The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
FALL CHALLENGE 2023
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Group Reads Discussion - Magpie Murders
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Here are my comments for Magpie Murders. In my opinion, I rarely give 5 star ratings but this one deserves the rating. A very intricate mystery and hints on how to create codes and other devices for producing a novel that can be enjoyed from several different perspectives. Fans of the television show Midsumer Mysteries may have enjoyed some of Horowitz's talents as he wrote the screenplay for several of the earlier episodes of this popular series. There are multiple plots that are being told simultaneously but rather than confusing they enhance your enjoyment. Mr. Horowititz really does exemplify the popular phrase "has a way with words."
I have already read this so not reading again but I loved it. And the TV series, while doing this differently, was also brilliant, using the same actors for past and present scenes.
Mod
That explains so much. I just started reading this and am partway into the Atticus Pünd element of the book, and my overwhelming feeling has been "this is very Midsomer Murders". It definitely feels like Horowitz has brought a lot of his experience working on that series into the book - and no doubt his work on the Poirot TV adaptation has been a big influence too.
Jayne wrote: "Andy wrote: "Fans of the television show Midsumer Mysteries may have enjoyed some of Horowitz's talents as he wrote the screenplay for several of the earlier episodes of this popular series."That..."
Yes, I got started on one of Horowitz later books Having seen he had written the screen play for several of the earliest Midsumer Murders I could see how his books were influenced by his screen play back ground and vis versa. I was delighted when I saw it was one of the choices for a group read.
Horowitz did the script for the TV version as well. He also has a fun series where he is the dim sidekick and an eccentric former cop is the detective. It starts withThe Word is Murder. In these books, he is writing and shooting Midsomer Murders in between the action. I was at a Zoom bookstore interview of him during the pandemic and he was delightful. In addition to these books, he has the distinction of being chosen to write official books in the Sherlock Holmes and James Bond series by their estates. Plus he has a very successful kids' series.
Mod
I absolutely demolished the Alex Rider series when I was in secondary school, I remember pestering the school librarian to get the new ones in when they were released! Shame the Stormbreaker film was such a dud.
I think this is actually the first of Horowitz's books for adults that I've ever read, I didn't realise he'd done Sherlock and Bond novels as well.
Mod
I haven't seen the tv adaptation but thoroughly enjoyed the book. There were a couple of "that was a bit convenient" moments but overall I thought it flowed well and unfolded at an appropriate pace!
Agatha Christie's superlative. Many recognizable elements from her books, but also the Midummer Murder feeling. A 5 star one for me.
Mod
The book-within-a-book format worked better than I expected it to (and the mock-up author bio page was a nifty addition), although in my edition it did rather mess up the page numbering which sometimes made it hard for me to keep track of where I was. There were a couple of points where I wondered if the story was getting a little too self-aware, but I think it struck a good balance between maintaining immersion and just outright lampooning everything it could take aim at in the genre.
I'm in two minds about picking up the second in the series. On the one hand, I'd love to read more about Susan Ryeland, but on the other hand this was just such a fantastic standalone novel that I wonder if sequels will maintain the same charm. That said, I will definitely keep an eye out for more of Horowitz's work - especially his Sherlock novels.
Jayne wrote: "Well, that was a fun romp! Another one of those cases where I probably wouldn't have picked up a particular book if not for the SRC, but I'm very glad I did. Also, slightly more annoyingly, another..."I read one of the Sherlock novels for the summer challenge and enjoyed it more than the Doyle novels themselves.
I really enjoyed the TV adaptation that was on the BBC about three months ago. I'm curious to read the book, but it may be a bit soon after watching it.
I can't say I'm a fan of Horowitz. I've listened to some of his previous books but while I enjoyed them, I didn't quite love them. I must say that I'm not particularly keen on this one either. I'm not a fan of metas either so this was a bit of a double whammy. The beginning of the audiobook was a bit confusing as well as I just wasn't quite sure what's happening! It was mostly okay.
Tien wrote: "I can't say I'm a fan of Horowitz. I've listened to some of his previous books but while I enjoyed them, I didn't quite love them. I must say that I'm not particularly keen on this one either. I'm ..."My first acquaintance with Horowitz was via audio book and I didn't understand what was going on. Then someone gave me a written copy of something he wrote and I was hooked. The book within a book idea didn't work well for me until I resorted to the written word. Must be some sort of how we learn best scenario.
Overall I enjoyed the book and would read another. There are a lot of hints in it that read as if they were underlined, with a bold arrow pointing at them. There was an overemphasis on the clues, and where information was missing or unreliable. Usually I like reading the book first, but in this case I was glad I saw the adaptation before I read it. I especially liked the detectives better after seeing the actors, than I think I would have while reading the book. As a side note I think it was an interesting choice, in the adaptation, to flip back and forth between the stories, and weave them together. A bit more than the sum of its parts, I think.
well, this was a fun little mystery to read :) I enjoyed the book-within-a-book framing device although, having done this one on audio, I was a bit confused at the beginning. I think I actually enjoyed the "book" mystery more than the "real" one - I liked all the little references to Christie, and I thought the whole scenario with the vicar and his wife was kinda adorable. The interaction between inner and outer plot was clever... but I just didn't buy the actual murder. It seems like there should be a pretty big step between thinking someone ought to die and actually performing the act, and I don't think the motive was sufficient to make the murderer take that step.
This was my second book from this author, the first being the House of Silk. I enjoyed that one, and now realize I need to set myself down and finish reading his books. I enjoy his writing style with only a few hiccups. I wish men wouldn't try to write as women, there's always at least one sentence that will stand out to me as obviously from a males point of view, but overall he did ok. Like Fly, I enjoyed the actually "book" more that the "real one". I haven't seen the tv adaption so I'm unable to compare, but the book definitely entertained me and had me guessing along the way.
I had seen the TV adaptation before reading the book, and I liked the TV version better. Especially with Horowitz's comments after each episode. The book version was rather long, with the book-inside-the-book being full length by itself, so by the time Susan got the final chapters I didn't remember all the plot points and red herrings. Flipping back and forth between the two stories in the TV show worked better for me.
Anthony Horowitz was also the creator and screenwriter for Foyle's War which I really liked.
I never give mystery novels 5 stars, but this might be my favourite ever, so I had to make an exception. It's a story in a story in a story, with a big cast of characters and lots of twists. But somehow, it never got confusing. A delightful read.
Amy FLI'm with Tien on this one. I think this would be better read than listened to. It was overly long and confusing in audiobook format. I didn't hate it, but I'm not tempted to read the next in the series.
Trish wrote: "I really enjoyed the TV adaptation that was on the BBC about three months ago. I'm curious to read the book, but it may be a bit soon after watching it."Further to this, I did decide to read it after all for the group read, as it was the one which appealed to me most, and I enjoyed it - it was a 4* read, even though I knew the solutions. I liked that it was two books in one - even though it made it a bit long - and both resolved properly.
Rachel wrote: "I especially liked the detectives better after seeing the actors, than I think I would have while reading the book. As a side note I think it was an interesting choice, in the adaptation, to flip back and forth between the stories, and weave them together. A bit more than the sum of its parts, I think."
I agree with you on both points. It was easier to picture them, as well, plus I liked the fact that the same actors were playing characters in both timelines, except for Susan and Atticus. All in all, both the book and the TV version worked for me.
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Prior to this, I'd only read the author's young adult stuff, but I definitely intend to add both Moonflower Murders and The Word is Murder to my ever-growing TBR.
Kathy KSI read this for the Group Read in the Fall Seasonal Challenge. I had read another of Horowitz's books before and, frankly, was underwhelmed. I pretty much feel the same about this one. Although the author seems insistent in trying to be clever, I just don't find the book as a whole any better than mysteries written by less well-known authors.
This is definitely a book about books; yes, books, plural. That was the cleverest device, but could sometimes get confusing when listening. Actually, my favorite parts were when reading the original book that this is about.... Magpie Murders. This is a book being written for a publishing house about murders, suicide, or accidents. The author dies before our overall main character, his editor, receives his final chapter. She begins to investigate his actual death.
This seems to have been a popular work for many, so I'm sure I am in the minority here. The death of the writer and the missing chapter are resolved in a satisfactory manner. The narrator did a fine job.
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Magpie Murders (other topics)Moonflower Murders (other topics)
The Word is Murder (other topics)
The Word is Murder (other topics)
Magpie Murders (other topics)
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