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rowingrabbit 's review for:
Moonflower Murders
by Anthony Horowitz
3.5 stars
Horowitz returns with another double-M mystery that employs his clever book-within-a-book format. Once again, we follow Susan Ryeland as she attempts to solve a murder. And once again she will have to search for clues hidden in a book by Alan Conway, a client from her previous life as an editor.
For me this was a book of two (or 3?) parts. The initial 35% sets up the story & details how Susan ends up trading in her life as a hotelier in Crete for windy Suffolk. I thought the premise was a bit thin….2 strangers from another country show up & want you to return to England & read a book in hopes it will help find their missing daughter. But I completely understood why Susan accepted the deal. The hotel needs money & she needs a break.
I have to admit I struggled through this part. After her return, Susan’s days are filled with fleeting interviews & much scribbling of lists. There’s a huge amount of information revealed here in dialogue, interviews, transcripts & emails. This combined with the slow pace left me feeling as if I was wading through quicksand & I began to think about setting it aside for another time.
Thankfully, at that point we switch over to “Atticus Pünd Takes the Case”. The murder in question occurred 8 years ago at a family run hotel in Suffolk. By coincidence, Conway was staying there at the time & based some of the characters in his next book on actual people involved. Rumour has it he also hid clues as to the identity of the real killer. Since Susan was his editor, surely she must know how to decipher his writing? She finds a comfy seat & starts reading.
As do we. The next 45% is a book from Conway’s series set in 1950’s England & featuring investigator Atticus Pünd. It’s a true homage to golden age mysteries & you can’t help but think of Pünd as a German Poirot. He’s an intelligent, fastidious man who ends up staying at The Moonflower Hotel while investigating the murder of a famous actress.
Hands down, this was my favourite part of the whole book. The location, time period, colourful characters, intricate mystery & wit…..all of these combined to keep me glued to the pages. After his last case, Pünd acquired a secretary & the formidable Miss Cain is there to support his investigation along with local DCI Hare. Like his alter ego, Conway never cheats the reader. Everything you need to identify the killer is there. The question is whether or not you’re paying close enough attention to spot the clues.
That takes us to the last 20% where we rejoin Susan & the current investigation. This segment has a better flow & focus as the pieces begin to fit together. There are many questions to be answered, not the least of which is Susan’s own future. Parallels between her investigation & the “fictional” one are a nice touch & bring the story full circle.
So there you have it. When it comes to rating this, I have to give the edge to Pünd. His story gets 4 stars while Susan’s gets 3. Overall, I may not have enjoyed this as much as [b:Magpie Murders|31063914|Magpie Murders|Anthony Horowitz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1468342048l/31063914._SY75_.jpg|3829748] but I look forward to their combined adventures in the next one.
Horowitz returns with another double-M mystery that employs his clever book-within-a-book format. Once again, we follow Susan Ryeland as she attempts to solve a murder. And once again she will have to search for clues hidden in a book by Alan Conway, a client from her previous life as an editor.
For me this was a book of two (or 3?) parts. The initial 35% sets up the story & details how Susan ends up trading in her life as a hotelier in Crete for windy Suffolk. I thought the premise was a bit thin….2 strangers from another country show up & want you to return to England & read a book in hopes it will help find their missing daughter. But I completely understood why Susan accepted the deal. The hotel needs money & she needs a break.
I have to admit I struggled through this part. After her return, Susan’s days are filled with fleeting interviews & much scribbling of lists. There’s a huge amount of information revealed here in dialogue, interviews, transcripts & emails. This combined with the slow pace left me feeling as if I was wading through quicksand & I began to think about setting it aside for another time.
Thankfully, at that point we switch over to “Atticus Pünd Takes the Case”. The murder in question occurred 8 years ago at a family run hotel in Suffolk. By coincidence, Conway was staying there at the time & based some of the characters in his next book on actual people involved. Rumour has it he also hid clues as to the identity of the real killer. Since Susan was his editor, surely she must know how to decipher his writing? She finds a comfy seat & starts reading.
As do we. The next 45% is a book from Conway’s series set in 1950’s England & featuring investigator Atticus Pünd. It’s a true homage to golden age mysteries & you can’t help but think of Pünd as a German Poirot. He’s an intelligent, fastidious man who ends up staying at The Moonflower Hotel while investigating the murder of a famous actress.
Hands down, this was my favourite part of the whole book. The location, time period, colourful characters, intricate mystery & wit…..all of these combined to keep me glued to the pages. After his last case, Pünd acquired a secretary & the formidable Miss Cain is there to support his investigation along with local DCI Hare. Like his alter ego, Conway never cheats the reader. Everything you need to identify the killer is there. The question is whether or not you’re paying close enough attention to spot the clues.
That takes us to the last 20% where we rejoin Susan & the current investigation. This segment has a better flow & focus as the pieces begin to fit together. There are many questions to be answered, not the least of which is Susan’s own future. Parallels between her investigation & the “fictional” one are a nice touch & bring the story full circle.
So there you have it. When it comes to rating this, I have to give the edge to Pünd. His story gets 4 stars while Susan’s gets 3. Overall, I may not have enjoyed this as much as [b:Magpie Murders|31063914|Magpie Murders|Anthony Horowitz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1468342048l/31063914._SY75_.jpg|3829748] but I look forward to their combined adventures in the next one.