She was a short, very business-like woman; there was a sense of determination in her eyes, her sharply cut hair, the very way she walked. If you saw her coming, your first instinct would be to step aside and let her pass. And yet there was nothing unkind about her. She was expensively dressed, her pale raincoat hanging open to reveal a pink jersey and grey skirt. She wore a heavy bead and stone necklace which might or might not have been expensive and a number of diamond rings that most certainly were.
***
A woman is strangled six hours after organising her own funeral.
Did she know she was going to die? Did she recognise her killer?
Daniel Hawthorne, a recalcitrant detective with secrets of his own, is on the case, and he's found himself a sidekick - popular crime novelist Anthony Horowitz, who's struck a deal with Hawthorne to turn his latest case into a true crime bestseller.
But the case is twistier and bloodier than Hawthorne had bargained for, and the unlikely duo of detective and writer find themselves neck deep in danger. When the written word is your only defence, you know you're in trouble when the word is murder...
***
Several years ago I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Horowitz, and I found him to be utterly charming. One of my sons was hooked on the Alex Rider novels and when we heard that he was coming to the children's bookshop, Bags of Books in Sussex it was an absolute must.
I have been a fan of his for a while, largely through his screen writing of Midsomer Murders and Foyle's War. I have also read his book Magpie Murders and you can read my review by clicking here.
Prior to beginning the book, I could not decide if I found it a conceited decision to write himself as the main character in the book, or whether it was a clever device. Let's be honest, had the author written this novel about an author who, for arguments sake was called Fred Bloggs, reviewers would probably have accused him of writing about himself anyway. Thus, by the time I had finished the book, I thought it had been an intelligent and honest choice that he made.In fact, I adored the characters of Hawthorne and Horowitz. The relationship between the two completely different characters was wonderful to read and skilfully created.
It almost feels like an oxymoron to use the words murder and fun in the same sentence but there is no escaping that this murder mystery was entertaining and fun to read. I enjoyed the way the author demonstrated his ability to laugh at himself and there is a lot of humour included in the pairing of Hawthorne and Horowitz in their Holmes and Watson type relationship.It always delights me when there are enough twists and turns in a mystery plot that I have not been able to work out the identity of the murderer prior to the resounding surprise reveal at the end.
I am delighted that the author has already written and published further books in this series. I have already ordered the next one, The Sentence is Death, and I am looking forward to reading it very much.
ISBN: 978 1784757236
Publisher: Arrow
Formats: e-book, audio, hardcover and paperback
No. of Pages: 400 (paperback)
Anthony Horowitz is the author of the bestselling teen spy series, Alex Rider, and is also responsible for creating and writing some of the UK's most loved and successful TV series, including Midsomer Murders and Foyle's War.
He has also written two highly acclaimed Sherlock Holmes novels, The House of Silk and Moriary; a James Bond novel, Trigger Mortis; and his most recent stand-alone novel, Magpie Murders, was a Top Five Sunday Times bestseller.
He is on the board of the Old Vic Theatre, and was awarded an OBE for his services to literature in January 2014.
The Word is Murder is the first in a series of crime novels starring Detective Daniel Hawthorne and the author Anthony Horowitz, and has been followed by The Sentence is Death and A Line to Kill. The Twist of a Knife is due to be published in August 2022.
*Disclosure: I only recommend books I would buy myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains an affiliate link from which I may earn a small commission.
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