Keigo Higashino has a perfect record in my book. The author was recommended by my favorite bookstore and I started by reading The Devotion of Suspect X. Then I picked up Journey Under the Midnight Sun. I loved both of them - Suspect X is probably one of the best thrillers I have read, the other is possibly one of the most unique mystery books I have come across. What I love about Keigo Higashino’s writing is that he does not follow the who-done-it template. He finds other means to keep the readers hooked, such that it is impossible to stop reading.
Malice continues this trend, as readers get to know about the incident almost immediately. Roughly 30% into the story you find out who is behind it as well. However, two intriguing things keep you thoroughly invested - the characters and the motive.
The characters are established from the word go and you realize the brilliance of this setup at the end. You get invested in the characters and form an opinion about them very quickly because that’s exactly what Higashino wants you to do. Once that happens, you start to crave the motive with all your heart. You want to understand the background and the circumstances under which such extreme steps were taken. So you are given small pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that you start to fit together in your mind. Yet, as soon as you see a picture emerging, everything is taken away from you, and you are given new pieces until you get to the big reveal. It is done in such a convincing manner that you never question the approach. All this leaves you in awe of the writing.
It is for this experience that I strongly recommend Malice to fans of the Mystery and Thriller genres. Malice could actually be the perfect starting point for anyone looking to get into Keigo Higashino’s work.
Support local bookstores. Buy your books here. Use code: filmyfool and get an exclusive discount.