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Some recent reading
Aug. 7th, 2021 09:48 amI read twenty-three books in June and twenty-seven in July. These were mostly Chalet School re-reads, and they’re quickly got through. I’m also re-reading a number of other series children’s books. I have found time to read a few other books, you’ll be pleased to hear.
A Line to Kill is the third Hawthorne and Horowitz mystery and will be published on 19th August. I read it thanks to NetGalley. The previous titles were The Word is Murder and The Sentence is Death. I read these in the wrong order, unfortunately. The unusual twist to these books is that Horowitz writes as himself, including real people, places and events, while Hawthorne, the mysterious private investigator who keeps turning up, is a fictional character. Some people see this as egocentric writing by Horowitz but I find it original and have now enjoyed all three books.
In A Line to Kill, Horowitz is invited to a little-known literary festival on Alderney, sponsored by an online gambling company called Spinthewheel. He is miffed to find that both his publishers and the festival organisers seem more interested in Hawthorne. The festival is much like others, only smaller. While it’s going on, the island’s richest and most detested man is murdered rather horribly; the first murder ever on Alderney. As the local police are not used to serious crime, they ask Hawthorne to investigate before reinforcements arrive. Where to start? The island is full of people glad to see the victim dead. And then there’s a second murder … Just to complicate matters, Hawthorne’s nemesis, Derek Abbott, is on the island. Years before, he had been seriously injured while in custody, and accused Hawthorne of pushing him downstairs. Hawthorne always said it was an accident but he was forced out of his job. He’s such an enigmatic character that we may never know the truth of the matter.
The case seems nicely wrapped up and everyone has been allowed to leave the island when Hawthorne comes up with a bombshell, different solution. I think that’s the reason I found this book slightly less good than the other two in the series: too much of an Agatha Christie-style surprise.
( more books )
A Line to Kill is the third Hawthorne and Horowitz mystery and will be published on 19th August. I read it thanks to NetGalley. The previous titles were The Word is Murder and The Sentence is Death. I read these in the wrong order, unfortunately. The unusual twist to these books is that Horowitz writes as himself, including real people, places and events, while Hawthorne, the mysterious private investigator who keeps turning up, is a fictional character. Some people see this as egocentric writing by Horowitz but I find it original and have now enjoyed all three books.
In A Line to Kill, Horowitz is invited to a little-known literary festival on Alderney, sponsored by an online gambling company called Spinthewheel. He is miffed to find that both his publishers and the festival organisers seem more interested in Hawthorne. The festival is much like others, only smaller. While it’s going on, the island’s richest and most detested man is murdered rather horribly; the first murder ever on Alderney. As the local police are not used to serious crime, they ask Hawthorne to investigate before reinforcements arrive. Where to start? The island is full of people glad to see the victim dead. And then there’s a second murder … Just to complicate matters, Hawthorne’s nemesis, Derek Abbott, is on the island. Years before, he had been seriously injured while in custody, and accused Hawthorne of pushing him downstairs. Hawthorne always said it was an accident but he was forced out of his job. He’s such an enigmatic character that we may never know the truth of the matter.
The case seems nicely wrapped up and everyone has been allowed to leave the island when Hawthorne comes up with a bombshell, different solution. I think that’s the reason I found this book slightly less good than the other two in the series: too much of an Agatha Christie-style surprise.
( more books )
