The Word Is Murder: A Novel

When the narrator of this story, none other than Anthony Horowitz the famous screenwriter, is approached by former police detective Daniel Hawthorne to write a book about his work solving crime, Horowitz is not particularly interested. Daniel Hawthorne is not a very sympathetic man, and, in all the time Horowitz has known him as a consultant during his work in television, he has not warmed to him. Therefore, the idea of following him around, watching him solve a crime doesn’t really appeal.
However, when the crime in question turns out to involve a woman, Diana Cowper, who, after arranging her own funeral at a London funeral parlor, is found dead the same night, Horowitz can’t quite resist getting involved. He fancies that he can help solve the crime, even though Hawthorne is determined to manage without his input. This unlikely duo will have to sift through a number of puzzling clues to find out what links Diana’s murder to that of the second murder: her famous son.

Like Horowitz’s other book Magpie Murders, The Word is Murder is bold, unique, and to my mind utterly brilliant. Mixing fact and fiction and an interesting plot, he has created a book that mystery lovers will not want to miss. This one is sure to become a classic in the whodunit genre.