers to view them as otherwise. Besides the main character, Kaga, the rest of the characters could not leave an impression in the minds of the readers. Kaga is an exceptional and smart-witted hero and he is the one factor that makes the story so compelling to read. His notes and his mindset works so intelligently yet his demeanor reflects of no such brilliance, he projects as someone simple yet clever.
In a nutshell, this is the last time that I bought any book by this author and I would suggest the hardcore crime fiction fans to skip this book, otherwise, if you're looking for a light thriller, then go for this one.
Verdict: A boring and a predictable thriller!
April 1, 2018
This is the second book of Keigo Higashino that I read after ¡°The Devotion of Suspect X¡±. This is an excellent murder mystery as well. The style is similar ¨C great story & plot, depth of characters and systematic & painstaking analysis. It does not have the frills which build suspense and many readers have become so used to ¨C the end of a chapter having a sentence or two with a touch of drama. In many ways, this is the way murder mysteries should be written.
Hidaka is a best selling novelist, and Nonoguchi is his friend ¨C he writes children¡¯s books too. Hidaka lost his wife some time back and is now newly married again. He is found murdered at his home by his friend and wife. Detective Kaga is given the case (he and Nonoguchi were colleagues as teachers at a school a few years back), and quickly uncovers a number of clues not quite apparent when one looks at the circumstances and situation of the case.
There seem to be a number of complexities, all of which need investigation well into the past ¨C the relation between Hidaka and Nonoguchi, Hidaka¡¯s relation with his first wife and also a number of incidents from the past.
After reading around 1/3rd of the book, it appeared as if the mystery was over. I wondered what more could come now, and was worried that the story would just drag on. As it turns out, there was a lot more to come ¨C all from very painstaking investigation by Detective Kaga. An in depth investigation of motive leads Detective Kaga well into the past and interviews with various different people to uncover the full sequence of events.
This is an excellent murder mystery ¨C and recommended without hesitation if you like this genre!
Hidaka is a best selling novelist, and Nonoguchi is his friend ¨C he writes children¡¯s books too. Hidaka lost his wife some time back and is now newly married again. He is found murdered at his home by his friend and wife. Detective Kaga is given the case (he and Nonoguchi were colleagues as teachers at a school a few years back), and quickly uncovers a number of clues not quite apparent when one looks at the circumstances and situation of the case.
There seem to be a number of complexities, all of which need investigation well into the past ¨C the relation between Hidaka and Nonoguchi, Hidaka¡¯s relation with his first wife and also a number of incidents from the past.
After reading around 1/3rd of the book, it appeared as if the mystery was over. I wondered what more could come now, and was worried that the story would just drag on. As it turns out, there was a lot more to come ¨C all from very painstaking investigation by Detective Kaga. An in depth investigation of motive leads Detective Kaga well into the past and interviews with various different people to uncover the full sequence of events.
This is an excellent murder mystery ¨C and recommended without hesitation if you like this genre!
September 5, 2022
?????? ????? 3/5
???? ??? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ??? "?????? ??????" ???? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ??? ? ????? ?? ??????? ????? ??? ????? ? ????? ?????? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ??????????? ???? ??????. ??? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ?????. ??? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ??? ????!! ??? ??????? ?
???? ??? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ??? "?????? ??????" ???? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ??? ? ????? ?? ??????? ????? ??? ????? ? ????? ?????? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ??????????? ???? ??????. ??? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ?????. ??? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ??? ????!! ??? ??????? ?
December 20, 2018
¡®Malice¡¯ revolves around the death of a famous author Kunihiko Hidaka who was going to move to Canada with his wife the next day and was working on a novel in his locked house. His body is discovered by Osamu Nonoguchi, a best friend of Hidaka who¡¯s also an author of children¡¯s books.
The investigation team involves Detective Kyoichiro Kaga who was a colleague of Osamu in the past when they were both working as teachers but eventually they went their separate ways. Kaga suspects him and digs into the past of both writers to find the reason for any malice between them.
First off, the book is written brilliantly. I can¡¯t say it was as good as his previous works but I appreciate the complexity and the attention-grabbing mystery and the awesome twists. We learn the story in the first person with the help of shifting narratives between Osamu and Kaga taking us all the way into the past.
The book does not spend a lot of time developing the main characters like Kaga and Osamu. So, it felt a little dull in my opinion, at least in the beginning. Mostly, it might be because the narration is unreliable and the beginning is predictable and not suspenseful enough. In spite of that, the story was engaging.
The identity of the murderer is revealed at the start of the novel but what¡¯s different about this story is that the heart of the mystery revolves around the motivation of the crime rather than how it was committed. This led me to encounter a lot of red herrings on the way and I was absolutely amazed.
About more than halfway around the book, I felt like everything seems to have resolved and what the hell am I going come across next that would dazzle me? I was wrong! The story just takes an exciting turn and we learn a different side of the story. I did not like the ending much. But it was a pretty enjoyable book.
It's a mystery worth reading.
The investigation team involves Detective Kyoichiro Kaga who was a colleague of Osamu in the past when they were both working as teachers but eventually they went their separate ways. Kaga suspects him and digs into the past of both writers to find the reason for any malice between them.
First off, the book is written brilliantly. I can¡¯t say it was as good as his previous works but I appreciate the complexity and the attention-grabbing mystery and the awesome twists. We learn the story in the first person with the help of shifting narratives between Osamu and Kaga taking us all the way into the past.
The book does not spend a lot of time developing the main characters like Kaga and Osamu. So, it felt a little dull in my opinion, at least in the beginning. Mostly, it might be because the narration is unreliable and the beginning is predictable and not suspenseful enough. In spite of that, the story was engaging.
The identity of the murderer is revealed at the start of the novel but what¡¯s different about this story is that the heart of the mystery revolves around the motivation of the crime rather than how it was committed. This led me to encounter a lot of red herrings on the way and I was absolutely amazed.
About more than halfway around the book, I felt like everything seems to have resolved and what the hell am I going come across next that would dazzle me? I was wrong! The story just takes an exciting turn and we learn a different side of the story. I did not like the ending much. But it was a pretty enjoyable book.
It's a mystery worth reading.
July 6, 2021
My first book by Higashino, so I can't compare it with his previous works. But I knew that one of those was an Edgar finalist and that his books are hugely popular in Asia, so I had reason to expect that I would enjoy this - and I did.
We quickly learn how the central murder was committed and who did it. But Detective Kaga can't let the case go until he understands why the victim had to die. In this well-crafted story, discovering the truth is a process akin to peeling away the layers of an onion. Along the way Higashino pulls in reflections on being a teacher, being an author, and being a victim of bullying.
At times the story takes on a confessional tone that was, to me, oddly reminiscent of some of Poe's narrators' quietly unnerving disclosures. Of course, having just re-read a couple of Poe stories, I may be finding something more here than actually exists. But still, there was a quality in the shifting first person points of view that felt Poe-ish. Certainly the sense of Malice that pervades the story is something Poe would find familiar.
I really need to create a GR shelf to house books that tempt me to describe them as "nifty". This book would fit there. Simultaneously clever and uncomplicated, and well worth a quick read.
We quickly learn how the central murder was committed and who did it. But Detective Kaga can't let the case go until he understands why the victim had to die. In this well-crafted story, discovering the truth is a process akin to peeling away the layers of an onion. Along the way Higashino pulls in reflections on being a teacher, being an author, and being a victim of bullying.
At times the story takes on a confessional tone that was, to me, oddly reminiscent of some of Poe's narrators' quietly unnerving disclosures. Of course, having just re-read a couple of Poe stories, I may be finding something more here than actually exists. But still, there was a quality in the shifting first person points of view that felt Poe-ish. Certainly the sense of Malice that pervades the story is something Poe would find familiar.
I really need to create a GR shelf to house books that tempt me to describe them as "nifty". This book would fit there. Simultaneously clever and uncomplicated, and well worth a quick read.
April 11, 2020
(4.5) Very clever storytelling, I love a mystery like this! The story is woven so well, that you'll be thinking it's one thing and then the whole story just sort of shifts, and shifts again, and then again. I was fully engaged from beginning to end, and just kept thinking how clever it was to even think up a story line like this! This is a mystery I'd read again, just to see what I'd missed along the way!
February 28, 2025
???? ???????? ????? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ?? ?????????? ?????? ???. ?????? ??? ???? ? ???? ?????-??????!
??????? ????? ????? ? ????? ??? ????. ??????? ??? ???? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?? ????. ???? ????? ? ????? ?? ?? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ?????????? ??? ? ??? ????.
???? ??????? ?? ???? ???? ????? ? ????? ?? ????? ???? ? ??? ????????? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ????. ?? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ????????? ??????? ?????????? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???????? ???? ????? ??????. ??? ????? ??????? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ???? ? ???? ????? ????? ?? ????? ??? ? ????? ???? ?? ????? ? ???????? ?????. ??????? ??????? ? ?? ??? ???? ?? ????? ???? ?? ????? ???? ?? ?? ??? ? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ????
??? ??????? ???? ?????????? ???????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ????? ???? =))))
????? ???? ?? ??? ????????!
??????? ????? ????? ? ????? ??? ????. ??????? ??? ???? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?? ????. ???? ????? ? ????? ?? ?? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ?????????? ??? ? ??? ????.
???? ??????? ?? ???? ???? ????? ? ????? ?? ????? ???? ? ??? ????????? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ????. ?? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ????????? ??????? ?????????? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???????? ???? ????? ??????. ??? ????? ??????? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ???? ? ???? ????? ????? ?? ????? ??? ? ????? ???? ?? ????? ? ???????? ?????. ??????? ??????? ? ?? ??? ???? ?? ????? ???? ?? ????? ???? ?? ?? ??? ? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ????
??? ??????? ???? ?????????? ???????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ????? ???? =))))
????? ???? ?? ??? ????????!
November 16, 2023
????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ??????? ???? ????? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ??????? ???????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ??????
???? ?-? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ???????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ????????? ????? ??? ??? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ????????? ¡± ??????? " ???? ??? ?????? ??? ? ????? ????? ??? ?? ???????? ??????? ???????? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ????, ???? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ???
???? ?-? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ???????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ????????? ????? ??? ??? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ????????? ¡± ??????? " ???? ??? ?????? ??? ? ????? ????? ??? ?? ???????? ??????? ???????? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ????, ???? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ???
November 18, 2024
I found Malice to be an okay read, but a bit ho-hum for me, perhaps being a fan of very fast paced and often dark crime books this one was a bit too slow for me, indeed very well written and I got the whole concept of the killer being identified early then the book focusing on the WHY rather than the WHO, but it just was not something I got very excited about.
Acclaimed bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka is brutally murdered in his home on the night before he's planning to leave Japan and relocate to Vancouver. His body is found in his office, in a locked room, within his locked house, by his wife and his best friend, both of whom have rock solid alibis. Or so it seems.
Police Detective Kyochiro Kaga recognizes Hidaka's best friend from years ago when they were both teachers. Kaga went on to join the police force while Nonoguchi became a full-time writer, though with not nearly the success of his friend Hidaka. When Kaga suspects something is a little bit off with Nonoguchi's statement, he investigates further, ultimately executing a search warrant on Nonoguchi's apartment. There he finds evidence that shows that the two writers' relationship was very different than they claimed...
So the book takes a different approach to most crime novels, where the focus is on the WHO in a murder investigation. Detective Kaga is pretty certain early on he has his man, the book then goes into exploring the complexities behind the WHY and delving into the real relationship suspect Nonoguchi had with the now murdered author, and his once best friend Hidaka.
There is an strong spotlight and focus on the characters and I did really like Detective Kaga's character in this novel. He's very likeable and clever.
I found it very slow in a lot of places, and a bit boring if I am really honest. It just didn't have the excitement factor or anything to make it particularly spectacular. Yet many have really loved this book, so I won't say much more, try it for yourself if you fancy it. It's not an awful book, just not memorable enough for me to rave about.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
::~~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~~::
Thanks so much for reading my review!
I hope you enjoyed it, if you did I¡¯d be delighted if you leave me a ¡°like¡± and I love to read your comments. If you¡¯d like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request.
You can also find me on Amazon U.K. where I am a Top 500 Reviewer.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you¡¯d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
Acclaimed bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka is brutally murdered in his home on the night before he's planning to leave Japan and relocate to Vancouver. His body is found in his office, in a locked room, within his locked house, by his wife and his best friend, both of whom have rock solid alibis. Or so it seems.
Police Detective Kyochiro Kaga recognizes Hidaka's best friend from years ago when they were both teachers. Kaga went on to join the police force while Nonoguchi became a full-time writer, though with not nearly the success of his friend Hidaka. When Kaga suspects something is a little bit off with Nonoguchi's statement, he investigates further, ultimately executing a search warrant on Nonoguchi's apartment. There he finds evidence that shows that the two writers' relationship was very different than they claimed...
So the book takes a different approach to most crime novels, where the focus is on the WHO in a murder investigation. Detective Kaga is pretty certain early on he has his man, the book then goes into exploring the complexities behind the WHY and delving into the real relationship suspect Nonoguchi had with the now murdered author, and his once best friend Hidaka.
There is an strong spotlight and focus on the characters and I did really like Detective Kaga's character in this novel. He's very likeable and clever.
I found it very slow in a lot of places, and a bit boring if I am really honest. It just didn't have the excitement factor or anything to make it particularly spectacular. Yet many have really loved this book, so I won't say much more, try it for yourself if you fancy it. It's not an awful book, just not memorable enough for me to rave about.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
::~~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~~::
Thanks so much for reading my review!
I hope you enjoyed it, if you did I¡¯d be delighted if you leave me a ¡°like¡± and I love to read your comments. If you¡¯d like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request.
You can also find me on Amazon U.K. where I am a Top 500 Reviewer.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you¡¯d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
August 22, 2020
Pembacaan kedua dalam ranga #BacaKeigoHigashinoBareng
Perkenalanku dengan Keigo Higashino bermula karena drama Jepang berjudul Galileo. Drama itu merupakan salah satu alihawahana dari tulisan Higashino-sensei. Ketertarikan akan jalan ceritanya mendorongku untuk membaca Malice pertama kali di tahun 2016. Pada kali pertama membaca Malice, aku dibuat kagum dengan tulisan Higashino-sensei. Kayaknya waktu itu, bisa menghabiskannya dalam sekali duduk. Padahal tahun 2016, terjemahan bahasa Indonesia untuk buku ini belum tersedia.
Di tahun 2020, rupanya Gramedia Pustaka Utama menerjemahkan Malice ke dalam bahasa Indonesia. Tentu saja ada perasaan rindu sekaligus penasaran ingin tahu apakah terjemahannya masih bisa dinikmati atau tidak.
Pada pembacaan kedua, aku merasakan aura yang familiar. Aku sudah bisa memahami bahwa salah satu kekuatan dalam tulisannya Higashino-sensei adalah pemaparan yang berhubungan dengan waktu. Dengan kata lain, ialah alibi. Ketelitian Detektif Kaga menjadi kunci selama kasus ini diproses. Detektif Kaga merasa ganjil ketika dengan mudahnya mendapatkan siapa yang menjadi tersangka dalam pembunuhan seorang novelis ternama, Hidaka Kunihiko. Seakan instingnya mengatakan bahwa "tidak mungkin semudah ini."
Malice diceritakan dari dua sudut pandang yakni Detektif Kaga dan Nonoguchi Osamu--teman dari Hidaka Kunihiko--orang yang menemukan mayat Hidaka-san pertama kali. Tapi di situlah uniknya. Dua sudut pandang yang mencoba tidak memberikan celah kepada pembaca untuk menebak. Malah keduanya menggiring pembaca untuk "sudahlah, nikmati saja tulisannya!"
Untuk mereka yang sudah pernah membaca tulisan Higashino-sensei Kesetiaan Mr. X (diterjemahkan juga oleh Gramedia Pustaka Utama tahun 2016), maka akan merasakan rasa familier itu lagi. Bagaimana Higashino-sensei memberikan "siapa yang membunuh" di depan cerita dan sisanya adalah menguak bagaimana dan apa motif dari pembunuhan tersebut. Tapi jangan keburu merasa bosan! Higashino-sensei tidak menulis sesederhana itu.
Karena ini merupakan pembacaan kedua, ketika sampai pada akhir buku, aku merasa jalan ceritanya hampir mirip dengan buku Higashino-sensei yang lain, Salvation of a Saint. Khususnya ketika pelaku mencoba menyusun rencana agar pembunuhan bisa berjalan sesuai dengan perhitungannya.
Ahya, terjemahan oleh mbak Faira ini mulus sehingga enak dibaca. Mengalir dan tidak membuat bingung. Ada catatan kaki untuk memberikan informasi tambahan mengenai istilah yang belum ditemukan padanan katanya dalam bahasa Indonesia. Perasaan yang muncul ketika aku sudah terlarut dalam buku sama dengan ketika aku terpukau dengan bagaimana Carl Sagan menulis Kontak.
Di pembacaan kedua buku Malice, pembacaan pertama dalam bahasa Indonesia, aku masih memberikan 5 bintang.
Aku menjelaskan bahwa buku baru akan laris jika masuk daftar rekomendasi Kementerian Pendidikan; juga tentang betapa kuatnya pengaruh orangtua pada kebiasaan membaca. "Biasanya orangtua masa kini hanya bisa mengharuskan anak-anaknya untuk membaca, padahal mereka sendiri tidak suka membaca. Aku sendiri tidak paham bagaimana seseorang yang tidak punya kebiasaan membaca bisa memberi saran pada anaknya tentang buku apa yang bisa mereka baca. Akibatnya, pihak pemerintahlah yang harus mengeluarkan rekomendasi; hanya saja anak-anak malah akan membenci buku jika ceritanya tidak menarik. Hal seperti itu terus terulang bagaikan lingkaran setan."
Perkenalanku dengan Keigo Higashino bermula karena drama Jepang berjudul Galileo. Drama itu merupakan salah satu alihawahana dari tulisan Higashino-sensei. Ketertarikan akan jalan ceritanya mendorongku untuk membaca Malice pertama kali di tahun 2016. Pada kali pertama membaca Malice, aku dibuat kagum dengan tulisan Higashino-sensei. Kayaknya waktu itu, bisa menghabiskannya dalam sekali duduk. Padahal tahun 2016, terjemahan bahasa Indonesia untuk buku ini belum tersedia.
Di tahun 2020, rupanya Gramedia Pustaka Utama menerjemahkan Malice ke dalam bahasa Indonesia. Tentu saja ada perasaan rindu sekaligus penasaran ingin tahu apakah terjemahannya masih bisa dinikmati atau tidak.
Pada pembacaan kedua, aku merasakan aura yang familiar. Aku sudah bisa memahami bahwa salah satu kekuatan dalam tulisannya Higashino-sensei adalah pemaparan yang berhubungan dengan waktu. Dengan kata lain, ialah alibi. Ketelitian Detektif Kaga menjadi kunci selama kasus ini diproses. Detektif Kaga merasa ganjil ketika dengan mudahnya mendapatkan siapa yang menjadi tersangka dalam pembunuhan seorang novelis ternama, Hidaka Kunihiko. Seakan instingnya mengatakan bahwa "tidak mungkin semudah ini."
Malice diceritakan dari dua sudut pandang yakni Detektif Kaga dan Nonoguchi Osamu--teman dari Hidaka Kunihiko--orang yang menemukan mayat Hidaka-san pertama kali. Tapi di situlah uniknya. Dua sudut pandang yang mencoba tidak memberikan celah kepada pembaca untuk menebak. Malah keduanya menggiring pembaca untuk "sudahlah, nikmati saja tulisannya!"
Untuk mereka yang sudah pernah membaca tulisan Higashino-sensei Kesetiaan Mr. X (diterjemahkan juga oleh Gramedia Pustaka Utama tahun 2016), maka akan merasakan rasa familier itu lagi. Bagaimana Higashino-sensei memberikan "siapa yang membunuh" di depan cerita dan sisanya adalah menguak bagaimana dan apa motif dari pembunuhan tersebut. Tapi jangan keburu merasa bosan! Higashino-sensei tidak menulis sesederhana itu.
"Hubungan antara guru dan murid dibangun berdasarkan persepsi yang salah, yaitu tugas sang guru adalah mengajarkan sesuatu sementara tugas murid adalah mempelajarinya. Yang penting adalah bagaimana persepsi itu bisa membuat kedua belah pihak sama-sama puas, apalagi yang namanya kebenaran tidak menjamin semuanya akan baik-baik saja. Yang kita kerjakan saat ini sama dengan bermain sekolah-sekolahan."
Karena ini merupakan pembacaan kedua, ketika sampai pada akhir buku, aku merasa jalan ceritanya hampir mirip dengan buku Higashino-sensei yang lain, Salvation of a Saint. Khususnya ketika pelaku mencoba menyusun rencana agar pembunuhan bisa berjalan sesuai dengan perhitungannya.
Ahya, terjemahan oleh mbak Faira ini mulus sehingga enak dibaca. Mengalir dan tidak membuat bingung. Ada catatan kaki untuk memberikan informasi tambahan mengenai istilah yang belum ditemukan padanan katanya dalam bahasa Indonesia. Perasaan yang muncul ketika aku sudah terlarut dalam buku sama dengan ketika aku terpukau dengan bagaimana Carl Sagan menulis Kontak.
Di pembacaan kedua buku Malice, pembacaan pertama dalam bahasa Indonesia, aku masih memberikan 5 bintang.
August 17, 2023
?????????? ????????? ?????? ??????? ????????? ???? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ??? ??????? ???????? ??? ??????? ???? ???????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?????? '???' ?? ???????? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ???????? ??????? ??? ???? ???????????, ???????? ??????? ???????????? ???????? ?????, ?????? ???? ????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ???? ?? ????, ???-????? ???????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ???????? ??????????? ?????????? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?????????? ???? ???? ???? ???????? ???? ??? ??????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???? ??????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ?????? ?? ???????? ???????? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ???? ????????? ???? ?? ??????? ?????? ????? ????? ?????? (???? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ???, ???? ?????? ??? ????????? ???) ????????? ?? ??????????? ???? ????? ??????? ????????? ??? ??? ???? ?????, ??? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ???????? ?????
November 15, 2014
Malice by Japanese author Keigo Higashino represents not only the first book that I¡¯ve read by the author but also just happens to be one of my favourite books of the year. It¡¯s an evocative read that puts the reader at ease from the opening pages until its d¨¦nouement where everything is tied up in a neat, unexpected and satisfying package.
Wonderfully translated from Japanese by Alexander O Smith and Elye Alexander the book is an effortless read. It¡¯s as if the author sat down to write and in an hour had finished one of the most captivating reads I¡¯ve had the pleasure of reading this year. It¡¯s such a comfortable read that I found it hard to imagine that this wasn¡¯t originally written in English!
As you delve into the story you begin to take things at face value and then, slowly but surely, Keigo Higashino moves the goalposts and takes you, the reader, on a different path and you begin to question everything you thought was true in the beginning. The pace is spot on and as comfort begins to set in, the author starts to unravel the mysteries surrounding the crimes both in present and in the past.
The story is narrated by Osamu Nonoguchi, friend of the deceased and fellow author and a detective and former teacher Kyochiro Kyaga, two very different approaches but both allowing the story to unfold and develop in their own unique way. I enjoyed both viewpoints but found Kaga¡¯s reasoning and deductive skills superior to that of Nonoguchi¡¯s storytelling. There was just something about Kaga that I found compelling but the way he discovered the hidden secrets and his dogged determination in solving the mystery was nothing short of superb.
If you are looking for crime fiction that is slightly unusual with wonderful storytelling, engaging characters and a simple crime that is anything but, then Malice is without question a must read. A game of cat and mouse from beginning to end, the book satisfies on multiple levels.
Wonderfully translated from Japanese by Alexander O Smith and Elye Alexander the book is an effortless read. It¡¯s as if the author sat down to write and in an hour had finished one of the most captivating reads I¡¯ve had the pleasure of reading this year. It¡¯s such a comfortable read that I found it hard to imagine that this wasn¡¯t originally written in English!
As you delve into the story you begin to take things at face value and then, slowly but surely, Keigo Higashino moves the goalposts and takes you, the reader, on a different path and you begin to question everything you thought was true in the beginning. The pace is spot on and as comfort begins to set in, the author starts to unravel the mysteries surrounding the crimes both in present and in the past.
The story is narrated by Osamu Nonoguchi, friend of the deceased and fellow author and a detective and former teacher Kyochiro Kyaga, two very different approaches but both allowing the story to unfold and develop in their own unique way. I enjoyed both viewpoints but found Kaga¡¯s reasoning and deductive skills superior to that of Nonoguchi¡¯s storytelling. There was just something about Kaga that I found compelling but the way he discovered the hidden secrets and his dogged determination in solving the mystery was nothing short of superb.
If you are looking for crime fiction that is slightly unusual with wonderful storytelling, engaging characters and a simple crime that is anything but, then Malice is without question a must read. A game of cat and mouse from beginning to end, the book satisfies on multiple levels.
March 14, 2023
MORE LIKE 3.5 Stars for me, but IT DESERVES TO BE ROUNDED TO 4 Stars ????????
First of all.....
I want to talk about the ending which is for me..... something still missing like.. there's one piece of the puzzle left but the author keeps it from us.
So let's talk about the story now.
Like it said we are not in middle searching for WHO DONE IT? Or HOW DONE IT?
But WHY DONE IT?.... I have been on a roller coaster ride while I read this book, for example I went pretty hot and cold towards our main suspect.
Also, if you guys search about like really dark crime or suspense book who always keeps you on the edge I think Detective Kaga series is not the one. Because I've read two out of three of this series (that have been translated to ENG) are more heart warming detective stories.
To be HONEST I found myself really bored at some point of this book like when Kaga visited the people who might be related to this murder. The second book of this series also same (The Newcomer) he visits a bunch of ppl. And I'm feeling tired. Too much side characters, and we need to be invested in all of these, I found myself wanting to skip it but CAN'T, who knows I might miss the important clue so I have gone through it.
But THE ENDING still I needed more explanation.
?
First of all.....
I want to talk about the ending which is for me..... something still missing like.. there's one piece of the puzzle left but the author keeps it from us.
So let's talk about the story now.
Like it said we are not in middle searching for WHO DONE IT? Or HOW DONE IT?
But WHY DONE IT?.... I have been on a roller coaster ride while I read this book, for example I went pretty hot and cold towards our main suspect.
Also, if you guys search about like really dark crime or suspense book who always keeps you on the edge I think Detective Kaga series is not the one. Because I've read two out of three of this series (that have been translated to ENG) are more heart warming detective stories.
To be HONEST I found myself really bored at some point of this book like when Kaga visited the people who might be related to this murder. The second book of this series also same (The Newcomer) he visits a bunch of ppl. And I'm feeling tired. Too much side characters, and we need to be invested in all of these, I found myself wanting to skip it but CAN'T, who knows I might miss the important clue so I have gone through it.
But THE ENDING still I needed more explanation.
?
September 7, 2023
Novels by Keigo Higashino take you right down a twisting, turning road and then, just when you think you have it figured out, BAZINGO! it turns out to be different than you thought it was. Malice is no different.
A well-known author is found murdered. His friend since childhood, an author of children's books, was the last person to see him alive. The victim had long planned to move to Vancouver, Canada, and was scheduled to depart with his wife the next day. Virtually everything in the house was boxed and ready to be shipped. He was working on the last installment of his highly anticipated next book and planned to finish the last thirty pages the evening he met his grizzly fate.
Detective Kaga catches the case and, strangely enough, he and the author of children's books happened to have worked together when both were teachers at a grade school. Kaga is a very methodical and cerebral investigator who takes nothing for granted so he investigates every aspect of the victim's life going all the way back to the time when he and his pal were in grade school. In fact, he becomes convinced that.... Oh! I don't want to ruin it for you if you decide to read it.
Malice is not an action-packed, shoot-em-up kinda mystery, as you might have gathered from the partial recap that I provided. Most of the book contains the thoughts of one of the characters or dialogue between two or three of the characters (Just a minute! If it involved three of the characters, wouldn't it be trialogue?) Needless to say, this book isn't for action junkies. Alternating sections of the book are written from the perspective of different characters and provides an opportunity to follow their varying thought processes.
Higashino does a superb job of creating and developing the relatively few characters in the book. So much so that I developed very clear pictures of most of the characters and was thrown for a loop when a character that I had pictured as slender was described as chubby. The dialogue is superb and, even when one of the characters can't reply because he is hospitalized and may be unconscious, the monologue is very elegant.
I am clearly a big fan of Higashino and will read one of his books for some time without much happening. Others may become bored but, if you do decide to give this book a shot and get bored, I would suggest that you read at least a third of the book before declaring it a DNF. And when have I ever led you astray? ...hmmm Okay, except for that time.
Finito
A well-known author is found murdered. His friend since childhood, an author of children's books, was the last person to see him alive. The victim had long planned to move to Vancouver, Canada, and was scheduled to depart with his wife the next day. Virtually everything in the house was boxed and ready to be shipped. He was working on the last installment of his highly anticipated next book and planned to finish the last thirty pages the evening he met his grizzly fate.
Detective Kaga catches the case and, strangely enough, he and the author of children's books happened to have worked together when both were teachers at a grade school. Kaga is a very methodical and cerebral investigator who takes nothing for granted so he investigates every aspect of the victim's life going all the way back to the time when he and his pal were in grade school. In fact, he becomes convinced that.... Oh! I don't want to ruin it for you if you decide to read it.
Malice is not an action-packed, shoot-em-up kinda mystery, as you might have gathered from the partial recap that I provided. Most of the book contains the thoughts of one of the characters or dialogue between two or three of the characters (Just a minute! If it involved three of the characters, wouldn't it be trialogue?) Needless to say, this book isn't for action junkies. Alternating sections of the book are written from the perspective of different characters and provides an opportunity to follow their varying thought processes.
Higashino does a superb job of creating and developing the relatively few characters in the book. So much so that I developed very clear pictures of most of the characters and was thrown for a loop when a character that I had pictured as slender was described as chubby. The dialogue is superb and, even when one of the characters can't reply because he is hospitalized and may be unconscious, the monologue is very elegant.
I am clearly a big fan of Higashino and will read one of his books for some time without much happening. Others may become bored but, if you do decide to give this book a shot and get bored, I would suggest that you read at least a third of the book before declaring it a DNF. And when have I ever led you astray? ...hmmm Okay, except for that time.
Finito
April 28, 2015
This book had everything a good mystery should
A convoluted, very intelligent killer
A famous writer with an antipathetic character for a victim
A very intelligent police officer, who finally unravels the gnarled threads of the mystery
2 childhood friends, one who hates the other
Bullying which led to serious consequences
Infidelity, Extreme jealousy mounting to hatred, prejudices
And MALICE
I thoroughly enjoyed the various POVs, the narrative consequently taken up by the suspected murderer, the investigating officer, and the various people questioned.
The end product was an ingenious, unthinkable solution to the apparently simple crime of opportunity.
A convoluted, very intelligent killer
A famous writer with an antipathetic character for a victim
A very intelligent police officer, who finally unravels the gnarled threads of the mystery
2 childhood friends, one who hates the other
Bullying which led to serious consequences
Infidelity, Extreme jealousy mounting to hatred, prejudices
And MALICE
I thoroughly enjoyed the various POVs, the narrative consequently taken up by the suspected murderer, the investigating officer, and the various people questioned.
The end product was an ingenious, unthinkable solution to the apparently simple crime of opportunity.
September 3, 2018
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