Crime & Beyond Reads Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

The Denver-based book club, Crime & Beyond, recently discussed an Anthony Horowitz book and Kerry Hammond is here to tell us what they thought.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz was a book within a book. Two whodunits in one. A traditional mystery set in the 1950s and a modern day murder stemming from it. Anthony Horowitz is a very prolific writer of fiction, writing for television, movies, and books. We suspect he doesn’t sleep, which is how he finds the time to write as much as he does. However he manages it, we are very pleased that he does.

In Magpie Murders, Editor Susan Ryeland receives the latest manuscript from famous author Alan Conway. It is his latest novel to feature his well-loved detective, Atticus Pünd. As Susan reads about Pünd’s latest exploits she is convinced there is more to the story and that Conway’s book may be something other than fiction.

We loved this book and there were so many twists and turns, so many different clues and threads, that we could have discussed it for hours. We liked all of the intricacies of the story and how each and every issue was wound around and threaded through. The nursery rhyme theme was something that you would read in an Agatha Christie novel, along with the clues that were peppered throughout the story and the small village setting where everyone had a secret – but only one led to murder.

This is a wonderful book club read because there is so much to discuss. A few club members even mentioned it was one of the best books we’ve ever read as a group. That’s high praise indeed.