The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz

November 30, 2023

The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz

Anthony Horowitz is having his first play produced in London's West End theatre district. It's a crime comedy (think Deathtrap) set in a psychiatric hospital. Although it has a good cast and did well outside of London, on opening night, the Times theatre critic pans the play. The next morning, she is stabbed to death at her home. The police arrest Anthony because his fingerprints were on the weapon, a souvenir dagger. After his detective friend Hawthorne bails him out of jail, they have 48 hours to figure out who killed the critic.

This is the fourth book in Horowitz's Hawthorne mystery series, in which the author himself is a character. This one has a definite Agatha Christie vibe: there are interviews with the suspects which reveal a surprising number of people who had a motive, seemingly irrelevant clues and information, and a final grand reveal at the end with all of the suspects gathered together. These are fun literary mysteries with Horowitz playing Watson to Hawthorne's Holmes. Recommended for readers who enjoy clever mysteries.

London's West End theatre district, where much of the action is set