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The Word Is Murder

(Detective Daniel Hawthorne #1)

Anthony Horowitz (Goodreads Author)

3.93 · Rating details · 38,889 ratings · 4,791 reviews

A woman crosses a London street.

It is just after 11am on a bright spring morning, and Diana Cowper is going into a funeral parlour to organise her own service.

A mere six hours later she is dead, strangled with a crimson curtain cord in her own home.

Did she know she was going to die?
Did she recognise her killer?

Are the two events even related? Because nobody arranges their ...more

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Hardcover, 400 pages

Published August 24th 2017 by Cornerstone

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Jul 24, 2019 Julie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019

The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz is a 2017 Harper publication.

A clever, droll, and highly entertaining murder mystery!

Former Detective Inspector Hawthorne has approached Anthony Horowitz- yes, the real author is a character in the story- to write a book about him. Although dubious, Horowitz agrees to do so. The pair wind up teaming up together, Holmes and Watson style, to solve a puzzling murder mystery.

Diana Cowper plans her own funeral and later that same day she is found strangled to The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz is a 2017 Harper publication.

A clever, droll, and highly entertaining murder mystery!

Former Detective Inspector Hawthorne has approached Anthony Horowitz- yes, the real author is a character in the story- to write a book about him. Although dubious, Horowitz agrees to do so. The pair wind up teaming up together, Holmes and Watson style, to solve a puzzling murder mystery.

Diana Cowper plans her own funeral and later that same day she is found strangled to death. What are the odds? The suspects, as it turns out, are more plentiful than one might have guessed. While Horowitz regales us with tidbits from the world of publishing and his frustration with Hawthorne, the investigation pulls him further away from his usual routine, as he often forgets he’s the writer of Hawthorne’s book and not his crime solving sidekick.

Told from Horowitz’s first -person perspective, the reader is schooled about the life of an author, while he takes every available opportunity to promote himself and his work along the way.

I’ve never read anything quite like it before. Despite the somber circumstances, I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion. The author’s tone is perfect and absolutely spot on, albeit tongue in cheek- mostly.

This is an ingenious whodunit, which is perfect, all on its own, but Horowitz’s narrative and unabashed owning of his healthy ego gives the story a certain charm amid the darker themes.

Despite the unlikeliness, Horowitz and Hawthorne made a pretty good detective team. I never would have guessed the outcome and was delighted by the clever and carefully constructed plot. If only there were more mysteries like this one!!

Obviously, I enjoyed this book immensely! It’s one of the best murder mysteries I’ve read since…. Well, perhaps since ‘Magpie Murders”- another plug for Horowitz- as if he needs any promotional help from me.

This book was yet another great novel that slid down my hopeless TBR list and sat collecting virtual dust in my ‘currently reading’ folder for well over a year. The upside to that is that now I don’t have to wait for the second book to come out. It’s already on my Kindle- hopefully it won’t take me another two years to get around to reading it. 😁

5 stars ...more

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Aug 29, 2018 Liz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, best-of-2018

Ok, so I knew the premise of this book. Author inserts himself into the story. But how it would be handled was the big question. Well, let me tell you. Horowitz is bloody brilliant! I loved how this is some crazy mix of mystery, memoir, essay on how to write, how a tv show is created, all rolled into one.

And his ability to paint a character! He had me truly wondering who was real and who was imagined. That’s how vivid his portrayals are.

Horowitz was authorized by the Conan Doyle family to writ ...more

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Jun 05, 2018 Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-version, 2018-reads, arcs, ew-ew-wishlist

4.5 innovative and page-turning stars to The Word is Murder! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟.5 (rounded up)

My first book from Horowitz was an indulgent and clever mystery I tried my hardest to solve!

A woman has already planned her own funeral, but when she is found dead six hours after she finalizes the arrangements, it has the police wondering if she planned her own death, too?

An extremely private, private detective, Daniel Hawthorne, is skilled at solving crimes by blowing up secrets and has a wealth of secrets of ...more

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Jun 10, 2018 Holly B rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-police-procedural, read-in-2018

4.5 STARS
Who plans their own funeral 6 hours before their murder?

I loved playing detective alongside Ex-DI Hawthorne and trying to make sense of the growing trail of leads. What was the motive? Did the victim know she was in danger? What is going on? Who left an important clue ? Did I catch that clue? Nope

Horowitz plants himself in the story as well. He is a fictional character working with the detective as a writer to document the case as a true crime novel.

This was pretty entertaining an ...more

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Jun 28, 2018 Annet rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, dark, family-ties, europe, fun, very-british

When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions... - Hamlet

Yes, now I know I like this writer. The writer also of Magpie Murders, which is widely read across Goodreads. This, again, is a great crime mystery, with antiheroes Daniel Hawthorne, a recalcitrant detective, and his sidekick Anthony (would that be Anthony Horowitz himself.....).
What I understand is that this is the first of a series of crime novels starring these two gentlemen. And I'm already looking forward to the ne ...more

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Dec 10, 2018 Jaline rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: xx2018-completed, x-favourites

This novel is weird, wacky, and on the wild side of wonderful. The author, Anthony Horowitz, did not only write this book, he is in this book. In fact, he is writing the book more or less as it is happening. I think.

All those W’s in my first sentence aside, this is not a funny book – although there is humour in it at times. What it is: deviously clever and fiendishly brilliant. There are accidental deaths, murders, and a great deal of confusion because there are so many linked parts in the c ...more

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Sep 27, 2018 Candi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-crime, series-book-in-series

4.5 stars

"Death for me had always been little more than a necessity, something that moved the plot on. But standing in the bedroom of a woman who had so recently died, I could feel it right there beside me."

When author Anthony Horowitz is asked to write a book about a former detective inspector now turned private investigator, he quickly learns that solving a crime is much different when you find yourself smack dab in the middle of it. Investigator Daniel Hawthorne approaches the renowned writer 4.5 stars

"Death for me had always been little more than a necessity, something that moved the plot on. But standing in the bedroom of a woman who had so recently died, I could feel it right there beside me."

When author Anthony Horowitz is asked to write a book about a former detective inspector now turned private investigator, he quickly learns that solving a crime is much different when you find yourself smack dab in the middle of it. Investigator Daniel Hawthorne approaches the renowned writer with a deal to go ‘fifty-fifty’ on a book about his work life, beginning with a rather peculiar murder of a 60-something-year-old widow. What makes this particular case so intriguing is this: "Diana Cowper had planned her funeral and she was going to need it. She was murdered about six hours later that same day." Rather reluctantly, Horowitz accepts the offer and what follows is a very clever and highly entertaining story! It is a compelling mystery mixed with an interesting reflection on the process of both book writing as well as television script writing. You see, the real Anthony Horowitz inserts himself right into the pages of this book! One could also say that The Word is Murder is a brilliant mix of both fictional and non-fictional writing!

This book flows so smoothly, at a nice brisk pace. It’s one that you could easily read in a day or two if you were so inclined. There are plenty of clues, lots of suspects, and a good dose of wit. Horowitz and Hawthorne don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye when it comes to novel writing or crime solving; as a result, the banter between the two made for some good laughs. Hawthorne is a very private man, making Horowitz’s job rather difficult. After all, a reader wants to know the nitty gritty details about the protagonist’s life, right? At first, we really only note that he is a rather unlikable fellow, having been dismissed from the Metropolitan Police Force in London for reasons that are somewhat vague. Hawthorne believes the reader only needs to know about the crime, the victim, the suspects; he does not want to share his private life with the world. Horowitz, however, wants to understand what makes him tick, where he lives, and what got him thrown off the force. This is what the reader wants!

"They’re not called murder victim stories. They’re not called criminal stories. They’re called detective stories. There’s a reason for that. I’m taking a big risk here. If you solve this crime right now, I won’t have anything to write about. Worse than that, if you don’t solve it at all, it’ll be a complete waste of time. So getting to know you matters. If I know you, if I can find something that makes you more… human, at least that’s a start. So you can’t just brush aside every question I ask you. You can’t hide behind this wall."

This is very much like a classic mystery, à la Sherlock Holmes style, despite the contemporary setting. Hawthorne only shares so much of his discoveries and theories with Horowitz, much like we would have seen with Watson; therefore the reader is fed only little morsels at a time. Never fear though, as we are told early on in the novel, the clues are all there if you are sharp enough to fit them together successfully. I was not! But that’s okay; the fun is in the attempt to work it all out!

This was my third adult novel penned by the talented Anthony Horowitz. They have all been great diversions paired with excellent writing. Both Magpie Murders and The House of Silk are on my favorites list. This one comes very close to both, but those wowed me just a wee bit more. I would not hesitate to recommend any of the three if you are a mystery lover! I understand there is a second in the series coming out in November, and I can’t wait to grab it and follow more of Hawthorne and Horowitz’s escapades in that one. I hope we can unravel some more of Hawthorne’s secrets next!

"The relationship between an author and his main protagonist is a very peculiar one." ...more

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Aug 04, 2018 Barbara rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bayb-2018

3.5 stars

This book is structured like a 'Sherlock Holmes' story in which Dr. Watson accompanies Sherlock Holmes on an investigation, then chronicles the case.

In "The Word is Murder" Anthony Horowitz (ostensibly) accompanies detective Daniel Hawthorne on an investigation, then writes a book (this one) about the case.

*****

As the novel opens, wealthy middle-aged Londoner Diana Cowper goes to an undertaker to plan her funeral, so - when the time comes - it will go off exactly as she wants.....with ...more

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Sep 04, 2018 JanB rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss

4.5 stars. What an original and clever mystery! Diana Cowper, the widowed mother of a famous actor, pre-plans her funeral, unaware that she would be needing their services in just a few short hours when she is brutally murdered. Hawthorne is an ex-cop working as a private investigator who is brought on board to investigate the crime.

This is, in many ways, a classic whodunit Agatha Christie style murder mystery, which happens to be a favorite genre of mine. What makes this book different and uni ...more

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Aug 30, 2018 Lindsay - Traveling Sisters Book Reviews rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: traveling-friends-read

4.5 stars!

Clever! Brilliant! I don’t think I will ever write a review for this author’s work without those two words included.

Anthony Horowitz has such a unique way of narrating his novels. This one is done in first person, with Horowitz himself as the main character – ingenious! This is marketed as “a masterful and tricky mystery” which sums it up perfectly!

This novel revolves around a tragic and shocking murder that happens six hours after the victim plans her own funeral. Ex-detective, Dani ...more

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Aug 09, 2019 Paromjit rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, crime-fiction

I finished this a while ago, but I have been avoiding commenting on it until now. For me, I thought this was going to be a slam dunk, a book I was practically sure of enjoying, after all, I had loved reading some of Horowitz's other books so much. Then there is the fact that so many of my goodreads friends had loved it so much. Normally when a book refuses to connect with me early on, I stop reading, but I persevered thinking at some point it would work out. Sadly not to be, I couldn't get into ...more

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Aug 10, 2017 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Having greatly enjoyed, “Magpie Murders,” I was thrilled to receive, “The Word is Murder,” to review. Author Anthony Horowitz has shown that he is adept at writing many different genres of books, but it is clear that he was certainly meant to be writing anything but this particular novel. For, you see, Mr Horowitz himself is very much the narrator of this novel and he tells the story as it happens; which is a clever literary device and throws the reader immediately into the action.

In his varied Having greatly enjoyed, “Magpie Murders,” I was thrilled to receive, “The Word is Murder,” to review. Author Anthony Horowitz has shown that he is adept at writing many different genres of books, but it is clear that he was certainly meant to be writing anything but this particular novel. For, you see, Mr Horowitz himself is very much the narrator of this novel and he tells the story as it happens; which is a clever literary device and throws the reader immediately into the action.

In his varied career, we learn that Anthony Horowitz has written many television scripts and one of the advisors he consulted was a former detective inspector with the Met; a murder specialist, since thrown out of the force, named Hawthorne. Hawthorne is something of a throwback, with his shabby suits, secretive air and unpleasant prejudices. However, he also does consulting on unusual cases and he asks the author to accompany him on his most recent investigation and write a book about him.

Horowitz should be concentrating on a script he needs to show to Stephen Spielberg and Peter Jackson (the scene involving these two men is worth reading the book for alone), plus he has other projects clamouring for his attention. Still, he finds himself drawn into the strange murder of Diana Cowper. A widow in her sixties, Diana Cowper planned her own funeral before being murdered only six hours later. Mother to famous actor, Damian Cowper, involved with the theatre herself, wealthy and well connected, it seems too much of a coincidence that she walked into a funeral parlour to discuss her own burial on the day she was killed. Hawthorne and Horowitz immediately begin to investigate her life; including a tragedy she was involved in nearly ten years previously.

This is a wonderfully unusual crime novel. Horowitz’s voice is ever present in this book, as he bemoans the fact that Hawthorne is calling all the shots, yet begrudgingly admires the fact that he always seems able to uncover the secrets beneath the facts. There is an intriguing plot, lots of twists, some wonderful characters and Hawthorne himself, who I would love to see in another book. For, although Horowitz spends much of this book worrying about whether anyone will read this, he needn’t have been concerned. If I loved Horowitz’s previous crime novel, I have to say that I adored this. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

...more

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Jan 13, 2020 carol. rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

One thing you can say about horowitz, he certainly likes to base his mysteries around a Catchy Idea. In this book, he's written himself into the story, biographical details and all, but because I'm not a horowitz Fan, versed in his history and genre, I found it more distracting than intriguing. It left me wondering how much was fact, how much fiction, how much autobiography and how much artistic license. Perhaps this is part of his intention; an odd genre mash-up of mystery, memoir, fiction, and One thing you can say about horowitz, he certainly likes to base his mysteries around a Catchy Idea. In this book, he's written himself into the story, biographical details and all, but because I'm not a horowitz Fan, versed in his history and genre, I found it more distracting than intriguing. It left me wondering how much was fact, how much fiction, how much autobiography and how much artistic license. Perhaps this is part of his intention; an odd genre mash-up of mystery, memoir, fiction, and craft advice.

There's no doubt, Horowitz is a highly competent writer whose skill is far above the workmanship level of the normal thriller. Written in first person, in his role as himself, I enjoyed the bits of writing craft he discusses with the detective, Hawthorne, as when he tries to explain that saying 'a bell rang' when a door is opened is mental short-hand for the reader/viewer to think of an old-fashioned kind of establishment. At times, however, he becomes quite intrusive into the story; less of a Doctor Watson/Arthur Hastings than perhaps Dr. Sheppard (Murder of Dr. Ackroyd).

"It's easy for me to remember the evening that Diana Cowper was killed. I was celebrating with my wife: dinner at Moro in Exmouth Market and quite a lot to drink. That afternoon I had pressed the Send button on my computer, emailing my new novel to the publishers, putting eight months' work behind me." (from Chapter Two, 'Hawthorne')

Part of the trouble, perhaps, is that the characters were drawn well enough to be not particularly likable, but not well enough to be redeemable. We both thought the mystery wasn't that compelling; I mean, it was interesting enough, as was Tony's reaction to it, but perhaps because the pace of solving the crime kept getting interrupted by personal issues and digressions (Tony's Hollywood meetings, his obsession with finding out more about Hawthorne), it didn't feel like a race to finish, even after More Stuff started happening.

And that ending. Oh, that ending drove me bonkers, because it relied on one of the worst genre tropes--tv tropes--there is. We also end with not learning much about Hawthorne, for all Tony's attempts at 'investigation,' but we do know too much more about Tony. I will give him credit; he was willing to allow himself to be perceived as an insecure and obtuse person. Dr. Watson indeed.

This was the second of a buddy read with Dan 2.Ω and one where we both had hopes of success. We had read Magpie Murders with good results and saw some fair ratings on this as well. Overall, I'd say it scores above House of Suns for far better writing and better characterization... although I can't say that I liked the characters any more. The mystery was originally moderately acceptable in the microscopic analysis, although in the larger psychoanalysis, I'm not sure it holds. Horowitz is a better writer, so this was far easier to get through, with many scenes that were easy to visualize.

Two and a half stars, rounding down for that ending.
Note--I had scored a cheap trade edition at Half Price Books. And it'll be passed on. Not worthy of my library space.

Many thanks to Dan 2.Π ...more

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May 29, 2018 Tucker rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I hope “The Word is Murder” was as much fun for Anthony Horowitz to write as it was to read. I was not familiar with Horowitz until I read “Magpie Murders” last year and was totally captivated by his reinvention of an Agatha Christie style mystery. In the ”The Word is Murder,” Horowitz reimagines a Holmes and Watson mystery, with a fictionalized version of Horowitz as Watson. I’ve read novels where authors inserted themselves as characters in their books, but the manner in which Horowitz does so ...more

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Aug 01, 2018 Linda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thrillers, psychological-thriller

And the words certainly take on a life or death of their own in The Word Is Murder.

Anthony Horowitz moves over ever so slightly and allows his readers to have a front row center seat in the unfolding of this quick-witted mystery. We readers sidle up alongside Anthony as he meets up with Ex-Detective Daniel Hawthorne. (Emphasis on the "Ex", folks) Hawthorne elbows his way into convincing Horowitz (the real real author) to write about Hawthorne's current investigation. Horowitz drags his feet, but And the words certainly take on a life or death of their own in The Word Is Murder.

Anthony Horowitz moves over ever so slightly and allows his readers to have a front row center seat in the unfolding of this quick-witted mystery. We readers sidle up alongside Anthony as he meets up with Ex-Detective Daniel Hawthorne. (Emphasis on the "Ex", folks) Hawthorne elbows his way into convincing Horowitz (the real real author) to write about Hawthorne's current investigation. Horowitz drags his feet, but he eventually buckles to the pressure and to the intrigue.

Enter: Diana Cowper, a sixtyish Londoner, who begins our story with an unusual event that should really be termed as an ending. Diana enters into a neighboring funeral home to plan her own funeral. Before her signature is barely dry on the funeral forms, Diana enters once more into her London home. And the word is murder spelled out brutally for Diana.

Hawthorne allows Horowitz to accompany him to the murder scene. It's here that Horowitz reveals the ease of writing about murder, but viewing it first hand sends him into a near faint. Careful steps are taken around the body as Hawthorne eyes misplaced objects and the last movements of the ill-fated Diana. As the investigation broadens, Hawthorne muzzles the curious writer from asking any questions. Frustration sets in and Horowitz feels compelled to walk away from the deal. But can he or will he?

The Word Is Murder takes us into the highly creative and originial thought processes of the very talented Anthony Horowitz. He's turned the tables on us readers. Instead of a passive reading experience on our usual part, we become more privy to the writer's approach to developing his characters and his storyline. We get inside the author's head which makes for a wild ride through this one. There's even a revealing dialogue between Hawthorne and Horowitz at the end.

The Word Is Murder is like an out-of-body-Agatha Christie moment with a dash of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Delightful! ...more

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Jun 21, 2018 Phrynne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Horowitz writes rather unusual books due I guess to his other career as a script writer. In 'The Word is Murder' he includes himself in his own fiction, sometimes standing aside to report on events and at other times being part of the story. It works well.

Apart from Horowitz himself the main character is an ex detective who is called in to help when a murder is too difficult for the police to solve. He is a bit of a Sherlock Holmes character in that he reads tiny clues and draws huge conclusions ...more

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Mar 22, 2018 Tammy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Cleverly meta and cool! Horowitz writes himself into his own novel which is the cleverly meta part. It’s cool because he references his career as the creator of Foyle’s War, the original adapter of Midsomer Murders and as the author of the teen series, Alex Rider. This mystery is deceptive, devious and revels in devilish games. The author had to have had a ball when writing this. It’s as entertaining as all get out.

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Mar 09, 2018 Jessica Woodbury rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery, arc-provided-by-publisher

Usually when I realize I am not liking a book much I will stop reading it. And I almost stopped reading this one. I can tell you the exact page I was on when I had that NOPE moment. At that point I pulled up the Goodreads page and I was, well, flummoxed. This book's page is stacked with glowing reviews. And I knew from the success of MAGPIE MURDERS that this one will be popular, so I decided to keep going to see if the book would redeem itself. It did not. So I am here to potentially save a few Usually when I realize I am not liking a book much I will stop reading it. And I almost stopped reading this one. I can tell you the exact page I was on when I had that NOPE moment. At that point I pulled up the Goodreads page and I was, well, flummoxed. This book's page is stacked with glowing reviews. And I knew from the success of MAGPIE MURDERS that this one will be popular, so I decided to keep going to see if the book would redeem itself. It did not. So I am here to potentially save a few other readers from my fate with what will hopefully be my one not-great review of the year.

The main problem here is the device, where the writer is asked to accompany a detective to write a true crime book about a crime he is in the middle of trying to solve. It is a particularly ridiculous device, and I've mostly seen it on television where it works better because we never actually have to see what the writer will write. Because this is not how writing works! No writer would do this! And having to read the product of it is not particularly fun.

I was willing to give Horowitz some leeway because he was rather fun and smart in his use of writers and publishing in MAGPIE but he quickly lost me. The main device bothered me constantly and would have been reason enough to quit this book, but there is something even worse: Horowitz himself.

Usually when someone writes a fictionalized version of themselves, they actively make this person different, they often create a whole separate persona so you can see it is not really them. I have no idea if Horowitz did that or not, all I know is that the Horowitz on the page is the worst. He talks about himself all the time, even though the things he talks about aren't relevant to the mystery we're supposed to be here to solve. He drops celebrity names, he is not shy about his massive success, and I actually hated him by the end of the book. The whole story would have made much more sense with a fictional struggling writer who really needs this gig. With Horowitz the whole thing is just off.

Horowitz's sleuth, Hawthorne, is not much to write home about. The main thing to know about Hawthorne is that he is unlikable. He is a Holmes-ian detective, working almost entirely through observation. This is never my personal fave, but I would tolerate it if Hawthorne had more to offer on the page. He doesn't. There's no rapport or camaraderie between the two that makes it worth your time.

The plot is fine, pretty run of the mill, was expecting something more interesting. That's why I kept reading, I figured Horowitz had to have something better up his sleeve. But he didn't. To me, it feels like Horowitz missed the mark pretty hard, not understanding what it was about MAGPIE that made it both a throwback and a new invention. Here he's trying to add a modern twist but it doesn't work at all, and not much else does either. ...more

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Oct 22, 2018 Malia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense, best-of-2018

What a clever and enjoyable mystery! It was exactly what I was in the mood for, an engaging, character-driven story. The mystery itself wasn't too complicated and though I guessed at the resolution, it didn't bother me at all. Looking forward to the next book in the series!

Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com ...more

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Oct 29, 2019 SimitudeSims rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-book-club-books

This was such a fun book to read. I love his writing style and he's so clever. I think he may be my new favorite writer. I'll have to read more of his books to make sure. ...more

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Jul 10, 2017 Liz Barnsley rated it it was amazing

The Word is Murder is eccentric and totally brilliant – like reading an Agatha Christie novel if Agatha Christie placed herself at the centre of the action and engaged with Sherlock Holmes. It is a long term reader’s dream novel almost quite literally. In this case Mr Horowitz does just that, telling his own (?!?) story, getting sucked into a murder mystery of the classic locked room type with a modern twist and keeping us all guessing all the way through.

Quirky and extraordinarily readable, The ...more

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Jul 02, 2018 Beverly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Bravo! The Word is Murder has many of the tropes of mystery fiction, including a brilliant, but acerbic detective, and his dim-witted partner, but manages to mix them together with details of the author's real life and work, so it was hard to tell what was made up and what was real. Horowitz, is the none too bright writer who becomes the Watson for ex-detective Hawthorne's Sherlock Holmes. Again and again the author pokes fun at the image of the mystery writer who actually couldn't solve a crime ...more

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Sep 28, 2018 Sara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone who likes a mystery with a bit of humor

Recommended to Sara by: Candi

Shelves: 2018-aty-challenge, mystery, detective, borrowed-from-library, contemporary-fiction

I hit a strange kind of reading impasse the last few days. I have tons of books around me and one that I have already started but just could not concentrate on. I kept reading a paragraph and then wondering what the hell I had read. Dying of boredom, I took a break to check my notifications on GR and what did I find but a super review by my friend, Candi, of Anthony Horowitz's novel, The Word is Murder. I found myself wishing I were reading that. So, I checked with Overdrive and to my surprise m ...more

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Oct 31, 2018 PorshaJo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: challengereads, challenge, favorites-2018, challengereads-2018, audio

Rating 4.5

Loved it! I was a fan of Magpie Murders, really enjoyed it. I couldn't wait to get to another Anthony Horowitz book. I grabbed it without even reading the blurb, which is very, very rare. But I knew I would probably be in for a fun ride. And naturally, he didn't disappoint.

The Word is Murder (brilliant title) tells the story of the murder of Diana Cowper, happening just after she visits a funeral parlor to make all her own funeral arrangements. Bring in a brash, ex-police detective, an Rating 4.5

Loved it! I was a fan of Magpie Murders, really enjoyed it. I couldn't wait to get to another Anthony Horowitz book. I grabbed it without even reading the blurb, which is very, very rare. But I knew I would probably be in for a fun ride. And naturally, he didn't disappoint.

The Word is Murder (brilliant title) tells the story of the murder of Diana Cowper, happening just after she visits a funeral parlor to make all her own funeral arrangements. Bring in a brash, ex-police detective, and almost clueless (sorry Tony) writer and the, story begins. We really see the relationship between Hawthorne, the detective, and Tony, the writer, develop. Hawthorne is an excellent detective, but he just rubs people all the wrong way. The two are meant to be a modern day Holmes and Watson. (So....I've never read any Sherlock Holmes, so I can't understand that part. I know, I know, but too many books, not enough time, argh! The struggle is REAL!) They definitely work well together, even though at times, it's a strain. Hawthorne is investigating the murder and he 'cons' Tony into writing about him and the murder. Splitting the proceeds of a to-be written book 50-50. Anyway, back to the murder....murders....mayhem. I don't want to say anymore to ruin this for others, but say only, read this one. A fun, a bit inventive, read.

Naturally I did the audio and loved it! One of the best audio's of the year for me and a top book of year. I loved the way the author brought himself into the book. Now, I'm not a mystery/thriller/murder reader and I'm an absolute dunce, so I didn't know who the murderer was until that very moment, when...when...someone else did. And I enjoyed every moment of it. I love Hawthorne, a great character. Rory Kinnear did the narration and did a bang-up job. If Rory does not narrate the next book in the series, I must just have to read the print. Shocking!

So after all the love on this one, why not a full 5 stars? Well, I'm very rough and very stingy with 5 stars. I had to knock this a bit as at times, the author talking about his other books, his movie connections, the meeting with Spielberg and Jackson, and it all became a bit much. It wasn't bragging, but it was a list of all the stuff the author has done. Perhaps a bit of a 'sell'. Maybe a bit too much inserting himself into the book. And that got to be a bit much for me. And the very, very end...like the last few pages. I gasped 'aaarrgghh' at the very end as yeah, it leads to book 2 but I didn't want that. Cause who knows how long I have to wait!!!!! But I still loved this one, but had to knock it just a bit.

In any case, bring on Hawthorne Book #2! And hopefully, very soon! I want it noooowww (ala Veruca Salt! :-) ...more

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May 18, 2018 Marialyce rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: net-galley

4.5 extremely clever stars

You can see my reviews at https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...

This was my very first foray into the writings of Mr Horowitz. It will not be my last as its clever writing, easy style and the ability to draw one into the story line is quite alluring. Most alluring is the fact that the author himself is one of the main protagonists. and his being so made this book just plain fun. True, it was a murder and mayhem mystery, but the telling of this tale with Mr Horowitz be 4.5 extremely clever stars

You can see my reviews at https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...

This was my very first foray into the writings of Mr Horowitz. It will not be my last as its clever writing, easy style and the ability to draw one into the story line is quite alluring. Most alluring is the fact that the author himself is one of the main protagonists. and his being so made this book just plain fun. True, it was a murder and mayhem mystery, but the telling of this tale with Mr Horowitz being exactly what he is an author, made for an excellent way to both get to know him as well as read of his interaction with the very astute but totally weird ex detective Daniel Hawthorne, a bit of a British Detective Columbo.

Just imagine planning your own funeral. Diana Cowper, a wealthy woman with a movie star son, Daniel, does such a thing. The mystery begins when Diana is found strangled in her home only six hours after the master plan of her funeral is arranged. How could she possibly have known she would be dead shortly after seeing the funeral director? Diana had a checkered past being involved ten years ago in a hit and run that left one young boy dead and another irreparably disabled. She also had seemed to get away with it with only a bit of a slap on the wrist which might be another little clue to the story.

Therein lies the case who killed Diana, and as Hawthorne meets with Horowitz we learn that the ex detective wants Horowitz to write a book on his exploits. They develop a kind of tenuous relationship as "Tony"(by the way he hates being called that), learns more and more about the elusive Hawthorn and his uncanny ability to see clues and solutions where none seem to be apparent. It is their interchange and search for the killer which drives this story forward with quite a few twists and turns with a nice amount of shady characters with possible motives.

This was such a great read. I absolutely loved that the author inserted himself into the story and quite honestly had to ask myself could this be real? The interplay of the characters was a draw as well as the ending which was quite threatening to our author, or was it?

I highly recommend this book for those who are looking for a different way of both writing and telling a story that was hard to put down. Clever and witty and one in which I do hope to see "Tony" and Daniel meet up once again and get that Hawthorne book written.

Thank you to Anthony Horowitz, Harper Publishing, and Edelweiss for forwarding me an advanced copy of this totally engaging novel. Well done "Tony"!

Publishing on June 5, 2018 ...more

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Sep 11, 2018 Carolyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018, crime, murder-mystery

I don't always enjoy books written in the first person, but this was a lot of fun as Horowitz inserts himself into the story as a main character and narrator.

Diana Cowper, in her sixties and mother of a famous actor, makes a visit to a London funeral parlour and several hours later is found dead in her living room. Coincidence..... or not?

Ex DI Daniel Hawthorne, sometime consultant to the London police thinks not. In fact he thinks the case is going to be special enough that he needs a writer t ...more

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Jun 08, 2018 Amy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: physical-arcs

This was such a highly original and clever read, I honestly can’t recall a book that I’ve read that even comes close to it, it blurs the lines between fact and fiction in the coolest way. Horowitz is actually a character himself in the story and solely narrates things, it was a straightforward, good old fashioned murder mystery and it was executed flawlessly while also implementing a fresh, unusual tactic that I enjoyed immensely.

Horowitz teams up with an ex police officer named Hawthorne after ...more

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Sep 16, 2017 Tara rated it it was ok

Did you know that Anthony Horowitz worked on Tintin? Read this book and you'll never forget. ...more

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Sep 13, 2017 Leah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, 2017

A quirk too far...

One spring morning, Diana Cowper, a healthy woman in her sixties, calls into a local undertaker's and arranges her own funeral. Nothing too uncommon about this, especially since she is a widow and her only son has moved to the States to pursue his successful acting career. But it takes on a very different aspect when, later that same day, she is strangled to death in her own home. Disgraced ex-policeman Daniel Hawthorne is called in by his old boss to investigate the crime on a A quirk too far...

One spring morning, Diana Cowper, a healthy woman in her sixties, calls into a local undertaker's and arranges her own funeral. Nothing too uncommon about this, especially since she is a widow and her only son has moved to the States to pursue his successful acting career. But it takes on a very different aspect when, later that same day, she is strangled to death in her own home. Disgraced ex-policeman Daniel Hawthorne is called in by his old boss to investigate the crime on a consulting basis. Hawthorne thinks it would be a great idea if someone were to write a book showing him in action – and he knows just the man for the job...

Horowitz is one of the cleverest plotters out there at the moment and I've loved his last several books. In this one, however, I feel he allows that cleverness to lead him down a route that, for me at least, becomes too quirky to be totally enjoyable. It transpires that the man Hawthorne has in mind to write his book is none other than Horowitz himself. So the fictional mystery quickly gets blended into a lot of, I assume, largely factual stuff about Horowitz's actual writing career. My problem with this is that either his characterisation of himself is heavily fictionalised, in which case, what's the point? Or it's mostly true, in which case, sadly, I found him a rather unlikeable chap with an overhealthy sense of his own worth and importance, who simply loves to name-drop. I spent most of the book trying to convince myself he was attempting to be humorous by deliberately showing himself off as a cultural snob and an aspiring lovey, but if so, it wasn't made clear enough. I tired quickly of the long digressions where he breaks away from the story to discuss the making of Foyle's War, the amazing success of his books, or his meetings with Steven Spielberg and David Jackson to discuss film scripts, even though he occasionally attempts to include a bit of self-deprecatory humour.

I've said before that personally I prefer not to know much about authors since knowing about their personalities can get in the way of my appreciation of their books. I therefore avoid literary biographies and autobiographies of all but the long dead, and rarely read author interviews or articles about them for the same reason. So I'm aware that my adverse reaction to this book arises out of that dislike and therefore won't be the same for readers who do like to know about authors' lives – in fact, I'm almost certain they'll find this aspect adds a lot of fun.

Otherwise, the plotting is excellent, as is the quality of the writing. The clues are all given, so in that sense it's fairplay, though I think it would take a healthy dose of luck for anyone to get close to the solution – I certainly didn't. The story goes to some dark places but there's a lot of humour so that the overall tone is of a light entertainment. Hawthorne didn't ring true to me at all, nor did the idea that a policeman who had been sacked would be called in on a murder investigation, but I didn't feel Horowitz was really going for realism. To be truthful, I'm not altogether sure what he was going for. He's clearly doing a kind of update of the Holmes/Watson relationship – he gives the impression that he was writing this at the same time as his excellent books set in the Holmesian world, The House of Silk and Moriarty. But, unlike Holmes and Watson, I found neither of these characters particularly admirable or likeable. And an awful lot of the “detection” element simply consists of characters giving great long uninterrupted speeches explaining all the various events in their pasts that have some connection with the present-day crime.

Overall, I found it a reasonably enjoyable read but, probably at least in part because of my high expectations, something of a disappointment. I'm sure most Horowitz fans will enjoy it and have already seen several people praise it highly, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it as one for newcomers to his work. And I'm hoping I can get Horowitz the character out of my head before Horowitz the author publishes his next book...

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Random House Cornerstone.

www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com ...more

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Dec 15, 2018 Bianca rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, male-author, british-author, audiobook, supense-thriller-mystery

4.5 stars

Quite early into this novel, I thought to myself "oh, this is so clever!"

Believe it or not, this was my first time reading Horowitz. I was surprised to discover that he was British, I've always assumed he was American. I own his Magpie Murders, but haven't read it yet, despite having seen the raving reviews.

I haven't read anything quite like The Word is Murder before. Horowitz is inserting himself into the narrative in a very original way. While I haven't yet Googled him, it all felt r ...more

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About Anthony Horowitz

Anthony Horowitz

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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 recent ...more

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Quotes from The Word Is Murder

“But the thing is, you see -and to be honest, I don't like to mention this- I'm a bit short. There just aren't enough people getting murdered.” — 5 likes

“Again, I found myself wondering what it must be like to work there, sitting in a room with those miniature urns, a constant reminder that everything you were and everything you’d achieved would one day fit inside.” — 5 likes

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