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The Word Is Murder

Hawthorne, Book 1

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The Word Is Murder

By: Anthony Horowitz
Narrated by: Rory Kinnear
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Now available to preorder: Moonflower Murders, the latest fiendish murder mystery from Anthony Horowitz
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SHE PLANNED HER OWN FUNERAL. BUT DID SHE ARRANGE HER OWN MURDER?

A woman is strangled six hours after organising her own funeral.

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

Daniel Hawthorne, a recalcitrant detective with secrets of his own, is on the case, and he's found himself a sidekick – popular crime novelist Anthony Horowitz, who's struck a deal with Hawthorne to turn his latest case into a true crime bestseller.

But the case is twistier and bloodier than Hawthorne had bargained for, and the unlikely duo of detective and writer find themselves neck deep in danger. When the written word is your only defence, you know you're in trouble when the word is murder...
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Buried secrets, murder and a trail of bloody clues lie at the heart of Anthony Horowitz’s page-turning new detective series. If you enjoyed BBC’s Sherlock, you’ll LOVE The Word is Murder.

Chosen as one of Crime Time's books of the year

'Raises the game-playing to Olympic level' – Guardian Books of the Year

'A real page-turner. I loved it!' – ALED JONES (ITV, Weekend)

'The beguiling whodunit plot is dispatched with characteristic elan as Horowitz blurs the line between fact and fiction' – Financial Times

'Splendidly entertaining, absorbing and difficult to put down. Hawthorne is an intriguing character' – Daily Express

'Sharp-witted readers who think they've solved the puzzle early on can rest assured that they've opened only one of many dazzling Christmas packages Horowitz has left beautifully wrapped under the tree' – Kirkus Reviews

'Deduction and wit are well-balanced, and fans of Peter Lovesey and other modern channelers of the spirit of the golden age of detection will clamor for more' – Publishers Weekly

 Amateur Sleuths Crime Thrillers Detective Fiction Mystery Private Investigators Psychological Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Crime Murder
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Critic reviews

Ingenious twist on the classic whodunnit
Splendidly entertaining, absorbing and difficult to put down. Hawthorne is an intriguing character
Horowitz is strong on plot … and infectiously zestful
A real page-turner. I loved it! (ALED JONES (ITV, Weekend))
Raises the game-playing to Olympic level.
Actually the word is not murder, it's ingenious ... A masterful meta-mystery.
The beguiling whodunit plot is dispatched with characteristic elan as Horowitz blurs the line between fact and fiction
There is plenty of metafictional fun to be had
Fast-paced and full of unpredictable twists and turns.
Horowitz has put together a cleverly twisting mystery featuring plenty of suspicious characters and more than a few red herrings
All stars
Most relevant

What did you like most about The Word Is Murder?

Great story line, and an unusual approach, so it's part autobiography and part fiction. I liked Horowitz's musings on the world of literature, film and TV. I'm guessing that a lot of of his anecdotes involving famous names are true. And there are probably some in-jokes that went below my radar. Weaved into this is a great story involving an unemployed detective investigating murder with the help, or hindrance, of Horowitz. Some red herrings, plenty of clues to whodunnit and some laugh out loud moments as well I have enjoyed Horowitz's other novels, including his Magpie Murders and takes on Sherlock Holmes and James Bond, and his TV series,such as Foyle's War. I'm even tempted to try his Alex Rider novels for teenagers!I could also see this working as a TV programme, which I'd definitely watch.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Word Is Murder?

Knowing that I'd got the right person, though not the reason

Have you listened to any of Rory Kinnear’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Rory was one of the reasons why I chose this book, as he's an excellent actor, whom I can picture while he's telling the story. He can drop into different accents so it's easy to telll characters apart.

Also, he does a good line in slightly baffled characters and that perfectly fits the author's role in this novel.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, it got me hooked in, and I found myself thinking about the characters and the storyline between listening.

Any additional comments?

Definitely think The Unemployed Detective is a better title.... hope there are more novels from Horowitz about this partnership

The Unemployed Detective

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I have to say I am really enjoying following this author recently. His latest books have been varied and each has had a distinct character and quirkiness that I have enjoyed. I'm sure that if he keeps up this approach that there will be one that won't quite resonate with me as much as the others eventually, but it hasn't happened yet. In this case he has tried something which I am sure a lot of authors have toyed with but likely been warned off by sensible publishers and editors! including yourself in a work of fiction is certainly a bold step with many pitfalls. Luckily for us I think Horowitz has avoided at least the large majority of them and this emerges as an interesting whodunit in its own right.

After reading the Magpie Murders I commented then that it felt to me like there might be a hint of the autobiographical about it but this takes it to another level. I couldn't help musing about how much of this was based on the author's real-life experiences. For example did he ever get passed over for a big part in a play? What does add to the interest level though is that the author appears to reveal some of his thinking and while I didn't agree with all the opinions expressed it does add something. Mr Horowitz is clearly on an exciting journey with his writing, I'm really looking forwards to following in his footsteps.

Kinnear, is simply perfect providing the voices for this. He is very accomplished making the whole thing a very pleasurable listen. Finally I have to agree with Sarah's review that this does indeed feel "made for TV", I wonder if that's also part of the intent.

The Intriguing Mr Horowitz

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Had this been a print book i might have skim read a paragraph here and there and missed an important connection. Kinnears marvelous narration kept me focussed on the intricacies of the plot. This is a very well unusually crafted as well as beautifully written detective story. Horowitz's stories will stand the test of time at least as well as Agatha Christie or Conan Doyle from whom he draws inspiration.

horowitz and kinnear-a great combination

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From the start this book is clever, intriguing, surprisingly witty and gripping. The plot is stunningly brilliant and has a lot of depth and layers that reveal themselves as the story develops. For those who criticise the fact that Horowitz sometimes goes on about his various achievements, I do get your point- but these segments are not frequent and the rest of the book is too damn brilliant to miss!

Amazing, clever, gripping novel

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Only drawback the relentlessly dull voice of the narrator. But a very good yarn nonetheless.

Classic murder story

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