Magpie Murders (Susan Ryeland, #1) in Around the World in 80 Books

Feb 04, 2021 Sera rated it liked it

Shelves: kindle, own, mystery

3.5 stars

I enjoyed this mystery by Horowitz for the most part. The original mystery had my attention and then the book turned into a mystery within a mystery. The new mystery wasn't nearly as interesting as the original one. By the time we get back to the original mystery, I found myself not as invested as I had been previously in the outcome.

The book is at its best when it compares its mysteries to other well known authors and books in this genre. For example, when the author describes why smal ...more

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Dec 19, 2020 Nadine in NY Jones rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery, lotsa-buzz, only-reading-because-of-the-buzz, audio, is-it-real-or-is-it-memorex

This is a mystery within a mystery. I imagine this appeals most to mystery fans who like meta fiction and analyzing what they are reading while they read. While I do read a lot of mysteries, I am not an expert on the various tropes and subgenres. I do not, for example, think "aha! a red herring!" or "an unseen observer!" as I read, so all the clever homages (can that word be plural?) just didn't do anything for me. Mostly, I didn't even notice them until it was all spelled out at the end. I imme ...more

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May 10, 2018 Astrid Lim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: twist, thriller-mystery, british, book-of-books, whodunit

This book brings whodunit genre to another level!!! Anthony Horowitz is a very very good writer, and Magpie Murders is another proof. A double murder mystery, one derived from a book, and one is the murder of its writer.

Complicated but not trying too hard, clever twist but still making so much sense. The homage to classic whodunit like Agatha Christie's and Conan Doyle's make this book more appealing to any mystery lovers.

Recommended!! ...more

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Oct 19, 2017 Julie rated it really liked it

A little slow going at first but such an interesting format! A book within a book, Christie-inspired mystery that wraps you up in a cozy sweater of a mystery. Perfect for fall!

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Apr 22, 2018 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle, whodunnit

Anthony Horowitz’s Magpie Murders is a masterfully crafted mystery novel that ingeniously employs a book-within-a-book structure to keep readers on their toes. At its core, the story follows editor Susan Ryeland, who receives the latest manuscript from her bestselling author, Alan Conway. However, as she dives into Conway’s seemingly conventional whodunit set in a quaint English village, she uncovers unsettling parallels between the fictional murder mystery and real-life events, leading her down ...more

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