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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
4.5 stars
“You'd have thought that after twenty years editing murder mysteries I'd have noticed when I found myself in the middle of one.”
― Anthony Horowitz, Magpie Murders
I had heard so much about this Magpie Murders that my expectations were quite high when I finally picked it up. I didn't really know what to expect, but Horowitz is the man behind two of my favorite mystery series - Midsomer Murders and Foyle's War - that I was quite willing to take a chance on him.
Magpie Murders presents a story in a story, a device I often enjoy. It begins with editor Susan Ryeland who has received the final manuscript of a popular mystery series starring detective Atticus Pünd (not very subtly reminiscent of Hercule Poirot;-) Then comes the novel itself and it is quite a good little Golden Age caper. Pünd is an intriguing character and the mystery is clever. Then something happens (not spoilers here!) and Susan finds herself in the middle of a very real mystery.
I enjoyed the dual parts of this novel, and Horowitz is a clever, truly eloquent writer who is able to capture different voices and settings with apparent ease. Susan was a well-developed character and so was the (even more fictional?) Atticus Pünd. As a fan of Agatha Christie, as well as lots of contemporary authors of crime fiction, this novel was very satisfying. Though it was slower than I anticipated, I got used to this pace and it worked well with the atmosphere of the story. Magpie Murders is about more than just a mystery. It is about its characters, which is the type of novel I like best. Susan felt very real to me, and even Pünd, essentially a caricature, was fleshed out. Owing, perhaps, to his career in television, I kept thinking this would make for a good TV series or even a film as well, so I will keep an eye out for the inevitable announcement. I look forward to seeing what Horowitz comes up with next!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
“You'd have thought that after twenty years editing murder mysteries I'd have noticed when I found myself in the middle of one.”
― Anthony Horowitz, Magpie Murders
I had heard so much about this Magpie Murders that my expectations were quite high when I finally picked it up. I didn't really know what to expect, but Horowitz is the man behind two of my favorite mystery series - Midsomer Murders and Foyle's War - that I was quite willing to take a chance on him.
Magpie Murders presents a story in a story, a device I often enjoy. It begins with editor Susan Ryeland who has received the final manuscript of a popular mystery series starring detective Atticus Pünd (not very subtly reminiscent of Hercule Poirot;-) Then comes the novel itself and it is quite a good little Golden Age caper. Pünd is an intriguing character and the mystery is clever. Then something happens (not spoilers here!) and Susan finds herself in the middle of a very real mystery.
I enjoyed the dual parts of this novel, and Horowitz is a clever, truly eloquent writer who is able to capture different voices and settings with apparent ease. Susan was a well-developed character and so was the (even more fictional?) Atticus Pünd. As a fan of Agatha Christie, as well as lots of contemporary authors of crime fiction, this novel was very satisfying. Though it was slower than I anticipated, I got used to this pace and it worked well with the atmosphere of the story. Magpie Murders is about more than just a mystery. It is about its characters, which is the type of novel I like best. Susan felt very real to me, and even Pünd, essentially a caricature, was fleshed out. Owing, perhaps, to his career in television, I kept thinking this would make for a good TV series or even a film as well, so I will keep an eye out for the inevitable announcement. I look forward to seeing what Horowitz comes up with next!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoyed the structure of this book a lot. I had very high hopes and perhaps that is why it just missed the 4 start rating for me. I think if I had liked the characters a bit more that would have pushed it over the edge for me.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The structure of this book was so fun and clever! I loved it! The wrap-up didn't have as much impact as I would have hoped given the run up to the conclusion but Magpie Murders did keep me guessing until the very end, on all fronts, and the eventually conclusions did make sense in the general context of a contrived murder mystery setup, so a job well done to the author!
(I didn't realise until reading the blurb for this — after I'd finished the book, of course — that Anthony Horowitz created Midsomer Murders! He came into my high school once to do a school assembly — including a reading and takedown of an opening paragraph of one of Dan Brown's novels — and it was one of the most entertaining things!)
(I didn't realise until reading the blurb for this — after I'd finished the book, of course — that Anthony Horowitz created Midsomer Murders! He came into my high school once to do a school assembly — including a reading and takedown of an opening paragraph of one of Dan Brown's novels — and it was one of the most entertaining things!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-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:
No
Susan’s expectations for the climax were a bit silly, but this book was a real page-turner- I was invested in both mysteries and found both very satisfying, even after so many pages.
that was crazy and really good and probably would’ve been 5 stars if i actually cared about any of the characters
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I've known for a long time that Anthony Horowitz was a popular writer (at least among my preteens), but now I can say that I finally understand why. In this marvellously meta creation, he successfully weaves together a midcentury "whodunnit" with a modern murder mystery; both as stylistically unique as they are similarly clever. Peppering in clues while still keeping the truth tantalizingly out of reach, Horowitz' skillful storytelling (almost) made up for the dissatisfying final act. A book I will wish I was still reading long after turning the final page.