Anthony Horowitz | MAGPIE MURDERS

Plot (via Goodreads):

When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan’s traditional formula has proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.

Conway’s latest tale has Atticus Pünd investigating a murder at Pye Hall, a local manor house. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but the more Susan reads, the more she’s convinced that there is another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript: one of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition, and murder.


Review:

One of my favorite reads this past summer was LIES SHE TOLD by Cate Holahan. The reason I loved this one so much was the unique and fantastic idea of a novel within a novel. Anthony Horowitz has exceeded my expectations with this fantastic way to keep a readers attention. While reading the novel within, I found myself forgetting I was reading a novel within a novel as my mind and thoughts were catapulted into this world of 1950's London dealing with one, possibly two murders and getting to know a phenomenal bunch of Agatha Christie inspired characters. As I neared the end of the 200+ page novel, I was thrust into reality and needing to know absoutlely more about everything involved.

What I loved so much about the plot to this one was that it's reminiscent of Agatha Christie with the Atticus Pünd series, but the real meat of the story and the actual novel itself is fantastically dark, deceptive and blindly addicting British mystery. Both novels alone are mysterious and totally different and yet very different, which was so addicting. I had a spiderweb of red herrings, murders, and tension building as the pages flew by and I couldn't help obsessing with this one when I wasn't reading it.

Not one word, character, sentence, or comma is wasted on this brilliantly written and extremely intricate novel an I am so thankful to HarperCollins for sending me a copy. I would definitely add this one to your Christmas list as it's the perfect read to get lost in while the snow is blowing outside!

Special thanks to HarperCollins for sending me this read in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5