A review by caedycon
The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A good, solid mystery. I enjoyed how Horowitz made it feel autobiographical, to the point where I had to google what actually happened in real life (basically nothing). Using yourself as a main character in a fictional novel was interesting to me, especially with how he handled the moral dilemmas in the story (ie, when he discovered that Hawthorn was homophobic) - when you're the main character, I would imagine it means more, what comes out of that character's mouth and how he represents you in the story. 

I liked the mystery overall - It was cleverly done. However, I don't think I'll be continuing to read these stories, mainly because Hawthorne is pretty damn unlikeable. The homophobia is a real bummer - I feel like Horowitz could have made him difficult to deal with in a way that was...easier to deal with haha. 

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