A different step for the Hawthorne novels, looking at a cold case. But delivered with Horowitz' customary aplomb and knowingness. A great read

In Close to Death, the fifth novel in Anthony Horowitz’s “Hawthorne” series, we find ourselves in the intricacies of Riverview Close, a gated community in Richmond Upon Thames where murder and secrets simmer beneath a seemingly tranquil surface. While Horowitz has played the role of Watson to Hawthorne’s Sherlock throughout the series, this time he takes a different approach, retracing Hawthorne’s steps in a previously solved case involving his former sidekick. This clever narrative twist brings a fresh perspective to the familiar dynamic, deepening the intrigue.

The plot revolves around the murder of Giles Kenworthy, a resident whose abrasive personality has left him with more enemies than friends. What follows is a quintessential cosy mystery, filled with quirky characters and darkly humorous observations about suburban life. Horowitz’s signature dry wit shines through as he reflects on the absurdities of his neighbours while grappling with his own place in the investigation. The community is rife with grievances, and Horowitz cleverly showcases how these simmering resentments can lead to deadly consequences.

As he digs deeper, Horowitz becomes increasingly fascinated by Hawthorne’s former partner, adding layers to the narrative that enrich the character dynamics. However, it’s worth noting that in this novel, Horowitz and Hawthorne never actually meet in person, which marks a departure from their usual interactions. This lack of face-to-face encounters adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, allowing Horowitz to explore his character’s thoughts and feelings about the enigmatic detective from a distance.

Although it’s possible to enjoy Close to Death as a standalone read, those familiar with the earlier books will appreciate the wealth of inside jokes and references that deepen the experience. The title itself is another one of Horowitz’s pun-filled delights, hinting at the dual themes of obsession and danger that permeate the plot.

While Close to Death may not deliver the heart-pounding suspense of a traditional thriller, it excels as a witty, character-driven mystery that invites readers to ponder the fine line between camaraderie and rivalry. For fans who enjoy a clever twist on the cosy genre, this book is a delightful addition to Horowitz’s oeuvre, proving once again that he masterfully balances intrigue with a keen sense of humour.

This was a very clever murder mystery.
This was set in the desirable area of Richmond Upon Thames in a quiet gated community. When Giles Kenworthy moves there with his wife and children who are feral and Giles Kenworthy appears not to care about the previous etiquette in the community and did exactly what he wanted causing tempers and resentments to rise.

When Giles is shot dead everyone in the small community comes under suspicion which takes the story into further discoveries about individuals and their past lives. Very cleverly put together. Everyone is puzzled by this murder and the police reluctantly call in Detective Hawthorne who also struggles to fit all the pieces together.

Another brilliant book from Anthony Horowitz- he writes a few different series but this is my favourite one. Always smart, funny, and genuinely brilliant page turning mysteries.

When Anthony Horowitz’s agent demands a new book featuring his cantankerous writing partner, Daniel Hawthorne, before Christmas, Anthony finds himself in a tight spot. With no recent murders to cover and no contact with Hawthorne for months, he decides to write about one of Hawthorne’s past cases.

The case in question involves the murder of Giles Kenworthy, a disliked new neighbor on Riverview Close. Kenworthy’s unpopular plans and disruptive behavior make his death seemingly inconsequential to his exclusive community. The detective in charge, desperate for help, turns to Hawthorne, despite his controversial reputation with the police.

Upon arrival, Hawthorne clashes with Detective Superintendent Tariq Khan but soon begins uncovering crucial details missed by Khan. The residents of Riverview Close, each with a motive, are hiding secrets, making it difficult to pinpoint the killer.

As Anthony delves into the old case, he faces the challenge of solving it before Hawthorne reveals the culprit. This investigation not only offers a chance to uncover hidden truths but also provides a deeper look into Hawthorne’s enigmatic character.

For the fifth book in the series we get a different perspective on the Horowitz and Hawthorne dynamic with a book set largely before their partnership began with very little on the page interaction between the two.

Focusing on Hawthorne's previous crime solving partnership it was great to see a little more of the character from other people's perspectives.

I enjoyed the dual timeline and the introduction of a new element to the mysteries surrounding Hawthorne. I'm looking forward to continuing on the journey with these characters.

I've enjoyed this series so far. It's unusual in the sense that the author is a character in the book while also being fictional. The author has managed keep you hooked while also changing it up. This book in the series jumps backwards and forwards in time and keeps you guessing throughout. It's got enough crime, mystery and humour to keep the book super interesting. I especially love the acknowledgements at the end where the pretence is still kept that this isn't fiction. Lots of good fun. I'll be following the series till the end.

I have always enjoyed Anthony Horowitz’s books and TV series especially Foyles War - hopefully there will be more of them. Was delighted when Random House granted me access to his latest book Close to Death. I particularly enjoyed the book being written in the third person as it gave a different perspective to the characters. I also enjoyed the fact that it was a locked room murder something I particularly favour. It starts with the murder of a resident in a closed community who goes out of his way to be antagonistic to his neighbours. This eventually led to the “suicide” of another of the neighbours. Both of which were investigated by a Superintendent who more or less treated it as an open and shut case. He invited in two ex policemen to investigate and who solved the case. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to you as it is well written and is something different from the usual murder mystery.

‘Close to Death’ is the 5th book in the ‘Hawthorne’ series by author Anthony Horowitz. This is a series that is a little different from the usual mystery thrillers and for me remains as fresh as the first book. Expertly written with compelling characters and an intriguing plot. Riverside Close is an exclusive neighbourhood with six luxurious houses and a picture-perfect community. A stark contrast to the chaos that ensues with the arrival of the Kentworthy family.

The tranquil setting is about to be changed by the Kentworthys who disrupt the peace with their ostentatious lifestyle, arriving with four giant, gas thirsty cars, unruly children and plans to build an ostentatious swimming pool. Tensions quickly grow in the neighbourhood as they manage to offend Their presence quickly becomes a source of tension, and they manage to offend every neighbour with the minimum of effort.

When Giles Kentworthy is found dead on his doorstep with a crossbow bolt lodged in his chest the story turns from neighbourly friction to a gripping whodunit. Detective Hawthorne is tasked with solving the case and will need all of his skills to unravel the truth.

The more Hawthorne investigates the more we discover about the community revealing secrets, grudges, and potential motives for murder. The novel is well paced with an intriguing plot with lots of the twists and turns regular readers of this series will be used to.

I really enjoy this series and Anthony Horowitz writing in general and would recommend this series to anyone who likes to read whodunits with a twist.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for suipplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I have thoroughly immersed myself in every book of the Hawthorne and Horowitz series. Every time I complete one, I am left thinking that bettering that installment would be impossible. However, with the release of each new book, the bar is raised even higher.

In this latest book, there is a departure from the previous novels' premise. Instead of focusing on solving a recent murder, Horowitz delves into an old case of Hawthorne's, seeking to unravel the mystery behind the murder. This innovative shift in perspective injects a fresh and captivating dynamic into the series, effectively guarding against predictability. Nonetheless, this new approach does have the consequence of slightly diminishing the close rapport between the writer and the detective.

Within the gated community, every character has a compelling motive to kill Giles Kenworthy. And I found myself suspecting every single person at various points. Exceptionally well-executed locked-room mysteries such as this one are among my favourite crime stories, and I must say that this particular instalment has been crafted with exceptional skill and attention to detail.

This very intriguing whodunnit is written from the view of the author writing a book about a murder. It weaves together plots and sub plots regarding the authors friend detective Hawthorne and in the end, as with many mysteries the cast of characters is assembled. However there is a real twist in the final chapter. A very cleverly written book.

In this fifth instalment of the Hawthorne & Horowitz series, the previous style of the murder investigations is subverted a little bit when the writer – needing to submit a new manuscript but without a suitable case being on the horizon – turns to an old case of Hawthorne’s.

Still keen to try to work out “whodunit” himself, the fictionalised Horowitz is given documents and interviews piecemeal by Hawthorne, which slowly reveal the case of a thoroughly unpleasant man who was seemingly murdered by one of his disgruntled neighbours some years earlier.

I missed some of the usual interactions present between the two main characters, since they didn’t really spend much time together in this instalment, but like the way the author gave the series a fresh take to keep readers interested. As is typical of this series, the book was very humorous and well-written, with plenty of twists, red herrings, and a clever end solution. I would thoroughly recommend this entire series to any fans of crime novels.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

This book is vey well written.It is plotted in a similar way to an Agatha Christie, in that several characters have reason to commit murder but there is only one to blame.
The story is criss-crossed with several well established mature professionals none of whom springs to mind as the culprit.
The reader is given scenarios that might or not be clues, depending how alert you are whilst reading. As I do 90% of my reading at bed time I may not be the sharpest knife in the block by that time.
I did enjoy the clever plotting, it is a good book.

Behind the gates in Riverside Close, the houses are exclusive, the residents living in harmony within a peaceful quiet community. That is until one of the houses is sold, and the Kentworthy Family arrive, with unruly children, more cars than drivers, coming and going at times of the day and night and plans to chop down trees and install a swimming pool.

They don’t belong and despite more neighbourly methods of dealing with them, someone has other ideas. When the head of the Kenworthy family, Giles ends up dead with a cross bolt through him, in a locked secure community, it seems obvious who all the suspects are going to be.

Enter Daniel Hawthorne as the only person who can possibly solve this locked room mystery. For any previous readers of the Hawthorne novels, you will know that Horowitz himself is a character and whilst he was not a major one this time round, his perspective and questioning of Hawthorne is a interesting twist to the overall mystery.

An excellent read as always, and a classic whodunnit for those who enjoy such books.

An interesting twist on the murder mystery genre. I hadn't read the previous books on the series and would probably have benefited from doing so, but the book works as a stand alone. A very well written book, as you'd expect, which keeps you guessing until the end.

This series is now a must read for me and this instalment is no exception. Close to Death is the fifth in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series of apparently impossible to solve murder mysteries. Within a gated community in Richmond a new neighbour is disturbing the peaceful lives of the other residents and when a murder occurs they all become suspects. In need of material for a new novel Horowitz decides to write about this historical case that occurred before he meets Hawthorne but it doesn’t doesn’t stop him delving into Hawthornes past and possibly finding out things that he wished he hadn’t. This is a real page turner that keep you guessing until the end and which I would highly recommend. Best read as part of the series rather than as a standalone I hope that many readers pick up these books. I can’t wait for the next one. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

A quiet, gated community in Richmond Upon Thames should be just that... quiet and unassuming in a rich, picturesque, highly desirable area of London. Perhaps it is, most of the time, but this is Antony Horrowitz writing about this area, so of course this is turned on its head. There are twists and turns and and ending that you simply must reach.

Giles Kenworthy is the neighbour from hell, the sort you see being written about on social media from time to time each summer. No one likes him and when he is killed, everyone has a motive so everyone is under suspicion. 

Close To Death is very cleverly plotted in such a way that you truly are left guessing until the very end. I found this in The Magpie Murders too. It's reminiscent of Johnathon Creek in some, but not all ways as Horrowitz has very clearly got his own unique style.

I was glued to Close To Death from start to finish, even more than I expected with this curiously intriguing plot.

The author is so engaging that I can’t remember the last few days if my life other than I say and read this book! Such a good series and so well written it’s absolutely a top 10 book.

I was sent a copy of Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz to read and review by NetGalley. This is another novel in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series and reads very much in a similar vein but with the added element of this being one of Hawthorne’s past cases rather than Horowitz working alongside him. As with the previous books this is very readable and there are plenty of twists and turns with a cast of many characters to keep you guessing whodunnit. I certainly kept changing my mind and didn’t necessarily get the culprit right in the end! A good solid mystery – you know what you’re getting with this series!

I love a good murder mystery where you feel part of the story and Anthony does it again. He brings Riverside and all its residents to life. I had no idea how it was all going to draw to a close so hats off to him for keeping me guessing! Loved it.