Nonoguchi confesses to the murder, but that’s only the beginning of the story. There he finds evidence that shows that the two writers’ relationship was very different than the two claimed.

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. 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. Years ago when they were both teachers, they were colleagues at the same high school. Police Detective Kyochiro Kaga recognizes Hidaka’s best friend. 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. So your mileage may vary.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. Personally, that's what I liked and what kept me turning pages. I also thought the plot original though some objected to the crime being solved early and the investigation focusing on the motive. I didn''t any problems myself and didn't find it flat and sophomoric as some did. The Amazon reviews are all over the place with a number of reviewers objecting to the translation. I know this is vague and not very informative but I found it to be an engrossing book that I had to read in practically one sitting. It is as clever a piece of plotting as I've read in a while. I can't give many details without spoiling the story which I do not want to do. My Take: This is an excellent read where, just as the the reader gets comfortable, the author adds a twist. His investigations lead him to believe that the answer lies in the past. Kaga identifies the killer fairly quickly but without a clear motive a successful prosecution is in jeopardy. Adding a complication to the investigation, Detective Kaga and Nonoguchi were colleagues when they both taught in a middle school. They are likely suspects but both have tight alibis. Nonoguchi is also an author but of children's books. He is found by his wife and his best friend, Osamu Nonoguchi. Summary: Bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka has been murdered in his locked office in his locked house where he was alone at the time. Mobile phones hadn't come into widespread use, for example. Update: I forgot to mention that the story is a little outdated where technology is concerned but not annoyingly so. This edition was translated by Alexander O. Publication Information: Malice was first published in Japan in 1996. When I saw that it was the second in the Detective Kyochiro Kaga series I decided to read Malice first. I saw Higashino's latest book, Newcomer, on a recommended list.

Malice by Keigo Higashino