ajnel's reviews
665 reviews

Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Set eight years earlier in an unusual location of a seemingly idyllic gated community. The peace is however shattered when a new resident, widely disliked by all his neighbours for his brash personality and  utter lack of neighbourliness , he is soon found murdered. With a closed pool of suspects, i.e., the residents, Hawthorne is called in to investigate a case where everyone seems to have a motive. The story explores the secrets and dark sides that lurk beneath the surface.  Eight years later Horthorne hands the story to Annoy to write.  Anothony however ends up with a story without and ending and Howthone missing.  This leads to Anthony investigating both the murder and Howthorne's past; possibly with disasterous consequences.  A slightly darker novel with the usually complex denouement.  But there is also a dark suprise, with trump's the summon gathering. 

The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz

emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Horowitz and Hawthorne's partnership is going through a somewhat strained period while Horowitz is focusing  on his new play, "Mindgame," which is premiering in London's West End. However, things take a dramatic turn when the play's scathing review by a prominent critic leads to murder and Horowitz finds himself in the shoes of the main suspect with all evidence pointing at him. He must rely on Hawthorne to clear his name.  The story follows them as they navigate a web of suspects, hidden motives, and theatrical intrigue in a race to find the true culprit. A nice little twist to a series which was at risk of falling into recipe writing.  Witty, smart and full of twists and turns.  The breadcrumbs could have been less but it's a minor complaint. 

We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

We Sold Our Souls is a slightly dystopian horror novel which follows Kris Pulaski, a guitarist for a heavy metal band called Dürt Würk. The band is on the verge of success when their singer, Terry Hunt, abandons them after signing away their rights to their music to him, and launches a successful solo career. Years later, Kris discovers that Terry may have sold his soul, and possibly the souls of his former bandmates, to achieve fame. Kris embarks on a cross-country journey to reunite Dürt Würk and confront Terry.  A pretty fast-moving novel, which tends to overfocus on reliving one's metal concert bones-wearing youth, but apart from that the story is pretty interesting and unique.

A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz

adventurous funny mysterious tense

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

3.0

Hawthorne and Horowitz find themselves on Alderney, a small island with a literary festival and a simmering local conflict over a planned power line. A prominent figure is found dead under mysterious circumstances, providing a sort-off locked-room mystery. The close-knit group of festival attendees, including a children's author, a celebrity chef, and a psychic, all become suspects. A decent whodunnit.  It is unfortunate that Horowitz merely repeated his success recipe and failed to attempt something new. 

The Vanishing Hour by Seraphina Nova Glass

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

The novel is told through three first person main characters, each with some interest in recent events in a small town, which includes the disappearances of the daughter of one orator, and the father of another, as well as the previous kidnapping and abuse of the final orator.
 The story unfolds through multiple perspectives, leading to a chilling central mystery  where the individual narratives interact.  A really well written whodunnit, with one of the best Red Herrings I've come across in years. 

The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Eight years after one of three friends died during a caving expedition gone wrong, the other friends die within a day of each other.  Hawthorne entices Horowitz into investigating the possible murders with him, as the basis of Horowitz 's second true crime novel based on Hawthorne's consulting work for the MET.  The meta novel follows a similar recipe to its predecessor, but the whodunnit is definitely easier for the reader to figure out before the dénouement.  There are some very clever homages to two lesser known Sherlock Holmes mysteries, which also adds to the enjoyment.  Character development and self analysis is as always top notch.  An engaging and entering read.

The Stranger by Albert Camus: classic novels by Albert Camus

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Camus' classic, The Stranger / The Outsider, was first published exactly 40 years before I was born, during the Second World War.  The novella is split in two parts.  Part one deals with Meursault's life directly after the death of his mother and part two with his life directly after him killing a man by shooting him five times.  Camus, being the anti-philosopher, provides the reader with a bombardment of existentialism, nihilism, absurdity, and even stoicism, and largely leaves it to the reader to interpret the philosophical value through application.  A true masterpiece.

The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Diana Cowper, attends a funeral parlour to arrange her own funeral and a few hours later, she's found murdered in her home. Disgraced detective Daniel Hawthorne, a brilliant but eccentric investigator needs a writer to document his investigations, and convinces the real Anthony Horowitz (acting as a fictionalized version of himself) to take the job. As Anthony gets pulled into Hawthorne's world, they delve into Diana's past, uncovering a hit-and-run accident from ten years ago. Secrets and lies from various suspects cloud the investigation.  A weird piece of metafiction where Horowitz inserts himself (and a lot of his career details) and Hawthorne into a "Sherlock and Watson" type whodunnit.  As always, the novel is very well written and the breadcrumbs to the dénouement well hidden.  A most intrecate and engaging novel.

Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 The novel starts with Susan Ryeland, being asked to investigate the disappearance of Cecily Treherne, daughter of the owners of the luxurious  Branlow Hall. Cecily's disappearance is linked to a past murder at the same hotel. Eight years ago, a guest, Frank Parris, was found bludgeoned to death. A hotel employee, Stefan Codrescu, was quickly apprehended and confessed to the crime. Cecily, before disappearing tells her parents she believes the key to the real murderer lies within a famous mystery novel, "Atticus Pünd Takes the Case," written by Alan Conway. Intrigued, Susan delves deeper and starts to suspect inconsistencies in the real-life case.  She decides to investigate the past murder to shed light on Cecily's disappearance. "Atticus Pünd Takes the Case" is then read as an embedded narrative, to provide clues to the past murder.  The novel thus follows the same structure as it's predecessor "Magpie Murders".  This is forgivable as it is a really fun way to present a whodunnit.  What is a bit cheesy, is the fact that both mysteries have as their respective dénouements, summoning gatherings.  Still a very well-written and hard to figure out whodunnit.

Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The novel picks up in Switzerland, days after Moriarty and Holmes fell down the Reichenbach Falls and were both presumed dead. Pinkerton detective Frederick Chase and Scotland Yard's Inspector Athelney Jones, having met each other at Reichenbach, join forces to confront a new criminal mastermind who emerges to fill the void left by Moriarty's demise. As they chase down this successor, they uncover a web of intrigue that threatens the safety of London. Horowitz's ode to Moriarty is cleverly written, as he does not try to copy Doyle by using Dr Watson as the orator, but Chase. The style however feels familiar and Horowitz 's talent for writing very descriptive era literature truly shines through. Though the plot is a tad obvious, the homage to Holmes' deductive reasoning (albeit through the person of Jones) proves utterly enjoyable.