Editor Susan Ryeland has moved back to London and is freelancing for Causton Books, working with Eliot Crace on his novel attempting to continue the late Alan Conway’s bestselling Atticus Pünd series. Given her past experiences with Alan Conway’s books, Susan is at first hesitant to take on another Pünd mystery. But she has to pay the rent and feed her recently adopted a cat, so agrees to work with Eliot Crace on his book.

Anthony Horowitz skillfully weaves together several mysteries on multiple levels, using the "novel within a novel" structure, creating an intricate plot. The plot is unpredictable and thrilling and the characters are engaging. Just like the previous two instalments of the series, the ending is frenzied and dramatic.

The Marble Hall property, the former home of the Crace family, controlled by matriarch and famous author Miriam Crace, provides the backdrop for Eliot Crace’s novel, in which he explores family dynamics, secrets and Miriam's death. Now a tourist attraction, the property connects the real history of the Crace family to the fictional family in Eliot Crace’s book.

Beyond the entertaining plot, the book also explores important themes, such as the publishing world and its fallacies, job security for freelancers working in creative industries, fame and fortune, as well as complex family dynamics and loneliness. Horowitz also incorporates modern technology, notably Chat-GPT, into the narrative.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable read, highly recommended for fans of intricate mysteries and layered storytelling.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK Cornerstone and Anthony Horowitz for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an absolutely brilliant book. I don’t know how he does it. Two mysteries for the price of one, and both keep you interested. I’m so pleased this will be made into a tv show, I’ll definitely be watching even though I’ve read the book. Having watched the others, I did have the actors in my head as I read the story. A very enjoyable read with a satisfying outcome, what more could you ask for?! I definitely recommend this book. Thank you #netgalley

Whilst Alan Conway is dead, Atticus Pünd lives on with a new author. As usual there's a Atticus Pünd book to read while reading about Susan wanting to solve an old murder case. I got bored of the TV series but I really enjoy the books.

A bittersweet return to the world of Susan Ryeland and Atticus Pünd! We owe our gratitude to the wonderful Lesley Manville for persuading Horowitz to give her one last outing to wrap up her story. After watching the series I find myself reading the book in her voice (in my head obviously) and she is exactly how I'd imagined her.

Sadly, Susan has decided that a life in the Mediterranean running a hotel is not for her and she returns to London and the publishing industry. After being embroiled in two real-life murder cases she expects that this is a fresh-fresh start and that she can get her life back on track. But sadly even in death, Alan Conway, and his literary detective, Atticus Pünd, follow her like a bad smell.

Owing to her experience she's asked to edit a Pünd continuation novel being written by the grandson of esteemed children's author Mariam Crace. Aware of her continued misfortune with Pünd books, she warns Eliot not to follow the same path as Alan to use the books as revenge or to settle scores against the Crace Family.

I was so excited to read this as Horowitz's books are some of the best mysteries of the modern era. They have a feel of the books of the Golden Age but in the modern day, and he faithfully allows his readers to follow the clues and solve the mystery. Sometimes some clues are deliberately omitted to maintain the surprise, but Horowitz lays it all out for you to figure out – which I did!

Overall, it was a superbly-written mystery with a gripping plot that will keep you hooked until you devour the book in one.

The question is, should one return to a beloved series for one last book? Atticus Pund is drawing to the end of his life - and he has solved his case… or has he?

Susan Ryeland is done with Pund - Charles Clover is in prison and Cloverleaf Books is finished… or is it?

When she’s invited back to edit one last Pund case penned by Eliot Crace she does so reluctantly. But she’s lonely and back in London and in need of work.

But Eliot is playing the same old Pund game… writing a mystery entwined with a real life murder, full of clues and anagrams. Who killed his grandmother? And who knows the truth and is willing to commit another murder to hide their guilt?

Not my first read of Anthony Horowitz, but my first in this series. So cleverly plotted with a novel within the novel. Had to keep on my toes with this one remembering who belonged to which story. Another page turner, but I do wish Susan would think before she speaks - she gets herself into so much trouble!
Many thanks to Netgalley/Anthony Horowitz/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

"'...you're doing exactly what I warned you against: mixing fiction and real life to settle a score. That's what got Alan Conway killed, and what nearly did for me too.'"

Book three of the book within a book mystery series sees publisher Susan Ryeland in danger again and saddled with another case for the late Alan Conway's fictional detective Atticus Pund. An historic death of a literary family's despised matriarch finds itself retold in a case for Pünd.

I love this series - the characters of Ryeland and Pünd, the mysteries to unravel and the author's experienced writing, which makes for easy (and I don't mean simple because the mysteries are intriguing and complex) and enjoyable reading.

We really enjoy this series, it is so much better than the TV series (which is also very good). The twists and turns certainly keep you on your toes and the end is very satisfying.

It all changes for Susan Ryeland as she leaves her lover and life in Crete to return to London and, despite the author's demise, another Atticus Pund story. The new author to continue the series for the publisher Susan is freelancing for is known to her, and he didn't make a favourable impression. He has an auspicious literary family background, whose secrets soon become entangled with his writing. This book continues the two-story format of the previous books and delivers a complex and compelling story with elements of cosy mystery that make it an engaging read. I like the complex and vibrant characters, the interconnectivity of the two stories, and the development of Susan's story.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz 🕵🏻‍♂️⌚️🖼️

Happy release day! Thank you for this ARC Random House UK

Marble Hall Murders is a layered mystery where fictional and real-world investigations intertwine, testing the protagonist's resolve to uncover hidden truths.

Atticus Pund is back, everyone! I was curious about how they would continue this series after the first two books, but it didn’t disappoint! I’ve always loved the novel-within-a-novel structure in these books, and the multi-media format is great. Like the rest of the series, the mystery keeps you on the edge of your seat, second-guessing every option. I finished this book within 24hrs as I just couldn’t put it down!

Great fun to read, and as well-crafted as you would expect with this talented author.
I did like the fact that there were more twists than usual with this kind of book, and that the characters were quite believable - in a dreadful kind of way! There were quite a lot of characters, but it was no difficulty keeping track of them, in their various forms!
A very enjoyable read.

Firstly let me say that this is a brilliant concept for a story, a book within a book is totally unique to me however, I didn't realise until I started reading the book that it was part of a series, a series that I hadn't read. I found that I was missing parts of the history, especially the characters, there appeared to be so many different characters thrown at me at once that I had to keep looking back to remind myself who they all were so I would urge reading the books in sequence to get the most enjoyment.
Susan Ryland had returned from Grease and had taken up a job as an editor for a publishing company.
Elliott Crace, whose late mother was a famous writer of children's books, was writing another story in the "Atticus Pund" series entitled "Punt's Last Case", Susan had been given the job of editing the book.
Susan was worried about Elliotts writing from the beginning, she didn't think that he would be open to suggestions, seeing it as criticism, she had to tread carefully, she didn't like the fact that he had based his story in the south of France but more importantly she suspected that he had based his characters on real people, people that he knew well, people who could be recognised.
It took me a while to get into the story but once there I was hooked, it is really well written with very diverse characters, the suspects are many and there are red herrings by the bucketful as this story twists and turns to it's superb ending. I hope that there is another book in the series, now that I have read one I am ready to read more.
Thank you Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is voluntary.

The past and present are mixed as you delve into the next in this series, with the first two books transferring very well onto the big screen in your living room. The writer of the star detective’s cases moves close to death yet again as she learns the identity of the killer, but does she know? This is the final book in the series (probably, unless another twist can be found says fans of these characters) and you’ll find yourself reading a book inside a book and dealing with different decades that reflect on each other. Here’s hoping writer and editor Susan Ryeland gets another opportunity to enter the world of both fiction and murder at the same time.

The South of France, Atticus Pund's last case. Susan Ryeland is the editor of Elliot Crace's novel, the grandson of Miriam Crace, who died over twenty years ago. Eliot believes Miriam was poisoned, he tells Susan that the identity of the killer is in the book. But somebody in the family does not want the book to be published, and Susan realises she could be a target

A great who-done-it with lots of red herrings and twists. It's a highly recommended read

This is the third in the series that started with Magpie, and is the inevitable result of a successful TV adaptation. Expect to see this on screen soon. This ARC comes courtesy of Netgalley and Penguin Books.

It's another metatextual book-within-a-book mystery, with a roman à clef being read by now-freelance editor Susan Ryeland. There's the cosy crime of the 1955-set Atticus Pünd novel, a "continuation" book written by a different author; and then the slightly less cosy crime of what's happening in the "real world" of publishing, editing, television. Lots of famous names get dropped, human and corporate, and there's also a hint of a third narrative level, with the author himself wryly commenting on the events taking place in the world he knows so well.

The Pünd novel is set in the South of France, and concerns the murder of an aristocratic woman, a will, and an extended family, all of whom are suspects. The special feature of this crime is that the woman only had months to live — so why was she murdered?

The higher level narrative takes place in London, where Ryeland realises that the continuation author Eliot Crace is coding the book with members of his family and suggesting that his grandmother, a famous author of children's books, was murdered. But all is thrown into disarray when someone else is killed and Susan comes under suspicion.

I like this kind of thing, the book-within-the-book. It's an easy, fun, read, and if you're a fan of the other books (or the TV series) you won't be disappointed.

This is either book three of this series, or the final episode in the trilogy depending on what you read. I'm really hoping it's the latter and the author can find a way to bring it back again. Not only for the book but also I kinda really love the TV adaptations, and I believe that this one has already started in production even though at the time of writing this, it's not even published yet!
So.. being a series, you really ought to read Magpie and Moonflower Murders first. For the main story it's not crucial as it is self contained, but it's always good to have the full background and, anyway, they are both cracking books in themselves so...
Right... this book follows the same pattern as the previous. We have shenanigans going on in the present which connect/mirror with what is going on in the book-within-a-book. Said bwab obviously can't be the brainchild of Alan Conway cos he is long since dead, and anyway, he drew a line under his main character Atticus Pund when he have him an incurable medical condition in the final book he did write. See, always better to play catch up! Anyway... the author has dug deep and, like other deceased authors' series, he has bestowed the privileged of continuing the Pund series onto a young author Eliot Crace. Much like he himself has written for the Ian Fleming Estate in continuing the James Bond series, and his Holmes books. But Eliot is a troubled young man with a bit of a crazy childhood, and dysfunctional family, all of which he can't help but transfer into print, with rather tragic consequences... but that's all for you to find out...
I love this series, I know I already said that, but I do, and I really want it not to be the final outing for Susan Ryeland. I think she is a rather cracking character and I know she has way more to give. That said, I am also partial to the Hawthorne and Horowitz series and want another one of these too, so... I know I'm greedy. But he is such a great author and his style really fits with me.
And I also love the bwab thing that the author has completely mastered in this and the two previous books in the series. I especially enjoy trying to work out the connections between the two, the characters, the settings, the situations, the anagrams, and particularly the murders; victim(s) and perpetrator(s). I don't get it all right, but where would the fun be if I did and, tbh, the author is way cleverer and sneakier than me so... hats off.
Anyway... If you liked the previous two books, or TV adaptations, you'll love this one. If you haven't then I'd suggest you partake of Magpie Murders first. Me, I'm eagerly awaiting the TV show of this, and then, maybe another H&H book, please?
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I have seen the first TV adaptation but have not read the first two books yet - they are in my top-be-read pile.
So I did have a picture in my minds eye of the characters and how they would appear.

I did find the first part convoluted and confusing and a bit slow to read but as the book progressed I got more enthralled and had to read just a ‘little bit more’ to find out what happened. The perpetrator was a complete surprise.

The book was well written however I found going between the cases and Atticus Pünd could be a little confusing - the chapter heads were no help in this book.

It was a worthwhile read and I shall go and read the previous novels as I presume they will be different to the TV series.
Thank you Anthony Horowitz

First of the Atticus Pund books I’ve read. Yes I know it’s the last of a trilogy but still worked well as a stand alone story,
Really enjoyed the story. Characters I cared about and well written,
I will certainly look for more books by this author.
Recommended

I was excited to read this from NetGalley. I have not read any of this series but have watched the tv adaptations with Lesley Manville.
This was a great addition to the book series. The author has created great characters with murder, mystery and good twists thrown into the mix

Recommended read - due for publication 10th April 2025

It wasn't love at first page, it was a slow burning affair and I realised I had missed Susan Ryeland and Atticus Pund.
It grew on me and couldn't put it down as I wanted to know more about the clues in the Pund story and what was going to happen.
Anthony Horowitz didn't dissapoint me and delivers another winner
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine