CBR Bingo: Body
I was very excited a month ago, because I was starting a book that would finally give me a bingo—two, in point of fact. And then…nothing. I couldn’t get started for love or money. “Nooooo” I wailed, tearing my shirt like Stanley Kowalski and screaming, “Bingo! BINGO!” Luckily, narfna’s review of Keigo Higashino’s Malice saved the day.
Malice features the brutal murder of a successful writer and the detective, Kyoichiro Kaga, who pursues the case. Like a lot of newer books I’ve read, this book flip flops between different characters’ narratives, including Kaga. But unlike most mysteries, we don’t find out much about Kaga. Certainly nothing about his personal life, his past, or his inner thoughts beyond the case. What we do get is his cleverness, his indomitability, and his calm nature. I loved his character, even though his characterization was sparse.
The revelation as to who the murderer is took place much earlier in the book than I expected. And yet it did not diminish the tension. The killer’s motive and how the crime was committed is not so easy to discern, even with the murderer’s confession. The book follows Kaga as he continues to work at the case, even though it is all but wrapped up with a bow. The book also has some meta aspects that are incredibly cool.
This is a short review because I don’t want to give away too much. I found this mystery wholly satisfying and hope there are more Kaga books to read. The distillation of pure mystery, with no reference to the detective’s life, was intriguing. Highly recommended.
Body = book’s murder. And FINALLY two bingos!
