I cannot tell you how excited I was to receive the ARC of the next book in one of my favourite series! And it certainly didn't disappoint.

This is another classic Anthony Horowitz mystery - it's got all the elements of 'cosy' mystery whilst still feeling modern and complex. While the 'meta-ness' of this series might be a bit love it or hate it, I personally love it.

This book isn't my favourite in the series however as it did feel a bit disjointed. Due to a lack of any real murders taking place, Anthony is forced to write about one of Hawthorne's first and already solved cases in order to meet his publishing deadline. This means that instead of following the Hawthorne and Horowitz duo as they actively investigate a crime, we get third person chapters of Hawthorne and his old sidekick investigating the crime and first person chapters of Horowitz retelling the story and discussing it in present day with Hawthorne. Unfortunately, that did mean that I felt a bit disconnected from the main mystery and couldn't really connect to the characters as well as if we were following them from Anthony's pov like in the other books. Also, for reasons I won't spoil Hawthorne and Horowitz barely interact in this book, bar a few scenes at the beginning and again, I really missed their relationship.

In fact, my favourite section of the book was when Anthony decided to visit the scene of the crime in present day and got to actually meet some of the characters in real life. Hearing his thoughts on them, and how some people came across completely differently to Hawthorne's recounts was really fun and I wish we could have explored that aspect of the story more.

So, whilst this isn't my favourite book in the series, it's still a solid 4.5*. I love this series and am already excited for the next one!

4.5

Knocked off the half because the inimitable Mr Horowitz isn't in it as much as I'd like.

Close to Death is a slightly different Hawthorne & Horowitz novel in that the murder that takes place is historical (5 years prior to being written - read the acknowledgements at the end, it explains everything).

The story itself is a case that involved Hawthorne and his "sidekick" at the time -John Dudley. They are called in to solve what appears to be a very easy case. However, as things transpire, it becomes a lot more complicated.

Horowitz thinks that by regurgitating an old murder that has already been solved it will be easier to write but he can't help trying to pry into Hawthorne's mysterious background and into John Dudley despite being warned by just about everyone to leave it alone.

Close to Death may be a different format but it is still as enjoyable and twisty and complicated (and no I didn't guess whodunnit - in fact I guessed the same as the Horowitz in the story). John Dudley is an engaging character but still Hawthorne and Horowitz play the starring roles.

I love this series of books. The gentle fun that Mr Horowitz pokes at himself is only part of it. He also gives us a detective, unafraid to push the boundaries, who has as fierce an intelligence as any Sherlock. His characters are always believable, the dialogue pitch perfect and when I've finished one I just want more. I hope we get more.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House, Cornerstone for the advance review copy. Most appreciated.

The fifth in the Horowitz and Hawthorne series takes a different path from previous ones as this time Horowitz is writing his novel about a murder that happened in the past. He is under contract to write a book but Hawthorne isn’t investigating any recent murders so gives Horowitz access to his notes and tapes made when he was investigating an earlier shocking murder which took place in a gated community in Richmond.
All the neighbours there had their own reasons for disliking the dead man, thus providing Horowitz with lots of potential suspects. Hawthorne leaves it to Horowitz to see if he can deduce who is the murderer.
The novel has a good juxtaposition of Horowitz’ recreation of what happened in the Close and his present day meetings with Hawthorne. It is reminiscent of the classic Agatha Christie crimes but brought into the 21st century and as with all excellent writing it takes the reader on a puzzling journey of trying to guess “whodunnit “.
Highly recommended and thank you very much to the publishers for the ARC

This enjoyable murder mystery is light easy to read fare. The central plot is effective with a cast of suspects, all neighbours in a Richmond close, all at various points exhibiting suspiciousness to tempt you perhaps towards one character, then another.

I didn't strongly back one horse as a culprit and don't think I missed any definitive clue that made the solution feel inevitable if only I'd realised it. Perhaps other readers will feel differently on that point. Anyway this is all jolly good fun, like a light murder mystery TV episode (which are referenced in the storyline).

The book is written with the author sometimes himself a character interacting primarily with the main detective whose notes and recordings of the events years before that he is writing up. This gives another level to the story running in contemporary time where the author reflects on the case and gets personally involved with the storyline, and allows him to reflect on the case as it's unfolding, as well insert snippets such as authorial niggles about his presumably fictional agent.

This parallel thread could have come over as a bit pretentious but I think he gets away with it. Many authors insert themselves in their work as an alter ego instead. In any case the two timelines manage to end satisfactorily with a traditional gathering of suspects in one and a bit of a twist in the other. An enjoyable diversion.

I’ve always known of this author and wanted to give them a try. Unfortunately, I did not pick the right book for that. I was not liking the main character and the book was hard to get into. I dnf’d the book because it wasn’t for me. But I would still want to give the author a second try in the future

A 'locked room' mystery with a brilliant cast of characters it's another sure-fire winner for Horowitz! A slightly different style from the previous Hawthorne books being a cold case told in the third person which, in some ways, makes it easier to follow, and despite lacking the humorous interchanges between Horowitz and Hawthorne I preferred this format. There are two mysteries going on; the cold case set in Richmond and the present day mystery of Hawthorne himself. The two are perfectly blended and I raced through the book with never a dull moment. Loved it!

This is the first time reading a Anthony Horowitz book, so this series it totally new to me, it does have a different concept with Anthony also being in the story and being the author, but personally I found it drawn out and confusing to read.

Really enjoyed the Hawthorne parts of the story as you still have the investigation so it felt more like the murder mystery I expected to read,

On another note I did find the final chapters disappointing.

This was the first book I'd read in this series and it was ok but it wasn't amazing. I enjoyed the Hawthorne chapters about the murder investigation, they kind of had an Agatha Christie feel about them. However, the Horowitz parts just felt completely unnecessary and didn't really add anything to the overall story. The ending didn't really feel satisfying and fell a bit flat. Just average for me.

From The Cover📖

Richmond Upon Thames is one of the most desirable areas to live in London. And Riverview Close - a quiet, gated community – seems to offer its inhabitants the perfect life.

At least it does until Giles Kenworthy moves in with his wife and noisy children, his four gas-guzzling cars, his loud parties and his plans for a new swimming pool in his garden.

His neighbours all have a reason to hate him and are soon up in arms.

When Kenworthy is shot dead with a crossbow bolt through his neck, all of them come under suspicion and his murder opens the door to lies, deception and further death.

The police are baffled. Reluctantly, they call in former Detective Daniel Hawthorne. But even he is faced with a seemingly impossible puzzle.

How do you solve a murder when everyone has the same motive?

REVIEW⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m a massive fan of the Hawthorne & Horowitz series and was thrilled to get an ARC of the fifth instalment.
If you are unfamiliar with the series, 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. The duo do, at times, exhibit characteristics similar to those found in other literary detective teams such as Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings, but it is the comparison with a latter day Holmes & Watson that is generally most fitting.

I love the premise of these books it so unique and clever , Antony Horowitz puts himself front and centre in the books writing a fictional version of himself full of wit and not without a bit of self promotion which can be forgiven, he weaves aspects of his real life into the fictional narrative, which works extremely well as he takes a humorous tone and rips the mick out of himself.

On this occasion there is less direct interaction between Hawthorne & Horowitz. Horowitz (the fictional version in the story, rather than the real-life writer) finds himself under pressure from his publisher to deliver the next book in the series. As he rightly observes, given that he is essentially basing his Hawthorne books on true crimes, he cannot simply conjure up a murder for Hawthorne to investigate. This leads him to quiz Hawthorne about an historical murder case instead. In the hope a book can be written. This was such clever way of remaining true to the fundamentals of the series, whilst legitimately introducing a fresh angle of approach. I loved this change of pace and really liked that it mixes things ups.

The opening pages introduce us to Riverview close and its residents, taking place six weeks before the murder told in the third person POV we met a cast of suspects all of which are brilliantly characterised. There is a keen sense of a "Golden Age" whodunnit about this mystery. A predominantly closed community in an upmarket location, the cast of characters( the dentist, the old ladies- you get the picture) and even the inclusion of the map of the setting at the beginning of the book are very much in keeping with the works of Agatha Christie. These opening chapters hook you in and set the tone of the whole book. It gave me pure classic Sunday night golden age of crime tv dramas…. These books needs to be adapted ASAP!!!

From here we go from the chapters Anthony has written on the case for the novel, written much like his magpie murder series, these sections are well paced and the plot is strong there are many twists and turns with a lot of the usual intrigue around Hawthorne, to chapters written in the first person POV told by Anthony while he tries to write the novel which leads him to start his own investigation into the case and of Hawthorne. There after we switch between the two till we reach a very satisfying conclusion that leaves the way for more from the unlikely duo.

Again Horowitz here shows what a master writer he is, he really has the most marvellous imagination, his writing is quick smart has real style. The plots, characters, setting and the real truly are some of the best around.

I loved this book it is great edition to the series of books, it could be read as a stand alone but I would advise reading previous novels first, it is a slight twist on the previous but is just as much as a up all night read.


On a side note with a slight spoiler………. May and Phyllis’s bookshop/coffee shop is the stuff of my dreams, I need a “stolen from Bertram’s hotel” tea towel

This is an intriguing approach to a murder mystery. The writer is creating a book based on real life murders but he was not involved in solving -or not solving them! Private detectives review the conclusions reached by the lead detective and discover a lot he missed. It is all based round a small rural group of houses. One has to downgrade for financial reasons and sells his home to an inconsiderate , thoughtless income. That leads to neighbour strife and the murder of the incomer. The review of the case triggered by the book reveals more than one murder and leads to a review of the supposed suicide of the murderer. This book is different and that is a huge asset. I recommend it.

This is not the typical Hawthorne and Horowitz story, in fact they don't appear together very often at all.

Horowitz needs to write a book featuring Hawthorne but no crimes have happened so he decides to write about a crime that happened 5 years previously, so begins the investigation into Riverside Close and what happened to the residents.

I really enjoyed this book, so much so, that I devoured it on a long train journey.

I think we found out more about Hawthorne's character in this book and also about his previous interactions with colleagues.

I am not always a fan of Hawthorne (I am of the books!!) but found him more personable in this story.

Highly recommended

Although this is the fifth in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, this was my first and will most definitely not be my last. It can be interesting to come into a series which is already established and see if you're able to pick up the ongoing threads or if there are bits that just pass you by - this one set up the backstory perfectly so I could see exactly what was happening but was subtle enough not to annoy those who have been with them from the start. I loved the premise that the author is a character in his own book, working alongside a detective to record the solving of crimes. There are so many crime novels written now that it can be difficult to find an original way to present them, but this really worked for me.

I believe this story is slightly different from the others in that the crime is not unfolding before the characters. Instead it's an old case that Hawthorne solved with a (previously unknown) partner and the story is being used to allow Horowitz to produce a book and fulfil his contractual requirements. The background and evidence is given to Horowitz piecemeal so he doesn't know the full story as he writes and has to try and work out what is happening, allowing us to do the same. There's a split time frame between the crime - a neighbour dispute that leaves one dead with all the others in the close as suspects as they have reasons to hate the victim - and the writing which also allows the story of the detective and author to develop separately. The crime becomes a locked room mystery and there are plenty of twists and turns and red herrings to keep you guessing to the end.

I loved this book, it was original and fresh and very easy to read, not because it's at all simplistic but because you can tell you're in the hands of an expert and the writing flows beautifully. Horowitz the character is presented as slightly slower than the detective and occasionally out of his depth but the author himself is a genius for managing not to tie himself in knots with the style and instead producing an excellent mystery that entertained and intrigued me from start to finish,

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

The new mystery featuring Hawthorne and Horowitz ....I love the dynamic between these two! It is set in Richmond London in a gated community, and all is well until a new family arrive and manage to upset all of their new neighbours. So, when one of them is shot with a crossbow bolt the list of suspects is very long. Very much a cosy murder and we try and solve it along with Anthony. Hawthorne is as great as ever, he is such a wonderful character and we get learn a bit more about him. Very much in the style of Agatha Christie which is a good thing....can't wait for the next instalment.

Anthony Horowitz is the Midas of literary formula - and I mean this as a huge compliment! There is such a comfort to be found in a series that inhabits its own characters and meets hte readers expectations while being different enough every time to wrongfoot and delight. Hugely enjoyable, rip-roaring stuff.

I've never been a fan of closed door mysteries - but then niether does the author which is why it is surprising there is a whole book dedicated to such a mystery in itself.

It is a clever conceit to have the author in the book and to have Hawthorn as his alter ego. A really nice turn on the usual Detective and his side kick.

Maybe the fact I had not read the first two novels did not help.. So by the end I was neither shaken or stirred.

Rather the whole thing felt like a technocratic exerise. A shame. I wanted to like it more.

Can Anthony write a dud book? On the basis of the books that have gone before and this latest one, it appears not. Close To Death is a sensational book, with the right balance between characters and plot. It was a riveting read and I am now going to reread it again, it was that good.

Horowitz and Hawthorne are back for their fourth outing and it’s an absolute pleasure from start to finish to step back into their world. However, ‘Close to Death’ also works equally well as a stand-alone murder mystery because Anthony Horowitz fills in their backstory with all
the skill you’d expect from such a master of his craft.

This time it’s a locked door mystery facing the detective/writer duo and in a slight tweak to the formula, it focuses on a murder, Hawthorne (and his erstwhile side-kick, Dudley) have already investigated. Horowitz is therefore writing the story in flashbacks using Hawthorne’s notes, recordings and interview transcripts. I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy this at first but I was quickly absorbed by a mystery that zips along at a thrilling pace filled with red herrings, wrong turns and the tetchy but enduring chemistry between Horowitz and Hawthorne. I read this in two gripping sittings and I’m already anticipating their next case (and hopefully a tv adaptation which would work so well if it ever came to fruition) Thank you, AH, and more please!

Absolutely Tremendous…
The fifth in the Hawthorne series and it really could not have come soon enough. When police are baffled following an odd and grotesque death in an affluent neighborhood, a reluctant decision is made to call in the enigmatic Hawthorne. Riverford Close is teeming with suspects and motives abound - although they all appear to be of the same ilk. What secrets lurk behind the closed doors of this seemingly respectable gated community? Once again, with a genius construction the mystery moves forward - as the author writes, Hawthorne seeks to uncover the truth. A truly delicious read with a deftly drawn and credible cast and a swiftly moving narrative. With nods to both contemporary crime writing and the Golden Age of crime in abundance, this was a tremendously satisfying and wholly entertaining one sit read for this reader.

The latest in the Hawthorne series sees the author step back from the story a little compared to the previous entries. If you're familiar with the series you'll know Anthony Horowitz places a version of himself in these books and his willingness to poke fun at himself and the publishing industry is a huge part of the fun.
Here, rather than actively investigating a case alongside the enigmatic ex-detective, the author is writing up a previous case - a gated community/ locked room/ 'now I've got you all together I'll explain everything' plot that nods warmly to golden age crime fiction.
There's a huge amount to enjoy in this (as one would expect from any book by Horowitz) and one sentence involving a police dog made me laugh out loud and if by book five we might be hoping to have a little more about the mysterious Hawthorne's past we get just that: a little more... however many more books it takes for it all to come out I'm more than happy to go along for the ride.

I loved this book and the fact that there were several suspects all of who had a motive just added to the fabulous who duunit part of the story. I kept turning page after page wondering who could have done it? Did they all play a part in the murder or was it just one of them? Did the others know who it was and we’re covering for them or did they know nothing? The ending was good and the whole book was very cleverly written.