When Susan Ryeland is approached to look into a murder she is surprised but a link to an author she used to edit appears to be the key. Eight years ago a man was killed in a luxury hotel and his body was discovered during a wedding. A man was convicted but now one of the family has said that was wrong, now she has gone missing and the only clue is in a novel.
I hadn't read the first novel in the series but that didn't really matter once over the first couple of chapters. This is a very long book but that is partly due the inclusion of a complete novella in the middle which is a clever construct and something which works wel. The whole is permeated with a sense of humour and is a homage to the golden age of crime.writing

This is a new author to me, although my children have read many of Horowitz’s book before. I was instantly drawn in to the story and although I felt like I was reading 2 separate books at one point, they both came together in the end to finish the story well. A book I really enjoyed reading, would recommend it

The play within a play or story within a story, sometimes called a frame story or nested story, has a long tradition. It is usually a device for distraction, entertainment or character exposition by contrast or analogy and often quite short. This book provides the reader with two, or is it three, examples serving the last of these functions . The principal character, Susan, is a retired editor now leading a new life running a hotel in Crete. She is hired to find the whereabouts of a missing woman who disappeared after reading a book written by one of Susan’s authors which is believed to contain proof that the wrong man was convicted for a murder that happened eight years previously in the hotel run by the missing woman and her family. In order to solve the mystery, Susan, and, therefore, you, has to read that book. This is not a synopsis but a complete other book. Along the way a complete short mystery story also features. Keeping all of this in one’s head, two completely different casts in two completely different murder mysteries, means the book is a great work out for the brain and memory. There are also some clever word games going on which have no effect of the storylines but which bring an extra delight when spotted. Lest you think this all sounds too onerous, I should stress that it is also extremely well written so interest and enjoyment are maintained throughout and the reader is left with a feeling of great satisfaction.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a pre-publication copy for the purposes of this review.

Another of Alan Conway's infamous detective series stories is at the centre of a baffling and intriguing mystery in Moonflower Murders.

Conway's former editor, Susan Ryeland is now a hotel proprietor living in Greece. It's been two years since the life altering events of Magpie Murders, which saw Susan turning her back on the publishing world for good.

Then two English strangers, Lawrence and Pauline Treherne, approach her at work to ask for her help. Their daughter Cecily has been MIA for several days, and they are out of their minds with worry. It all started eight years ago, when a guest at their five-star hotel (Branlow Hall in Suffolk), Frank Parris, was beaten to death in his room during the weekend of Cecily's wedding. When maintenance man Stefan Codrescu was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder, Cecily had strong doubts that he was guilty, but admitted defeat when the evidence against him proved overwhelming.

But now Cecily has vanished, and her last words to her parents was an ominous phone call to their holiday home in the South of France. Cecily had just finished reading Alan Conway's third novel, Atticus Pund Takes the Case, and within its pages had discovered something startling that had convinced her that Stefan Codrescu was innocent after all. The author in question had stayed at Branlow Hall six weeks after Parris' murder, and had asked endless questions about the man's death. Cecily excitedly informed the Treherne's that she'd send them a copy to see the link for themselves, but upon reading it they find nothing out of place. When they ring Cecily for further explanation, they are shocked to discover she has been reported missing.

Is it conceivable that in the space of the few days Conway spent at Branlow Hall he uncovered the identity of the real killer, but instead of going to the police, chose to include it in his fictitious novel? Susan is determined to get to the truth, whatever it takes.

Once again Anthony Horowitz has delivered on all counts – Moonflower Murders was intricate, carefully-plotted, addictive, and a pleasure to read from start to finish. Fans of Magpie Murders will be just as floored by the second installment, and if you are new to this series, I would advise you to start with Magpie as there is one major spoiler in Moonflower.

Just like Magpie, Moonflower contains an entirely separate book within the narrative structure of the main story. The first twenty odd chapters were conveyed in Susan's first person POV as she investigated Cecily's whereabouts and learnt all she could about Parris' murder. Then at the 37% mark she delved into Atticus Pund Takes the Case, set during the golden age of mystery stories, which gave us readers the opportunity to search for the clue to Parris' actual killer alongside Susan. Unlike Magpie Murders, this Atticus Pund installment was a published novel rather than a manuscript, so I found it cool that it had its own cover complete with artwork, copyright and publishing information, as well as cast of characters listed in front. Anthony Horowitz never fails to go that extra mile.

Moonflour Murders has deservedly knocked all my other books aside and earned the coveted title of ‘My Favourite Book of the Year’. Finally, something amazing has happened in 2020.

I'd like to thank Netgalley, Random House UK – Cornerstone, and Anthony Horowitz for the e-ARC.

In the aftermath of the death of Alan Conway, writer of the Atticus Pünd series, Susan Ryeland has moved to Crete, Greece to run a small hotel with her boyfriend Andreas. Soon she realizes it’s not all that it was made out to be. (Anyone who has friends working in independent smaller hotels/B&Bs knows it is hard and often ungrateful work.) Susan and Andreas are in debt and their relationship is on the rocks, so Susan jumps at the lucrative opportunity to investigate the disappearance of the daughter, Cecily, of a wealthy British couple who run the Branlow Hotel in Suffolk. Cecily read Conway’s Atticus Pünd novel after Conway stayed at Branlow Hotel. Just before her disappearance, Cecily discovered the identity of the person responsible for the murder at Branlow Hotel, in Conway’s book. Susan arrives at Branlow Hotel to help find Cecily and soon also starts to look into the murder. Susan is an unconventional investigator, but a resourceful one. Again there is a book within the book: Atticus Pünd Takes The Case.

Anthony Horowitz is one of those master storytellers who manage to instantly transport you to the setting of their story, whether it is a small picturesque hotel on a Greek island, Kings Cross Station or a stately hotel in Suffolk.
The book is incredibly well-written, and the plot is captivating and intricate. Horowitz always has strong characters, which are well-developed and well-rounded. The ending was very clever and I did not see it coming. Overall it was a very enjoyable read, which I highly recommend.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

9/10

Another great read by Anthony Horowitz, I think that makes it 4 of his I've read now and I've not been disappointed in any of them. This one follows on from the cleverly crafted Magpie Murders and attempts to pull off a similar trick, but can it succeed? Well, my 5* rating suggests it does and with ease.

The layout of this book is flipped from the last one where we now get the bulk of the story upfront and then read the Atticus Pund book trying to piece together the mystery afterwards. It's clever and it's quite the accomplishment to have two stories of varying styles in the same book that rely heavily on one another. It must have been a real nightmare to keep track of everything for the author but it's pulled off really well even if I didn't spot any of the clues knowing they were there in front of my face.

The style of both stories flow really quickly and it's a book which you quickly power through to try and find out more information. I wouldn't hesitate to read another in the series although I wonder how far the same style can go before it becomes a bit of a stretch. Alan Conway can't have written all 9 Atticus Pund novels reveling true to life crimes can he...?

Highly recommended and whilst not essential to read in order I would suggest maybe reading Magpie Murders first as there are a few reveals here which would give the game away.

My thanks to Random House Cornerstone/Century for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Moonflower Murders’ by Anthony Horowitz. I accompanied this with its audiobook edition for an immersive experience.

This is the follow up to Horowitz’s highly acclaimed 2017 novel, ‘Magpie Murders’, and features publisher Susan Ryeland doing another spot of literary sleuthing. While it works fine as a stand-alone with background provided, ‘Magpie Murders’ is such a treat and well worth a read.

A wealthy English couple approach Susan with the tale of a murder that took place in their hotel eight years previously on the day that their daughter Cecily had been married. Stefan, one of the hotel’s employees, was arrested and confessed to the crime and is now serving a life sentence in prison.

They report that a few days ago Cecily had called them in France in the middle of the night very upset saying that Stefan was not responsible for the murder. She said that she had come across something in a book “it was right there - staring me in the face.” When they returned home they were met with the news that Cecily had disappeared.

The book was ‘Atticus Pund Takes The Case’ by Alan Conway, a crime novel that Susan had edited some years previously. It turns out that Conway had known the murdered man and had visited the hotel some weeks after the murder and spoken extensively with their family and the staff.

It appears that the clues to the murder and to Cecily’s disappearance lie within the pages of this novel. They ask Susan to find out what has happened and offer her a significant fee. How can she resist?

Again, this is a book within a book. ‘Atticus Pund Takes The Case’ is presented whole as Susan sits down and reads it cover to cover. It is set in 1953 and is very much an English cosy mystery in the tradition of Agatha Christie.

This was so clever and contained many ‘Easter eggs’ alongside traditional clues. It was very entertaining and is a book and series that I would highly recommended to lovers of whodunnits both classic and modern.

The blurb:
Retired publisher Susan Ryeland is running a small hotel on a Greek island with her long-term boyfriend. But life isn’t as idyllic as it should be: exhausted by the responsibility of making everything work on an island where nothing ever does, Susan is beginning to miss her literary life in London – even though her publishing career once entangled her in a lethal literary murder plot.
So when an English couple come to visit with tales of a murder that took place in a hotel the same day their daughter Cecily was married there, Susan can’t help but find herself fascinated.
And when they tell her that Cecily has gone missing a few short hours after reading Atticus Pund Takes The Case, a crime novel Susan edited some years previously, Susan knows she must return to London to find out what has happened.
The clues to the murder and to Cecily’s disappearance must lie within the pages of this novel.

My review:
I hadn’t appreciated that the Moonflower Murders was the second in a series, following on from the Magpie Murders. I haven’t read the first and don’t think this omission impacted on my enjoyment of this book.

This is a classic murder mystery with a closed cast of characters, a carefully crafted plot. The ending wraps everything up plausibly, so that the reader isn’t left wondering or feeling cheated by the author.

My only criticisms were firstly that I struggled to accept that Susan Ryeland would be asked to investigate the crime. Also, she was living the dream on a Greek island. Would she really return to the UK for this? My second problem was the slow pace. We were gradually introduced to all the characters and some of their conversations were banal. Clearly Horowitz was hiding the clue in there, but at times I almost gave up. This may have been my own issue, because I just couldn’t remember all the information – nor wanted to!

Overall, I felt it was competent if uninspiring. It was clever, if too clever for me. But I did enjoy it and can imagine the BBC picking it up for a series. I give it 4 black daggers.

After the investigation into the death of mystery writer, Alan Conway, Susan Ryeland has left her job as a publisher in London and taken up as a hotelier in Greece with her partner, Andreas. As far as Susan’s concerned, her life has been upended quite enough, and she is happy to enjoy her new adventure in the Greek Isles. Not everyone feels quite the same way though.

Cecily Treherne disappears after reading an old copy of one of Alan Conway’s novels – Atticus Pünd Takes the Case – but not until after she told her parents that the book contained a clue that solves an eight-year-old murder that took place on her wedding day. Eight years previously, Frank Parris was bludgeoned to death at Branlow Hall, and his body discovered on Cecily’s wedding day. The man responsible was caught and has been imprisoned ever since … or so they all thought. Alan Conway visited the hotel soon after the murder and was convinced the police had arrested the wrong man, so decided to leave cryptic clues in his new Atticus Pünd novel to lead the careful reader to the true culprit.

Now, with Cecily vanished and nobody else able to decipher the cryptic clues left behind in Alan’s book, the Treherne family approach Susan. After all, as the person who edited Alan’s books, and as the person who worked most closely with him throughout his professional career, Susan is surely best placed to solve this mystery ….

In this sequel to Magpie Murders, Anthony Horowitz utilizes the same intriguing formula that worked so well before: nestled within the pages of Moonflower Murders is the story of Atticus Pünd Takes the Case, making this a type of book-within-a-book. It is a completely unique premise that I had never experienced before picking up Magpie Murders in 2017. It had struck me as a genius new take on the murder mystery genre, and coupled with the Agatha Christie-esque whodunnit storyline, it felt like a winning recipe. Personally, I believe it was, and still is, a masterclass in writing from Horowitz, although, I do think that the novelty may wear off soon if he chooses to follow through with more books in this series.

This is the type of book that I search out: the classic mystery, with a closed cast of characters, a carefully plotted storyline, and a satisfying ending that links all the clues together cohesively to create a plausible explanation of the crime. To me, in a book like this, it is so important for an author to not fall into a “lazy ending” where all the clues point to some heretofore unintroduced character that makes their first appearance as they run from the scene of the crime at the end of the novel (I have been burnt by books in the past that do exactly this, leaving me feeling disappointed and with a bitter taste in my mouth that taints the whole book). Thankfully, Horowitz doesn’t do this in either of the two stories that make up Moonflower Murders. Both Atticus Pünd’s mystery, as well as Susan Ryeland’s mystery, have perpetrators who are familiar to the reader, and the resolution of the crimes are such that the reader could piece them together themselves if they knew the clues to look out for (in fact, I managed to work out one of the endings myself before it was laid out in the book). This – to me, at least – speaks to Horowitz’s masterful skill as a writer and storyteller, and you won’t find me happier than when a book is as carefully pieced together as this.

This book is a tour de force in more than just plot, though: I found the book-in-a-book concept refreshing, even though I had read the predecessor where the same plot device had been employed. Horowitz managed to use the same idea, but with sufficient twist, that I felt the book was completely unique in its own way. Having read both Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders, though, I am not sure that this “book-ception” could be invoked a third time, but if Horowitz were to bring out another book in this series, I would absolutely be front of the queue, waiting to buy it.

Personally, I would recommend this book highly to anyone who enjoys the closed-room mystery that harks back to the novels of Agatha Christie (although, at just over 600 pages, this book offers a bit more meat than any of Christie’s books did). It was clever, witty, tightly plotted and fast-paced – a stunning homage to the Golden Age of detective fiction but set in the modern era … mostly.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this book!

Susan Ryeland has retired from publishing and is running a hotel in Crete with her boyfriend, Andreas. It should be a golden life, but she's tired of the lo g hours and struggling to make things work. When the Trehearnes show up out of the blue and ask for her help in locating her missing daughter Susan isn't sure she can help, but she is fascinated by the story and its links to a book she edited in her past life.

This is the first Anthony Horrowitz book I've read, even though it is the second in the Atticus Pund series. I didn't feel like it was a problem that I hadn't read book 1, most of the characters are new to this story anyway.

I have mixed feelings about this one, I think mostly because I wasn't really prepared for the book within a book style. I'd just started getting in to the Ryeland story and getting to grips with who was who when we switched to the Atticus Pund story and a whole new set of characters.

I enjoyed reading the Susan part of the story. It was interesting and I was enjoying trying to work out whodunit. Once I got to the Atticus Pund section I have to say I considered giving up. I didn't feel the need to read a full book within a book, and honestly didn't feel like it added anything. Things picked up again when we got back to Susan and Branlow Hall, although it did drag out a bit towards the end.

The other thing that put me off was all the name links and anagrams and supposedly clever tricks that Alan had used when writing his book - it all felt unnecessary.

There was some enjoyable parts to this, but as a whole it didn't work for me. I found it hard keeping track of all the characters and felt that the Atticus Pund story in the middle was too long winded and not really relevant to the other mystery. It's a series I probably won't continue.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK and Conerstone for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Moonflower Murders is the follow up to The Magpie Murders, that I read just a few months ago. It brings back the character of Susan Ryeland but it can easily be read without reading Magpie Murders. It is a true whodunnit in the style of Agatha Christie, and again it involves a book within a book.

Susan returns to England from Greece where she has moved after the events of Magpie Murders., at the request of the parents of young woman Cecily who was murdered on her wedding day 8 years ago at the family hotel estate. There seems to be a link to another Atticus Pund Book and nobody knows them better than Susan. Again we have a lot of characters in both stories. It is a clever and twisty story that you will not guess the ending of.

Thanks to Random House UK for my advanced copy of this book to read.

I was sent and advance proof copy of Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz to read and review by NetGalley. This is a is a murder mystery in the true sense of the word! The novel is in fact a book within a book, which is a clever foil but one that also has its downsides. The fact that there were so many players made it a little confusing for me at times – whether this was an intentional ploy by the author or whether it was just me not holding on to all the information I couldn’t say… most probably the latter! Nicely written and full of twists and turns, the story within a story gives the reader the chance to re-examine the main plot with potential clues left by fictitious author Alan Conway in his novel ‘Atticus Pund Takes the Case’. While I really enjoyed Moonflower Murders, I can’t quite give it 5 stars, ingenious though it is. For me it seemed to be a fraction too long and, as I mentioned, was slightly confusing as I kept losing track of the characters - whether they should be in the main story or the novel within! Lovers of detective fiction/murder mysteries, however, will adore this novel. It certainly keeps you guessing right until the end!

I have read many of Horowitz's YA novels over the years both to my children and just for the sheer pleasure of his beautifully written, brilliant and engaging stories. At first I found it hard to hear the voice of the female narrator, I am so used to hearing a male voice in Horowitz's work, but as I settled in I got caught up in the narrative and the feeling passed. Then, suddenly, I was reading a different book altogether! And,what's more, I got to read that whole book - by a different fictional author - before returning to the narrative I had been following. To start off with I wasn't convinced that this format would work for me but soon decided it was genius. I loved this book, I'm going to search out its predecessor in the series and look out with interest for its successor.

I first met Atticus Pund in Magpie Murders, I thought it was a one off, it seemingly started at the end of what could have been a series of books. However four years later Atticus is back and his creator Alan Conway long since dead is still making an impact from beyond the grave.

Susan Ryeland, former editor of Conway's novels of Atticus Pund has recovered from her ordeal in the first novel, (this works as a standalone without prior knowledge of the first book) and is living with her boyfriend Andreas in Crete, slogging away in a hotel. It is a far cry from the world of publishing.

That is until two people turn up at the hotel, Lawrence and Pauline Trehearne - they want Susan to help them. They think she must have some prior knowledge to help with the disappearance of their daughter Cecily.

How can Susan help someone she has never met before?

It turns out that Cecily was reading Atticus Pund Takes the Case by Alan Conway and believes it holds the answer to a murder that took place on her wedding day at the Branlow Hotel. Before Cecily can tell anyone why she disappears.

Susan sees this as an opportunity to return to England, to think over what her life has become and to perhaps escape Andreas and the slog of the hotel work and temperamental staff and stagnant relationship.

Being paid by the Trehearne's is an added bonus and surely the answer will be obvious within the book she has edited.

As Horowitz tried out successfully in Magpie Murders, we are treated to a book within a book, a novel within a novel, a murder within the investigation of something else. Everything clearly hidden in plain sight and in the style of the great Golden Age authors.

Can you work out the clues in Atticus Pund Takes the Case?

Can you work out what Susan has discovered through all her investigation?

The reader is treated to a skilfully written novel, the clues are all there, and whilst I had the wrong person for a while, I did have the right reasons but the most obvious simply passed by Susan Ryeland as well as me! If the lead character can be fooled as much as the reader - the author must be on to something.

It would be a great delight if there were more of these novels from Horowitz. I am sure there is much Atticus Pund has to tell us.

A must for all fans of great murder mysteries.

I hadn't expected there to be a sequel to Horowitz's clever and original murder mystery, 'Magpie Murders', which had seemed like a standalone. So I was intrigued by how he would follow it up. His protagonist, former publisher Susan Ryeland, is living in Greece and running a hotel with her partner. Then she is asked to help shed light on the disappearance of a woman who has vanished after claiming to have found the solution to a real-life murder within the text of one of the 'Atticus Pund' crime novels that Ryeland edited.

As in ''Magpie Murders', there are two books within one. The novel starts with Ryeland and her journey to the UK and investigation at a country hotel where a guest was murdered eight years earlier. The manager of the hotel is the missing woman. Then we move into the ''Atticus Pund' novel which allegedly contains the solution. That's a self contained novella within the main novel, a 1950s Poirot-style murder mystery which would be quite publishable on its own. It's actually more fun though, because not only are trying to work out who did it within that story, you're also trying to see what connects it to the real life murder. Then we switch back and conclude with Susan and the resolution of the disappearance and historic crime that triggered it.

In some ways I liked this better than Magpie Murders, because you know from the start that the integrated novel contains more than just the answer to its own mystery, so you read it differently. Also you don't have the frustrating element in Magpie Murders where the final chapter of the 'book-within-a-book' was missing and not revealed until the end of the novel. Having the 'Atticus Pund' story self-contained works better, even though there was a very good reason for the structure in the previous book.

It's a very readable and enjoyable book - and despite its length I got through it quickly. It's the sort of story you look forwards to reading the next part of. You do need to read 'Magpie Murders' first as there are a lot of spoilers (essentially all the important bits of the plot) and several recurring characters where it is helpful to know the background. It's a bit contrived, in the way of all murder mysteries, but that's what I signed up for. The plots of both of the mysteries are clever and keep you guessing. It's also satisfying in that I was able to guess some elements, giving me a glow of success, but not everything, meaning I was still about to enjoy the moment of realisation when all was revealed.

I'd highly recommend this to those who enjoy crime fiction, and any well written novels. It's clever and original whilst also containing all the comforting tropes of classic Christie. There was a whole series of fictional Atticus Pund novels, so now I'm wondering if we might get a third outing for Ryeland. I hope so.

Actual rating 4.5 stars

Moonflower murders begins in Crete, at the Polydoras Hotel in Agios Nikolaos where former editor Susan Ryeland is living with partner Andreas, valiantly trying to keep their hotel business afloat. A surprising and unexpected visit from Lawrence and Pauline Treherne is set to rock the boat when they urge Susan to help them investigate the murder of Frank Parris, guest at the Trehernes Branlow hotel, Suffolk, eight years ago. Although Stefan Cordescu, an employee of theirs at the time , is serving a life sentence for Frank’s murder, this couple have come to the conclusion the wrong man has been convicted. Why have they come to this conclusion? It would seem that their daughter Cecily, whose wedding day was rudely interrupted by the discovery of a dead body, has gone missing and it’s their belief she knows who the real killer is. How does she know this? Apparently having read Alan Conway’s crime novel, “Atticus Pund takes the case”, based on Frank’s murder, the clues to the killer’s identity are littered throughout the narrative. It can hardly be a coincidence that Cecily has now disappeared, can it?!?! With Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Locke, Susan’s nemesis,failing to trace Cecily’s whereabouts, Lawrence and his wife are convinced Cecily has become a victim of foul play. They believe Susan is best placed, as someone with insight into the workings of Alan’s mind, to discover these hidden clues and solve the mystery. Keeping up so far???? Good. Only Susan can decide whether to resist the temptation to return to England, or to defy Andreas wishes and embroil herself in this complex case but really it’s a no brainer.

I loved the concept of a book within a book as essentially there are two murders to be solved, with parallels to be drawn between the two. Reading this is like playing with a set of Russian dolls, so many layers within layers until you finally reach the truth. Just as the reader becomes fully immersed in the lives of the characters and possible suspects in the murder at Branlow Hall, then the storyline diverts into the fictional novel ‘Atticus Pund takes the case’ and your attention then switches to solving this mystery. Obviously I understand the relevance and timing of this departure from the main storyline into the book within a book as it’s integral to the overall narrative but you need to keep your wits about you! Whilst the two whodunnits are both fascinating and engrossing, I found myself enjoying the Atticus Pund mystery slightly more, imagining this fictional character in the vein of Poirot. There are so many individuals with motives for murder, more red herrings than you’d think possible that you can only marvel at Horowitz ingenuity for creating all these smoke and mirrors scenarios. I appreciated (up to a point) the complexity of this whodunnit, with Susan’s current life running a hotel reflected in the Trehernes life at their Suffolk hotel which in turn is reflected in Melissa Conway’s life and her hotel. All very clever and intriguing!

Focusing on Susan’s character, she’s a woman in a conundrum,clearly torn between leaving the editing/publishing world behind and forging a new, simpler, if financially unstable life with partner Andreas. As a reader you get the sense the literary world is in her blood, making it impossible to shut that particular door of her life forever. Apart from the obvious financial gain, I felt Susan had no choice but to return to England and help the Trehernes solve the mystery of Frank’s murder. I found it quite funny that even after his death Alan Conway is still exerting his power over Susan, pulling her back into his world, almost like he’s laughing at her beyond the grave, taunting her with all his obscure clues that may bring the real culprit to justice. If you’ve also read Magpie Murders then you’ll understand how complicated their author/editor relationship was, with the scales of love and hate seesawing constantly. A difficult, even unlikeable man to work with, who belittled the editing process and refused on the whole to listen to Susan’s critique, it would seem there’s no escaping his past work and presence in Susan’s life. Her own detective skills are well and truly tested and she’s a woman certainly up for the challenge.

There’s no denying this is a very cleverly written whodunnit, paying homage to the golden age of detective fiction, perfect for fans of Christie and the like. The plot is so intricate and complex that I would go so far as to say it all felt a bit too clever for my liking. My brain was suffering from serious information overload by the time the main story wrapped up with Susan unavoidably stepping into the shoes of Atticus Pund to reveal whodunnit. Secretly I think she couldn’t help herself, a denouement most fitting in the circumstances. Trying to keep up with such a large cast of characters and their possible connections within both storylines detracted from my overall enjoyment so I would urge fellow readers that unless you are fiendishly adept at solving the most cryptic puzzles, let Susan and Atticus do the hard work for you!
I had read Magpie Murders a few years ago so my memories of that particular plot line were distinctly hazy, suggesting that it probably isn’t essential to read that title first before commencing with this one. In terms of the writing which is dotted throughout with literary references and the ingenuity of the plot, it would be remiss of me to rate this whodunnit anything less than 5 stars. Horowitz writing is in a class of its own but owing more to my lack of skills in the problem solving/ sleuthing department I struggled at times to keep a firm grasp on all the threads connecting these characters, which probably says more about me as a reader than it does about the author’s writing. So it’s 4.5 stars from me, with a warning that you do need to concentrate, it isn’t a book you can pick up and put down easily without losing your train of thought. The length of this book may also be off putting for some readers but remember you are getting two books for the price of one!! All said Moonflower Murders is a masterclass in how to excel at writing a whodunnit and I highly recommend. I hope I haven’t heard the last from Susan Ryeland. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Former editor Susan Ryeland is running a hotel on Crete with her partner when one day she is contacted by the Trehearnes who themselves also run a hotel in England. On their premises, a dreadful murder had taken place years ago which was used by writer Alan Conway as the basis for a successful novel. Since Susan edited Conway’s novels before he died, she might help them because their daughter Cecily has vanished. Immediately before her disappearance, she had read Conway’s novel and obviously was come across some important information related to the crime. As his editor, Susan must know the novel very well so she might be the one to help solve the case. Since she is rather short of money, she consents to come to Suffolk to investigate the circumstances.

After the “Magpie Murders”, “Moonflower Murders” is the second instalment in the Susan Ryeland series featuring the literary detective Atticus Pünd invented by the deceased novelist Alan Conway. Just like in the first novel, we have a novel within a novel which helps to solve a mystery and links two lines of narration. As a reader, you really have to pay attention not to mix up everything since you have a bunch of fictional characters who are represented in the second narration.

Over the last couple of years, Anthony Horowitz has become one of my favourite authors who never disappoints me. He most certainly is a master of complex plots which pay homage to the great crime writers and the Golden Age of crime fiction by respecting Ronald Knox’ “Ten Commandments” of mysteries.

Just as expected, masterly crafted and even though I liked “Magpie Murders” a bit more, an enjoyable read I can only recommend.

Similarly to the first book Magpie Murders, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Moonflower Murders featuring the famous detective Atticus Pund. Compared to the first book, we get a bit more backstory in Moonflower Murders with the former editor Susan Ryeland investigating the disappearance of Cecily Trehearns, a daughter of a couple owning a hotel in Sussex. Cecily believed that one of the Atticus Pund books edited by Susan held clues to solving a murder that took place in her parents' hotel 8 years ago. And so Susan investigates and reads the book again to help her discover the killer and to find out what happened to Cecily.

This book is genius. I think writing a book that's engaging is a great challenge already, but to be able to pull 'a book within a book' requires real writer skills. Atticus Pund is as I remembered him, a peculiar German detective with sharpness and methods not too dissimilar from Agatha Christie's Poirot. This is an intriguing, atmospheric whodunit with a great cast of characters that is highly enjoyable to read.

Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.

In short, I would call this book ‘a workout for the brain’. 496 pages of literary labour, cardio, weights, running, walking and bike/treadmil exercise.

Yes, the book is long. Yes, it is a ‘book-within a book’ trick. Yes, the suspense is slow and flow of the narration comes in bursts and whirpools. But…

You have to read all 400 odd pages of slow-burning suspens, loads of turns and u-turns to get the full weight, blast, hammer (you name it) of the final revelation. Otherwise, the effect will be.. won’t be…

One thing I can say though, I will put off reading Magpie Murders until I get my bearings back. I need a lot of rest after soldering through this book.

Susan Ryeland as literary detective is quite believable and likeable. She is especially likeable when it comes to her personal life. She is just human. She is just a woman looking for her shore.

Susan takes this strange case for the sake of and despite of many things, each one of them are important and play a part in the story. She is surrounded by a bunch of secondary characters that are… Honestly, a very strange group of people. But the reader will have to make up their own minds about these people.

There is no happy end as in old Hollywood films. There can’t be a happy end after two murders and many lives turned up side down. Susan and her partner Andreas are lucky they can simply walk away and close the case (for themselves).

Anthony Horowitz has done a great job with characters, with stretching and expanding the story lines and impgregnating the main plot with another – book. It all adds up to a explosive finale…

Yes, you have to read the book till the very end to get it all…

Five stars from me

Wow, what a read! I listened to Magpie Murders when it came out and loved the narration, but I have to say: reading Moonflower Murders this time around, it’s even better! Straight off on page one the reader is sucked in to the world, the stage is set and the pieces are all laid in place. Expertly done, while never becoming dull.

I am admittedly a huge fan of classics crime (Christie is my go-to), but even so, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this read. And who doesn’t love a mystery with a book at its heart, and a literary publisher as your amateur sleuth? All perfect ingredients for a fantastic read.

Highly recommended for lovers of golden era mysteries, clever detectives, lavish milieus, sinister twisty plots and a set of characters to die for. Hugely entertaining.

Thank you Netgalley and Century/Cornerstone for the e-galley in return for an honest review!