Name: The Word Is Murder
Rating: 3.771428571428571 (105 reviews)
ISBN: 9780062676801

Anthony Horowitz

A Novel

The Word Is Murder

The Word is Murder

I think it's just my personal issue with British mystery book (at least so far) but I kind of have a little bit problem digesting early stage. Surprisingly went really breezy; had to thank the pacing and characters dynamic for that one. Overall this was really fun to read

She planned her own funeral. But did she arrange her own murder?

One bright spring morning in London, Diana Cowper – the wealthy mother of a famous actor - enters a funeral parlor. She is there to plan her own service.

Six hours later she is found dead, strangled with a curtain cord in her own home.

Enter disgraced police detective Daniel Hawthorne, a brilliant, eccentric investigator who’s as quick with an insult as he is to crack a case. Hawthorne needs a ghost writer to document his life; a Watson to his Holmes. He chooses Anthony Horowitz.

Drawn in against his will, Horowitz soon finds himself at the center of a story he cannot control. Hawthorne is brusque, temperamental and annoying but even so his latest case with its many twists and turns proves irresistible. The writer and the detective form an unusual partnership. At the same time, it soon becomes clear that Hawthorne is hiding some dark secrets of his own.

a novel

The Word Is Murder (Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery #1)

Sajiya Chaudhary

I haven't read a book yet where the author himself appears as a character. Apart from the interesting characters, I loved how Horowitz dived deep into the producer, director, actors' world. Also now and then mentions of the known tv shows, books that he himself likes, made the reading experience more like a conversation. Pretty different from a regular murder mystery

Sonia Grgas

g.m.

Compelling and complex but ultimately slow and a little bit too self congratulatory for my taste.

Kate B-L

This book was definitely an interesting and unique concept, introducing the author as a main character within the plot. It meant for me the main appeal of this book was in the narrative structure rather than the mystery itself, which felt secondary as I adjusted to this interesting method of storytelling. A really good story, but I felt it was missing a little something, perhaps needed a bit more drive behind it. But I enjoyed this unusual structure and felt very hooked!

Beth Bartholomew

SHE PLANNED HER OWN FUNERAL. BUT DID SHE ARRANGE HER OWN MURDER? New York Times bestselling author of Magpie Murders and Moriarty, Anthony Horowitz has yet again brilliantly reinvented the classic crime novel, this time writing a fictional version of himself as the Watson to a modern-day Holmes. One bright spring morning in London, Diana Cowper – the wealthy mother of a famous actor - enters a funeral parlor. She is there to plan her own service. Six hours later she is found dead, strangled with a curtain cord in her own home. Enter disgraced police detective Daniel Hawthorne, a brilliant, eccentric investigator who’s as quick with an insult as he is to crack a case. Hawthorne needs a ghost writer to document his life; a Watson to his Holmes. He chooses Anthony Horowitz. Drawn in against his will, Horowitz soon finds himself a the center of a story he cannot control. Hawthorne is brusque, temperamental and annoying but even so his latest case with its many twists and turns proves irresistible. The writer and the detective form an unusual partnership. At the same time, it soon becomes clear that Hawthorne is hiding some dark secrets of his own. A masterful and tricky mystery that springs many surprises, The Word is Murder is Anthony Horowitz at his very best.

Janna Niemi

A great book.
I love the unique perspective and how Horowitz has written himself into the book. It’s refreshing to read book from that perspective. 
The plot is great and I loved the mystery. I love how the title of the book is so in with the story. I really enjoyed that this book was not the typical murder mystery and there are some fresh points. 
I love the characters but especially the narrator. I love their voice, and the feeling they bring into the book. 
All in all, this is a marvelous murder mystery and I loved every word of it. 

*ARC received from publisher via Netgalley

The bestselling mystery from the author of Magpie Murders - you've never read a crime novel quite like this

Sonja H

Anthony Horowitz habe ich über sein Buch „The House of Silk“, das er im Auftrag des „Arthur Conan Doyle Estate“ geschrieben hatte. Mir hatte diese „neue“ Sherlock-Holmes-Story ausgesprochen gut gefallen und mich neugierig auf diesen Autor gemacht.

Leider funktionierte „The Word is Murder“ für mich überhaupt nicht.

A) Ich wusste sofort, wer der Mörder war, es fehlten mir nur die Hintergründe
B) die Hauptfiguren sind unsäglich nervig

Hier hat sich Horowitz in guter, alter Sidekickmanier selbst ins Buch geschrieben, sozusagen als „Watson“ seines Protagonisten Hawthorne. Ich habe keine Ahnung, wie er auf die Idee kam, dass das der Geschichte einen gewissen Pfiff verpassen könne – es nervt ungemein, wenn er alle paar Seiten von seinen vorherigen Büchern erzählt und jammert, dass das neue Buch „seins“ ist und er sich nicht von Hawthorne in seine Kreativität hineinreden lassen werde. ich wollte ihm mehrfach zurufen „ist ja gut, wir haben das kapiert!“
Dennoch klebt er als Figur an seinem ach-so-klugen Detektiv, hängt an seinem Rockzipfel und hofft, selbst das Rätsel lösen zu können.

Auch Hawthorne mit seiner distanzierten, überheblichen Art ging mir ungeheuer auf den Keks. Natürlich wusste er alles schon viel früher, aber wir als Leser werden komplett im Dunkeln gelassen und sehen keine Zusammenhänge, so sehr wir uns auch bemühen. Doch Hawthorne steht weit über uns und belächelt uns milde…

Tut mir leid, aber das Buch hat mich von Anfang bis Ende einfach nur genervt. Ich wollte lediglich wissen, wie er die Fäden zusammenführt und habe es deswegen bis zum bitteren Schluss gelesen.

Eine Leseempfehlung kann ich nicht wirklich aussprechen.

Amy Maddess

I don’t think mystery is my thing. I read the whole thing because the audiobook had a great narrator.

Not sure if I liked it but I couldn't put it down because it was well written.

Jordan Robinson

Justine Rose

*3.25/3.5 
The self inserted author bit felt quite jarring throughout the novel, especially with all the name dropping and whatnot, but I did like the reasoning for it by the end. 
The story itself was nothing spectacular, and I was beginning to lose interest before the funeral happened. It brought me back in and I did enjoy the book, but I’m not sure I’ll continue with the series.

Valentina Cherednichenko

Another classic Whodunit from Anthony Horowitz. It's a very quick read with a simple to follow story line. Nothing special but it is a good read.

Ben Nathan

A really fun meta-mystery that makes me want to read more of his stuff. Just a fun read with a cool mystery that unravels in an interesting way.

Yuki Reads

Anthony Horowitz's murder mysteries are always completely original. I love how his books are usually two stories combined into one, and The Word Is Murder was so meta.

Alanna Hammond

This was the first book I’ve ever read by Anthony Horowitz and I really enjoyed it! Very well written and an interesting ending! Also it’s the first book I’ve finished in a long time because of a terrible reading slump 😁

The Word Is Murder A Novel

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