The Word Is Murder

Hawthorne, Book 1

By: Anthony Horowitz

Narrated by: Rory Kinnear

Now available to preorder: Moonflower Murders, the latest fiendish murder mystery from Anthony Horowitz
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SHE PLANNED HER OWN FUNERAL. BUT DID SHE ARRANGE HER OWN MURDER?

A woman is strangled six hours after organising her own funeral.

Did she know she was going to die? Did she recognise her killer?

Daniel Hawthorne, a recalcitrant detective with secrets of his own, is on the case, and he's found himself a sidekick – popular crime novelist Anthony Horowitz, who's struck a deal with Hawthorne to turn his latest case into a true crime bestseller.

But the case is twistier and bloodier than Hawthorne had bargained for, and the unlikely duo of detective and writer find themselves neck deep in danger. When the written word is your only defence, you know you're in trouble when the word is murder...
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Buried secrets, murder and a trail of bloody clues lie at the heart of Anthony Horowitz’s page-turning new detective series. If you enjoyed BBC’s Sherlock, you’ll LOVE The Word is Murder.

Chosen as one of Crime Time's books of the year

'Raises the game-playing to Olympic level' – Guardian Books of the Year

'A real page-turner. I loved it!' – ALED JONES (ITV, Weekend)

'The beguiling whodunit plot is dispatched with characteristic elan as Horowitz blurs the line between fact and fiction' – Financial Times

'Splendidly entertaining, absorbing and difficult to put down. Hawthorne is an intriguing character' – Daily Express

'Sharp-witted readers who think they've solved the puzzle early on can rest assured that they've opened only one of many dazzling Christmas packages Horowitz has left beautifully wrapped under the tree' – Kirkus Reviews

'Deduction and wit are well-balanced, and fans of Peter Lovesey and other modern channelers of the spirit of the golden age of detection will clamor for more' – Publishers Weekly

Critic reviews

Ingenious twist on the classic whodunnit

Splendidly entertaining, absorbing and difficult to put down. Hawthorne is an intriguing character

Horowitz is strong on plot … and infectiously zestful

A real page-turner. I loved it! (ALED JONES (ITV, Weekend))

Raises the game-playing to Olympic level.

Actually the word is not murder, it's ingenious ... A masterful meta-mystery.

The beguiling whodunit plot is dispatched with characteristic elan as Horowitz blurs the line between fact and fiction

There is plenty of metafictional fun to be had

Fast-paced and full of unpredictable twists and turns.

Horowitz has put together a cleverly twisting mystery featuring plenty of suspicious characters and more than a few red herrings

diverting and pleasant

Easy listening. I enjoyed the first person narration and real life references. A pleasant read without being very demanding of the listener / reader

An addictive read

This is my first introduction to Anthony Horowitz. This was a witty fast paced and quintessential British listen. Daniel Hawthorne enters and dominants the book. All the while we know very little about him. In this we are pulled along on the murder of an elderly woman who six hours prior, made her funeral arrangements. There are quite a few family secrets that are revealed. And it goes in directions that are quite unexpected.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Rory Kinnear. His voice range for male characters was spot on. It was easy to differentiate between characters. He is well-suited for this book.

Would recommend to those who love British crime works or those who like mysteries with a literary bent. This will not disappoint. Plus the next book in series is due out later this year.

Brilliant!

What made the experience of listening to The Word Is Murder the most enjoyable?

A masterfully crafted book by Horowitz and shifts the genre of whodunits by blending in fiction with non-fiction. The central protagonist is the author himself here and over the course of the book, weaves in a murder mystery skillfully introducing the grump detective Hawthorne and a paraphernalia of characters, Christie-style with Holmesian bits thrown in. All in all, a fine and dandy book to read and would tax your grey cells a bit.

Also, brilliant narration! Kudos

Who was your favorite character and why?

The author and Detective Hawthorne, of course

Whodunnit out of the top drawer

Watch out for those clues! A detective fiction master class. Excellent narration rounds off a superb story

great listen !

Where does The Word Is Murder rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the most enjoyable.

Any additional comments?

I loved 'Magpie Murders' and I truly enjoyed this one, too. Good story, well told and narrated - my kind of thing.