The South of France, Atticus Pund's last case. Susan Ryeland is the editor of Elliot Crace's novel, the grandson of Miriam Crace, who died over twenty years ago. Eliot believes Miriam was poisoned, he tells Susan that the identity of the killer is in the book. But somebody in the family does not want the book to be published, and Susan realises she could be a target

A great who-done-it with lots of red herrings and twists. It's a highly recommended read

This is the third in the series that started with Magpie, and is the inevitable result of a successful TV adaptation. Expect to see this on screen soon. This ARC comes courtesy of Netgalley and Penguin Books.

It's another metatextual book-within-a-book mystery, with a roman à clef being read by now-freelance editor Susan Ryeland. There's the cosy crime of the 1955-set Atticus Pünd novel, a "continuation" book written by a different author; and then the slightly less cosy crime of what's happening in the "real world" of publishing, editing, television. Lots of famous names get dropped, human and corporate, and there's also a hint of a third narrative level, with the author himself wryly commenting on the events taking place in the world he knows so well.

The Pünd novel is set in the South of France, and concerns the murder of an aristocratic woman, a will, and an extended family, all of whom are suspects. The special feature of this crime is that the woman only had months to live — so why was she murdered?

The higher level narrative takes place in London, where Ryeland realises that the continuation author Eliot Crace is coding the book with members of his family and suggesting that his grandmother, a famous author of children's books, was murdered. But all is thrown into disarray when someone else is killed and Susan comes under suspicion.

I like this kind of thing, the book-within-the-book. It's an easy, fun, read, and if you're a fan of the other books (or the TV series) you won't be disappointed.

This is either book three of this series, or the final episode in the trilogy depending on what you read. I'm really hoping it's the latter and the author can find a way to bring it back again. Not only for the book but also I kinda really love the TV adaptations, and I believe that this one has already started in production even though at the time of writing this, it's not even published yet!
So.. being a series, you really ought to read Magpie and Moonflower Murders first. For the main story it's not crucial as it is self contained, but it's always good to have the full background and, anyway, they are both cracking books in themselves so...
Right... this book follows the same pattern as the previous. We have shenanigans going on in the present which connect/mirror with what is going on in the book-within-a-book. Said bwab obviously can't be the brainchild of Alan Conway cos he is long since dead, and anyway, he drew a line under his main character Atticus Pund when he have him an incurable medical condition in the final book he did write. See, always better to play catch up! Anyway... the author has dug deep and, like other deceased authors' series, he has bestowed the privileged of continuing the Pund series onto a young author Eliot Crace. Much like he himself has written for the Ian Fleming Estate in continuing the James Bond series, and his Holmes books. But Eliot is a troubled young man with a bit of a crazy childhood, and dysfunctional family, all of which he can't help but transfer into print, with rather tragic consequences... but that's all for you to find out...
I love this series, I know I already said that, but I do, and I really want it not to be the final outing for Susan Ryeland. I think she is a rather cracking character and I know she has way more to give. That said, I am also partial to the Hawthorne and Horowitz series and want another one of these too, so... I know I'm greedy. But he is such a great author and his style really fits with me.
And I also love the bwab thing that the author has completely mastered in this and the two previous books in the series. I especially enjoy trying to work out the connections between the two, the characters, the settings, the situations, the anagrams, and particularly the murders; victim(s) and perpetrator(s). I don't get it all right, but where would the fun be if I did and, tbh, the author is way cleverer and sneakier than me so... hats off.
Anyway... If you liked the previous two books, or TV adaptations, you'll love this one. If you haven't then I'd suggest you partake of Magpie Murders first. Me, I'm eagerly awaiting the TV show of this, and then, maybe another H&H book, please?
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I have seen the first TV adaptation but have not read the first two books yet - they are in my top-be-read pile.
So I did have a picture in my minds eye of the characters and how they would appear.

I did find the first part convoluted and confusing and a bit slow to read but as the book progressed I got more enthralled and had to read just a ‘little bit more’ to find out what happened. The perpetrator was a complete surprise.

The book was well written however I found going between the cases and Atticus Pünd could be a little confusing - the chapter heads were no help in this book.

It was a worthwhile read and I shall go and read the previous novels as I presume they will be different to the TV series.
Thank you Anthony Horowitz

First of the Atticus Pund books I’ve read. Yes I know it’s the last of a trilogy but still worked well as a stand alone story,
Really enjoyed the story. Characters I cared about and well written,
I will certainly look for more books by this author.
Recommended

I was excited to read this from NetGalley. I have not read any of this series but have watched the tv adaptations with Lesley Manville.
This was a great addition to the book series. The author has created great characters with murder, mystery and good twists thrown into the mix

Recommended read - due for publication 10th April 2025

It wasn't love at first page, it was a slow burning affair and I realised I had missed Susan Ryeland and Atticus Pund.
It grew on me and couldn't put it down as I wanted to know more about the clues in the Pund story and what was going to happen.
Anthony Horowitz didn't dissapoint me and delivers another winner
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Wow. The last of the trilogy of our erstwhile editor Susan as she is tasked with editing another book involving Atticus Pund. A character created by the infamous Alan Conway. Lots of twists and turns as we follow the characters in real time and through the book. So much better in print than on the small screen. Gripping. Just sad now that I have finished it!!

Another great book in the Atticus Pund series the dramatization of which, on the BBC, has deservedly achieved great acclaim. Like the previous two books, Marble Hall Murders is a parallel tale following the present day adventures of Susan Ryland, an editor in a publishing house who is helping a young author, Eliot Grace, write a fictional murder mystery set in the fifties investigated by the renowned detective, Atticus Pund. This is a follow up to the original series since the author of the Pund books, Allan Conway, died in the first book, Magpie Murders. Eliot Grace is Grandson to a renowned children’s author Miriam Crace and the fictional story he is writing, “Pund’s Last Case”, is set around a Matriarchal family whose head dies in suspicious circumstances. This mirrors the family set up in the Crace household except Miriam supposedly died of natural causes but Eliot clearly thinks differently . While this seems convoluted. Horowitz structures the book very well making it relatively easy to keep each story clear in your mind. As in the previous books, Ryland finds herself in a situation where she needs to solve one of Atticus Pund's murder investigations to resolve her real life difficulties. While this device maybe repetitive in the series I did not find it detracted from enjoying the book. If you have read the two previous books you will be wanting to know the next chapter in Susan's life and this book maintains the excitement level as well as having another intriguing plot to follow.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House for providing pre publication access to this book.

Books that are written by a master of the trade are always such a joy to read. This is the third instalment in this series and it did not disappoint. Horowitz knows how to write a book within a book, a mystery about a mystery and he always keeps you hooked until the very end. Susan is an intelligent protagonist and her witty comments and observations turn this novel into a crime lover's treat. I did figure some of it out before the end but it still gave me an immense satisfaction to know that I had it right. If you are thinking of reading Marble Hall Murders make sure you read the other two books in the series first, it will make for a much more satisfying experience.

My thanks to Random House Uk publishers and NetGalley for a copy of “ Marble Hall Murders “ for an honest review.

To my shame this is the first book written by Anthony Horowitz that I had read, although I’ve recommended him to numerous young readers . I was drawn to read this book after really enjoying screen adaptations of the first two in this series .I worried , as the storyline is told over two different timescales, that I would get confused with so many characters , but they were so well written that it wasn’t a problem at all.
This book was suspenseful, entertaining and really enjoyable.and I can’t wait to see the BBC adaptation of it.
I’ll definitely be reading more from Mr Horowitz in the future !

This has been a bit of a strange experience for me. Not the reading of the final book first - that's normal. But whilst I do have the first two book in the series yet to read, I've actually watched the two TV series based on books one and two and so, heading into the reading of Marble Hall Murders, it did feel as though I knew the characters quite well, and it was their TV alter egos I imagined as I read. That was not a bad thing as this meant I slipped into the world of Susan Ryeland really easily, and her penchant for engaging with a fictional detective, Atticus Pünd, to solve what would soon turn to a rather deadly mystery didn't, strangely, feel strange at all.

Susan is back in the UK, working for an independent publisher who has engaged a new author to write new books in the Atticus Pünd series following the death of the series creator. The author, Eliot Crace, comes from a literary family, his Grandmother having once been a famous children's author whose legacy has become something of a family business. Susan is asked to work as editor on the book but, as is the way with this series, it becomes apparent quite early on that this latest novel once again blends fact and fiction, and it seems to Susan that Eliot is making rather a bold statement about his Grandmother's somewhat unexpected demise some twenty years earlier. In order to protect both Eliot and the reputation of the Crace estate, Susan tries to find out more about the Crace family to ensure that the book does not stray into libelous territory, but not everyone wants her intrusion, least of which is the author himself. Cue mystery, mayhem and subterfuge that sees Susan soon stand accused of murder.

What I do enjoy about this series is that Anthony Horowitz leads us behind the doors of publishing into the very real, and in Susan Ryelands case at least, cut throat world of books and bookishness. If you are a bit of a book nerd, those moments of humour and the literary references certainly make you chuckle, and so many times I found myself smiling over some little titbit (or easter egg perhaps, given the season) that author dropped into the narrative. For those less booky, it is still an completely engrossing and entertaining read, although it may well put you off a career in publishing from either side of the page. Anthony Horowitz, by way of Susan and Atticus, really does make it seem a rather dangerous business.

This is not a short book - nearly six hundred pages long - and the pacing, at least for the first part of the book is not fast, time being spent in establishing the many characters and the premise of mystery, and the plot of the novel, that Susan is trying to solve/edit. There is question over whether or not the death of Miriam Crace was suspicious or not, although the more we learn of her and the more of her family Susan meets, the easier it is to believe what is being insinuated in Eliot's writing. But there is what could definitely be called an 'inciting event' that happens just over halfway through, that changes the pace, and the focus, of the book quite dramatically. This is no longer the possibly maybe of a cold case, and more about the definitely perhaps deliberately of a new one. As a reader, I am conditioned to wholeheartedly believe in Susan's innocence, the trouble being how she was able to prove it.

Anthony Horowitz has a real skill in creating mystery and misdirection, and he has played a canny game with this latest book. The narrative is told through Susan's eyes but also by way of excerpts from Eliot's manuscript in which it is very easy to determine which of his fictional characters represents which Crace family member. The switch back and forth between the present day investigation and the excerpts from the novel works well, each new scene advancing our understanding and pushing towards a near foregone conclusion. Or does it? Well, that might not make for much of a mystery. Or it could be an elaborate double bluff on Mr H's part. If I was Susan, I'd probably be rethinking my career choices, but I am glad that she, or rather the author, decided to take us, and her lovely MG, for one last spin. Recommended for fans of the series. A nice way to come full circle and end the series.

Susan Ryeland is living life back in London and never thought she’d be asked to edit a new Atticus Punt novel, after the last few nightmare years and a few murders to deal with, she thought that part of her life was over. Until a new author comes along and she is back into the world the master detective.
The man who’s going pen the new novel is called Eliot Crace and he has a story to tell, but Susan starts to get a bad feeling when she finds comparisons in the book and Eliot’s past. A past someone in his family doesn’t want getting out.
Before Susan realises, she is back into the world of murder, conspiracy and Atticus Punt, and this time it could be her on the killer’s radar.
This new Magpie Murders book is simply sublime.
A novel of twists and turns and puzzles that the reader will absolutely love.
I personally think there are very few authors writing today that can match Anthony Horowitz. His books are so addictive, they are impossible to put down, and the character Susan Ryeland is truly wonderful.
This is how to write a murder mystery novel and it’s one of he’s finest books to date. It’s a true masterclass.

Susan Ryeland and Atticus Pund are back, with Susan now living in London, quite a change from Crete. When she’s asked to work with Eliot Crace, she’s not convinced it’s a good idea but needs the work. I enjoyed the book within a book, mystery within a mystery style, which worked very well. I thought it would be a confusing read but it wasn’t. I couldnt take to most of the Crace family, but then I don’t think we were meant to. Really good plotting, well written and great ending. Although a standalone read, I’d recommend reading the books in order.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

'Marble Hall Murders' is another ingenious murder mystery within a murder mystery following on from 'Magpie Murders' and 'Moonflower Murders'. Literary editor Susan Ryeland (possibly the unluckiest woman in publishing) has returned to London from Crete after the end of her relationship with Andreas, and is struggling to make ends meet as a freelancer. This is why, despite her better judgement, she agrees to edit a new Atticus Pünd novel. Pünd's creater, Alan Conway, was murdered in 'Magpie Murders;, so young writer Eliot Crace has been commissioned to write this sequel.

As Susan reads the opening section of Eliot's manuscript, she is intrigued by the whodunnit he has crafted - about the murder of Lady Margaret Chalfont in the South of France - but starts to discover that there may be parallels between the deaths of Lady Margaret and of Eliot's grandmother, beloved children's author Miriam Crace, twenty years previously. And the more that Susan investigates, the more she becomes embroiled in a murderous web of secrets and lies.

Anyone who has enjoyed Horowitz's previous whodunnits will love this novel - it is full of the same hidden clues and devious plot twists, coupled with the author's insider knowledge of how crime fiction and the publishing industry work, with lots of references to real authors and books which book-lovers will appreciate. Both mysteries are cleverly plotted, and overall this is a highly suspenseful and entertaining read. Many thanks to NetGalley for sending me an ARC to read.

While it will have its detractors due to the unpinning of Moonflower's ending, Marble Hall Murders is a dizzyingly deft, well-executed mystery with some neat metatextual twists and compelling characters. It's not necessary by any means, but closing out Susan's story is a bold swing from one of the UK's most trusted storytellers.

I so needed this book after a run of disappointing reads! Having read and loved the first two Susan Ryeland / Atticus Pund books, I felt reasonably confident that I was guaranteed an entertaining read…. And I was absolutely right! Marble Hall Murders is an absolute delight.

Anthony Horowitz is such an accomplished writer; you can just relax and enjoy knowing you’re in safe hands. I rarely re-read books but I will make an exception and am already looking forward to listening to the audiobook.

I would recommend reading the previous two books in this series; each one is fabulous. I’m slightly gutted as I’m not sure there are any plans for another in this series but as long as Mr Horowitz plans to continue his Hawthorne and Horowitz series, I can be placated… just!

The exquisitely produced Moonflower Murders was one of my favourite television shows from 2024. Based on Anthony Horowitz’s eponymous novel, it was a delightful mystery featuring book editor Susan Ryeland and the fictional amateur detective Atticus Pünd.

Now we have a literary follow up to Moonflower Murders and a new television series on the way!

Marble Hall Murders finds Susan back in England and back in the editing game. Susan’s previous experience with the late Alan Conway’s novels about the famous detective, Atticus Pünd, resulted in her nearly being killed, twice! Now she has reluctantly been persuaded to work on a Pünd ‘continuation’ novel. The new book is by Eliot Crace, grandson of Miriam Crace who was the biggest selling children’s author in the world until her death exactly twenty years ago. Eliot believes that Miriam was deliberately poisoned. And when he tells Susan that he has hidden the identity of Miriam’s killer inside his book, Susan knows she’s in trouble once again.

As Susan works on Pünd’s Last Case, a story set in an exotic villa in the South of France, she uncovers more and more parallels between the past and the present, the fictional and the real world – until suddenly she finds that she has become a target herself. It seems that someone in Eliot’s family doesn’t want the book to be written. And they will do anything to prevent it.

Marble Hall Murders is great entertainment. The novel within a novel approach by Horowitz once more works a treat. Both stories are captivating, and the reader is quickly caught up in the dual mystery solving. Atticus Pünd and Susan are marvellous characters and they are ably supported by a great supporting cast. Susan is a terrific creation, and her spiky reaction to people and situations is a treat to read, as are her astute observations on writing, editing and the crime genre. I particularly liked her views on continuation novels, especially given Horowitz’s own experiences with them.

As with the other books, the plotting is intricate and Horowitz smoothly weaves in many a red herring to trick and bedazzle the reader. The Atticus Pünd mystery is nicely worked out, while the contemporary story finds Susan in some tricky situations that add some good suspense to the plot. It too is surprisingly resolved.

Marble Hall Murders is a thick book, but it never seems long, and the story really flew along for me. Early on I gave up trying to work out the murderers, and just enjoyed the story and Susan’s amusing reflections on crime stories.

Marble Hall Murders is one of my favourite books of the year so far.

3rd in the series and decided to read this one first after seeing the first 2 adaptations on the TV and then go back and red those after,maybe not the best way to do things but did enjoy it and the 2 mysteries involved in the book and of course did picture it as the TV stars throughout the book
Such a clever original idea and such good writing made this a brilliant read and I will read the other 2 niow

I have been an active reader of this amazing writer for many years. I read his children’s books as I’d bought them for my own and often wished he’d written adult books. So when he started to I was thrilled. If you haven’t read his books yet then you are in for a treat. Not only has he written brilliant books but there a lot of them!
This is no different to any of his books in the way that it really is well written and a can’t-put-down book. It’s part of a series which you will want to read but you can read as a standalone too. It has a taste of Agatha Christie but sent in a modern world.
I love the main character. I love all the character! This writer is genius at bringing them to life. I found myself thinking about them and how the book would end between reads. I was lucky to be able to read this whilst I was recovering from an operation. It really took my mind off feeling sorry for myself! So in a nutshell….this book is a definite must-read and then you’ll have the joy of all his other books!
A string 5 stars.