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ikaryst's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It’s been a decade+ since my last mystery book and this was such a welcomed read to my collection. Prior to this, I was unfamiliar with Keigo Higashino’s works but now, I will be anticipating future stories from this author.
From the start to the end, Malice had me at the edge of my seat because I was so eager to uncover the secrets behind the murder of acclaimed bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka. The written accounts of the characters were extremely immersive as though I could see inside their minds.
What made this super entertaining was how the author revealed hints gradually for us readers to also figure out the mystery. The narrative is void of any information dumping and unfolds in a remarkably clever and uncomplicated manner, enhancing the overall enjoyment of this literary journey.
From the start to the end, Malice had me at the edge of my seat because I was so eager to uncover the secrets behind the murder of acclaimed bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka. The written accounts of the characters were extremely immersive as though I could see inside their minds.
What made this super entertaining was how the author revealed hints gradually for us readers to also figure out the mystery. The narrative is void of any information dumping and unfolds in a remarkably clever and uncomplicated manner, enhancing the overall enjoyment of this literary journey.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Suicide, and Violence
burky's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Violence, and Murder
mirrorofneptune's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Like Higashino's Detective Galileo books, this is very reminiscent of a character study. We spend a lot of time with the cast and arguably less on the mechanisms of the murder, but it's still a fun locked room mystery. The title is very apt, as malice, envy, and resentment are all recurring themes.
Kaga wasn't as interesting to me as Yukawa or Kusanagi, likely because he didn't feel quite as fleshed-out; he does have a provided backstory but in my mind it didn't quite translate into characterization. That being said, I did like what we got from him, and I trust Higashino to not neglect developing his detective as the series progresses.
Kaga wasn't as interesting to me as Yukawa or Kusanagi, likely because he didn't feel quite as fleshed-out; he does have a provided backstory but in my mind it didn't quite translate into characterization. That being said, I did like what we got from him, and I trust Higashino to not neglect developing his detective as the series progresses.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Bullying and Rape
outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Osamu Nonoguchi visits his friend, bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka, the day before Hidaka is due to emigrate to Canada with his new wife. Later that evening, Nonoguchi receives a telephone call from Hidaka asking him to return to his home as he needs to see him again urgently. When Nonoguchi reaches the house, all the lights are off & Hidaka doesn't answer the door. Nonoguchi raises the alarm & Police Detective Kyochiro Kaga is given the case. The police find Hidaka dead on the floor of his office, with both the door to the office & the front door to the house locked from the inside. Both Nonoguchi & Hidaka's wife have alibis for the time of death. Who killed the author & why?
The reader is kept at arms length from the investigation & the characters really as the murder & circumstances are told from written confessions, notes, or interview transcriptions. It is a writing style that takes a little getting used to. The story starts off slowly but as the twists & turns of the case started to reveal themselves, I found myself needing to know what happened next. There's no gore & most of the trigger warnings below are not dealt with in a graphic way. I think I would read the next one in the series just to see how the character of Kaga develops.
The reader is kept at arms length from the investigation & the characters really as the murder & circumstances are told from written confessions, notes, or interview transcriptions. It is a writing style that takes a little getting used to. The story starts off slowly but as the twists & turns of the case started to reveal themselves, I found myself needing to know what happened next. There's no gore & most of the trigger warnings below are not dealt with in a graphic way. I think I would read the next one in the series just to see how the character of Kaga develops.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Murder
a1exander's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Rape, Terminal illness, Car accident, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Infidelity and Suicide
jhbandcats's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I really like all the Kiego Higashino books I’ve read, especially The Devotion of Suspect X. The ending was shocking; I felt like I’d been punched. Higashino is a master of the plot twist. However, I feel Suspect X is the pinnacle of his work and nothing I’ve read since has been quite as powerful. Of course when the bar is set so high, it’s difficult to surpass what’s already the best.
Malice is the first of a different series. It focuses more on plot than character. The man arrested for murder is such an unreliable narrator that it’s hard to see what he’s truly like. We learn more about Detective Kaga, and his guilt and remorse at failing a student who was being bullied back in his teacher days, but we don’t know anything else about him. We know nothing about his private life, his friends and family, his likes and dislikes - his character isn’t developed at all.
The plot, which is explained early on, changes repeatedly. The readers aren’t sure what’s true, and I found it confusing to have to keep rearranging my idea of what had happened. In the end I felt it was more of an overly complicated annoyance than a plot twist. That said, I’m about to start reading the second in the series to see what happens next.
Overall the book was complex and convoluted and, as such, was quite a feat. But I didn’t find it completely satisfying.
Malice is the first of a different series. It focuses more on plot than character. The man arrested for murder is such an unreliable narrator that it’s hard to see what he’s truly like. We learn more about Detective Kaga, and his guilt and remorse at failing a student who was being bullied back in his teacher days, but we don’t know anything else about him. We know nothing about his private life, his friends and family, his likes and dislikes - his character isn’t developed at all.
The plot, which is explained early on, changes repeatedly. The readers aren’t sure what’s true, and I found it confusing to have to keep rearranging my idea of what had happened. In the end I felt it was more of an overly complicated annoyance than a plot twist. That said, I’m about to start reading the second in the series to see what happens next.
Overall the book was complex and convoluted and, as such, was quite a feat. But I didn’t find it completely satisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Rape, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
mtnest's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Suicide, Murder, and Gaslighting
my_bibliotheca's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Tidak seperti kasus-kasus sebelumnya, cerita di sini justru memfokuskan pada pencarian fakta dr motif pembunuhan seorang novelis terkenal. Aku jg sempat kaget karena pelaku kejahatannya begitu mudah ditangkap dan mengakuinya begitu saja.
Tapi ternyata memang buku ini memiliki fokus yg tidak biasa. Dengan ketajaman insting dan kepekaan Detektif Kaga, kasus ini menjadi semakin seru untuk ditelusuri. Aku tipe pembaca yg gampang terkecoh, sangat mengikuti alur bahkan kejanggalan yg dibeberkan oleh Kaga baru aku sadari setelahnya 😂
Melihat begitu mudahnya kasus ini menangkap pelakunya, tapi sisa halaman buku masih tebal, tentu membuat aku bertanya-tanya akan serumit apa pengungkapan fakta motif pembunuhan ini. Dan betul, ide cerita kali ini sama-sama gila dan di luar nalar seperti buku "Kesetiaan Mr. X". Menurutku ide keduanya bisa dikatakan setara. Setara gilanya 😆
Hampir sulit mengikuti perkembangan kasus ini, karena di awal pembaca akan dicekoki oleh cerita yg sebegitu bagusnya dan seperti tidak ada celah. Jadi, penyangkalan ketika fakta-fakta baru dibeberkan cukup sulit dicerna dan diterima, saking sempurnanya rencana pembunuhan ini. TOP!! 😚👌
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Murder
bonneamie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Infidelity, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Stalking, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
merreadgold's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This book has different plot than Mr X. This one is unique.
You will found the murderer in just many pages and what the rest(?) Yeah looking for the fact; his motives, how the chronology really is and facts.
Idk is it true, but Keigo sensei really made me think that japanese having reading books as culture. Lots of characters here say that they got ashamed for not reading books and even the one who has bad past. As someone who grew up without books and people-who-read-environment, I surprised.
This book keep me guessing and forgotten what I just read is written by the suspect. The detective really takes the case seriously, he even ask people from the suspect's elementary. (The suspect is about 40 wkwk)
⚠️ Lots of manipulations here
Okay now what the flaws? It's too complicated and made me have headache :) some of the translate doesn't feel right cause I need to read the same phrase around three times and have no idea about it.
Idk is it true, but Keigo sensei really made me think that japanese having reading books as culture. Lots of characters here say that they got ashamed for not reading books and even the one who has bad past. As someone who grew up without books and people-who-read-environment, I surprised.
This book keep me guessing and forgotten what I just read is written by the suspect. The detective really takes the case seriously, he even ask people from the suspect's elementary. (The suspect is about 40 wkwk)
⚠️ Lots of manipulations here
Okay now what the flaws? It's too complicated and made me have headache :) some of the translate doesn't feel right cause I need to read the same phrase around three times and have no idea about it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder
Manipulations