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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Wow. Rare is the book that stumps me. This was one of the few, and it successfully stumped me in not one but two mysteries. (Well, I had perhaps an inkling in one case.)
Book editor Susan Ryeland has two mysteries in front of her: the manuscript of the final book in a popular detective series, and a possible crime in connection to said manuscript. Getting to the bottom of one means solving the other.
The characters are well done, the plot moves briskly, and the final reveal (the main one, anyway) is satisfying. I knew ahead of time the manuscript mystery would reference Agatha Christie; however, I wish the main story didn't call attention to it and just left the Easter eggs for readers to find.
Overall, a satisfying read.
Book editor Susan Ryeland has two mysteries in front of her: the manuscript of the final book in a popular detective series, and a possible crime in connection to said manuscript. Getting to the bottom of one means solving the other.
The characters are well done, the plot moves briskly, and the final reveal (the main one, anyway) is satisfying. I knew ahead of time the manuscript mystery would reference Agatha Christie; however, I wish the main story didn't call attention to it and just left the Easter eggs for readers to find.
Overall, a satisfying read.
having a hard time rating this because it’s an excellently crafted thriller with a super unique format and was a fun read in general, but i don’t think it’s quite my cup of tea! I got pretty bored in the middle but I think it’s genuinely just my personal preference because this book is objectively really good!
This was a really fun read! I thought it was cute and had a gimmick, which it went completely in on and accomplished. I read a lot of Agatha Christie in high school so I was a big fan of the book within this book, I was more invested in that than the frame narrative. Probably won't be thinking about this one for long after finishing, but I think it set out with a goal to write a certain type of novel which it did. Would definitely recommend this to fans of cozy mysteries!
A little contrived in the end, but ultimately satisfying. Unique twist on a murder mystery/book within a book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it really scratched my itch for a quaint Christie-like mystery with the added bonus of a modern storyline as well. The mysteries were fun and, while I didn’t solve them, I always felt like I could have, which is pretty much the perfect mystery situation for me.
I really enjoyed 3/4. The last 1/4 felt like forever, but I was already in. Clever premise.
What a clever and creative book for both fans of classic murder mysteries and modern suspense lovers alike. A golden mystery novel meets contemporary fiction. A riveting page-turner!
I grew up with my nose in Agatha Christie books, and Anthony Horowitz’s writing is such an homage to this timeless literary style. It was full of dark and twisty turns, a cast of characters with secrets abound, and like any whodunnit worth its stock, it kept me gripped and guessing throughout.
The real treat of this book, however, is that Magpie Murders takes the classic whodunnit and delivers a twist that goes a step beyond. Its smartly crafted twist left me genuinely surprised as a reader, frantically turning page by page to see where the story would take me.
I came away from this novel in awe of Anthony Horowitz’s brilliant use of key writing elements - the way he kept true to the theme of the book from the first page of the last, the delicately interwoven plots, and the brilliant use of literary devices. It was a journey from start to finish, and what’s more thrilling to a reader than feeling like you’ve just been along for a twisty, suspenseful, and satisfying ride?
A true 4 1/2 stars - the only reason I felt that I couldn’t bump the book up to five stars is because after the reveal of the twist, it took some time for me to reach momentum again. At first, I felt disengaged with the new characters introduced and without spoilers, I lost a little bit of steam after the big reveal. I was unsure of whether or not the plot and story would be tied back in together—but once I did reach the climax, things fell back into place pretty seamlessly.
I read this book in three days, so my best recommendation is to pick it up when you’ve got some spare time to spend your next few hours turning page by page! Lastly, I would also highly recommend not reading any synopses or blurbs that reveal the plot in any way before picking up this book. I went into Magpie Murders totally oblivious to what it was about, and I strongly feel that my experience as a reader was all the better for it.
I grew up with my nose in Agatha Christie books, and Anthony Horowitz’s writing is such an homage to this timeless literary style. It was full of dark and twisty turns, a cast of characters with secrets abound, and like any whodunnit worth its stock, it kept me gripped and guessing throughout.
The real treat of this book, however, is that Magpie Murders takes the classic whodunnit and delivers a twist that goes a step beyond. Its smartly crafted twist left me genuinely surprised as a reader, frantically turning page by page to see where the story would take me.
I came away from this novel in awe of Anthony Horowitz’s brilliant use of key writing elements - the way he kept true to the theme of the book from the first page of the last, the delicately interwoven plots, and the brilliant use of literary devices. It was a journey from start to finish, and what’s more thrilling to a reader than feeling like you’ve just been along for a twisty, suspenseful, and satisfying ride?
A true 4 1/2 stars - the only reason I felt that I couldn’t bump the book up to five stars is because after the reveal of the twist, it took some time for me to reach momentum again. At first, I felt disengaged with the new characters introduced and without spoilers, I lost a little bit of steam after the big reveal. I was unsure of whether or not the plot and story would be tied back in together—but once I did reach the climax, things fell back into place pretty seamlessly.
I read this book in three days, so my best recommendation is to pick it up when you’ve got some spare time to spend your next few hours turning page by page! Lastly, I would also highly recommend not reading any synopses or blurbs that reveal the plot in any way before picking up this book. I went into Magpie Murders totally oblivious to what it was about, and I strongly feel that my experience as a reader was all the better for it.
Meh. I like cozy mysteries and whodunnits, but I couldn’t quite make myself like a single character in the book OR the book within the book.