Another brilliantly written novel in this really unusual series. All the clues are laid out but are concealed in plain sight. Most annoying ! as I have never guessed the killer in any of the 4. I suppose you could read this as a stand-alone but some of the enjoyment of the series is reading the author discover clues about Hawthorne’s past. It is such an unusual series of books as it mixes Anthony Horowitz’ s real life history with the novel. Excellent novel yet again I can’t recommend it highly enough. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving* me access to an early copy of this book.

I have enjoyed the Hawthorne And Horowitz series and this fourth book, The Twist Of A Knife is a good, entertaining addition. It works fine as a stand-alone, but there’s probably more enjoyment of the characters to be had if you’ve read the series from the start.

This time, Anthony has a play opening in the West End, but after the First Night party there is a murder and a vengeful Inspector Cara Grunshaw builds a seemingly solid case against Anthony. He and Hawthorne have just a couple of days to discover the real culprit, and Hawthorne is his usual enigmatic and apparently unsympathetic self…

The clues are fairly laid, but you do need to be a very keen-eyed detective to spot them (I didn’t, for the most part), and Hawthorne’s uncommunicative style leaves us guessing for a long time as the threat mounts. It’s an enjoyable, Christie-like mystery; well written of course, nicely structured and quite involving. The rather hapless persona that Horowitz has created for himself in these books is an engaging and sometimes amusing narrator. (This early little exchange made me laugh, for example when Hawthorne tries to be encouraging about one of Anthony’s plays:
“The Daily Mail said it was splendidly entertaining”
“I don’t read reviews – and that was the Express.”)

It’s worth saying, perhaps, that there is a curious little episode at one point where Anthony and another character have a discussion/argument about cultural appropriation. It’s an important topic and Horowitz plainly wants to air his view, which is fair enough and with which I have a lot of sympathy – but it doesn’t fit well into this book and slightly jarred on me.

That said, it’s otherwise good, clean fun. We learn just a little more about Hawthorne’s background and at the end there’s a set-up for more books in the series, which I shall be reading as they appear. Recommended.

(My thanks to Century for an ARC via NetGalley.)

he Twist of a Knife is the 4th book in the unusual and highly readable Hawthorne/Horowitz series.

The main characters are Daniel Hawthorne a secretive, former detective and Anthony Horowitz, the author who shadows Hawthorne rather reluctantly in order to write this series of books about how detective solves his cases.

Horowitz had agreed to write 3 novels and the 4th book begins when Hawthorne contacts the author suggesting they extend the relationship. Horowitz declines. Definitely No. But then…..

This book involves the stabbing of an acidic theatre critic following the London opening of Horowitz’s play, Mindgame.

All the evidence points to the murderer being Anthony Horowitz himself and the police are very quick to arrest him. Then there is a delay at the forensic lab and Horowitz is released on bail. This gives Hawthorne, with Horowitz in tow, some time to do his own investigation.

As with previous books, there is a small number of possible suspects and all have a past they are trying to conceal. Hawthorne is particularly good at uncovering their secrets and joining the dots, but he keeps Horowitz and the reader on tenterhooks until the end. Past secrets and the identity of the murderer are revealed in a dramatic scene set on the stage in the theatre in the presence of all the main suspects, the frustrated detectives and Anthony Horowitz.

It's a clever book on several layers: firstly there is the murder itself. Then there are the secrets - not just those kept by the victim and the suspects, but also the secretive Hawthorne himself. Horowitz knows very little about who he is but uncovers more as each book progresses. Even Horowitz keeps his arrest from his wife. Finally there is the juxtaposition between fact and fiction - Horowitz’s agent in the book is Hilda (who is fictional), he hasn’t been arrested for murder, there is no real life Hawthorne. On the other hand he did write the play Mindgame and it did open at the Vaudeville Theatre after a regional tour. And he makes passing references to his real wife, Jill Green.


The Twist of a Knife is a great read and a real page turner that’s given extra oomph because Horowitz is in jeopardy - fearful that at any moment the police will arrest him with their seemingly watertight evidence.

It’s a 5 stars and, in my opinion, the best in the series so far.

I am very grateful to NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Utterly brilliant, original and compelling.
This is, I believe , the fourth in a series but the first I have read and I did not feel disadvantaged by this, more now determined to seek out the others quickly as I’m sure I’ll love them too.
The novel concept is that the author is actually the main character in the book and under suspicion for murder. He has written a play which is being performed at a theatre and a critic’s, not very pleasant, review has been leaked to those involved in the play and suddenly she is found murdered and the actors and writers are the main suspects. This is all very Agatha Christie and brilliantly evolves as all the suspects seemingly have reason to have committed the crime so it is a race against time for our hero to clear his name, if indeed he is innocent. Quirky, original and very enjoyable.

Apparently not the first book in the series featuring author Horowitz and his detective friend Hawthorne. A really unique way of bringing the author in as a character - especially as he is a suspect in a murder mystery'

Anthony H. being arrested arrested for the murder of theatre critic Harriet Throsby. who has written a poor review of his play, 'Mindgame'.

Lovely lot of twists involving the other possible murderers, and wonderful descriptions of the old theatre in London.

Bit 'wordy' for me in the middle, but very enjoyable.

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House UK Cornerstone for the chance to read and review.

A prolific author and TV series writer. This is the third book to include the clever device of including the author and a disgraced police detective Daniel Hawthorne.
The author has written a play called "Mindgame" which has had a good provincial run and is about to open in London at the Vaudeville. He has met with Hawthorne and told him that he had been contractually obliged to write three books featuring Hawthorne, but he does not want to write any further books featuring the detective. He has found working with Hawthorne unsatisfactory. He is secretive and very much a loner. The author believes he will not miss the hassle.
The author meets with the small cast rehearsing at the theatre. The first night then goes well, but an unlikeable critic Harriet Throsby comes uninvited to the first night party and is nasty to them all. They read her review on line and it is very bad.
The next day the critic is murdered and all the evidence points to the author! Now he desperately needs Hawthorne but will he come after the author had been so brutal to him?
Another brilliant book. The author's love of the theatre and literature shines through his work.
Very much recommended and hopefully there is more to come from this unique pairing?

Wonderful News! More Hawthorne and Horowitz to come. Anthony himself not so happy.

With what delight I began this outing. Anthony Horowitz, sadly, is not that happy with the resounding success and enthusiasm the reading public have shown, for further engagement with the elusive Hawthorne, private investigator with a somewhat mysterious path.

As readers of previous outings will know, Anthony has had a 3 book contract to write about Hawthorne’s cases. The problem for Mr Horowitz, a not particularly astute Watson to Hawthorne’s Holmes, is that though Anthony Horowitz may be – nay, IS a wonderful and inventive writer of many voices – he manages somehow to be an extraordinarily inept and accident prone sidekick companion to Hawthorne, the ex detective investigating grisly crimes.

And this outing is no exception. Mr Horowitz, whilst doing all he can to wriggle out of further professional connections with Hawthorne, finds himself intimately involved with yet another murder, and this time, it is on his own patch.

Horowitz, as we know, is an accomplished scriptwriter (Foyle’s War) as well as an author of many wonderful books. He is deep in the middle of rehearsals for a play he wrote, many years ago, with an interesting cast, and opening night is approaching. Buoyed up by the excitement of the rehearsal process, previews, and the usual frenetic West End anxiety about how the critics will react, he has a less than amicable exchange with Hawthorne, to say he will not be embarking on any further accounts of Hawthorne’s investigations.

And then………something terrible happens and poor Anthony finds himself more intimately involved in a criminal investigation than anyone would ever want.

Hush, I must say no more. WE know Anthony can’t possibly be involved in this type of crime, no matter what the stacking up evidence may say.

As a writer, Mr Horowitz is stunning with his red herrings – the one thing we do know is that almost every theory HE has about solving a crime, will be the wrong one, but he almost surpasses himself in surprises with this one. I was worse than he is at solving this, the herring I was after a complete misdirection!

Fabulous. More please, and soon! We love Hawthorne (Anthony is Ok too)

I received this as a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley, Ecstatically

The play duly opens and at the first night party one of the critics, Harriet Thorsby comes along with her daughter in tow. Anthony Horowitz makes the mistake of asking her what she thought of the play. She doesn’t answer and later leaves the party. As the party draws to a close one of actors reads out a review which is scathing of the play and, in particular, Anthony Horowitz. The next morning the police, in the form of an old adversary Cara Grunshaw, arrive and the main suspect in the murder case appears to Horowitz himself.
The rest of the novel focuses on the way in which Hawthorne sets about solving the case before the police. It is an entertaining book and one which keeps the reader engaged to the end. I will definitely recommend this to others!

When I requested this book from NetGalley (and thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this advance copy in return for an honest review) I seemingly missed the fact that this was the fourth book in the Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery series - I was delighted to discover, however, that this book was an excellent standalone read and that it really didn't matter that I hadn't read the previous books.

I am a big fan of murder mystery - having enjoyed Horowitz's previous books The House of Silk and Magpie Murders and being a big Agatha Christie fan. And I thought this was a great example of a murder mystery. When Horowitz is accused of the murder of Harriet Throsby - a theatre critic and generally unpleasant lady by all accounts - he has only a short period of time in which to discover who in fact the murderer is, and to clear his name. He turns to Hawthorne (a disgraced former police officer and now a private detective) to help him clear his name. Within a matter of days Hawthorne has gathered all of the information together to prove who is the actual murderer - bringing together all of the potential suspects in the theatre, in a style very reminiscent of Hercule Poirot, to reveal who dunnit.

Like the previous book's I've read by Horowitz I thought this book was well-crafted, everything fitted together neatly coming to a neat conclusion. I have to say though that there were little bits that niggled ... I found it annoying to be constantly reminded that Horowitz was up against the clock and at risk of re-arrest any minute - I didn't feel I needed to be told that over and over. But the main thing that I just wasn't sure about was the intermingling of fact and fiction - the writing in of Horowitz himself as if he had really been accused of murder. I have to admit that I did carry out an internet search after finishing the book to see if Horowitz had written a play called Mindgame - and apparently he did and it also showed at the Vaudeville Theatre. However, in reality it didn't end following the brutal murder of a a theatre critic but in fact ran for several years. I understand that the previous three books in this series follow the same format - with an intermingling of Horowitz's real life with the fictional story - so if that isn't something that hasn't previously bothered you and you're interested in reading the fourth in this series then I'd recommend it as a good story. For me though, the jury is still out as to the merits of that approach. Overall this lies somewhere between a four and five star for me - because I didn't like the mix of fact and fiction rather than because I didn't like the story itself.

This classic murder mystery is a fun, quick read with plenty going on and interesting characters. It is well written, and a welcome addition to the author's "Hawthorne" series. I'm already looking forward to the next one.

Number 4 in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, this is another highly enjoyable romp of a who-dunnit, with the now expected, but so original, twist of the author being a main protagonist right at the heart of the action. Self deprecating, witty and entertaining it proved to be the perfect holiday read. Very much enjoyed.

Another hit forHorowitz. This is the fourth title in the "Hawthorne" series and as with tis predecessors, it is extremely cleverly worked, well written and thoroughly entertaining. if we are to believe the final chapter, there are more to come! I certainly hope so. I will surely be reading them. It is very much in the "whodunnit" genre but as always with Horowitz, very ingeniously plotted. The twist with this series is that Horowitz features as the main (usually slightly bewildered) character in his own novels, always at least one step behind Hawthorne. In this one, he is the prime suspect in a sensational murder. Thanks to Random House for a pre-publication review copy. I am happy to add my recommendation.

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

This is the fourth installment in Horowitz’s detective series where he places himself as one of the lead characters and writes as though he is the author following around and reporting on detective Daniel Hawthorne as he solves crimes. I really enjoy this series, it’s such a clever concept and works well to draw you into the narrative.

I think this is an excellent addition to the series. There’s less focus on Horowitz trying to figure out Hawthorne’s backstory and more on the action surrounding Horowitz, who in this book is the main murder suspect, after a theatre critic who gives him a bad review is murdered. I find that more fun as I’m not as invested as Horowitz is in knowing Hawthorne’s story.

The conclusion is purposely mimicking a Poirot book with limited suspects gathered together while the detective explains who did it and goes through all the clues you should have spotted in the course of reading the book.

It’s a delightfully fun and easy read which touches upon a couple of more serious issues such as cultural appropriation and the use of young offender’s institutions in the UK. I highly recommend this series and eagerly await the next offering.

I feel like Anthony Horowitz is one of my reliable writers- I know I'm going to get something well-written and enjoyable with a good plot and bit of mystery. And I got absolutely what I was expecting- it just didn't do more than that. I find this series a bit too meta- maybe it just blurs the lines between the real and fictional too much for me- and yet I have happily devoured every book so far. Enjoyable if not outstanding, a solid 3.5 out of 5. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

The fractious relationship between the author and ex detective Hawthorne takes on a new twist when Anthony the author is suddenly cast as Anthony the murderer following the London opening of “Mindgame” penned by Anthony himself. A malicious, obnoxious critic pans the play and ends up dead and with all sorts of not so subtle clues all pointing his way Anthony finds himself in the frame and heavy footed plod breathing down his neck. Only one person can help - Hawthorne. Aside from from the chase to prove his innocence we finally get some insight as to Hawthornes story along with a realisation of how understanding Anthony’s wife must be! A good continuation to the series and my thanks for the ARC.

Thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Anthony Horowitz' latest Hawthorne mystery.

Another great murder mystery from Mr Horowitz.

A twist to this particular series this time as Anthony himself is framed for the murder of a theatre critic, and there's only one man who can help - Hawthorne!

I love the world and character building that the author so skilfully executes. Each person in the plot is distinct and 'real', with realistic motivations and back stories.

The plot is, as usual, complicated and twisty enough without being over-written. Some lesser writers fill their books with threads that go nowhere and red-herrings for their own sake that serve no purpose, but not here.

We get to know a little more about Hawthorne, with the promise of more information to come in future books. I personally hope we don't find out too much about this great character. He's interesting enough, and I think if Anthony the character gets to know too much about him, it'll spoil the dynamic they have.

I also love the author's naming of streets and buildings in London, and various routes he takes through the capital with Hawthorne. I've no idea why, as he could be making it all up, such is my knowledge of London!

Another easy 5 stars from me

Very enjoyable book however at times I struggled to decide whether it was fact or fiction. Looking forward to next in th3 series

I have not read anthony horowtz book before.thanks to netgallery was able to read his latest book the twist of a knife .love a rollercoaster of a read and this it was no exception,
wow what a great book will be looking out for anthonys book in the future.
it is very intelligent read and devilishy clever and drews you in from start to finish five stars and highly reccommended.

This is the latest in Anthony Horowitz's Hawthorne series. Estranged from freelance detective Hawthorne, Horowitz (yes, he appears in his own book) attends the London premiere of his play Mindgame.. At the afterparty, the author and cast are presented with gifts of daggers. They then receive a preview of a famous critic's review of the play which is damning. Soon Horowitz finds himself arrested for the critic's murder (killed with his ceremonial dagger) and the only hope he has is that Hawthorne will take the case. An enjoyable read, well plotted and has the added entertaining element of trying to disentangle fact and fiction - yes, Horowitz wrote a play called Mindgame that premiered at the same theatre but no there wasn't a critic fatality.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The Twist of a Knife is by Anthony Horowitz - it is the first of his I have read but certainly not the last. It is book 4 in the Hawthorne series in which the author, Horowitz himself plays a slightly inept Watson to Hawthorne's Holmes, though this is a glib way of expressing a relationship that is by turns natural and frustrating. Horowitz writes a play "Mindgame" which is given an excoriating review by Harriet Throsby of the Times who, unfortunately, is murdered the morning after. The rest of the novel has a series of twists and turns as Hawthorne tracks down the murderer. Extremely well written & self-referential in the best way I thoroughly recommend it.