At some point in our lives, many of us will have to deal with the problem of difficult neighbours. Loud music and late-night parties, badly-behaved children, disputes over parking and damage caused by cats and dogs are all things that can make life stressful – but most of us wouldn’t resort to murder as a solution. However, that is exactly what seems to have happened at Riverview Close, a street of six large, luxurious houses in an affluent area of London.

The residents of Riverview Close include a doctor, a dentist, a retired lawyer, a chess grandmaster and two former nuns, all of whom have been getting on well together and leading peaceful lives. Everything changes with the arrival of Giles Kenworthy and his family, who are noisy and inconsiderate and succeed in annoying everyone else in the Close. When the residents learn that the Kenworthys are planning to cut down a beautiful tree and build a new swimming pool in its place, they decide to hold a meeting to discuss the situation – but a few weeks later the problem is solved anyway, as Giles is found dead, having been shot with a crossbow.

Five years later, author Anthony Horowitz (who uses himself as a character in his own novels) is looking for a subject for his new book. His previous four have been accounts of mysteries he has investigated alongside the private detective Daniel Hawthorne, but it seems there are no new mysteries to solve – and his publisher is putting pressure on him to start writing. Anthony decides to write about one of Hawthorne’s older cases instead, which happens to be the murder of Giles Kenworthy. Hawthorne agrees to share the details of the investigation with him, but warns him that the ending isn’t very satisfactory.

With large sections of the book set in the past and written in the third person from the perspectives of the residents of Riverview Close, this means Horowitz himself plays a much smaller part in this novel than he did in the earlier books in the series (the first one is The Word is Murder, if you’re wondering). Although I love these books, I know there are a lot of readers who find it irritating and egotistical of Horowitz to use himself as a character, but I think that would be less of a problem with this particular novel.

Because we see less of Anthony, there’s also less time spent on his interactions with Hawthorne, which is a shame as that’s one of my favourite things about this series. I had hoped to learn more about Hawthorne as each book has been slowly adding to our understanding of his character and background, but there aren’t really any major revelations about him in this instalment. There are lots of other interesting characters to get to know, though, including the members of the various households that make up Riverview Close; I particularly enjoyed meeting the two old ladies, May and Phyllis, who used to be nuns but now own a tea shop/book shop that sounds like a great place to visit!

The mystery itself is an interesting one as all of the suspects have the same motive – Giles Kenworthy’s selfish, inconsiderate behaviour – and although I was convinced I had guessed the culprit correctly, it turned out I was wrong. I did wonder why Horowitz (the character) didn’t just look up the solution to the murder on the internet rather than waiting for Hawthorne to tell him the story bit by bit and getting frustrated about not knowing the ending, but that’s just a minor quibble. I’ll look forward to the next book in this series, assuming that there’s going to be one, but I’ll also continue to hope for a new book in the Magpie Murders series!

Anthony Horowitz continues his Hawthorne and Horowitz series by proving yet again that he's far cleverer than us. Book five sees him needing another H&H book (and quickly), but he has the slight I convenience of Hawthorne not being very busy. Those murderers are slacking. Then he is given an idea. How about a book about one of Hawthornes' previous cases. There is no danger, less time spent with Hawthorne, and he'll know from the start who the killer is. Except Hawthorne won't tell him. For authenticity. And Hawthornes picked a great case. A neighbourhood dispute has gone too far where every suspect has the same motive....

I'm not sure anyone has ever written themselves into a series in such an unflattering way. Despite us knowing what a genius the writer is, he portrays himself as....well a bit thick. And not actually that likeable. Hawthornes is really quite unpleasant. But somehow, I love them both.

A great mystery dotted with a dry wit throughout. Those murderers better pull their finger out soon as I want more.

I found this slightly disappointing based on previous works by Horowitz. I found the characters weren't super strong and the writing was fine but none of it really stood out for me. I think the premise was there but it didn't really do much with it. I feel that the plotting was okay but definitely could have been better. It wasn't bad but not entirely what i expected.

A new Hawthorne & Horowitz mystery, fifth in the series
Detective Hawthorne is called to solve an unsolvable case - gruesome murder - the crossbow slaying of an arrogant new neighbour in an idyllic gated community in a desirable area of London
It’s a dual timeline, told in the third person and in nine alternating sections.
A perfect Christie style mystery with lots of twists and turns and red herrings - the eccentric and quirky characters of Riverview Close gated community all have a motive, they’re multi-layered and secretive. -it seems an impossible puzzle to solve.
I love how Horowitz creates a book within a book and the series just keeps on improving, exceeding expectations, I can’t get enough of the series, especially the shocker of an ending that I didn’t see coming.
Perfect for fans of Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christie
Thanks @anthonyhorowitz100 @centurybooksuk & @netgalley for the sharp and witty read

A murder with an obvious guilty party. But is it? Hawthorn is brought in as a consultant on the case to establish what happened but is this too convoluted a story or is it exactly as it seems?
This is another wonderful twisted murder mystery. Written again in the style of two stories that are interlinked. Good pace and interesting characters hold the imagination of the reader. Overall another good read by Horowitz.

I haven't read any of the previous books in the series but this book is a good standalone .This is a very clever ,twisty and complicated plot set in up market Richmond in a gated community. When a particularly unpleasant neighbour is found shot dead with a crossbow ,everyone is a suspect .I enjoyed the characters and the ending was very good .I look forward to reading more in this series .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

Close to death is Anthony Horowitz’s fifth book featuring detective Daniel Hawthorn. If you haven’t read the previous four novels I would highly recommend you start at the beginning but this could be read as a stand alone novel. The small community of Riverside Close in Richmond upon Thames gets on very well until Giles Kenworthy and his family move in. He successfully irritates all his neighbours through loud music, late night parties and inconsiderate parking. When murder comes to Riverside Close, everyone is a suspect but Daniel Hawthorn can be relied upon to solve the mystery.
Anthony Horowitz brings suspense and humour along with fantastic characters to each of these books. I couldn’t help relating to their petty grievances and thought the escalation of minor inconveniences into eventual murder was brilliantly written.

⭐️ 4 ⭐️

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

Close to Death is the fifth book in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series; although not my favourite of the five, it’s still a brilliant read.
 
I love the dynamic, rapport, and humorous dialogue between Hawthorne and Horowitz, which gets better book by book. In true Horowitz style, the story is cleverly plotted, with an abundance of twists, misdirections, and red herrings. It's an enjoyable, old-fashioned whodunnit that kept me entertained from start to finish.
 
I'm looking forward to more adventures with the duo again soon, hopefully.

The newest instalment in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series and boy oh boy it did not disappoint. As a long time reader of Horowitz I get so excited when I get the chance to fall back into this world, and he brings you there so seamlessly every time and completely devours me wiht his stories.
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Big thank you to the publisher for an early read of this one!!

The new instalment of Hawthorne and Horowitz is as much a fun read as its predecessor. Its an absolute treat to read Anthony Horowitz's books and I wait for his latest release. If not new, then I just re-read his previous books, just because of the writing. So, when I got the review copy I was extremely excited and I also got a signed copy of the book.

One of the best thing about the series is Anthony Horowitz is in the book as Watson to Sherlock. This book is unique to previous ones as it is written in third person. Any one who has read other books, will know that all the other books in the series is written in first person.

The book starts with the neighbours who live in a close, a gated community with houses. Each of them are well established, and affluent people of Richmond. Horowitz showcased the bittersweet neighbourhood relationship. In the first few pages the readers will get to know the victim as well as the other neighbours and their feelings. The readers get to know the neighbourhood quite vividly along with its cheerful little bookshop named "The Tea Cosy", which sold golden-age detective novel and the ones that replicate stories from the time.
The chapters are interspersed between Tony (Anthony Horowitz) interpreting the recordings and the recordings.
With every book, the readers get to know more about the enigmatic Daniel Hawthorne, and with every book he gets more mysterious. I hope we get to know more in future books.

My rating for the book is 5 stars.
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Random for the copy of the advance review copy.

A cul-de sac murder mystery set in Riverview Close, Richmond, which is a very small gated community.

A wonderful array of characters in these six houses, and Mr Horowitz starts out with a 'baddie' amongst them, namely Giles Kenworthy, When Giles is shot dead with a crossbow bolt in his throat, the police are mystified and ask Hawthorne, aka the author, for assistance. Apparently this is how Mr Horowitz solves the cases as in previous books - which I haven't read. It certainly is an entertaining way to write?

Lots of twists and turns as we get to know all the other residents and tradespeople. This, I enjoyed leading to a surprise ending.

I like most of the author's work but this one was not worthy of five stars as I lost some interest in the middle..

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House UK Cornerstone for the chance to read and review.

There are not enough superlatives for any new book by Mr Horowitz. His latest- Close to Death is a touch of Christie in a modern London setting with dark humour and more than a few nods to crime writing giants. A clever tale where a terrible neighbour (who everyone hates) is murdered and the neighbours are all suspects. Hawthorne and Horowitz delve into the suspects’ pasts and despite the clues and red herrings, Horowitz delivers a mighty fine conclusion. Clever, conniving and all-consuming!

Described as a mind bender, this book definitely is. It is cleverly constructed with Harowitz placing himself as an author within the mystery whodunnit. Based in a seclusive neighbourhood in Surrey, every character is masterfully weaved into the frame, so for me it felt impossible to work out who was the culprit(s).
None of the characters are particularly likeable, they also give off a vibe of something to distrust. They are convincing enough when interviewed by DSI Khan or Hawthorne the private detective.
When the outcome was revealed, I still felt 5 steps behind and had to re-read that part, so complex and convoluted was the ‘truth’. It was thoroughly entertaining. The discourse keeps you interested. The relationship between the investigators and character author holds a high level of fascination as you read hungrily to discern more. The pace aligns with this appetite. In all a highly entertaining and worthy read.

I wasn’t a fan of this book with very unlikeable characters and unlikely setting then add to that the author thinking so much of himself that he is actually in the book means a grudging two stars from me.

An excellent series and cleverly written!
The way Horowitz inserts himself into the stories is ingenious.
This case is different because it’s from years ago and Hawthorn didn’t investigate with Horowitz.
There is pressure for Horowitz to produce a new book and he begins writing about Hawthorn’s old case .
The relationship between the two protagonists is fractured and there are new cases on the horizon .
The calibre of writing is excellent as always and the plot kept me guessing as always .
An entertaining read , looking forward to the next in the series .
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK .

I really like this series - and how Anthony Horowitz continues to find new ways to put the fictionalised version of himself in the way of murders - whilst pretending that it's all real. The first four books in the series have been written in the first person - but the new book is a bit of a departure, with BookHorowitz fulfilling a publishing contract by writing about one of Hawthorne’s prior cases, and giving us sections in the third person from the “book” and then first person sections as BookHorowitz goes through the process of finding out the details about the case - and about some new developments in the backstory.

Once I get going with these (and that usually means I need to actually sit down and get at least 50 pages in), they’re incredibly easy to read, and I really appreciate the meta-ness of it all as Horowitz weaves the fiction into his real biography. And I love how bumbling he makes himself - it’s fun and funny to read. I’m still hoping that he’ll write another in the Magpie Murders series, but I suspect those are even more complicated to dream up than these are, so I’ll happily accept more in this series!

Close to Death is an excellent new addition to the Hawthorne & Horowitz series, where Horowitz sort-of appears as himself and teams up with the odd but brilliant Detective Hawthorne - but this instalment is a little different as we’re reading about a crime that happened many years ago, and which Hawthorne investigated without Horowitz.

There’s pressure on Horowitz to write another book but Hawthorne has no interesting crimes to solve. So he begins trying to find out about historic cases that he can write about - and a murder in the exclusive Riverside Close in Richmond five years ago presents a baffling but intriguing case for Horowitz to recount. Although we know there is some conclusion to the case, we have to piece it together as we go along, like Horowitz, which adds extra tension.

I hugely enjoyed this book - it felt like a fresh take on the series. There’s less of Horowitz in the main plot, as he’s mainly recounting what he’s told about instead of being right there as the original investigation happened, which is a shame, but the story worked so well. There were plenty of humorous moments as I’ve come to expect from this series, including lots of amusingly deprecating comments about Hawthorne’s sidekick at the time, from a plainly envious Horowitz. I also really enjoyed the location - set in affluent Richmond, and an exclusive road within the area at that, we have a snobbishly entertaining and often flawed cast of characters to get to know.

This book does a great job of combining humour, classic crime references and a twisty, brilliant plot. I love the ‘book within a book’ format and found it all utterly brilliant. Long may this series continue.

Another book in the series where Horowitz inserts himself as a character in his books featuring private detective Hawthorne. I’m not completely enthralled by this plot device as it feels like a contrived way of injecting originality into what is otherwise a fairly formulaic murder mystery. In my opinion it makes the reader feel detached from the story and its characters.

With thanks to the author, NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

As a fan of Anthony Horowitz's books, this one was an extreme letdown. I was only able to make it 60% through before I had to DNF it. I was never a fan of this series; Anthony showing his narcissism as the main character and Hawthorne, who is just boring and unlikable. It's a painful read. I can't imagine that readers are out here demanding more of this series. Additional Sherlock Holmes stories or the Magpie Murder series would be so awesome, except he keeps writing this stuff. Does anyone else cringe at the descriptions of himself? In the first book, I thought, hey, that's original. I kind of liked it. But now? It just screams narcissism. I'm honestly embarrassed for Anthony that he put this out. I will not be recommending this book nor reading any follow-up books in this series. Let it die.

The relationship between Hawthorne and Horowitz is becoming more unpredictable with no new case to keep them together, nerves are getting frayed. But a cold case is the lure that our intrepid writer can’t resist and despite the warnings from Hawthorne, our wannabe detective is out of his league.

Every time I pick up a book in this series, I know I’m going to be entertained and feel just as befuddled as the character of Anthony Horowitz when the big revel happens. Of course, the clues were all there! Yet I miss most of them and don’t mind one bit that I do. I love being drawn into the clever plots and mysterious players that are peppered throughout. The latest story is just sublime and I loved every page.