What makes this murder mystery stand out is that the author, Anthony Horowitz, inserts his real self into the story, giving a synopsis of his work, including his Alex Rider series for youths, his work writing for television series, his later books for adults, and more. In The Word Is Murder, Horowitz is contacted by Daniel Hawthorne, a somewhat secretive ex-police detective who now consults with the police on hard-to-solve murder cases.Diana Cowper, the mother of a famous actor, was murdered the same day she visited a funeral home to plan her own funeral. Complicating the story is the fact that ten years ago, this same woman had hit two children while driving, killing one and greatly injuring the other. Is the old tragedy connected to her murder? Hawthorne brings Horowitz with him to interviews, locales, and a funeral, trying to get the facts so that Horowitz can write about how the murder was solved; they've agreed to split the book profits. After a second murder occurs, Horowitz feels squeamish, noting how different it is to be at a murder scene that he had not created as an author. The relationship between the two men isn't completely cordial, as when Hawthorne laments that none of the other writers he'd contacted were willing to agree to this project. Horowitz quits and gets back on board more than once!
The pages practically turn themselves in this multi-layered, somewhat comedic story.
No comments:
Post a Comment