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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I liked the first book more but will still go on to read more from this author.
Mystery readers should rejoice whenever a new book by Anthony Horowitz appears. He has developed a formidable resume of mystery book and screenwriting credits. In A Line to Kill, Daniel Hawthorne returns with his Dr. Watson style bumbling sidekick, Anthony Horowitz playing himself, in their third outing. Although I am not sure that it clears the high bar set by the first two Hawthorne novels, The Word is Murder and the Sentence is Death, it is an outstanding entry in the series.
Hawthorne and Horowitz are on the island of Aldernay at a literary festival to promote The Word is Murder. Aside from allowing Horowitz to put in a tongue-in-cheek plug for his earlier work, he uses the context to take jabs at the literary establishment and its hangers-on. Horowitz is obviously having great fun and he carries the reader along.
As a mystery, Horowitz pays homage to Sherlock Holmes, as well as the “closed circle of suspects” characteristic of the Golden Age of mystery in the lineage of Agatha Christie to P.D. James. He also provides an element of the locked room mystery in the vein of John Dickson Carr. While Horowitz clearly owes a debt to these antecedents, this is not a pastiche; he continues to provide fresh, entertaining contributions to the mystery field. Check it out.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this work.
Hawthorne and Horowitz are on the island of Aldernay at a literary festival to promote The Word is Murder. Aside from allowing Horowitz to put in a tongue-in-cheek plug for his earlier work, he uses the context to take jabs at the literary establishment and its hangers-on. Horowitz is obviously having great fun and he carries the reader along.
As a mystery, Horowitz pays homage to Sherlock Holmes, as well as the “closed circle of suspects” characteristic of the Golden Age of mystery in the lineage of Agatha Christie to P.D. James. He also provides an element of the locked room mystery in the vein of John Dickson Carr. While Horowitz clearly owes a debt to these antecedents, this is not a pastiche; he continues to provide fresh, entertaining contributions to the mystery field. Check it out.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this work.
I enjoy the conceit of the real-life Anthony Horowitz and his detective Hawthorne. All three of the series have been easy to read and relatively enjoyable, but I found this one a little stuffy and slow - not much to grab hold of or to care about.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Apparently I never wrote a review for this book, so here's a short one since it's been a while.
I enjoyed this book for the mystery it was, but tbh, my issue (which has been an issue since the first book) is that Hawthorne isn't getting any more likeable/someone I can root for. I've definitely seen a lot of fiction where the main character (usually a detective) isn't likable, but they usually improve and show some character development over time, especially over several books. Not that they suddenly become super sweet or anything, but I at least feel like I can root for them more and there's some way I can connect with them. But in this case, Hawthorn feels like he hasn't changed in any way, nor has his relationship with Anthony. I'm given nothing to really hold onto in terms of continuing to support him and the partnership, and unfortunately, it makes it seem like Anthony is all the more willing to let Hawthorne step all over him.
I want to know more about Hawthorne and see if he does develop further, but I'm not sure that I'm going to keep following the series since it's been frustrating so far and also the next book involves Anthony being falsely accused of murder and I hate those storylines which they use IN EVERY PROCEDURAL SHOW EVER!
Ahem anyway. Fun read, not sure if I will continue.
I enjoyed this book for the mystery it was, but tbh, my issue (which has been an issue since the first book) is that Hawthorne isn't getting any more likeable/someone I can root for. I've definitely seen a lot of fiction where the main character (usually a detective) isn't likable, but they usually improve and show some character development over time, especially over several books. Not that they suddenly become super sweet or anything, but I at least feel like I can root for them more and there's some way I can connect with them. But in this case, Hawthorn feels like he hasn't changed in any way, nor has his relationship with Anthony. I'm given nothing to really hold onto in terms of continuing to support him and the partnership, and unfortunately, it makes it seem like Anthony is all the more willing to let Hawthorne step all over him.
I want to know more about Hawthorne and see if he does develop further, but I'm not sure that I'm going to keep following the series since it's been frustrating so far and also the next book involves Anthony being falsely accused of murder and I hate those storylines which they use IN EVERY PROCEDURAL SHOW EVER!
Ahem anyway. Fun read, not sure if I will continue.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes