⭐️ 4.5 ⭐️
Rounded up to 5 stars.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This is the fourth book in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series and my second adventure with the delightful duo. My first was A Line to Kill which I also thought was superb. The Twist of a Knife can be read as a standalone but I’d highly recommend reading at least one of the others in the series first.

The characterisation is excellent; I’ve really enjoyed seeing the character development of Hawthorne and Horowitz — the rapport and humour between them is charming and I love how we’re treated to new, interesting little snippets of information about Hawthorne in this entertaining instalment.

This well-written, character-driven story is nicely paced and well-plotted with plenty of fishy red herrings to throw you off scent. I particularly enjoyed the Christie-esque reveal at the end.

A fabulous read. The Hawthorne and Horowitz series has fast become a firm favourite. Looking forward to the next one already.

Anthony Horowitz has done it again! The newest instalment of the Hawthorne and Horowitz series is just as fun and addictive as the earlier novels.

In The Twist of a Knife however, our author finds himself under suspicion of murder. Only the gruff Hawthorne can save him.

Once again, Anthony Horowitz has proven himself as one of this generation's greatest storytellers.

Although this is a series, you can read it as a standalone book, but I'd highly recommend starting at the beginning of the journey first.

Thanks to Anthony Horowitz, NetGalley, and Randomhouse UK for this copy.

Anthony doesn't want to write any more books with Hawthorne, He wants to write his own plays. However as his latest play opens, there's a death and Anthony is the main suspect. Will Hawthorne help clear his name?
This is another enjoyable story with a "locked room mystery"feel to it.

Rating: 4.5/5

I am so full of admiration for Anthony Horowitz. Regardless of whether he is writing something purely of his own creation or whether it is a new story featuring a character created by another author, the result of him putting pen to paper is little short of genius. "The Twist of a Knife", the latest Hawthorne & Horowitz mystery is no exception. In fact, I would venture to suggest that it is the best in the series so far.

If you are unfamiliar with the Hawthorne & Horowitz mysteries, here is a quick background précis. Anthony Horowitz has applied a neat little twist on the genre and appears in his own novels as the sleuthing sidekick to ex-police detective Daniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne now works privately as a consultant to the investigating police force on certain problematic crimes. Anthony Horowitz has been employed by Hawthorne to write up his cases, much as Dr Watson was tasked with chronicling the adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

On this occasion Anthony Horowitz finds himself being investigated as the prime suspect in the murder of an eminent theatre critic, who has just written a scathing review of Horowitz's play, "Mindgame". The outlook seems bleak and Anthony will have to rely on the investigating prowess of Daniel Hawthorne, if he is to retain his freedom.

As with other books in this series, there is very much a sense of a "Golden Age" whodunnit about this mystery. The setting and the cast of characters are very much in keeping with the spirit of Agatha Christie. As he invariably seems to do, Anthony Horowitz (the author rather than his own creation in this book) has constructed a wonderfully engaging and clever murder mystery in the "locked room" style, with plenty of misdirection and not a little humour. Once again the author mixes factual elements with fiction and frequently pokes fun at himself. In the previous book in this series, "A Line to Kill" the fictional Anthony Horowitz came across very much as the Dr Watson to Daniel Hawthorne's Sherlock Holmes. In this latest outing Horowitz is far more reminiscent of the bumbling Captain Hastings to Hawthorne's latter day Poirot. There are a number of elements of this novel that are decidedly Christie-esque - and I am sure that Dame Agatha would have approved.

This is another thoroughly enjoyable and well-constructed mystery from Anthony Horowitz ... The clues are all there - you just need to piece them together!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

What a superb book! I absolutely loved it! I’m ashamed to say that I hadn’t read any of the previous books in the series beforehand (but I will be correcting this with a sense of urgency!!) and I was still able to thoroughly enjoy the book.
I loved the way that Anthony Horowitz is actually part of the story and the humour in it really appealed to me! I read it so quickly as it was such a joy to read! I couldn’t wait to find out how it was all going to turn out for our poor main character with things stacking up against him even more by every page turn!,
Fabulous book! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to purchase some more Daniel Hawthorne books!
Read this book - you’ll love it!

I enjoyed the first book in this series with Anthony Horrowitz staring in the book. The reader follows the story through his narrative. Although it isn't my favourite style Anthony is a skilled writer and pulls this off. In this book he has been accused and charged with murder. Only his old 'pal' can save him from certain incarceration. A great read

I was unsure about this book as I am used to Anthony being an author my son reads but I was pleasantly surprised. A good twist to the story and an easy read.

Horowitz’s Hawthorne adventure is literally a Vaudevillian thriller set in the eh, Vaudeville theatre on the Strand where his new play ‘Mindgame’ isn’t doing so well. There are the theatrics of the cast and the horror of the theatre critics and things quickly spiral when the critic Harriet Throsby is murdered. A great whodunnit with more than a few nods to Agatha Christie. Horowitz makes writing a thriller seem so easy and that is his wonderful talent. Anyone who loves crime novels will devour this!

An engaging and gripping thriller from start to finish! The tension build up throughout was executed well and I enjoyed the book

As with all the books in this series; this one was just as good as the others. Lots of twists and enough information for you to try and guess the twists, although most I didn’t get!!! 4/5stars

Another Hawthorne and Horowitz Adventure. Like having a warm hug from a good old friend.

Whilst this tale follows a slightly different adventure in that Horowitz finds himself unexpectedly at the centre of things.

Overall a solid read that continues the adventures.

I almost can't exaggerate how much I love this author, and this series of books in particular coincides enormously with my interests. Hence, no surprise that I found it clever, thrilling, and wonderfully entertaining.
This is the fourth in the series where we find the author (Anthony - certainly not Tony!) has written himself into the story, which then becomes something of a biography giving him free rein to include delightful anecdotes and episodes based around real events - as well as many episodes that I fervently hope and expect are far from real. It is woven together seamlessly, mixing fact and fiction so that you are easily able to suspend any disbelief. His main character, (the detective, rather than Anthony himself), is definitely fictional, irritating, and not very likeable, but also ... strange... and therefore very interesting. Ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne is "ex" of the Met and now a "consulting detective" - and given the author's delight in all things Sherlock Holmes, you can draw your own comparisons. Anthony's "Watson" persona describes himself in the narrative with all his emotions and reactions exposed in a very engaging and (apparently) open way, revealing all his flaws and sense of self-importance - which of course is a form of false modesty, but nonetheless still very appealing...
This particular story - another of the "locked room" genre - revolves around a theatre production of a play written by Anthony himself; the play receives a scathing review, leading to... a murder. As with many other snippets revealed in these books, it drove me to look up "Mindgame", to find that it is indeed a play of his from 1999, (and it did receive lukewarm reviews at the time, but, happily, spawned no murders that I could find).
One could say that with his inventive construction for this series of books, (along with the Magpie Murders series), that he is indulging in writing "gimmicks" but I think he executes all his work with such skill and brilliance that all I can say is "bring on some more".
[I listened to the first three books in this series, which were read so brilliantly by Rory Kinnear that I fully intend also to listen to this one again as soon as it appears in audio format; Kinnear's speaking voice sounds very similar to Horowitz and this adds charmingly to the overall deception.].

When Anthony Horowitz’s new play, Mind Games, opens at The Vandeville Theatre, his cast are upset by the scathing review that comes through in a matter of hours from Harriet Throsby. When she is found dead the following morning, Anthony is arrested for her murder and turns to his private detective friend, Hawthorne, to help prove his innocence.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the author was also the main character and how the lines between fact and fiction were blurred. There was a great deal of humour throughout. The final chapter was very much in the style of an Agatha Christie. I could imagine his book making a great transfer to TV.
A highly recommended read.

It is the fourth book in the series of Hawthorne and Horowitz. One of the quirkiest aspects of the book is that Anthony Horowitz is a part of the crime-solving duo. He is Watson to our Sherlock. They have a love-hate relationship and involve Horowitz mostly saying, “our deal is off”.

The twist of a knife has a twist of its own when Horowitz becomes the number one murder suspect. With no solid alibi, his chances are bleak without Hawthorne. Hawthorne is a great detective, but his social skills are much left to be desired. But Tony being his partner and writer steps in to save Horowitz.

The case, of course, resonates with golden age detective novels amid Horowitz’s play (a real-life play) Mindgame. The book has a lot of references to real-life movies or books and it gives an extra edge to the storyline. With the number of suspect pools increasing with every page, the mystery keeps getting convoluted at every turn.

Time is running out for Horowitz, and soon, he will be in jail for a crime he did not commit. There is a constant feeling at every turn of the page where DI Grunshaw will walk in and arrest Horowitz. The readers won’t just be tensed but terrified by the prospect of Horowitz getting arrested.

The ending of the book complements the dramatisation presented throughout the book. Hawthorne brings all the suspects together at one quite like Christie in her novels. It will also remind the reader of scenes from Magpie Murders or Moonflower Murders because of the excerpts from the play and a book that Horowitz tries to understand the victim.

The book ends with nuggets of hope for the future (and I hope they are real and not fictitious!) with more books in the series. It can be read as a standalone but do read the other books in the series.

My rating for the book is 5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House UK, for the copy of the book in exchange for ARC.

In the fourth of Horowitz’s Detective Hawthorne novels, chapter one opens with Horowitz stating, rather vehemently, that he absolutely will definitely not be penning another fly-on-the-wall crime novel about Hawthorne. It’s all rather tongue-in-cheek, as readers have come to expect, and is of course a completely fabricated piece of dialogue with a completely fabricated detective.

Horowitz is preparing for the first ndiight of Mindgame, an experimental play that he’s written. Hawthorne isn’t interested. Nothing new there – he’s a man of mystery with few redeemable features – who wouldn’t see a play just because he knows the playwright.

When Mindgame’s opening night arrives, an early review is met with dismay, and its small cast are understandably furious. But when the critic is found murdered, the number one suspect is Horowitz, and Detective Hawthorne is the only one with a chance of getting him off a murder charge. Can he do it? Well, you probably already know the answer to that one!

For me, these ‘Hawthorne Investigates’ novels (as they’re definitely not called) hold two main appeals.

Firstly, they’re pretty good ‘cosy’ murder mysteries with all the usual twists and turns. Rather reminiscent of Midsomer Murders (no surprise as Horowitz also writes those), you’ll find no gratuitously grisly death scenes, but the novels all feature strong character relationships and plenty of cleverly-inserted clues to keep the reader in with a chance of guessing whodunnit.

Secondly, the USP of these novels is the fictionalised insertion of Horowitz himself as a protagonist. Self-aware and self-deprecating, I’m not sure how much I actually know about the real writer now, and how much is made up, but it’s a fun concept and makes for an interesting light-hearted read.

Overall, as always, I found this latest book from Anthony Horowitz to be thoroughly enjoyable on lots of different levels. I do hope that there are more in the pipeline!

‘The Twist of a Knife’ will be published on 18th August 2022. Thank you to NetGalley UK, Random House UK and Anthony Horowitz for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Anthony Horowitz has spent many years around crime, writing about it is one thing, but following ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne around is horrible for his health. Going their separate ways is maybe for the best, but when Horowitz is accused of murder, the only person he can rely on is Hawthorne and he’s not really in a hurry to help.

Every time I read a book from this series, I think that Horowitz can’t top it, but then the next one is even better. His writing is clever and so compelling, you take a leap into his fictitious world and don’t want to leave. I love the passage about the change of the format of the titles, it was a knowing wink to the readers. The relationship between Horowitz and Hawthorne is a battle of wills that has us entertained from the beginning to the very end.

This is a stupendous book in a series that keeps our grey cells fighting fit.

Getting back into a Hawthorne & Horowitz mystery is like meeting up with an old friend you haven't seen for ages but it's as if you saw them yesterday so if you haven't read any of the previous in the series, don't worry, you will fall into the story and the characters quickly.

Once again, Mr Horowitz provides a treat of a murder/mystery staring himself as one of the main characters alongside the enigmatic and mysterious Daniel Hawthorne. Are they friends or do they just tolerate each other? I'm still trying to work that one out but Hawthorne is the one Anthony turns to when he is accused of the murder of a theatre critic who panned his play Mindgame.

With an eclectic and wonderful cast of characters, Hawthorne sets about trying to find the murderer amongst a host of viable suspects (Anthony included) in his own inimitable way whilst the evidence stacks up against Anthony and an arrest by the police appears to be inevitable and imminent.

Written at a great pace, this is full of humour, mystery and is thoroughly enjoyable and I loved it. What I particularly like about this series is the lack of violence which makes a nice change to what I usually read and I am looking forward to (hopefully) the next in the series and that more details are revealed about Hawthorne!

Thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for enabling me to read The Twist of a Knife and share my thoughts.

I’ve really enjoyed all of Anthony Horowitz’s books but I just couldn’t get into this one.
After writing a play about murder and it successfully being taken to the stage, Anthony finds himself accused of murder. In order to try and prove it wasn’t him he spends half the book interviewing the cast members about their lives and I didn’t find it was very exciting. I just didn’t care for the characters enough to want to find out more about them. I’m afraid I gave up halfway through as there wasn’t enough action for me and I didn’t feel it was as cleverly executed as his previous books in which he is a character.

I LOVE Horowitz's books - all the different series and novels, and I really love the Hawthorne books. They are modern and yet also reminiscent of the golden age crime novels. Page turning, funny, and exciting, I think this is the best one yet.

I’ve been a big fan of this quirky series, although by book three the mystery surrounding Hawthorne had worn a bit thin for me.

So, unsurprisingly, book four, again, didn’t blow me away. In fact, I found this to be my least favourite one so far, but this time because I found Anthony, himself, a bit whiny and annoying. Granted, he gets framed for murder, so perhaps I would be too, but I just didn’t enjoy this read as much as its predecessors.

Maybe it’s me, or maybe it’s starting to wear thin? Who knows… Still, this was a quick and easy and mostly entertaining mystery — and I was glad to see that we might finally gain some insight into the mystery that is Hawthorne come book five…