Magpie Murders: A Novel

When book editor, Susan Ryeland receives the latest draft titled Magpie Murders from well-known mystery author Alan Conway, she never thought that a story would consume her life as much as this one did. “….how he had managed to enter my world before the thought occurred to me that maybe it was I who had entered his.” Magpie Murders was a classic whodunnit novel starring Detective Atticus Pünd and his trusty personal assistant James Fraser. As the two investigate two deaths – one that appeared to be accidental and another one that was indeed not an accident and extremely gruesome *shivers*, Pünd and Fraser begin tracing the clues to uncover the murderer. In this small village, everyone appears to have a motive, so Pünd and Fraser have their work cut out for them. Susan was truly enjoying this latest mystery novel, but when she got to the end of the manuscript, she discovers that the last few chapters appear to have been left out, leaving off in a major cliffhanger. Left with the question on who the heck killed Magnus Pye, Susan goes to work the next morning only to discover that Alan Conway is dead – an apparent suicide and the last chapters of the Magpie Murders is missing. So many questions, and so few answers…… Determined to find the missing chapters and have some closure on the mystery that was handed to her, Susan is determined not only find the missing work, but finds herself playing detective in a true-life mystery. As Susan continues her quest, she finds that Conway’s novels incorporated hints to his real life embedded throughout. Using these clues, she finds out more than she ever wanted to know and quite possibly will get herself killed in the process. Will Susan find the missing chapters and will she finally find out who the killer is in Magpie Murders and will she uncover whether Conway was murdered or was it simply a case of clumsiness? Well, my dear reader, it is up to you to unravel the clues and find the truth. Magpie Murders is quite simply a brilliant story. It’s a murder mystery inside a murder mystery. With clues incorporated throughout, it really makes the reader think about the words they are reading and try to unravel the mystery (or two). For this reader, I had no idea of either outcome until the very end, and in my opinion, that is what makes a good murder mystery – one that keeps you guessing right until the last few chapters are read. With an intriguing cast of characters and story lines intermingle effortlessly, Magpie Murders is a captivating and enthralling novel that will keep the reader engaged throughout. This novel is truly a must read for any fan of murder mysteries and if you are an Agatha Christie fan, then you will truly be delighted in this story. Is the story within Magpie Murders life imitating art or art imitating life? You be the call…….

I am an infinite lover of A. Christie. This being stated, Anthony Horowitz is next level phenomenal. I am astounded and grateful to have his work before me to relish and enjoy. Thank you so much, Tina

This was a fun read, a mystery within a mystery. The resolution was less than satisfying and didn't make a lot of sense to me, but it was still an enjoyable ride to the end.