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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
A murder mystery within a murder mystery. Interesting for sure. Agatha Christie fans will enjoy.
A Fresh Whodunnit
Magpie Murders has been on my to be read list for quite sometime, and I finally got around to reading it. I love whodunnits, and I especially love this one and its unusual story structure. The first part of the book is very much a traditional whodunnit in the vein of the Hercule Poirot novels; a foreign detective shows up to investigate a murder, everyone is suspect, and red herrings abound. The second part of the book is set in modern times, and we learn that the first half of the book is actually a novel that had just been read by Susan Ryeland, the editor of famous mystery writer Alan Conway. Life imitates art when the Conway turns up dead and Ryeland suspects that he was murdered. The story within a story device provided a fresh approach to the whodunnit formula. There are a few aspects of the plot that lean toward being a bit contrived for the sake of tying everything up into a neat bow at the end, but that’s not a huge departure from many other whodunnits that I have read. This book has the feel of an Agatha Christie novel; Anthony Horowitz has done a superb job at both capturing the essence of the whodunnit form and turning it into something new.
Magpie Murders has been on my to be read list for quite sometime, and I finally got around to reading it. I love whodunnits, and I especially love this one and its unusual story structure. The first part of the book is very much a traditional whodunnit in the vein of the Hercule Poirot novels; a foreign detective shows up to investigate a murder, everyone is suspect, and red herrings abound. The second part of the book is set in modern times, and we learn that the first half of the book is actually a novel that had just been read by Susan Ryeland, the editor of famous mystery writer Alan Conway. Life imitates art when the Conway turns up dead and Ryeland suspects that he was murdered. The story within a story device provided a fresh approach to the whodunnit formula. There are a few aspects of the plot that lean toward being a bit contrived for the sake of tying everything up into a neat bow at the end, but that’s not a huge departure from many other whodunnits that I have read. This book has the feel of an Agatha Christie novel; Anthony Horowitz has done a superb job at both capturing the essence of the whodunnit form and turning it into something new.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's quite fortunate that I approached this book without knowing much about it or about Anthony Horowitz beforehand. As a result, the book's impact was significantly amplified. Therefore, If you're considering picking up this book, I highly recommend you do the same.
It's not an exaggeration to say that Magpie Murders is a 'whodunnit on steroids.' While the core mysteries themselves may not be anything extraordinary compared to the classics, Mr. Horowitz's intricate and innovative approach to constructing the dual narratives is truly awe-inspiring.
Above all, this book is a love letter from Mr. Horowitz to the genre, offering insight not only into the mysteries but also into the writers, editors, and publishing companies behind them.
It's not an exaggeration to say that Magpie Murders is a 'whodunnit on steroids.' While the core mysteries themselves may not be anything extraordinary compared to the classics, Mr. Horowitz's intricate and innovative approach to constructing the dual narratives is truly awe-inspiring.
Above all, this book is a love letter from Mr. Horowitz to the genre, offering insight not only into the mysteries but also into the writers, editors, and publishing companies behind them.
A very clever take on the Who Done It genre. I listened to the audiobook which was expertly narrated. A fun read/listen!
fast-paced
Listened to the audio for this and really liked the narration, but the book within a book concept wasn’t executed as well as other books. There were wayyy too many characters in both the mystery book and in the “real life” story.
I cannot get over how good this book was! I'm so sad it ended. Two books, two mysteries, many many twists and turns. A really gripping read.
challenging
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:
Yes
I was glad to finish this book! I was really enjoying the ‘story within a story’ when it flipped to the ‘other’ story. It was exhausting reading the same story again but with different protagonists. Perhaps exhausting is the wrong word and I should just say dull. Anyway, the book dragged on until I couldn’t care less who had killed whom.