Magpie Murders: A Novel

Anthony Horowitz

Jun 2017 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

Don’t miss Magpie Murders on PBS's MASTERPIECE Mystery!

"A double puzzle for puzzle fans, who don’t often get the classicism they want from contemporary thrillers." —Janet Maslin, The New York Times

New York Times Bestseller | Winner of the Macavity Award for Best Novel | NPR Best Book of the Year | Washington Post Best Book of the Year | Esquire Best Book of the Year

From the New York Times bestselling author of Moriarty and Trigger Mortis, this fiendishly brilliant, riveting thriller weaves a classic whodunit worthy of Agatha Christie into a chilling, ingeniously original modern-day mystery.

When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan’s traditional formula has proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.

Conway’s latest tale has Atticus Pünd investigating a murder at Pye Hall, a local manor house. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but the more Susan reads, the more she’s convinced that there is another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript: one of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition, and murder.

Masterful, clever, and relentlessly suspenseful, Magpie Murders is a deviously dark take on vintage English crime fiction in which the reader becomes the detective.

Ratings and reviews

When book editor, Susan Ryeland receives the latest draft titled Magpie Murders from well-known mystery author Alan Conway, she never thought that a story would consume her life as much as this one did. “….how he had managed to enter my world before the thought occurred to me that maybe it was I who had entered his.” Magpie Murders was a classic whodunnit novel starring Detective Atticus Pünd and his trusty personal assistant James Fraser. As the two investigate two deaths – one that appeared to be accidental and another one that was indeed not an accident and extremely gruesome *shivers*, Pünd and Fraser begin tracing the clues to uncover the murderer. In this small village, everyone appears to have a motive, so Pünd and Fraser have their work cut out for them. Susan was truly enjoying this latest mystery novel, but when she got to the end of the manuscript, she discovers that the last few chapters appear to have been left out, leaving off in a major cliffhanger. Left with the question on who the heck killed Magnus Pye, Susan goes to work the next morning only to discover that Alan Conway is dead – an apparent suicide and the last chapters of the Magpie Murders is missing. So many questions, and so few answers…… Determined to find the missing chapters and have some closure on the mystery that was handed to her, Susan is determined not only find the missing work, but finds herself playing detective in a true-life mystery. As Susan continues her quest, she finds that Conway’s novels incorporated hints to his real life embedded throughout. Using these clues, she finds out more than she ever wanted to know and quite possibly will get herself killed in the process. Will Susan find the missing chapters and will she finally find out who the killer is in Magpie Murders and will she uncover whether Conway was murdered or was it simply a case of clumsiness? Well, my dear reader, it is up to you to unravel the clues and find the truth. Magpie Murders is quite simply a brilliant story. It’s a murder mystery inside a murder mystery. With clues incorporated throughout, it really makes the reader think about the words they are reading and try to unravel the mystery (or two). For this reader, I had no idea of either outcome until the very end, and in my opinion, that is what makes a good murder mystery – one that keeps you guessing right until the last few chapters are read. With an intriguing cast of characters and story lines intermingle effortlessly, Magpie Murders is a captivating and enthralling novel that will keep the reader engaged throughout. This novel is truly a must read for any fan of murder mysteries and if you are an Agatha Christie fan, then you will truly be delighted in this story. Is the story within Magpie Murders life imitating art or art imitating life? You be the call…….

I am an infinite lover of A. Christie. This being stated, Anthony Horowitz is next level phenomenal. I am astounded and grateful to have his work before me to relish and enjoy. Thank you so much, Tina

This was a fun read, a mystery within a mystery. The resolution was less than satisfying and didn't make a lot of sense to me, but it was still an enjoyable ride to the end.

About the author

Anthony Horowitz is one of the UK’s most prolific and successful writers, unique in being active in both adult and YA fiction, TV, theater, and journalism. Several of his previous novels were instant New York Times bestsellers. His bestselling Alex Rider series for young adults has sold more than nineteen million copies worldwide and has become a hugely successful show on Amazon Prime TV. His breakthrough murder mystery, Magpie Murders, was adapted into a miniseries for PBS. He lives in London with his wife and dog.