A murder links the past and present in this metafiction mystery from Anthony Horowitz.

Susan Reyland finds herself in familiar circumstances after returning to England from Greece. Her first project, working on the manuscript of Pund’s Last Case, a continuation of the Alan Conway series, written by Eliot Carce.

When Eliot reveals that he is the grandson of the late Marion Crace, a legendary children’s author who died under mysterious circumstances — murdered according to Eliot Crace, Susan is hesitant to work with him. Plus his previous books did not do well at all, like at all.

Needing the work and the salary, Susan begins to work on the manuscript and realises that Eliot is a good writer — set in the south of France, the plot revolves around the mysterious death of Lady Margaret Chalfont, who is poisoned. Perhaps by a member of her own family? But who? And why? Considering she had less than two months to live.

As Susan spends time on the manuscript she finds a pattern of hidden clues leading to the truth about Marion Crace’s death. When she confronts Eliot about this, he starts behaving erratically, unravelling family secrets. Suddenly, he is killed, a victim of a hit-and-run case.

Susan, now finds herself the prime suspect for his murder, and needs to solve the mystery of Pund’s Last Case, lest she finds herself dead.

Tightly written, woven, and a clever mystery which unfolds a rich cast of characters across the manuscript and the book, Horowitz is a master of his genre. He has crafted a mystery filled with red herrings, sharp dialogues, and most importantly, satisfying plot twists and turns. The pacing is swift and the voice is self-aware, sometimes satirical keeping the readers engaged and amused.

A must-read for readers of mystery novels who love being challenged and entertained.

I absolutely love Horowitz's writing and this book was exactly what I needed to seal the deal of Horowitz being one of my favourite authors. I love how he writes a book within a book and he captivates his readers so well in doing this. The way in which he weaves more than one strand of narrative, character dynamics and deceit is a stroke of genius and his books hit every. single. time.

It is a hefty book, but it felt like there simply wasn't enough pages of this pure gold. I felt like I was constantly confused, captivated and intrigued the entire read and that is exactly what he sets out to do. This book is fantastic for any mystery lovers who want to be blindsided by a twisty end.

As a full signed up member of the Atticus Pünd fan club I was eagerly looking forward to another Horowitz special with a current plot tangled up with a work of fiction and the interaction between the two narratives, and it’s good to report that all the expected plot twists, red herrings and irrelevant detail that serves to distract the careless reader we’re all present and correct. So far, so good. But what, I hear you ask, are the reservations implied by these opening remarks?
In short, it appears to this reader that the trademark feature of the fictional story and its interaction with the ‘real’ narrative in the everyday world may struggle beyond a limited number of outings with the same central characters. Just to be clear, there is plenty of enjoyment and reading pleasure to be had from The Marble Hall Murders. It’s just that there is a looming sense that this will be, or even - perhaps - needs to be, the last in this series.
For this reader, however, there is a rich vein of ‘full fat’ Atticus Pünd mysteries to be tapped if Mr Horowitz cares to indulge his readers! But, to return to the review of the book proper, it’s a very well written and enjoyable yarn. The denouement is well staged and most readers will be more than satisfied with the pleasure to be had from reading the novel.

This can be read as a standalone but to be able to understand characters and mysteries connected to the plot, you must read the previous books. You can expect murders, secrets, dual timelines, suspects and characters are not how they appear to be. Author’s writing is compelling. Characters were fully flashed out. There were two storylines and the book has been narrated in multiples perspectives. There were a lot of secrets, mystery and buried truth. I would say that the book was twisted and I liked the traditional mystery. This is also a great whodunnit and the book will keep you guessing till the end.

Thanks to the Publisher

Absolutely brilliant, and I love that it answers some questions from the previous books, would absolutely recommend this book, especially if you have read the others, it is a gem

The third in the Atticus Pund series. I haven't read the first two, but apparently this 3rd book contains spoilers for the first book, so I'll probably leave the series alone.

Yet again, Anthony Horowitz demonstrates he is a superb writer, in many ways. A book within a book, linked narratives, expertly woven together, very clever & imaginative, even although there were enough pointers to guess the outcome 80% of the way through.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC (and apologies for being late!).

Marble Hall Murders: is the final Susan Ryeland novel and as with the other two books emulates Agatha Christie, by following a Poirot-esque Detective Atticus Punt as he solves a murder mystery, whilst a a similar murder mystery is occurring in Susan's modern day life.
This is my 8th Anthony Horowitz book, I have read all the Hawthorne Novels as well as the Ryeland books and for most part I have listened to Audio versions. The other book I read in the traditional sense I felt it suffered as a result. I am glad to say that this was not the case with Marble Hall Murders in fact I would say it was my favourite book of the trilogy.
As with other Ryeland books there are clever parallels between both the manuscript, Susan is reading and what's going on around her . However it is always clear which story you are in.
If you've read any Horowitz books before you will enjoy this one. If you're new despite being 3rd book it's a stand alone story , be aware that it does contain a huge spoiler for the Susan strand of Magpie Murders .
I think this has to be last Ryeland mystery given how publicly they have said they'll be no more, however Horowitz rather cleverly has created a loop hole which makes me think this won't be the last we see of her.

I just know that when I start an Anthony Horowitz novel, I’m in for a treat! It doesn’t matter if it’s Alex Rider, Hawthorne or Pünd - they’re all fantastic. This one doesn’t disappoint. Poor Susan, she doesn’t have a lot of luck! The way the stories are woven together is so clever but I can’t help but feel that she probably should have stayed abroad! I listened to the audio book and the narrators were great as always. I’d definitely recommend reading this, especially if you like crime fiction - possibly modern Agatha Christie vibes?!

A third Atticus Pünd novel is set to be released by a new author, yet Susan Ryeland finds herself in danger again when it becomes clear that there are hidden truths within the new book.

Another massively entertaining story within a story novel from Anthony Horowitz.

I had huge expectations for this because Magpie Murders is one of my top three books of all time, and I was not disappointed. In fact I was sad to see the end of the series, though I did feel that the final instalment was the perfect conclusion. I loved that this book was full of twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout.

I was fully invested in this story and the characters involved, and when I say invested - think shaking the book urging the characters to listen to my theories - I mean really invested.

Marble Hall Murders is clever and full of intrigue - a must-read.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Anthony Horowitz is a fascinating crime writer in that he always manages to introduce into his series of crime fiction novels an element of post-modern framing. With the Susan Ryeland series it’s the creation of a novel within a novel that allows the editor turned detective to solve her real world murder with the clues contained within the fictional novel series of Atticus Pund. In this novel, Horowitz also manages to poke fun at the publishing industry and in having an author set out to finish another dead author’s work you get the wheels within wheels of the crime. You’re either irked or intrigued by these multiple frames but I think it’s a very clever device that allows Horowitz to show off his range as both a writer and a plotter.

A brilliant next instalment from this author. I thoroughly enjoyed this , made easier as I've read the first two and knew what was going on. I was sorry to finish this and sad that there won't be anymore Susan Ryland mysteries to solve. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Marble Hall Murders is full of mystery and intrigue and is our third encounter with Susan Ryeland - editor/super sleuth and Atticus Pünd - lead detective, who is sadly insisting, this is his last case. The characters are complex and I love how Susan sets about trying to solve a murder linked to the latest Atticus Pünd novel; despite the fact that she appears to top the list of suspects! There are just so many twists and turns in this fabulously compelling read. It’s most definitely one of those you do want to finish (to get the mystery solved), but you don’t want to finish because it’s just so good. I even smiled at the mention of ‘Boon’. (You’ll understand if you’re of a certain age).
I can’t wait to see this when it’s filmed for TV.

‘Marble Hall Murders’ is the third book in Anthony Horowitz’s Atticus Pund / Susan Ryeland series, and it might just be the best yet. Susan, the editor turned detective, is tasked with editing a continuation of the Atticus Pund novels written by Elliot Crace, a new author. She soon finds herself embroiled in a real-life murder mystery that mirrors the fictional one she’s editing.
The dual narrative works brilliantly, keeping the suspense high throughout. Horowitz masterfully intertwines the two stories, delivering clever twists and engaging characters. Susan, as always, is a standout, and if you’ve seen the TV adaptations, you can’t help but picture Lesley Manville in the role.
This book balances cosy crime with genuine suspense and is a must read for fans of witty, cleverly plotted mysteries.

I loved this, another brilliant instalment in the series featuring Susan Rutland and Atticus Pund. Best read as part of the series so that you understand the character histories. Really well done, great plot, Horowitz doesn’t let you down! Highly recommend.

Another expertly crafted mystery from Horowitz. No great departure from his previous books in this series but that's the point - he knows what his readers want!

I really enjoyed this book!!

Susan Ryeland has had enough of murder.

She’s edited two novels about the famous detective, Atticus Pünd, and both times she’s come close to being killed. Now she’s back in England and she’s been persuaded to work on a third.

The new ‘continuation’ novel is by Eliot Crace, grandson of Miriam Crace who was the biggest selling children’s author in the world until her death exactly twenty years ago.

Eliot believes that Miriam was deliberately poisoned. And when he tells Susan that he has hidden the identity of Miriam’s killer inside his book, Susan knows she’s in trouble once again.

As Susan works on Pünd’s Last Case, a story set in an exotic villa in the South of France, she uncovers more and more parallels between the past and the present, the fictional and the real world – until suddenly she finds that she has become a target herself.

Having watched and enjoyed the tv versions of the first two books in the series, I was intrigued to read this one to see how Horowitz had managed the juxtaposition of the ‘real life’ and fictional characters on the page. It didn’t disappoint, although strangely the book was less complex than dramatisations. But hugely enjoyable nonetheless.

When you try to milk a template, it loses it's novelty. Now the pun was unintentional, but then the series is a force fit, the way probably, publishers try to build on the fame of a hit.

For this book, Susan's life and relationship in Greece has to end and she has to come back to her familiar surrounding of publishers to even the same people. She has been asked to edit a continuation novel of Atticus Pund to be written by a character from the previous novels. The book then builds the mystery within the book format revealed in multiple tranches till a real murder happens. Susan has to solve both the mysteries to keep herself out of jail.

I had multiple problems with this book in particular - both the crimes were actually solvable and the clues were not so ingeniously hidden. There are obvious misses when she is set to be framed which I found logically faulty. The book also tests your patience since the story buildup is needlessly slow and there are too many arbitrary characters. Aside, the main mystery lacks any character you can feel sorry about.

Overall, this was an effort to finish since it loses an interest.

I absolutely loved the previous books in this series so was thrilled to see a third instalment. Our protagonist Susan has left her idyllic Greek island and returned to her life in London once more. However, she needs to establish herself once more in the publishing world. She is given an opportunity to freelance for Causton Books and edit the final Atticus Pund novel which is being written by Eliot Crace who is the grandson of legendary children’s author Marian Crace, who died some fifteen years ago—murdered, Elliot insists, by poison. And so the adventure begins with the usual premise of this series of a novel within a novel. Atticus must solve the murder of Lady Margaret Chalfont and Susan must work to discover if Marian Crace really was murdered.

This is a gripping read and like the earlier books drops clues as to the perpetrator of the crimes liberally, although there are lots of red herrings and attempts to mislead the reader. There are even puzzles to test the reader's ability to observe clues! Susan is a remarkable main character with her tenacity and willingness to confront some evil people but she always gets it right in the end. This novel deserves to be considered among the greats of the genre with a modern twist. You must read the two previous books to really understand how the story has progressed. Keeping my fingers crossed that we get another mystery for Susan to solve. With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

In The Marble Hall Murders, Anthony Horowitz delivers another masterclass in classic crime fiction, once again stepping into the shoes of golden-age greats with elegance and flair. The novel brings back the charming yet enigmatic detective Daniel Hawthorne, paired with Horowitz’s own fictional alter ego, in a metafictional twist that fans of the series will instantly recognize and enjoy.