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The Word Is Murder

Hawthorne, Book 1

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The Word Is Murder

By: Anthony Horowitz
Narrated by: Rory Kinnear
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Now available to preorder: Moonflower Murders, the latest fiendish murder mystery from Anthony Horowitz
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SHE PLANNED HER OWN FUNERAL. BUT DID SHE ARRANGE HER OWN MURDER?

A woman is strangled six hours after organising her own funeral.

Did she know she was going to die? Did she recognise her killer?

Daniel Hawthorne, a recalcitrant detective with secrets of his own, is on the case, and he's found himself a sidekick – popular crime novelist Anthony Horowitz, who's struck a deal with Hawthorne to turn his latest case into a true crime bestseller.

But the case is twistier and bloodier than Hawthorne had bargained for, and the unlikely duo of detective and writer find themselves neck deep in danger. When the written word is your only defence, you know you're in trouble when the word is murder...
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Buried secrets, murder and a trail of bloody clues lie at the heart of Anthony Horowitz’s page-turning new detective series. If you enjoyed BBC’s Sherlock, you’ll LOVE The Word is Murder.

Chosen as one of Crime Time's books of the year

'Raises the game-playing to Olympic level' – Guardian Books of the Year

'A real page-turner. I loved it!' – ALED JONES (ITV, Weekend)

'The beguiling whodunit plot is dispatched with characteristic elan as Horowitz blurs the line between fact and fiction' – Financial Times

'Splendidly entertaining, absorbing and difficult to put down. Hawthorne is an intriguing character' – Daily Express

'Sharp-witted readers who think they've solved the puzzle early on can rest assured that they've opened only one of many dazzling Christmas packages Horowitz has left beautifully wrapped under the tree' – Kirkus Reviews

'Deduction and wit are well-balanced, and fans of Peter Lovesey and other modern channelers of the spirit of the golden age of detection will clamor for more' – Publishers Weekly

Amateur Sleuths Crime Thrillers Detective Fiction Mystery Private Investigators Psychological Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Crime Murder
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Critic reviews

Ingenious twist on the classic whodunnit
Splendidly entertaining, absorbing and difficult to put down. Hawthorne is an intriguing character
Horowitz is strong on plot … and infectiously zestful
A real page-turner. I loved it! (ALED JONES (ITV, Weekend))
Raises the game-playing to Olympic level.
Actually the word is not murder, it's ingenious ... A masterful meta-mystery.
The beguiling whodunit plot is dispatched with characteristic elan as Horowitz blurs the line between fact and fiction
There is plenty of metafictional fun to be had
Fast-paced and full of unpredictable twists and turns.
Horowitz has put together a cleverly twisting mystery featuring plenty of suspicious characters and more than a few red herrings
All stars
Most relevant
This little masterpiece is a gem. The perfect marriage of a talented author and a gifted narrator. I could listen to Rory Kinnear read Anthony Horowitz all day long. In fact I think I will.

Perfect piece of story telling.

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I loved Magpie Murders, this is even better Mr Horowitz. If You really are a fan of Agatha Christie, you have eclipsed her with this unique, well-written, humorous piece.
Hurry up and write your next please!

Superb!

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Really well read, liked the story and I couldn't wait to get to the end along with not wanting it to finish!

great mix of fact and fiction

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I love Anthony Horowitz ' works in all the different genres so was looking forward to this and was not disappointed! It was a macabrely funny and clever book and definitely kept me guessing. The narration suited the style of writing perfectly , I thought, and was very credible. Thanks!

Excellent entertainment!

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Horowitz (or should we call him Tony!) takes an old, loved genre and gives it an interesting twist.

Clever , clever, clever

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