Higashino, who wrote the Devotion of Suspect X  is back again with a new mystery, Malice. Although written in 1996, it was not translated until 2014 when it became an Edgar Award Finalist. It is wonderful that Higashino is getting the recognition he deserves, for he is truly a master at the psychological mystery by surprising and keeping you guessing until the very end, just like the great mystery authors Agatha Christie or Ellery Queen,

The story begins with the death of a famous author Kunihiko Hidaka on the eve of he and his wife, Rie’s departure to Canada. The body, lying in his home among the packing boxes, is discovered by his long time friend and fellow author Osamu Nonoguchi. Detective Kaga is called in to investigate the suspicious death and the story proceeds in nine different sections told from the perspectives of Detective Kaga and Osamu Nonoguchi.  Rather than a “whodunnit” this is really a “whydunnit” since a confession to the murder emerges fairly early in the book, but Detective Kaga is unsatisfied and continues his investigation trying to figure out why the crime was committed which leads him to a new understanding of who murdered Hidaka.

Higashino is artful in his plotting and pacing and like an intricate piece of origami, at each point when you finally think you have the answer, something new emerges throwing everything you already knew in an entirely new light.  Higashino develops his characters so that we understand their motivations and their complicated relationships with each other. Smith does an excellent job in his translation with smooth dialogue and narration, which in less skilled hands can often feel choppy or pedantic.

This was a fun, intriguing and culturally insightful read. For those who love mysteries, I hope that you will give Higashino a try; you will not be disappointed!

Brenda’s Rating ****( 4 out of 5)

Recommend this book to: Sharon, Marian and Keith

Book Study Worthy? yes

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