Marble Hall Murders author Charlie Porter sitting and talking in the book-filled Penguin Podcast studio

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Interviews

The Penguin Podcast: series 2 episode 6 – Summer reads

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Reading lists

9 holiday reads set in Greece

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Where to start reading Anthony Horowitz’s books

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How to write the perfect plot twist: Anthony Horowitz’s 5 top tips

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Powerful stories that make great gifts

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Features

‘The right car, the right cocktail’: Anthony Horowitz on the challenge of writing James Bond

Marble Hall Murders

From bestselling author, Anthony Horowitz, comes a new novel in the bestselling Magpie Murders series in which editor, Susan Ryeland, uncovers the clues in an Atticus Pünd mystery to solve a murder. 
 
'A masterclass in mystery writing’ Ragnar Jónasson 
'Expect plenty of puzzles, red herrings and juicy murders' Express 
'Horowitz is a genius' Terry Deary 
 
______________ 
 
Susan Ryeland has had enough of murder. 
 
She’s edited two novels about the famous detective, Atticus Pünd, and both times she’s come close to being killed. Now she’s back in England and she’s been persuaded to work on a third. 
 
The new ‘continuation’ novel is by Eliot Crace, grandson of Miriam Crace who was the biggest selling children’s author in the world until her death exactly twenty years ago. 
 
Eliot believes that Miriam was deliberately poisoned. And when he tells Susan that he has hidden the identity of Miriam’s killer inside his book, Susan knows she’s in trouble once again. 
 
As Susan works on Pünd’s Last Case, a story set in an exotic villa in the South of France, she uncovers more and more parallels between the past and the present, the fictional and the real world – until suddenly she finds that she has become a target herself. 
 
It seems that someone in Eliot’s family doesn’t want the book to be written. And they will do anything to prevent it. 
 
______________ 
More love for Marble Hall Murders: 
 
'Diabolically clever' New York Times 
 
'The computer isn’t born that can out-plot Horowitz’ The Daily Telegraph 
 
'Worthy of Agatha Christie' Publishers Weekly, Starred Review 
 
'[A] page-turner of a puzzle' Washington Post 
 
'Horowitz is one of the great masters of the contemporary page turner’ Andrew Marr 
 
'Anthony Horowitz is one of my all-time favourite authors. Marble Hall Murders is a beautiful read' Ryan Tubridy 
 
Readers love Marble Hall Murders: 
 
‘A must-read!’ 5-star reader review 
 
‘One of the top crime books of 2025’ 5-star reader review 
 
‘Absolutely brilliant!’ 5-star reader review 
 
‘Smart, gorgeously written and compelling’ 5-star reader review 
 
‘An excellent whodunnit’ 5-star reader review 
 
‘Absolute perfection’ 5-star reader review

Horowitz pushes back the boundaries of ‘plot structure’ – he creates a book within a book where the narrative and the characters of each one are cleverly mirrored. He’s a genius

Anthony Horowitz is one of my all-time favourite authors. Marble Hall Murders is a beautiful read and we are all in for a real treat

Diabolically clever . . . . Horowitz’s multilevel romp . . . serves up an elegant plot while lampooning writers, publishers, murderers, rich people and golden-age mystery stories. It’s a cliché to describe prolific authors as being at the top of their game (and often seems to suggest the opposite), but it’s true here. Marble Hall Murders is as cunning a mystery as you’ll read all year.

Anthony Horowitz is one of the great masters of the contemporary page turner

Plenty of puzzles, red herrings and juicy murders

Horowitz offers readers another page-turner of a puzzle, once again cleverly told as a story within a story

The dividing lines between reality and fiction (a Horowitz trademark) are deliciously intertwined.

A deliciously witty, clever, and hefty mystery

Horowitz is at the top of his game here, linking past and present in a virtuoso finale worthy of Agatha Christie. Fans will clamor for the sequel

Novels within novels are an Anthony Horowitz trademark . . . a gifted mimic, [Horowitz] switches effortlessly between Susan's cynical voice and a convincing Agatha Christie-style pastiche

If traditional golden age style mystery is your jam, these books are absolute perfection . . . with this strong installment, Horowitz proves once again that these smart, gorgeously written and compelling books remain some of the very best crime novels being written

Horowitz's most extended and intricately plotted [whodunit] yet

A smooth, rich mystery that will entertain on every one of its 580 pages. Settle in for a cleverly constructed plot.

The novel-within-a-novel format works superbly

A multilayered metafictional mystery filled with twists, anagrams, and clever clues . . . thoroughly entertaining

Dazzling . . . Readers looking for a cozy that gives them something to really chew on will enjoy this lengthy mystery, and fans of Susan Ryeland will find this a satisfying installment in the series

The prolific and multi-talented Anthony Horowitz is back with a very readable third novel featuring the full-time professional editor and part-time amateur sleuth Susan Ryeland and the legendary fictional detective Atticus Pünd . . . A talented fellow, our Anthony Horowitz. A name for fans of intelligent mystery fiction on page or screen to be on the lookout for. His work doesn’t disappoint’

Marble Hall Murders is metafiction with a vengeance. It is a contemporary murder mystery in the style of the best of Agatha Christie. In the hands of a writer with the sly genius of Anthony Horowitz — who is capable of winking at us even as he scares us mightily — Marble Hall Murders is, quite simply, as good as it gets

If you've read Horowitz's Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders - the basis for the PBS mystery series - you know how wonderful he is at creating fun, twisty mysteries with layered plots: books within books.

Marble Hall Murders is a masterpiece and more than a worthy successor to the prior installments of the series. The complex construction of Horowitz’s mysteries is so brilliant that it feels like he is channeling Agatha Christie herself, and this latest entry is a perfect example of this. This mystery within a mystery is like a fictional Russian doll that will keep readers engaged and guessing on multiple levels from start to finish

Thrilling . . . The premise is intriguing, and the plot more than delivers, with twists, turns and literary-based clues throughout

Anthony Horowitz is responsible for creating and writing some of the UK’s most loved and successful TV series, including Midsomer Murders and Foyle’s War. He is the author of the teen spy series, Alex Rider, which has sold more than twenty million copies worldwide. 
 
He has been widely praised for his murder mysteries which began with two highly acclaimed Sherlock Holmes novels and continued with the bestselling Hawthorne series in which he appears as the former detective’s hapless sidekick. In January 2022 he was awarded a CBE for his services to literature. 
 
His novel, Magpie Murders, was made into a BBC drama starring Lesley Manville as editor Susan Ryeland. The sequel, Moonflower Murders, also starring Lesley Manville, was a BBC drama in 2024. Marble Hall Murders continues the story…

Susan Ryeland has had enough of murder. 
 
She’s edited two novels about the famous detective, Atticus Pünd, and both times she’s come close to being killed. Now she’s back in England and she’s been persuaded to work on a third. 
 
The new ‘continuation’ novel is by Eliot Crace, grandson of Miriam Crace who was the biggest selling children’s author in the world until her death exactly twenty years ago. 
 
Eliot believes that Miriam was deliberately poisoned. And when he tells Susan that he has hidden the identity of Miriam’s killer inside his book, Susan knows she’s in trouble once again. 
 
As Susan works on Pünd’s Last Case, a story set in an exotic villa in the South of France, she finds more and more parallels between the past and the present, the fictional and the real world - until suddenly she finds that she has become a target. 
 
Someone in Eliot’s family doesn’t want the book to be written. And they will do anything to prevent it. 
______________ 
 
Praise for the Magpie Murders series . . . 
 
'A beautiful puzzle: fiendishly clever and hugely entertaining. A masterpiece.' Lucy Foley 
'Ingenious' Sunday Times 
'Thrilling and compelling with a stunning twist' Daily Mail

Moonflower Murders

*The follow-on from Magpie Murders, soon to be a major BBC series starring Lesley Manville* 
 
'The Lord of television mystery' LA Times 
'Easily the greatest of our crime writers' Sunday Times 
'Absolutely loved it. So clever, just masterful stuff.' Richard Osman 
'Fiendishly clever and hugely entertaining. A masterpiece.' Lucy Foley 
‘Anthony Horowitz is an absolutely exceptional writer’ Daniel Mays 
'You have to hand it to Horowitz: the guy never fails to deliver a total page-turner. We LOVED it.' Richard & Judy 
____________ 
 
Retired publisher Susan Ryeland is running a small hotel on a Greek island with her long-term boyfriend. But life isn't as idyllic as it should be: exhausted by the responsibility of making everything work on an island where nothing ever does, Susan is beginning to miss her literary life in London - even though her publishing career once entangled her in a lethal literary murder plot. 
 
So when an English couple come to visit with tales of a murder that took place in a hotel the same day their daughter Cecily was married there, Susan can't help but find herself fascinated. 
 
And when they tell her that Cecily has gone missing a few short hours after reading Atticus Pund Takes The Case, a crime novel Susan edited some years previously, Susan knows she must return to London to find out what has happened. 
 
The clues to the murder and to Cecily's disappearance must lie within the pages of this novel. 
 
But to save Cecily, Susan must place her own life in mortal danger... 
____________ 
 
'I'm blown away. He's managed to come up with something even more amazing than the last one!' Hideo Kojima 
'Horowitz is a master of the cunning plot device, and brings zest and originality to the traditional murder mystery novel.' Sophie Hannah 
'A wonderfully enjoyable read' Ragnar Jonasson 
'So clever, a story within a story within a story. A triumph.' Kate Mosse 
____________ 
 
Readers can't get enough of Magpie Murders . . . 
 
***** 'Six hundred and eight pages? Really? Well they flew past.' 
***** ' Highly recommended to all crime fiction and thriller readers.' 
***** 'Even better than the first one - just very much my kind of mystery.' 
***** 'One of my top 10 books of the year.' 
***** 'This is one of the smartest and most entertaining whodunnits I’ve ever read.' 
 
 
Sunday Times bestseller, September 2024

I absolutely love this series of fiendishly clever literary mysteries[...] and I wolfed this new one down

MOONFLOWER MURDERS showcases Horowitz's full battalion of strengths: the whiplash plotting, the leather-smooth prose, the bold energy and, above all, the bright spark of joy that ignites the best fiction. Sophisticated, literate novels aren't supposed to be so much fun

It is amongst the most ambitious formats I've ever read, as, essentially, Horowitz writes not one but two fully-fledged, distinct stories. There is the 300-plus page present-day Susan Ryeland story mystery, and the 200-plus page Golden Age style Alan Conway murder mystery, and both of them are brilliantly executed as exemplars in their respective genres and fields

A clever, engaging book that keeps you hooked until the end

A devilishly clever, multi-layered total joy of a novel

The prolific novelist's latest work is a mind-bending murder mystery to tie readers in knots

It's a complex plot, a novel within a novel, where the reader gets to grapple with the whodunnit both in the main narrative and through an entirely separate detective story [...] They are both gripping reads, a clever conceit by Horowitz, who pulls off the tricky structure beautifully.

Moonflower Murders, is a superbly intricate608-page murder mystery [...] An intellectual challenge with a smile attached ispretty much the Horowitz oeuvre in a nutshell. The gleeful boy seems to shine through even the darkest tale

A genius mystery within a mystery which is perfect for any book lovers and murder mystery fans

If you're looking for some holiday reading, I'd really recommend this very enjoyable crime novel

Tony Parsons excels at presenting his narratives in the clearest possible prosewhile revealing the toughest of human emotions.

Enthralling murder mystery...Laced with humanity and the shadow of guilt, it is Parsons at his very best

Funny, profound and at times frightening, this is Horowitz at his very best. And the perfect jumping-on point for newcomers.

So clever, a story within a story. A triumph, and the best way to spend a weekend reading

Elegantly written, brilliantly structured, deceptively accessible, a masterpeice by an author at the top of his game.

Bestselling author Anthony Horowitz has written two highly acclaimed Sherlock Holmes novels, The House of Silk and Moriarty; three James Bond novels, Trigger Mortis, Forever and a Day and With a Mind to Kill; the acclaimed bestselling mystery novels Magpie Murders, Moonflower Murders and Marble Hall Murders; and the Detective Hawthorne novels, The Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death, A Line To Kill, The Twist of a Knife and Close to Death. 
 
 
He is also the author of the teen spy Alex Rider series, and responsible for creating and writing some of the UK’s most loved and successful TV series, including Midsomer Murders and Foyle’s War. In January 2022 he was awarded a CBE for his services to literature.

'A beautiful puzzle: fiendishly clever and hugely entertaining. A masterpiece.' Lucy Foley, author of The Hunting Party 
_____________________________________________ 
Retired publisher Susan Ryeland is running a small hotel on a Greek island with her long-term boyfriend. But life isn't as idyllic as it should be: exhausted by the responsibility of making everything work on an island where nothing ever does, Susan is beginning to miss her literary life in London - even though her publishing career once entangled her in a lethal literary murder plot. 
 
So when an English couple come to visit with tales of a murder that took place in a hotel the same day their daughter Cecily was married there, Susan can't help but find herself fascinated. 
 
And when they tell her that Cecily has gone missing a few short hours after reading Atticus Pund Takes The Case, a crime novel Susan edited some years previously, Susan knows she must return to London to find out what has happened. 
 
The clues to the murder and to Cecily's disappearance must lie within the pages of this novel. 
 
But to save Cecily, Susan must place her own life in mortal danger...

How do you solve a murder … when everyone has the same motive? (Hawthorne, 5)

Close to Death

How do you solve a murder... when everyone has the same motive? From global bestselling Anthony Horowitz, a brilliantly entertaining new mystery in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series. 
 
‘Easily the greatest of our crime writers’ Sunday Times 
‘[Horowitz is] a master puppeteer’ The Times 
‘Anthony Horowitz is an absolutely exceptional writer’ Daniel Mays 
‘Incredible plotting, richly layered and wonderfully intricate. I inhaled it' Liz Nugent 
'Another delightful outing with Hawthorne and Horowitz. Each one is more inventive than the last' Shari Lapena 
'Anthony Horowitz is a national treasure’ Ragnar Jónasson 
_____________ 
 
Richmond Upon Thames is one of the most desirable areas to live in London. And Riverview Close - a quiet, gated community – seems to offer its inhabitants the perfect life. 
 
At least it does until Giles Kenworthy moves in with his wife and noisy children, his four gas-guzzling cars, his loud parties and his plans for a new swimming pool in his garden. 
 
His neighbours all have a reason to hate him and are soon up in arms. 
 
When Kenworthy is shot dead with a crossbow bolt through his neck, all of them come under suspicion and his murder opens the door to lies, deception and further death. 
 
The police are baffled. Reluctantly, they call in former Detective Daniel Hawthorne. But even he is faced with a seemingly impossible puzzle. 
 
How do you solve a murder when everyone has the same motive? 
 
_____________ 
 
More love for Close to Death . . . 
 
'The Lord of television mystery' LA Times 
 
'A clever murder mystery…playful and twisty. Nobody does this crime fiction better than Anthony Horowitz’ Crime Time FM 
 
‘Spectacularly good fun, wickedly clever, with a pinch of the macabre, this is everything you could wish for from one of our top crime writers.’ The Sun 
 
'Just when you thought Horowitz couldn’t further stretch his boundary-bending Daniel Hawthorne detective series, he concocts yet another way to involve readers in his story' The Washington Post 
 
'The mystery is inventive, elegant and smart' The Telegraph 
 
‘Sheer genius … A joy from start to finish’ Independent 
 
‘Whodunnit heaven’ Financial Times 
 
'An absolutely engrossing tale ... Kudos to anyone who can figure this one out!’ Starred Booklist 
 
‘An exceedingly entertaining and inventive mixture of humour and suspense.’ Wall Street Journal 
 
'Gloriously artificial, improbable, and ingenious. Fans of both versions of Horowitz will rejoice.’ Kirkus Reviews 
 
'Turns the closed-circle mystery inside out’ New York Journal of Books 
 
'The master of the mystery' Style 
 
'The king of the clever whodunnit' Good Housekeeping 
 
'A delirious concoction that transplants a Christie-style mystery into the present' Crime Time 
 
‘An excellent entertaining thriller’ The Afterword 
 
 
Sunday Times bestseller, April 2024 
 
One of the Wall Street Journal’s best mysteries of 2024

(CLOSE TO DEATH is one of) the five best murder mystery novels of all time

'A clever murder mystery…playful and twisty. Nobody does this crime fiction better than Anthony Horowitz

Spectacularly good fun, wickedly clever, with a pinch of the macabre, this is everything you could wish for from one of our top crime writers

I had a great time with Close to Death by our best living thriller writer, Anthony Horowitz. Set in a gated Richmond enclave, it combines endless narrative surprises with sharp observation of the professional classes

Turns the closed-circle mystery inside out

Gloriously artificial, improbable, and ingenious. Fans of both versions of Horowitz will rejoice

An absolutely engrossing tale ... Kudos to anyone who can figure this one out!

I loved this ... for its depiction of badly behaved (and very nosy) neighbours

The quiet, gated community of Riverview Close offers its inhabitants the perfect life within one of the most desirable areas of London. 
 
That is, until Giles Kenworthy moves in with his wife and noisy children, his gas-guzzling cars, loud parties and outrageous plans for a new swimming pool. 
 
His neighbours all have a reason to hate him. 
 
So when Kenworthy is shot dead with a crossbow bolt through his neck, they all come under suspicion. 
 
Only former Detective Daniel Hawthorne has a chance at solving the case, but he’s stuck on one part of the puzzle: 
 
How do you solve a murder when everyone has the same motive?

The Word Is Murder

She planned her own funeral. But did she arrange her own murder? Buried secrets, murder and a trail of bloody clues lie at the heart of Anthony Horowitz's page-turning detective series. 
 
'Easily the greatest of our crime writers' Sunday Times 
‘An absolutely wonderful writer’ Richard Osman 
 
 
_________________ 
 
A woman is strangled six hours after organising her own funeral. 
 
Did she know she was going to die? Did she recognise her killer? 
 
Enter Daniel Hawthorne, a detective with a genius for solving crimes and an ability to hold secrets very close. 
 
With him is his writing partner, Anthony Horowitz. Together they will set out to solve his most puzzling of mysteries. 
 
What neither of them know is that they are about to embark on a dark and dangerous journey whether the twists and turns are as unexpected as they are bloody. 
_________________ 
 
'Raises the game-playing to Olympic level' Guardian Books of the Year 
'A real page-turner. I loved it!' Aled Jones 
'Horowitz blurs the line between fact and fiction' Financial Times 
'Splendidly entertaining, absorbing and difficult to put down. Hawthorne is an intriguing character' Daily Express 
'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 
'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

A woman is strangled six hours after organising her own funeral. 
 
Did she know she was going to die? Did she recognise her killer? 
 
Enter Daniel Hawthorne, a detective with a genius for solving crimes and an ability to hold secrets very close. 
 
With him is his writing partner, Anthony Horowitz. Together they will set out to solve his most puzzling of mysteries. 
 
What neither of them know is that they are about to embark on a dark and dangerous journey whether the twists and turns are as unexpected as they are bloody. 
_________________ 
 
'EASILY THE GREATEST OF OUR CRIME WRITERS' Sunday Times 
 
'Raises the game-playing to Olympic level' Guardian Books of the Year 
 
'A real page-turner. I loved it!' Aled Jones 
 
'Horowitz blurs the line between fact and fiction' Financial Times 
 
'Splendidly entertaining, absorbing and difficult to put down. Hawthorne is an intriguing character' Daily Express 
 
'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 
 
'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

A mind-bending murder mystery from the bestselling author of THE WORD IS MURDER

The Sentence is Death

Passion, deception, an unexplained death and a detective with quite a lot to hide lie at the heart of Anthony Horowitz's brilliant murder mystery, the second in the bestselling series starring Private Investigator Daniel Hawthorne. 
 
'Easily the greatest of our crime writers' Sunday Times 
‘An absolutely wonderful writer’ Richard Osman 
'My favourite literary hero at the moment is Anthony Horowitz' Shari Lapena 
_____________________ 
 
Secrets can kill. 
 
Smooth-tongued divorce lawyer Richard Price is bludgeoned to death at his London home. 
 
Scrawled on the wall beside the body: the number 182. 
 
What does it mean? And who was at his front door just minutes before he died and while he was still talking on the phone? 
 
Confronted with this most baffling of mysteries, the police are forced to turn to private investigator Daniel Hawthorne. 
_____________________ 
 
'Pure pleasure for readers ... A must-read delight' WALL STREET JOURNAL 
'Anthony Horowitz gets away with murder in all sorts of ways and emerges triumphant' The Times 
'This is crime fiction as dazzling entertainment, sustained by writing as skilfully light-footed as Fred Astaire' Sunday Times Crime Club 
'A crime story that keeps you up into the small hours... a page-turning mystery' Metro 
'Sheer genius ... A joy from start to finish' Independent 
'Fans of traditional puzzle mysteries will be enthralled' Publishers Weekly 
'Huge fun... It's hard to know why anyone who loves a good mystery wouldn't thoroughly enjoy the ride' Irish Independent 
'Succeeds on all levels ... Horowitz has the Midas touch' Booklist 
'No one currently working the field has anywhere near this much ingenuity to burn' KIRKUS

Secrets can kill. 
 
Smooth-tongued divorce lawyer Richard Price is bludgeoned to death at his London home. 
 
Scrawled on the wall beside the body: the number 182. 
 
What does it mean? And who was at his front door just minutes before he died and while he was still talking on the phone? 
 
Confronted with this most baffling of mysteries, the police are forced to turn to private investigator Daniel Hawthorne. 
_____________ 
 
'EASILY THE GREATEST OF OUR CRIME WRITERS'Sunday Times 
 
'My favourite literary hero at the moment is Anthony Horowitz' Shari Lapena 
 
'Pure pleasure for readers ... A must-read delight.' WALL STREET JOURNAL 
 
'Sheer genius ... A joy from start to finish' INDEPENDENT

a locked room mystery from the Sunday Times bestselling author

A Line to Kill

By the global bestselling author, Anthony Horowitz, the third novel in his acclaimed Hawthorne and Horowitz series. The Russian mafia, a strange religious order and not one but two murders - stand by for a hugely enjoyable, twisty turny read. 
 
'EASILY THE GREATEST OF OUR CRIME WRITERS' Sunday Times 
'A homage to the Golden Age of mystery - it is pure delight' New York Times 
'Witty, wry, clever, a fabulous detective story and perfect summer reading' Kate Mosse 
'Funny, intriguing, thrilling and thought-provoking: a marvellous mystery' Adam Hamdy 
‘An absolutely wonderful writer’ Richard Osman 
 
 
______________ 
 
Private Investigator Daniel Hawthorne and the writer Anthony Horowitz have been invited to a literary festival on the island of Alderney to talk about their new book . . . 
 
Very soon they discover that dark forces are at work. 
 
Alderney is in turmoil over a planned power line that will cut through it, desecrating a war cemetery and turning neighbour against neighbour. 
 
And the visiting authors seem to be harbouring any number of unpleasant secrets. 
 
When the festival's wealthy sponsor is found brutally murdered, Alderney goes into lockdown and Hawthorne knows he doesn't have to look too far for suspects. There's no escape. The killer is still on the island. 
 
And there's about to be a second death . . . 
______________ 
 
Readers can't get enough of Hawthorne and Horowitz ... 
 
***** 'I loved this smartly written whodunit, but it's the characters of Hawthorne and Horowitz that have completely won me over.' 
 
***** 'A Line to Kill was a very clever, suspenseful and compelling murder mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed ' 
 
***** 'This is a worthy addition to this highly addictive series, and I can't wait to begin the next installment.' 
 
***** 'Engaging, fun banter between Horowitz and Hawthorne, double deception, locked room mystery, multiple suspects that all have a motive, and someone with murder in their eyes.'

On a small island, everyone's a suspect ... 
 
Private Investigator, Daniel Hawthorne, and Anthony Horowitz have been invited to a literary festival on Alderney to talk about their new book. 
 
They find the island in turmoil over a planned power line that is turning neighbour against neighbour. And the visiting authors seem to be harbouring any number of personal secrets. 
 
When the festival's wealthy sponsor is brutally murdered, Alderney goes into lock-down. 
 
With no one allowed on or off the island, Hawthorne knows he doesn't have to look too far for suspects. 
 
But the killer is still on the island. And there's about to be a second death ... 
___________ 
 
'EASILY THE GREATEST OF OUR CRIME WRITERS' Sunday Times 
 
'Witty, wry, clever, a fabulous detective story and perfect summer reading' KATE MOSSE 
 
'Funny, intriguing, thrilling and thought-provoking: a marvellous mystery' ADAM HAMDY 
 
'My favourite literary hero at the moment is Anthony Horowitz' SHARI LAPENA

A gripping locked-room mystery from the bestselling crime writer

The Twist of a Knife

By global bestselling Anthony Horowitz, a brilliantly entertaining new locked-room mystery with a key that only Hawthorne can find. 
 
'EASILY THE GREATEST OF OUR CRIME WRITERS' Sunday Times 
'Funny, addictive and clever, and the crime fighting duo of Hawthorne and Horowitz are as entertaining as ever. Brilliant. I can't wait for more.' Adam Handy 
'There's a lovely Hitchcockian feel to TWIST. The clock is ticking. It's a lot of fun.' Ian Rankin 
'The Twist of a Knife is a beautifully turned locked-room whodunit' The Sunday Telegraph 
'A total joy. Anthony is a master entertainer, the genius twists and turns of his writing and plot keep me on the edge of my seat.' Rory Kinnear 
_____________ 
 
'Our deal is over.' 
 
This is what reluctant author Anthony Horowitz tells ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne in an awkward encounter. The truth is that Anthony has other things on his mind. 
 
His new play 'Mindgame' is about to open at London's Vaudeville theatre, and on opening night, Sunday Times critic Harriet Throsby gives the play a savage review. 
 
The next morning she is found dead, stabbed in the heart with an ornamental dagger that has only one set of finger prints on it. Anthony's. 
 
Anthony is arrested, charged with Throsby's murder, and thrown into prison. 
 
Alone and increasingly desperate, he realises only one man can help him. 
 
But will Hawthorne take his call? 
_____________ 
 
More love for The Twist of a Knife . . . 
 
‘An absolutely wonderful writer’ Richard Osman 
 'An immensely enjoyable read, funny, so clever and utterly original' Ragnar Jonasson 
'One of the country's most recognisable writers' ITV News 
'I love this self-reflexive mystery series' Vulture 
'A mystery so slick, clever and fun to read that it's a genuine shame when you hit the end.' The Globe and Mail 
'The Twist of a Knife is consistently, delightfully entertaining, with Horowitz's own theatrical experience providing just the right amount of bittersweet bite' Airmail 
'An adventure that will enchant mystery lovers, Anglophiles and theater buffs' The Washington Post 
'A delicious mystery [that] is bonkers and brilliant and a triumph' The Sun 
'Horowitz blurs the lines between fiction and reality to hilarious effect' The Express 
'A gripping tour de force' Woman's Own 
_____________ 
 
Readers can't get enough of The Twist of a Knife . . . 
 
***** 'This is another thoroughly enjoyable and well-constructed mystery from Anthony Horowitz.' 
***** 'Thoroughly enjoyed it and devoured it in a little over 2 days!' 
***** 'This novel is hugely entertaining.' 
***** 'Fabulous. More please, and soon!' 
***** 'This is the very best in 'cosy-crime.''

'Our deal is over.' 
 
This is what reluctant author Anthony Horowitz tells ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne in an awkward encounter. The truth is that Anthony has other things on his mind. 
 
His new play 'Mindgame' is about to open at London's Vaudeville theatre, and on opening night, Sunday Times critic Harriet Throsby gives the play a savage review. 
 
The next morning she is found dead, stabbed in the heart with an ornamental dagger that has only one set of finger prints on it. Anthony's. 
 
Anthony is arrested, charged with Throsby's murder, and thrown into prison. 
 
Alone and increasingly desperate, he realises only one man can help him. 
 
But will Hawthorne take his call? 
_____________ 
 
'EASILY THE GREATEST OF OUR CRIME WRITERS' SUNDAY TIMES 
 
'Funny, addictive and clever, and the crime fighting duo of Hawthorne and Horowitz are as entertaining as ever. Brilliant. I can't wait for more.' ADAM HANDY 
 
''There's a lovely Hitchcockian feel to TWIST. The clock is ticking. It's a lot of fun.' IAN RANKIN 
 
'The Twist of a Knife is a beautifully turned locked-room whodunit' THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 
 
'A total joy. Anthony is a master entertainer, the genius twists and turns of his writing and plot keep me on the edge of my seat.' RORY KINNEAR

With a Mind to Kill

The super spy is back, with a fresh injection from novelist and screenwriter extraordinaire, Anthony Horowitz. The expert in suspense takes us back to the beginning of James Bond’s story… the story rips along with plenty of familiar Bond staples: evil villains, fast cars and women falling for young Bond’s charms. Ian Fleming would be proud.

Daring, exciting, and also superbly plotted, it shows Bond questioning his loyalties at the end of his career. It marks a fitting end to a trilogy from Horowitz that Fleming would surely have approved of

In many ways, Horowitz has now surpassed Fleming and the final book in his Bond trilogy is a masterpiece. It's a literary thriller writing at its page-turning finest.'

Horowitz is a worthy successor to Ian Fleming, putting 007 back in his true domain… This New Bond is up there with the better Old Bonds… The denouement is a very fine piece of action writing… Horowitz has done splendidly.

A novel that feels very like a film… fast-paced, skilfully written… leaves you wanting more, and for serious Bond junkies [it] is the next fix in a long tale of addiction.

Even better than Trigger Mortis… it is tremendous fun. Anthony Horowitz has the discipline and skill of a first-class action writer.

Anthony Horowitz's second James Bond book will keep 007 obsessives happy with martinis, beautiful women and an enormously fat Corsican gangster.

Exciting high drama… Horowitz stays loyal to the fabulous Fleming formula. And for that he surely deserves another mission guiding the fortunes of the world’s favourite superspy.

Horowitz shows that he knows the Fleming books backwards, offering plot twists that are homages to the master's novels. This nicely imagined book... is an amusing and thought-provoking addition to the post-Fleming bond canon.

[Horowitz's Bond] is once again in safe hands, not departing much from Fleming’s entertaining formula... Horowitz’s light touch and smooth plotting create something close to the ideal holiday read.

An enjoyably compact thriller, with an absolutely killer last line.

Forever and a Day is an explosive prequel to Casino Royale which promises to please Bond aficionados and a new legion of fans.

This is another great new James Bond novel from Horowitz, who’s filling the shoes of Ian Fleming with apparent ease.

Anthony is an enthusiastic writer who relishes the world of adventure he conveys.

A timeless Bond... has all the elements of a rollicking read.

Horowitz proves himself so adept at getting inside the iconic character, and Fleming’s writing style, that it’s difficult to see the join. Rip-roaringly recommended.

Horowitz…captures the mood, pace and style of Fleming very well… the story thunders along with action galore in the Bond tradition. It whets the appetite for the 25th Bond film.

A rattling good thriller from an undoubted master of the genre.

Exciting, atmospheric and with non-stop action.

Anthony Horowitz writes Bond in the style of Fleming... Total brain candy in the best possible fashion.

Authentic, exciting and shot through with a very Flemingesque ennui.

A clever and highly-satisfying espionage thriller... Horowitz nails precisely why Ian Fleming's novels were so popular in the first place. Put simply, he gets James Bond.

Readers will love the way Horowitz stays loyal to the winning formula of Bond creator Ian Fleming, confronting an old enemy with new energy.

There seems an inexhaustible appetite for all things 007. One day, we might tire of him, but if his fictional incarnations remain as entertaining as With a Mind to Kill, we will be hoping that Bond doesn't hang up his Walther PPK for a while yet.

Masterly... There's an enjoyably mischievous tension between Bond, whose entire time in Russia is bleak...and Horowitz, who's plainly having a ball subjecting him to this ordeal.

A gloriously entertaining and surprisingly poignant novel that would make a better movie than many of the Bond stories that actually made it to the big screen.

A murder. A world in crisis. Britain's greatest spy . . . 
 
'BRILLIANT' Richard Osman 
 
It is M's funeral. One man is missing from the graveside: the traitor who pulled the trigger and who is now in custody, accused of M's murder - James Bond. 
 
Behind the Iron Curtain, a group of former Smersh agents want to use Bond on a perilous mission that will change the balance of world power. He is smuggled into the lion's den - but whose orders is Bond following, and will he obey them when the moment to strike arrives? 
 
Discover the latest chapter in the world of 007, brought thrillingly to life by Sunday Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz. 
 
PRAISE FOR ANTHONY HOROWITZ'S JAMES BOND TRILOGY: 
 
'Daring, exciting . . . superbly plotted' Sunday Express 
 
'Gripping . . . and with non-stop action' i 
 
'Fast-paced, skilfully written . . . leaves you wanting more' The Times 
 
'Ian Fleming would be proud' Guardian 
 
'Horowitz excels at action sequences' Sunday Times 
 
'Exciting high drama . . . Horowitz stays loyal to the fabulous Fleming formula' Daily Express 
 
 
Richard and Judy Book Club Pick, Spring 2023

Forever and a Day

the explosive number one bestselling new James Bond thriller (James Bond 007)

The new James Bond novel by No.1 bestselling author Anthony Horowitz

Every legend has an origin. This is Bond’s.A British agent floats in the waters of the French Riviera, murdered by an unknown hand.Determined to uncover the truth, James Bond enters a world of fast cars, grand casinos and luxury yachts. But beneath the glamour, he soon encounters a dangerous network of organised crime.It’s time for Bond to earn his licence to kill. He must find those responsible and unravel their devastating plan – before he becomes their next victim...Discover the exhilarating prequel to Casino Royale.‘Exciting … 007 is back’ Daily Express‘Evil villains, fast cars … and the story rips along’ Guardian‘Tremendous fun … A first-class action writer’ Sunday Express

Straight away Horowitz is able to capture Fleming’s flowing style and intricate details from how Bond likes his eggs in the morning to the cars he drives... He’s just as faithfully suave as in the original novels.

Abridged Edition

Penguin Readers Level 6: The Word Is Murder (ELT Graded Reader)

Anthony Horowitz

My favourite Hawthorne yet. Utterly brilliant, and a complete treat. A veritable nesting doll of mysteries in one book, it’s something very close to genius. Anthony Horowitz is in a league of his own

The sixth outing for the sleuthing duo of Horowitz and Hawthorne, A Deadly Episode, is another winner.

Brilliant . . . the author combines delicious dry humour with a rigorous fair-play whodunnit, but this installment’s Scream-like Hollywood satire takes it to another level

Clever and playful, this is meta-mystery at its best.

[Horowitz’s] "Overactive imagination” has once again produced a chunk of five-star entertainment

The sixth in the brilliant Hawthrone and Horowitz series... (is) layers of fun.

Horowitz is quite simply a brilliant writer - he's funny, smart and knows how to craft a good story.... Be warned. Horowitz is addictive

I take such pleasure from this series and this, the sixth, is every bit as good as its predecessors... dare I say, my favourite.

Horowitz’s ever-inventive Horowitz and Hawthorne series gets extra metafictional in this brilliant sixth installment

[A] cracking good, crackling narrative . . . diabolically clever work of metafiction

‘A intriguing page-turner that once again demonstrates why Anthony Horowitz is the reigning king of the modern whodunit

I loved A Deadly Episode from beginning to end. Here’s hoping that this is not the last we see of the partnership between Hawthorne and Horowitz in a novel written by the real Anthony Horowitz.

The twisty fun we’ve come to expect from Horowitz

A Deadly Episode keeps Horowitz and Hawthorne as lively as ever. Told from two time frames, it could, in fact, very well be the strongest series entry so far. Anthony Horowitz (the actual one) — with his wry humor fully in evidence — proves once again that he is a contemporary master of the classic murder mystery.

Twisty fun we’ve come to expect from Horowitz

From the globally bestselling author of Moonflower Murders and Close to Death comes an unputdownable new mystery in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series. 
 
 
‘Easily the greatest of our crime writers’ Sunday Times 
'Nobody does this crime fiction better than Anthony Horowitz’ Crime Time FM 
'Anthony Horowitz is a national treasure' Ragnar Jónasson 
 
--------- 
 
The Word is Murder, the first book in the Hawthorne series, is being made into a major feature film. 
 
The actors have been cast, the script written, and filming has already started in Hastings. 
 
But when Hawthorne and Anthony visit the set, they find a far from happy family. 
 
The director’s pretentious, the screenwriter’s an eco-warrior, the two stars hate each other, and the producer has run out of money. 
 
And things are about to get much, much worse. 
 
In the middle of shooting, the actor playing Hawthorne is stabbed – which leaves the real Hawthorne with no choice. He has to step in and investigate his own murder. 
 
Because the killer may not have got the right man. Was it Hawthorne himself who was meant to be the target? 
 
A Deadly Episode is a wild ride through a world that the author knows only too well, and the most personal case Hawthorne has had to deal with so far.

A Deadly Episode

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Anthony Horowitz

Praise for A Deadly Episode

My favourite Hawthorne yet. Utterly brilliant, and a complete treat. A veritable nesting doll of mysteries in one book, it’s something very close to genius. Anthony Horowitz is in a league of his own

The sixth outing for the sleuthing duo of Horowitz and Hawthorne, A Deadly Episode, is another winner.

A meta romp

My favourite Hawthorne yet. Utterly brilliant, and a complete treat. A veritable nesting doll of mysteries in one book, it’s something very close to genius. Anthony Horowitz is in a league of his own

The sixth outing for the sleuthing duo of Horowitz and Hawthorne, A Deadly Episode, is another winner.

A meta romp

My favourite Hawthorne yet. Utterly brilliant, and a complete treat. A veritable nesting doll of mysteries in one book, it’s something very close to genius. Anthony Horowitz is in a league of his own

The sixth outing for the sleuthing duo of Horowitz and Hawthorne, A Deadly Episode, is another winner.

A meta romp

Books by Anthony Horowitz

Series by Anthony Horowitz

Hawthorne5 Books

James Bond 0073 Books

Articles featuring Anthony Horowitz

The Penguin Podcast: series 2 episode 6 – Summer reads

9 holiday reads set in Greece

Where to start reading Anthony Horowitz’s books

How to write the perfect plot twist: Anthony Horowitz’s 5 top tips

Powerful stories that make great gifts

‘The right car, the right cocktail’: Anthony Horowitz on the challenge of writing James Bond

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The Art of the Murder Mystery Twist with Anthony Horowitz

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Praise for A Deadly Episode

My favourite Hawthorne yet. Utterly brilliant, and a complete treat. A veritable nesting doll of mysteries in one book, it’s something very close to genius. Anthony Horowitz is in a league of his own

The sixth outing for the sleuthing duo of Horowitz and Hawthorne, A Deadly Episode, is another winner.

A meta romp

My favourite Hawthorne yet. Utterly brilliant, and a complete treat. A veritable nesting doll of mysteries in one book, it’s something very close to genius. Anthony Horowitz is in a league of his own

The sixth outing for the sleuthing duo of Horowitz and Hawthorne, A Deadly Episode, is another winner.

A meta romp

My favourite Hawthorne yet. Utterly brilliant, and a complete treat. A veritable nesting doll of mysteries in one book, it’s something very close to genius. Anthony Horowitz is in a league of his own

The sixth outing for the sleuthing duo of Horowitz and Hawthorne, A Deadly Episode, is another winner.

A meta romp

Books by Anthony Horowitz

Sign up to Anthony Horowitz's newsletter

Series by Anthony Horowitz

Hawthorne5 Books

James Bond 0073 Books

Articles featuring Anthony Horowitz

The Penguin Podcast: series 2 episode 6 – Summer reads

9 holiday reads set in Greece

Where to start reading Anthony Horowitz’s books

How to write the perfect plot twist: Anthony Horowitz’s 5 top tips

Videos

The Art of the Murder Mystery Twist with Anthony Horowitz

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter