A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz

Description from Goodreads:

"The Word is Murder, the first book in the Hawthorne series, is about to be made into a major feature film.

The actors have been cast, the script written, and filming has already started in Hastings.

But when Hawthorne and Anthony visit the set, they find a far from happy family.

The director’s pretentious, the screenwriter’s an eco-warrior, the two stars hate each other, and the producer has run out of money.

And things are about to get much, much worse.

In the middle of shooting, the actor playing Hawthorne is stabbed – which leaves the real Hawthorne with no choice. He has to step in and investigate his own murder.

Because the killer may not have got the right man. Was it Hawthorne himself who was meant to be the target?

A Deadly Episode is a wild ride through a world that the author knows only too well, and the most personal case Hawthorne has had to deal with so far."

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Murder on the movie set

I’ve just finished the latest Hawthorne and Horowitz mystery and it’s honestly one of the cleverest ones yet. This is the fourth book in the series I’ve read, and I still love the way Anthony Horowitz writes himself as the slightly out-of-his-depth sidekick to the brilliant but difficult Daniel Hawthorne.

The setup for this one is brilliant. They’re on the set of a film adaptation of the first book, The Word is Murder, when the actor playing Hawthorne is found murdered in his trailer. It’s such a fun premise – it’s essentially a book about a man writing a book about a movie based on a book he wrote! It forces the characters to navigate a cast of suspicious film types – from a pretentious director to an intense screenwriter – while wondering if the real Hawthorne was actually the intended target.

What I really enjoy about these books is there’s plenty of dry humour, especially when the film crew treats the "real" Anthony like a bit of a nuisance on set. We also get a few more hints about Hawthorne’s mysterious past, which always keeps me hooked. It’s sharp, engaging and doesn’t feel like a typical "by the numbers" detective story.

If you’ve enjoyed the previous books, you’re going to love this one. It’s a wonderful story within a story that kept me guessing right until the end. It’s definitely a must-read for anyone who likes a mystery that’s a bit different and very well-constructed.

Many thanks to the author, RandomHouse UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this, the 6th book in this intriguing series.

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Close to Death (Hawthorne & Horowitz #5) by Anthony Horowitz

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"Riverside Close is a picture-perfect community. The six exclusive and attractive houses are tucked far away from the noise and grime of city life, allowing the residents to enjoy beautiful gardens, pleasant birdsong, and tranquility from behind the security of a locked gate.

It is the perfect idyll, until the Kentworthy family arrives, with their four giant, gas-guzzling cars, gaggle of shrieking children, and plans for a garish swimming pool in the backyard. Obvious outsiders, the Kentworthys do not belong in Riverside Close, and quickly offend every last one of the neighbors.

When Charles Kentworthy is found dead on his own doorstep, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, Detective Hawthorne is the only investigator they can call to solve the case.

Because how do you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect?"

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I must admit this didn't grab me quite as much as the others I have read in this series, not quite sure why but maybe because Mr Horowitz took more of a back seat in this one?  I don't know but I still enjoyed it.

Horowitz needs to write another book but, unfortunately, no bodies have turned up so he writes about a previous case Hawthorne was involved in and what a case it is.

It appears to be an open and shut case relating to a murder of a man in a small community by his neighbour however, nothing is quite so simple especially when the alleged murderer is found dead in his locked garage, in his locked car from apparent suicide.  It all seems a bit too simple and it certainly is.

Full of excellent and interesting characters, told at a good pace and with some great twists, this is an intriguing story and one I would recommend reading by people who enjoy this genre and I highly recommend reading the others in the series.

Many thanks to the author, RandomHouse UK, Cornerstone, Century and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this great addition to a brilliant series.

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Other books by Anthony Horowitz I have read and reviewed:

A Line to Kill (Hawthorne & Horowitz #3)

The Twist of a Knife (Hawthorne & Horowitz #4)

 

The Twist of a Knife (Hawthorne & Horowitz Mystery #4) by Anthony Horowitz

 

💥💥💥  Publication date: 18-Aug-2022 💥💥💥

Description from Goodreads:

"'Our deal is over.' That's what reluctant author Anthony Horowitz tells ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne in an awkward meeting. The truth is that Anthony has other things on his mind.

His new play, Mindgame, is about to open in London's Vaudeville theatre. Not surprisingly Hawthorne declines a ticket.

On opening night, Sunday Times critic Harriet Throsby gives the play a savage review, focusing particularly on the writing.

The next morning she is found dead, stabbed in the heart with an ornamental dagger which, it turns out, belongs to Anthony and which has his finger prints all over it.

Anthony is arrested, charged with Throsby's murder, thrown into prison and interrogated. Alone and increasingly desperate, he realises only one man can help him.

But will Hawthorne take his call?"

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Getting back into a Hawthorne & Horowitz mystery is like meeting up with an old friend you haven't seen for ages but it's as if you saw them yesterday so if you haven't read any of the previous in the series, don't worry, you will fall into the story and the characters quickly.

Once again, Mr Horowitz provides a treat of a murder/mystery staring himself as one of the main characters alongside the enigmatic and mysterious Daniel Hawthorne.  Are they friends or do they just tolerate each other?  I'm still trying to work that one out but Hawthorne is the one Anthony turns to when he is accused of the murder of a theatre critic who panned his play Mindgame.

With an eclectic and wonderful cast of characters, Hawthorne sets about trying to find the murderer amongst a host of viable suspects (Anthony included) in his own inimitable way whilst the evidence stacks up against Anthony and an arrest by the police appears to be inevitable and imminent.

Written at a great pace, this is full of humour, mystery and is thoroughly enjoyable and I loved it.  What I particularly like about this series is the lack of violence which makes a nice change to what I usually read and I am looking forward to (hopefully) the next in the series and that more details are revealed about Hawthorne!

Thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for enabling me to read The Twist of a Knife and share my thoughts.

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A Line To Kill (Hawthorne & Horowitz Mystery #3) by Anthony Horowitz

 

Description from Publisher:

"'I couldn't see the sea from my bedroom but I could hear the waves breaking in the distance. They reminded me that I was on a tiny island. And I was trapped.'

There has never been a murder on Alderney.

It's a tiny island, just three miles long and a mile and a half wide. The perfect location for a brand-new literary festival. Private Investigator Daniel Hawthorne has been invited to talk about his new book. The writer, Anthony Horowitz, travels with him.

Very soon they discover that all is not as it should be. Alderney is in turmoil over a planned power line that will cut through it, desecrating a war cemetery and turning neighbour against neighbour.

The visiting authors - including a blind medium, a French performance poet and a celebrity chef - seem to be harbouring any number of unpleasant secrets.

When the festival's wealthy sponsor is found brutally killed, Alderney goes into lockdown and Hawthorne knows that he doesn't have to look too far for suspects.

There's no escape. The killer is still on the island. And there's about to be a second death..."

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I haven't read anything by Mr Horowitz before and was a little apprehensive about reading this, with it being the third in the series, but I needn't have worried - this is a unique and enjoyable mystery.

I have never read a book where the author puts himself as one of the main characters in a book but here he is joining up with an ex-Detective Inspector Hawthorne and, I must say, it really worked for me.  Mr Horowitz doesn't take himself too seriously and he comes across as a Dr Watson-type character to Hawthorne's Sherlock Holmes - which, let's face it, isn't a bad thing at all.  How much the fictional Horowitz is like the real Horowitz, I don't know but I like him!

Anyway, Horowitz and Hawthorne have been invited to take part in a literary festival on the island of Alderney.  A murder ensues and Hawthorne is asked to assist the local constabulary to investigate with Horowitz in tow.  The relationship between the two is a complex one ... do they really like each other or do they just tolerate each other for the purposes of writing books?  I am still working that one out but I am liking it.

This is a proper old-style mystery with a cast of excellent characters many of whom have their own secrets which creates multiple suspects and I for one must have said "I knew it was them all along" numerous times and was wrong!  There is a lot of humour and tongue-in-cheek moments which make this a fun and enjoyable read with a very satisfying ending.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was quite nice to read a murder/mystery without a plethora of violence for once and I am very much looking forward to more "adventures" from Hawthorne and Horowitz.

A thank you must go to Penguin Random House UK / Cornerstone via NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.

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