A Line To Kill @AnthonyHorowitz @HarperCollins #mystery #suspence #crimethriller @JanBelisle @absltmom

Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery #3

Jan’s review

This is the 3^rd installment in the Horowitz/ Hawthorne series, my favorite duo. This can work as a standalone, but for insight into the characters I would recommend reading the previous two books first (plus they are really good!). Horowitz is both author and a character in his own novel, as a bumbling ‘Watson’ to retired Detective Hawthorne’s ‘Holmes’.  

In book #1 Horowitz was engaged to write about Hawthorne’s life and accompany him on cases. The problem? They are an unlikely pair that get along as well as oil and water. Their relationship adds much to the charm and humor in this story, with Horowitz’s cluelessness adding to the fun.

The two are invited to be the featured guests at a literary festival on the island of Alderney, off the coast of England. Horowitz’s biggest worry is how the eccentric, unpredictable Hawthorne will act when they take the stage to discuss his latest book. But that is the least of his worries once the host of the festival is found murdered.  Hawthorne is asked to help with the investigation, and Horowitz tags along to take notes. 

The cast of suspects/characters from the literary world is colorful and quirky, and I loved the witty satire, with the author poking fun at the literary world, and himself. Not every attendee is who they say they are and there are plenty of suspects and secrets to uncover. “There are an awful lot more than six people who wanted him dead… It’s a line to kill if ever I saw one.”

This was a buddy read with Marialyce, and one we thoroughly enjoyed. It’s great fun for those who enjoy a clever take on a classic Agatha Christie-style murder mystery, with the requisite multiple suspects and red herrings. Locked room mysteries are my favorite, in this case the ‘room’ being an island. I was kept guessing until the end, although the clues to the resolution are there for anyone to find. I loved this smartly written whodunit, but the characters of Hawthorne and Horowitz have completely won me over. 

Marialyce’s Review

Welcome to they world of mystery and suspense in the new book, A Line To A Kill by a favorite author of mine, Anthony Horowitz. Inserting himself into story line and teaming up once again with a somewhat nemesis, Hawthorne, this third installment offers lots for those is us who love mystery novels.

The cleverness of the duo, of course superseded by Hawthorne is the driving force which provides a plethora of characters all seemingly capable of Murder.

Hawthorne and Horowitz arrive at an island for a writers’ conference invited by Charles le Mesurier, a rich man, who is pushing for an electrical line running through the island he and his wife reside on. Needless to say, there are many residents of the island opposing this idea and the list of possible suspects increase as said rich man is found murdered.

As usual Hawthorne’s usual intuitive skills are fine tuned as he continued to banter Horowitz who often appears clueless. It makes for the often funny interactions between them.

This book is a pure pleasure to read and enjoy and Jan and I took part in both the enjoyment and the pleasure of a well done whodunnit.

Keeping our fingers and toes crossed in the hope that the team of Hawthorn and Horowitz will be back with book four of a riveting series. Jan and I will be hot on the trail of a new installment.

and here’s the author

Anthony Horowitz, OBE is ranked alongside Enid Blyton and Mark A. Cooper as “The most original and best spy-kids authors of the century.” (New York Times). Anthony has been writing since the age of eight, and professionally since the age of twenty. In addition to the highly successful Alex Rider books, he is also the writer and creator of award winning detective series Foyle’s War, and more recently event drama Collision, among his other television works he has written episodes for Poirot, Murder in Mind, Midsomer Murders and Murder Most Horrid. Anthony became patron to East Anglia Children’s Hospices in 2009.

On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced that Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled the House of Silk.