Magpie Murders - Anthony Horowitz

54%
15.05.18

Another ingenious, slightly postmodern and very English novel from the prolific Horowitz. It was clever, and pleasing from my point of view to have an editor act as detective, but somehow ultimately unsatisfying.

The Word is Murder - Anthony Horowitz

66%
17.03.18

In a slightly postmodern twist on the standard murder mystery, the author casts himself in the bumbling Watson or Hastings role to the inscrutable detective. It works well as a mix of autobiography and fiction, and is cleverly plotted enough to provide enough false leads for a satisfying denouement.

The House of Silk - Anthony Horowitz

57%
28.12.12

As is suggested from the fact that I haven't reviewed any Conan Doyle, my knowledge of Sherlock Holmes is gained entirely from the screen, not the page. I do have collected works on my Kindle but there are always more tempting books to read. So I can only judge the merits of this "official" spin off as it stands. Horowitz is a respected writer, and his style and period details convincing enough. The content has been toughened up for modern tastes and there are some annoying self-references but, as historical crime fiction, it does the job.