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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
I enjoyed it! Good, complex story.
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pedophilia, Alcohol
adventurous
mysterious
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:
No
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
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:
No
mysterious
medium-paced
The death of a celebrity divorce lawyer brings the unlikely duo of Hawthorne and Horowitz back for another murder case. This time around they must tread carefully through the world of publishing, (both literary and popular fiction), cave exploration, book clubs, and…haikus?
Once again Anthony Horowitz has proven why he is in my top tier of writers (top five for sure). This second novel in the Hawthorne/Horowitz series could have been like so many other run-of-the-mill mystery yarns, the kind today’s bookstore shelves are filled with. It’s a murder mystery with an amazingly perceptive detective character (Hawthorne) who can be rude, brash, and always erudite but justifiably so in that he can solve these cases faster than we can. He also has secrets. It’s almost a Sherlock and Watson setup. I’ve read many such novels.
But, as in the first book, [b:The Word Is Murder|36204075|The Word Is Murder (Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery, #1)|Anthony Horowitz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1513811404l/36204075._SY75_.jpg|54695752], Horowitz turns everything on its head by inserting himself as the main POV character: a successful author, screenwriter, and popular television show creator. He eats plenty of humble pie, trying to solve the case and always falling far short of the superior intellect of Hawthorne. But in this book Horowitz (the actual author, not the character) takes it one (actually two) steps further by having his own character solve the case first…or does he? The final fifty pages of this novel provide many clever twists but Horowitz (the actual author, not the character) is so adept at storytelling that I was never lost in all those twists. Rather, I was amazed at the clever solutions his characters came up with.
Can’t wait for the next one in this series, or for that matter, anything else Anthony Horowitz publishes.
Once again Anthony Horowitz has proven why he is in my top tier of writers (top five for sure). This second novel in the Hawthorne/Horowitz series could have been like so many other run-of-the-mill mystery yarns, the kind today’s bookstore shelves are filled with. It’s a murder mystery with an amazingly perceptive detective character (Hawthorne) who can be rude, brash, and always erudite but justifiably so in that he can solve these cases faster than we can. He also has secrets. It’s almost a Sherlock and Watson setup. I’ve read many such novels.
But, as in the first book, [b:The Word Is Murder|36204075|The Word Is Murder (Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery, #1)|Anthony Horowitz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1513811404l/36204075._SY75_.jpg|54695752], Horowitz turns everything on its head by inserting himself as the main POV character: a successful author, screenwriter, and popular television show creator. He eats plenty of humble pie, trying to solve the case and always falling far short of the superior intellect of Hawthorne. But in this book Horowitz (the actual author, not the character) takes it one (actually two) steps further by having his own character solve the case first…or does he? The final fifty pages of this novel provide many clever twists but Horowitz (the actual author, not the character) is so adept at storytelling that I was never lost in all those twists. Rather, I was amazed at the clever solutions his characters came up with.
Can’t wait for the next one in this series, or for that matter, anything else Anthony Horowitz publishes.
It was a good follow-up to a good book. I’ll continue the series and probably read his other books too cause they’re easy, engaging, and fun. That being said they do feel a bit uninspired. Writing himself into the story is cool but also almost feels like a cop out for me. I hope the next ones improve a bit.