A Line To Kill by Anthony Horowitz
Published by Harper on October 2021Genres: Adult Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
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When Ex-Detective Inspector Daniel Hawthorne and his sidekick, author Anthony Horowitz, are invited to an exclusive literary festival on Alderney, an idyllic island off the south coast of England, they don’t expect to find themselves in the middle of murder investigation—or to be trapped with a cold-blooded killer in a remote place with a murky, haunted past.
Arriving on Alderney, Hawthorne and Horowitz soon meet the festival’s other guests—an eccentric gathering that includes a bestselling children’s author, a French poet, a TV chef turned cookbook author, a blind psychic, and a war historian—along with a group of ornery locals embroiled in an escalating feud over a disruptive power line.
When a local grandee is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Hawthorne and Horowitz become embroiled in the case. The island is locked down, no one is allowed on or off, and it soon becomes horribly clear that a murderer lurks in their midst. But who?
Both a brilliant satire on the world of books and writers and an immensely enjoyable locked-room mystery, A Line to Kill is a triumph—a riddle of a story full of brilliant misdirection, beautifully set-out clues, and diabolically clever denouements.
Horowitz does it again. I seriously enjoy this series of the quiet and grump detective Hawthorne and the writer Anthony Horowitz as they investigate cases. Hawthorne’s prickly nature and aloof attitude is what you envision every detective to be like while identifying so readily with Horowitz’s excitement and eagerness to help, and frustrations with his partner’s attitude and mistrust.
This addition is another example of solid writing and good storytelling. I genuinely look forward to this series and so I was really grateful to grab a review copy. It’s fun to go back to Horowitz and Hawthorne.
At an exclusive lit festival, murder! I like the overall premise, a contained number of suspects away from their usual world. All new people, except for one who Hawthorne has a very dark past with. The setting added something to the overall mystery and I enjoyed spending time with the characters before the murder happened. Each suspect was unique and jumped off the page, all with substantial motive. I had no problems telling them apart and I didn’t know who had actually done it until the end of the book.
And the end! Hmmm… ominous.
Horowitz and Hawthorne have this fantastic dynamic. It’s Horowitz almost chasing after Hawthorne, trying to put the pieces together as the detective does, and failing. It’s Horowitz not really trusting Hawthorne because there’s a lot of Hawthorne’s past he doesn’t talk about which leads to suspicion and trust issues. Then throw in a murder! Hawthorne’s rough demeanor and sharp mind is something to enjoy, keeping his observations close to the chest. And dare I say their dynamic as partners is fun to watch but what really gets me are the sprinklings of friendship that Horowitz doesn’t see coming.
And like Horowitz, we’re just along for the ride, trying to solve the mystery before Hawthorne does. And failing.
Kimberly majored in Songwriting and currently works full time in the music industry. When she's not listening to music, knitting or writing, you can find her outside reading her favorite genres: Young Adult, Adult Fiction, Mystery, and Romance.
This review was really informative and this sounds like a thrilling read!
Loved the review, this sounds like a book I would enjoy!