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zoefruitcake's review against another edition
5.0
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The unconventional approach to a novel of the writer casting himself as the narrator and seamlessly blending fact with fiction worked so well and it kept me guessing to the very end. The character of Hawthorn the infuriating Camas-reading detective made me chuckle, he was so realistic
szilvicsanyi's review against another edition
5.0
A classic whodunit with twists and turns that are quite surprising. I loved how the author incorporated himself into the story. The characters are splendid. I really recommend this book.
infi85's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
vickywoodburn's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
skbookworm's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lucyp747d4's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
baekho_888's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
cutenanya's review against another edition
5.0
Anthony Horowitz is fast becoming one of my favorite mystery authors, especially after Magpie Murders and The Word is Murder. House of Silk and Moriarty was okay but these two later novels are far better in my opinion. I particularly love The Word is Murder because this story has a perfect mixture of gore, classic golden age mystery, modern detective fiction, and humor. It is hard to review this book without spoilers so I shall hide the rest of my review behind the spoiler tag though I'll say this to people who are wondering whether or not to pick up this book:
It is worth your time!
I like this book for 3 reasons:
1) the detective and his sidekick
2) the beginning of the book
3) the epilogue
4) the narration
I love Hawthorne because he's not only devilishly clever and observant (like Holmes) but also an asshole (probably also like Holmes though recent portrayal of him in a certain BBC version by Cumberbatch made him more adorable than he really was). In many cases, authors try to depict the main protagonist of the book to be a nice person. Even if the protagonist is broken, somehow deep inside him or her, the protagonist is still lovable or at least sympathetic. That's why when you have a detective here who thinks, acts, and speaks like an asshole with little one can sympathize with, it's an originality in itself. I like Hawthorne because he's a REAL person, who's unlikable in his nature and never try to rectify the problem (probably because it's never a problem for him). There's still a lot of mysteries clouding Hawthorne, like who he's based on (is it a real person or completely fictional) and what drove the otherwise likable boy into such a repelling man.
Then, there is Anthony Horowitz himself (literally) who plays Watson to Hawthorne's Holmes. Since Horowitz is basing the character on his own self and has injected a lot of elements from the real world into the fictional one, sometimes the line blurs between what's fictional and what's real. At times, I even wondered if the event actually happened (like a business lunch with Spielberg and Peter Jackson). This is the brilliance of this book, you can't tell reality from fiction because the character is also a real person.
The partnership between Hawthorne and Horowitz is also perfect and there's so much positive chemistry between them (not in a romantic but professional sort of way). I think they compliment each other very well and I'm really interested as to why Hawthorne picked Horowitz to write the novel for him). Both Hawthorne and Horowitz are "tsundere" in anime terms, meaning they say one thing and then act in a completely different manner.
I'll use Tony to refer to the character and Horowitz (to refer to the author) from now on.
The beginning of the book is another brilliant part of the book. You may think the old woman arranging her own funeral shortly before her murder is just a part to attract readers' interests but oh, no, actually it's the author's clue to the identity of the murderer! That's wickedly clever!
The epilogue of the book is also important. I sensed the woman at the literary festival, who criticized Tony's books by saying they lacked a touch of reality, was a ruse to lure Tony to write the novel, but I never thought she would be Hawthorne's ex wife. If they are still on talking terms, why the divorce? That peaked my interest entirely.
It is worth your time!
I like this book for 3 reasons:
1) the detective and his sidekick
2) the beginning of the book
3) the epilogue
4) the narration
Spoiler
I love Hawthorne because he's not only devilishly clever and observant (like Holmes) but also an asshole (probably also like Holmes though recent portrayal of him in a certain BBC version by Cumberbatch made him more adorable than he really was). In many cases, authors try to depict the main protagonist of the book to be a nice person. Even if the protagonist is broken, somehow deep inside him or her, the protagonist is still lovable or at least sympathetic. That's why when you have a detective here who thinks, acts, and speaks like an asshole with little one can sympathize with, it's an originality in itself. I like Hawthorne because he's a REAL person, who's unlikable in his nature and never try to rectify the problem (probably because it's never a problem for him). There's still a lot of mysteries clouding Hawthorne, like who he's based on (is it a real person or completely fictional) and what drove the otherwise likable boy into such a repelling man.
Then, there is Anthony Horowitz himself (literally) who plays Watson to Hawthorne's Holmes. Since Horowitz is basing the character on his own self and has injected a lot of elements from the real world into the fictional one, sometimes the line blurs between what's fictional and what's real. At times, I even wondered if the event actually happened (like a business lunch with Spielberg and Peter Jackson). This is the brilliance of this book, you can't tell reality from fiction because the character is also a real person.
The partnership between Hawthorne and Horowitz is also perfect and there's so much positive chemistry between them (not in a romantic but professional sort of way). I think they compliment each other very well and I'm really interested as to why Hawthorne picked Horowitz to write the novel for him). Both Hawthorne and Horowitz are "tsundere" in anime terms, meaning they say one thing and then act in a completely different manner.
I'll use Tony to refer to the character and Horowitz (to refer to the author) from now on.
The beginning of the book is another brilliant part of the book. You may think the old woman arranging her own funeral shortly before her murder is just a part to attract readers' interests but oh, no, actually it's the author's clue to the identity of the murderer! That's wickedly clever!
The epilogue of the book is also important. I sensed the woman at the literary festival, who criticized Tony's books by saying they lacked a touch of reality, was a ruse to lure Tony to write the novel, but I never thought she would be Hawthorne's ex wife. If they are still on talking terms, why the divorce? That peaked my interest entirely.
thefabnp's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0