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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
I have to admit I didn't realize this was part of a series when I picked it up. I love the author's previous books, A Magpie Murder and Moonflower Murders. This book features retired detective Daniel Hawthorne and mystery writer Anthony Horowitz. They are invited to a writer's convention on the island of Alderney, and wouldn't you know it, two murders happen lickety split! Hawthorne is five steps ahead of local police, leaving Horowitz contemplating footsteps and their next book deal. A nice little murder mystery! I will definitely pick up the first two in the series! I'm hooked!
Questions about Hawthorne are mounting, and I am here for it.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The hook here is that Horowitz has written himself into the book, a Watson figure to Hawthorne’s Sherlock. It seems a silly conceit to me. I guess it lets him mention his other work, but we all know this is a fictionalized version of Horowitz, basically a character, so I don’t see the point.
Anyway, this time around Horowitz and Hawthorne are sent to the island of Alderney for a small weekend literary festival. And of course, while they’re there, someone is killed – a wealthy sponsor of the festival, murdered at his own house party. The island is locked down, no one allowed on, no one allowed off, while the police, with Hawthorne’s help, try to figure out who the killer is. Everyone on the island seems to have a reason to want the man dead.
The house party/isolated island gives us a limited number of suspects, but everyone here has a secret and there are red herrings galore. Horowitz and Hawthorne still don’t seem to like each other and the tensions in their relationship add some humor to the story. Hawthorne’s like most fictional detectives, he allows you to see the clues but doesn’t let you in on what they mean until the end and Horowitz the character has little idea of where the solution is heading. The peeks at the book industry and writer festivals were fun too.
Anyway, this time around Horowitz and Hawthorne are sent to the island of Alderney for a small weekend literary festival. And of course, while they’re there, someone is killed – a wealthy sponsor of the festival, murdered at his own house party. The island is locked down, no one allowed on, no one allowed off, while the police, with Hawthorne’s help, try to figure out who the killer is. Everyone on the island seems to have a reason to want the man dead.
The house party/isolated island gives us a limited number of suspects, but everyone here has a secret and there are red herrings galore. Horowitz and Hawthorne still don’t seem to like each other and the tensions in their relationship add some humor to the story. Hawthorne’s like most fictional detectives, he allows you to see the clues but doesn’t let you in on what they mean until the end and Horowitz the character has little idea of where the solution is heading. The peeks at the book industry and writer festivals were fun too.
Anthony Horowitz does not disappoint! While I was able to figure out a few of the twists, I didn’t see the overall solution. Looking forward to more Hawthorne & Horowitz in the future.
When former DI Hawthorne and author Horowitz are invited to a literary festival on an island off the coast of England, their priorities quickly change from promoting their book to solving a locked-room mystery involving several of the festival's authors.
Horowitz has quickly become one of my favorite mystery authors. I might chafe with any other author writing himself into the story, but somehow Horowitz makes it work. The story is witty, the setting both charming and sinister, and the writing so cleverly done---the clues are there, but I never manage to see them or solve the mystery on my own. Highly recommended for mystery lovers.
(thank you to Edelweiss for the advance review copy of this book)
Horowitz has quickly become one of my favorite mystery authors. I might chafe with any other author writing himself into the story, but somehow Horowitz makes it work. The story is witty, the setting both charming and sinister, and the writing so cleverly done---the clues are there, but I never manage to see them or solve the mystery on my own. Highly recommended for mystery lovers.
(thank you to Edelweiss for the advance review copy of this book)