The Twist of a Knife - Anthony Horowitz

Oh, I was so happy to find that Anthony Horowitz had penned a fourth entry in his absolutely wonderful Hawthorne and Horowitz mystery series. The Twist of a Knife has just released. 

I can't recommend this series enough. It's clever in so many ways. The protagonist is the enigmatic Hawthorne, let go from the police force and now working as a P.I. Hawthorne is such a great character - a brilliant detective, but somewhat lacking in personal interactive skills. I quite like him. And playing Watson to his Holmes? Anthony Horowitz. Uh huh - Horowitz has written himself in as a character in the series! He plays himself, writing about Hawthorne's cases. The relationship between the two is...interesting...

There have been three books written about Hawthorn's cases, thereby fulfilling the publishing contract between the two. Tony has no desire to continue the agreement and lets Hawthorn know it. But....when Tony is arrested on murder charges for a death at a local theater, he reluctantly has to call on Hawthorn for help.

I often find myself stopping to check out the literary references related to Horowitz. They're all there and woven into these fictional accounts. And I wonder what it be like to characterize yourself. Horowitz certainly doesn't paint himself as perfect! Hawthorne has been an enigma over the course of the first three books. Slowly, but surely, we're seeing behind the protective barriers he's put in place. 

The choice for whodunit has a 'locked room' feeling, as there is a finite list of suspects who could have done the deed. The mystery itself is excellent. Each and every player is a suspect at some point. I really enjoy Hawthorne's investigative techniques. Alongside Anthony, I question his methods and the information he is gathering. Much seems irrelevant, but as readers we just know there are answers hidden in the interactions. The reader (and Tony) just aren't seeing what Hawthorne does. The journey to the 'ah hah' moment is an excellent read. And the final reveal is a delightful homage to Christie.

Will there be more in this series? I most certainly hope so! See for yourself  - read an excerpt of The Twist of a Knife.