The Word Is Murder - (A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery) by Anthony Horowitz (Paperback)

About the Book

Anthony Horowitz has yet again reinvented the classic crime novel, this time writing a fictional version of himself as the Watson to a modern-day Holmes. One bright spring morning in London, Diana Cowper -- the wealthy mother of a famous actor -- enters a funeral parlor. She is there to plan her own service. Six hours later she is found dead, strangled with a curtain cord in her own home. Enter disgraced police detective Daniel Hawthorne, a brilliant, eccentric investigator who's as quick with an insult as he is to crack a case. Hawthorne needs a ghost writer to document his life; a Watson to his Holmes. He chooses Anthony Horowitz. Drawn in against his will, Horowitz soon finds himself a the center of a story he cannot control. Hawthorne is brusque, temperamental and annoying but even so his latest case with its many twists and turns proves irresistible. The writer and the detective form an unusual partnership. At the same time, it soon becomes clear that Hawthorne is hiding some dark secrets of his own. A masterful and tricky mystery that springs many surprises.

Book Synopsis

"One of the most entertaining mysteries of the year. It's also one of the most stimulating, as it ponders such questions as: Which is of greater interest to the reader, the crime or the detective? And: Is the pencil truly mightier than the butcher knife?" -- Wall Street Journal

New York Times bestselling author of Magpie Murders and Moriarty, Anthony Horowitz has yet again brilliantly reinvented the classic crime novel, this time writing a fictional version of himself as the Watson to a modern-day Holmes.

A woman crosses a London street. It is just after 11 a.m. on a bright spring morning, and she is going into a funeral parlor to plan her own service. Six hours later the woman is dead, strangled with a crimson curtain cord in her own home.

Enter disgraced police detective Daniel Hawthorne, a brilliant, eccentric man as quick with an insult as he is to crack a case. And Hawthorne has a partner, the celebrated novelist Anthony Horowitz, curious about the case and looking for new material. As brusque, impatient, and annoying as Hawthorne can be, Horowitz--a seasoned hand when it comes to crime stories--suspects the detective may be on to something, and is irresistibly drawn into the mystery.

But as the case unfolds, Horowitz realizes that he's at the center of a story he can't control, and his brilliant partner may be hiding dark and mysterious secrets of his own.

From the Back Cover

A woman crosses a London street.

It is just after 11 a.m. on a bright spring morning, and she is going into a funeral parlor to plan her own service.

Six hours later the woman is dead, strangled with a crimson curtain cord in her own home.

Enter disgraced police detective Daniel Hawthorne, a brilliant, eccentric man as quick with an insult as he is to crack a case. And Hawthorne has a partner, the celebrated novelist Anthony Horowitz, curious about the case and looking for new material.

As brusque, impatient, and annoying as Hawthorne can be, Horowitz--a seasoned hand when it comes to crime stories--suspects the detective may be on to something, and is irresistibly drawn into the mystery. But as the case unfolds, Horowitz realizes he's at the center of a story he can't control . . . and that his brilliant partner may be hiding dark and mysterious secrets of his own.

A masterful and tricky mystery that operates at many levels, The Word Is Murder is Anthony Horowitz at his very best.

Review Quotes

"Actually, the word is not murder, it's ingenious. . . . A masterful meta-mystery." -- Booklist (starred review)

"Sharp-witted readers who think they've solved the puzzle early on can rest assured that they've opened only one of many dazzling Christmas packages Horowitz has left beautifully wrapped under the tree." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Deduction and wit are well-balanced, and fans of Peter Lovesey and other modern channelers of the spirit of the golden age of detection will clamor for more." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Horowitz is undeniably brilliant." -- Metro London

"The beguiling whodunit plot is dispatched with characteristic élan as Horowitz blurs the line between fiction and reality... there is no denying the sheer ingenuity of the central notion." -- The Financial Times

"The Word Is Murder is an intriguing labyrinth of whodunnits and a true page-turner throughout ." -- Real Crime Magazine

"An ingenious funhouse mirror of a novel sets a vintage 'cozy' mystery inside a modern frame." -- Wall Street Journal

"Irresistible ... What can't this supremely versatile writer do?" -- USA Today

"Horowitz succeeds with The Word Is Murder by simultaneously adhering to and defying the rules of a traditional mystery." -- Christian Science Monitor

"The Word Is Murder is full of surprises and suspense...hugely entertaining. It is a special treat for those who want to read crime mysteries." -- Washington Post Book Review

"The Word Is Murder, with its dry tone and insider anecdotes about publishing and the movie business, is certainly one of the most entertaining mysteries of the year. It's also one of the most stimulating, as it ponders such questions as: Which is of greater interest to the reader, the crime or the detective? And: Is the pencil truly mightier than the butcher knife?" -- Wall Street Journal