Books › The Word is Murder
The Word is Murder
460 pages
A clever, self-aware puzzle box that invites the reader to peek behind the curtain of how a classic mystery is built.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like being invited into the author's private study to watch a magic trick being dismantled and reassembled in real time. It is a delightfully meta experience, blending the cozy, familiar rhythms of a Golden Age whodunnit with a sharp, self-aware modern sensibility. The narrative moves at a brisk, engaging clip, driven by the friction of a deeply reluctant partnership and the dry, wry humor of an author who has written himself into a corner. The prose is conversational and crisp, breaking the fourth wall just enough to make you feel like a co-conspirator. It is an absolute treat for mystery purists who love a clever puzzle but are looking for a fresh, playful twist on the traditional detective format.
- Mood
- intellectually stimulating
- theatrical
- cozy yet sharp
- Tone
- wry
- self-aware
- playful
- dry
- clever
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the mechanics of storytelling · blurred reality and fiction · reluctant partnerships · the anatomy of a mystery
- The writing
- Crisp, conversational, and highly self-referential, breaking the fourth wall with a wink while maintaining narrative tension.
- The arc
- Begins with reluctant, irritated curiosity and builds into a deeply invested, puzzle-solving obsession.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love classic Golden Age whodunnits but crave a fresh, meta-fictional twist and dry British wit.
Content notes
- murder
- mild violence
- grief
About the book
It’s been two years since Injustice aired and Detective Daniel Hawthorne needs cash. Having gotten himself fired from his job at the Metropolitan police, Hawthorne decides to approach Anthony Horowitz. He’s investigating a bizarre and complex murder and he wants Anthony to write a book about it, a bestselling book of course, with a 50/50 split.
The only catch is they need to solve the crime.
But award winning crime writer Anthony Horowitz has never been busier in his life. He’s working on Foyle’s War and writing his first Sherlock Holmes novel. He has a life of his own and doesn’t really want to be involved with a man he finds challenging to say the least. And yet he finds himself fascinated by the case and the downright difficult detective with the brilliant, analytical mind. Would it be really such a crazy idea for Anthony to become the Watson to his Holmes? The Hastings to his Poirot?
Should he stick to writing about murder? Or should he help investigate?
A classic crime for the modern reader, The Word is Murder is a whodunnit to end all whodunnits.
Description from Open Library.
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