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MALICE Paperback – 5 February 2015
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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. Years ago when they were both teachers, they were colleagues at the same high school. Kaga went on to join the police force while Osamu Nonoguchi left to become a full-time writer, though with not nearly the success of his friend Hidaka. But Kaga thinks something is a little bit off with Nonoguchi's statement and 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 the two claimed. Nonoguchi confesses to the murder, but that's only the beginning of the story.
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?
- Print length320 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherAbacus
- Publication date5 February 2015
- Dimensions12.6 x 3.4 x 19.6 cm
- ISBN-100349140529
- ISBN-13978-0349140520
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Product description
Review
As fiendishly clever as The Devotion of Suspect X...Higashino offers one twist after another, all of which touch on the theme suggested by the book's title. Readers will marvel at the artful way the plot builds to the solution of Hidaka's murder. ― Publishers Weekly on Malice
Keigo Higashino again proves his mastery of the diabolical puzzle mystery with Malice, a story with more turns, twists, switchbacks and sudden stops than a Tokyo highway during Golden Week. ― New York Times
An exceptional study of the psychology of murder as well as a skilfully plotted narrative. ― Independent on Malice
Keigo Higashino combines Dostoyevskian psychological realism with classic detective-story puzzles reminiscent of Agatha Christie and E.C. Bentley. ― Wall Street Journal on Malice
Smart and original...a true page turner...Higashino continues to elevate the modern mystery as an intense and inventive literary form. ― Library Journal **Starred Review** on Malice
Intricate... At the outset, [Higashino's] approach seems unsettling, but the Edgar nominee knows his business; Malice soon becomes awfully hard to put down. ― Booklist
The creator of Detective Galileo returns with another fiendishly clever Chinese - make that Japanese - box of a whydunit....Each time you're convinced Higashino's wrung every possible twist out of his golden-age setup, he comes up with a new one. If you still miss the days of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, you can't do better than this fleet, inventive retro puzzler. ― Kirkus Reviews on Malice
A detective story about writers is often particularly satisfying, and this one is no exception...The plot is satisfyingly twisty and gathers pace as the revelations come thicker, faster, and more and more unexpected. ― Sydney Morning Herald on Malice
A psychological thriller of the highest order...Each time Higashino makes a revelation, he quickly pulls the carpet from under one's feet, fueling the reader to finish the book as quickly as possible. ― Singapore Straits Times on Malice
'A thriller of subtle sorts...written with an extreme sense of ease, flow and sensitivity.' ― Asian Age
The story has more twists & turns than the Tokyo metro and proves that Higashino is a master of the form. ― Independent on Sunday on MALICE
Book Description
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Abacus (5 February 2015)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0349140529
- ISBN-13 : 978-0349140520
- Item Weight : 252 g
- Dimensions : 12.6 x 3.4 x 19.6 cm
- Country of Origin : United Kingdom
- Best Sellers Rank: #18,930 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #336 in Science Fiction Crime & Mystery
- #399 in Mysteries (Books)
- #411 in Thrillers and Suspense
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Customer reviews
Customers say
Customers find the book engaging and easy to read. They appreciate the gripping mystery and psychological intrigue. The writing quality is praised as intelligent and well-crafted. Readers describe the pace as fast and refreshing. Opinions differ on the suspense level, with some finding it brilliant and brilliantly executed, while others feel the motive lacks depth and closure.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They appreciate the descriptive narrative and fast-paced plot. The story is about a successful novelist who gets murdered. Readers describe it as one of the best crime novels they've read in a while.
"Loved it, intelligent and has unexpected twists and turns. Good read." Read more
"...Plot: A simple story line where a victim is murdered, the detective is hired, who solves the case in the first three chapters, but still the..." Read more
"The quality of the product is nice. It's a great read. I finished the book in one sitting! So much fun!" Read more
"...and biggest selling Japanese fiction author, has penned an intriguing thriller, Malice that is the fourth book in the detective Kyoichiro Kaga series..." Read more
Customers enjoy the gripping mystery and psychological intrigue in the book. They find the investigation interesting with several small twists and surprises. The story opens up new theories and is considered a good murder mystery.
"...simple written in diary style, with a fast pace used in narration, captivates and keep the readers hooked till the very last page...." Read more
"...So there aren't any useless subplots and the focus is on the mystery itself. The way detective Kaga methodically solves the case is brilliant...." Read more
"Absolutely gripping with its unexpected twists." Read more
"...storytelling, with layers and layers of plots and twists, keeping the reader immersed...." Read more
Customers find the writing quality engaging and easy to read. They appreciate the intelligent plot twists and buildup to the climax. The book is described as descriptive and one of the author's best translated works.
"Loved it, intelligent and has unexpected twists and turns. Good read." Read more
"...Language: The language is extremely simple written in diary style, with a fast pace used in narration, captivates and keep the readers hooked..." Read more
"...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...." Read more
"...This is one of the most precise novels I've ever read. Not a single word is irrelevant. Every single dialogue, every scene is crucial to the plot...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's fast pace. They find it an engaging read that they finish in one sitting or two days. The narration style is described as diary-like, with a fast pace used in storytelling. While some readers found the story straightforward at first, others found it had unexpected twists and turns.
"...language is extremely simple written in diary style, with a fast pace used in narration, captivates and keep the readers hooked till the very last..." Read more
"The quality of the product is nice. It's a great read. I finished the book in one sitting! So much fun!" Read more
"...forms several theories and nullifies them, the book still is fast paced and does not decline in intrigue...." Read more
"...Very simple language and very fast paced...." Read more
Customers enjoy the detective writing. They find it an excellent introduction to Detective Kyoichiro Kaga and a well-crafted murder mystery by Keigo Higashino. Readers praise the author's skill and consider the book a typical creation from him.
"Malice is a murder mystery book by Keigo Higashino. It is 281 pages long and has a rating of 3.94 in Good reads. . "..." Read more
"...Best book I've read in a long time. Higashino is a master. This one is even better than the Devotion." Read more
"If you love crime fiction, detectives, mystery and the Japanese touch then this is will not let you down." Read more
"Hidaka's story is a splendid exposition by Higashino on the power of deception and psychological intrigue...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's engaging writing style. They say it keeps them hooked until the end.
"...Malice by Kiego Higashino is a fantastic piece of fiction, is a page turner which as a reader kept me hooked till the end due its simple narration,..." Read more
"Page turner. Just completed in 3 days." Read more
"Read it. Is a page turner. The story still remains with me." Read more
"Absolute page turner... Entertaining read" Read more
Customers have mixed reviews about the book. Some find it a brilliant murder story with surprising twists at the end and gripping tale. Others feel the mystery lacks depth and closure, with motives that don't add up enough to make it compelling. The ending leaves a little to be desired, though overall it's a good read.
"...reader kept me hooked till the end due its simple narration, surprising twists at end and a gripping tale with fast pace narration. Plot:..." Read more
"...The theme is Malice, as can be deduced from the title. Over all, a 4.5 stars out of 5 from me...." Read more
"Absolutely mid twisting work. Hats off to the author. The book grips you and you cannot let it go till you finish it." Read more
"...You create an exceptionally interesting tale of human malice. How do you do that? Read this book and you will have your answer...." Read more
Customers have different views on the character development. Some find it excellent with first-person narratives from different characters, and understandable names. They also appreciate the smart-witted hero. Others feel the characters are weak and the storyline is too complex.
"...Kaga is an exceptional and smart-witted hero and he is the one factor that makes the story so compelling to read...." Read more
"...The main plus point is that there are very few characters. So there aren't any useless subplots and the focus is on the mystery itself...." Read more
"...with multiple threads and layers sewed in, the storyline and characters are different...." Read more
"...We have first person narratives from different characters and we may as well be wondering along with the detective, the why of it all...." Read more
Reviews with images
Another Page Turner By Higashino
Top reviews from India
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- Reviewed in India on 12 December 2024Verified PurchaseLoved it, intelligent and has unexpected twists and turns. Good read.
- Reviewed in India on 12 May 2019Verified PurchaseThe book Malice by Kiego Higashino is a fantastic piece of fiction, is a page turner which as a reader kept me hooked till the end due its simple narration, surprising twists at end and a gripping tale with fast pace narration.
Plot:
A simple story line where a victim is murdered, the detective is hired, who solves the case in the first three chapters, but still the author is able to make this into a page turner, the readers are hooked till the last page because unlike the detective even the readers are awestruck by the culprit’s motif to kill the victim.
Characterization:
This book should be read particularly to understand how authors both in real as well as fictitious World create characters. This is the biggest USP of this book Malice and author should be highly praised for such marvellous creation.
Language:
The language is extremely simple written in diary style, with a fast pace used in narration, captivates and keep the readers hooked till the very last page. The story isn’t at all lengthy and is a gripping tale and could be finished in a day to or two.
A book that is worth a buy, a book that is extremely enticing and off course a book that is bound be any mystery lover’s delight.
4.0 out of 5 stars Simple Plot, Great Narration with Mind blowing TwistsThe book Malice by Kiego Higashino is a fantastic piece of fiction, is a page turner which as a reader kept me hooked till the end due its simple narration, surprising twists at end and a gripping tale with fast pace narration.
Reviewed in India on 12 May 2019
Plot:
A simple story line where a victim is murdered, the detective is hired, who solves the case in the first three chapters, but still the author is able to make this into a page turner, the readers are hooked till the last page because unlike the detective even the readers are awestruck by the culprit’s motif to kill the victim.
Characterization:
This book should be read particularly to understand how authors both in real as well as fictitious World create characters. This is the biggest USP of this book Malice and author should be highly praised for such marvellous creation.
Language:
The language is extremely simple written in diary style, with a fast pace used in narration, captivates and keep the readers hooked till the very last page. The story isn’t at all lengthy and is a gripping tale and could be finished in a day to or two.
A book that is worth a buy, a book that is extremely enticing and off course a book that is bound be any mystery lover’s delight.
Images in this review - Reviewed in India on 17 August 2024Verified PurchaseThe quality of the product is nice. It's a great read. I finished the book in one sitting! So much fun!
- Reviewed in India on 1 August 2016Verified Purchase“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.
- Reviewed in India on 19 May 2021Verified PurchaseMurder Mysteries are often called as who dunnit because the detective has to figure out "who" has done the murder. Usually the identity of the killer is the main reveal at the end of the novel. Keigo Higashino has a unique style of revealing the murderer in the initial chapters but the way he builds up the suspense in "how" and "why" of the crime is one of the best in crime thrillers. Malice is one such novel which focuses on "Why" part of mystery.
📚📚📚📚
Plot- When a bestselling author is found dead by his wife and his friend, Detective Kyoichiro Kaga has not much difficulty in finding the murderer. However, when the motive of the murderer has loopholes, Detective Kaga decides to uncover the real reason behind the murder.
📚📚📚📚
This is one of the most precise novels I've ever read. Not a single word is irrelevant. Every single dialogue, every scene is crucial to the plot. The main plus point is that there are very few characters. So there aren't any useless subplots and the focus is on the mystery itself. The way detective Kaga methodically solves the case is brilliant. He's not extraordinary like Sherlock or too overconfident like Poirot. He's a simple but amazing detective. This makes him relatable. The plot is not too complex but the way it's written is so perfect. The final few chapters are a little disturbing take on one of the very concept human emotions.
This book is my second from Keigo Higashino and he has become my favourite author in crime thriller. I'm definitely gonna be reading more of his translated works.
My rating 5 stars.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
- Reviewed in India on 26 March 2024Verified PurchaseAbsolutely gripping with its unexpected twists.
Top reviews from other countries
- ETReviewed in Canada on 17 January 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Different way to tell a story
Verified PurchaseReally enjoyed the book. Enjoy the characters, the plot and the way it is delivered. The story telling is different from I’m used to read and it was quite enjoyable to see a new side of how to approach and write a good story. Do not want to give away the story, just read it.
-
Cliente de KindleReviewed in Spain on 14 February 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Envidia Terrible
Verified PurchaseLa estrategia desarrollada para hacer daño a una persona a la que se odiaba sin razón aparente.
- Claire E LeamyReviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 November 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb simple literary style
Verified PurchasePrecise and clear sentence structure.
Addictive narrative.
Ingenious plots.
I have now read most of series. It does not matter what order your read them in. I would recommend them all.
- Laura TolomeiReviewed in Italy on 13 April 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional!
Verified PurchaseIt's like a Russian doll: when you think you've reached the solution, the author surprises you by providing more plausible explanations that, with the addition of both relevant and irrelevant details, bring you closer to the truth until it's a perfect bull,s eye. I am fascinated by this author. His narrative style, his character building and his plot enfolding are all amazing and always startling in their unexpectedeness.