Police Procedurals are such a well worn genre at this point that finding something new and different is very gratifying. Malice takes a lot of chances with form. There is a rather abrupt POV change early on, only later do we discover that there was a very good reason for it. More interestingly, the motive is one that is dangerously undramatic. That is to say, it is almost a "just because" sort of explanation, but the in the context of the story it plays alright. Also, a good deal of the plot revolves around writers and writing, and a writer writing about being a writer is usually the touch of death, but again, Kiego-san, manages to keep in relevant, primarily by making the detective into a sort of anti-writer and the story ending up by focusing on bullying in school not writing. (As described, bullying in Japanese middle schools sounds horrific, if this is an accurate depiction. Worse than anything I experienced in Southfield, Michigan.)
Higashino has a steady, no-nonsense prose style. He wastes few words and doesn't bother with too much scene setting. That is very nice; an author who respects your time.
The mystery itself is well thought out. It starts out like it's going to be locked room murder, then goes off in one direction, does a complete reverse, and then angles off one last time, doing a good job of keeping you on your toes. There are bits and pieces of blatant manipulation along the way -- terminating dialogue just before the big reveal, hiding important details, etc., but nothing that is out of the ordinary for a police procedural.
Should you read Malice? Sure. It's a page turner of a mystery and a fresh take on an old genre. Higashino is the premier mystery writer in Japan and is highly regarded in Edgar Award circles. He deserves it.
