Close to Death

Hawthorne & Horowitz #5

by Anthony Horowitz

In New York Times–bestselling author Anthony Horowitz’s ingenious fifth literary whodunit in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, Detective Hawthorne is once again called upon to solve an unsolvable case—a gruesome murder in an idyllic gated community in which suspects abound

Riverside Close is a picture-perfect community. The six exclusive and attractive houses are tucked far away from the noise and grime of city life, allowing the residents to enjoy beautiful gardens, pleasant birdsong and tranquility from behind the security of a locked gate.

It is the perfect idyll until the Kentworthy family arrives, with their four giant, gas-guzzling cars, a gaggle of shrieking children and plans for a garish swimming pool in the backyard. Obvious outsiders, the Kentworthys do not belong in Riverside Close, and they quickly offend every last one of their neighbours.

When Giles Kentworthy is found dead on his own doorstep, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, Detective Hawthorne is the only investigator that can be called on to solve the case.

Because how do you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Detective, Murder Mystery

519 pages, Library Binding

First published April 11, 2024

About the author

Anthony Horowitz, OBE is ranked alongside Enid Blyton and Mark A. Cooper as "The most original and best spy-kids authors of the century." (New York Times). Anthony has been writing since the age of eight, and professionally since the age of twenty. In addition to the highly successful Alex Rider books, he is also the writer and creator of award winning detective series Foyle’s War, and more recently event drama Collision, among his other television works he has written episodes for Poirot, Murder in Mind, Midsomer Murders and Murder Most Horrid. Anthony became patron to East Anglia Children’s Hospices in 2009.

On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced that Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled the House of Silk.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/anthon...

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy.
This has a different kind of gimmick than the last four books, and I appreciated that he used a new format to keep things from getting stale.
I have to say that I liked this one better than the last book, as I felt a lot of what the fictionalized Anthony did when he was accused of murder was incredibly silly.
This time around the only thing I felt was silly was that Anthony didn't just Google who the murderer was and save himself some frustration.



See, in Close to Death Anthony is on a deadline to turn in a new H & H book, so he contacts Daniel and asks him to retell one of the murders he had previously solved before the two of them met.
But in true Hawthorne fashion, even though he solved the case years ago, he will only give him access to the case files in bits and pieces.
This is where Google would come in handy, imho.
But you just have to roll with it, I guess.



The case is about a group of people who live in a neighborhood with something called a close (apparently a thing in England), and are all suspects in the death of their annoying new neighbor.
The mystery is eventually solved but justice is served in an unconventional way that leaves the reader in suspense until the very end.
I was able to figure out who did it and why earlier than I expected, so the ending twist of what happened to the killer was really all I was waiting for by the end of the book.



As cozy mysteries go, these are pretty good. There's just something oddly satisfying about the author inserting a fictional version of himself into the stories.
Recommended.

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐

The fifth installment of the acclaimed Hawthorne & Horowitz series follows Anthony Horowitz (the fictionalized version of the author) as he revisits one of Hawthorne’s older cases from five years ago – to be featured in his next book.

When one of the residents of Riverview Close, an affluent gated community comprising six houses, is murdered with a crossbow bolt, local law enforcement calls in former Detective Inspector Anthony Hawthorne to assist. The deceased, Giles Kenworthy, who only recently moved into the community with his family was despised by all of his neighbors and it was evident that none of them were particularly grief-stricken by the tragic turn of events. It was also clear to the lead investigator Detective Superintendent Tariq Khan, Hawthorne and his then-partner John Dudley that the residents knew more about the murder than they were letting on and finding the truth was going to be more complicated than any of them had anticipated because all of his neighbors had their own reasons for wanting Giles gone.

Unlike in the previous installments, Horowitz has to rely on case notes, recorded interviews and discussions with Hawthorne, whom Horowitz believes is withholding crucial information. Parallel to researching the closed case, Horowitz also indulges in his personal quest to find out more about Hawthorne, John Dudley and their associates. The narrative switches between past and present timelines – Hawthorne and Dudley’s investigation from five years ago and Horowitz’s pursuit of details from the case and his own investigation into Hawthorne.

With a cast of interesting characters, a fluid narrative and a solid mystery at its core Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz is a cleverly plotted whodunit that is reminiscent of classic locked-room murder mysteries. I thought that this installment was relatively more intense than the preceding books and though I did miss the element of humor that arises from Hawthorne and Horowitz’s usual dynamic, I thoroughly enjoyed following the mystery as it is gradually unraveled. The narrative does suffer from minor repetition, but this does not detract from the overall reading experience. The author skillfully weaves several sub-plots featuring the characters into the primary narrative without distracting the reader from the murder mystery. I was engrossed in the mystery from the get-go and loved the twists and red herrings along the way. Though the primary mystery does not feature Horowitz in his traditional role as Hawthorne’s (bumbling) sidekick, he does have a significant role to play in how several loose ends are tied up in the present day.

I paired my reading with the audio narration by Anthony Horowitz and Rory Kinnear, which made for a thoroughly entertaining immersion reading experience.

I feel that this book would be best enjoyed if you are familiar with the previous installments, especially to grasp the significance of the events in the present timeline and the references to past events.

I'll be eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!

Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph

My reviews for the preceding installments:
Book #1 : The Word is Murder
Book #2: The Sentence is Death
Book #3: A Line to Kill
Book #4: The Twist of a Knife

[Holly B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hawthorne and Horowitz round #5

I just love this detective, who-dunnit series. This time they tackle an old case. A cold case murder from five years ago in the neighborhood of Riverview Close. A gated paradise in London, consisting of six homes (each even had a name like The Gables, The Stables, etc.) on a cul-de-sac.

Ever so peaceful, UNTIL the Kenworthies arrive and upset literally EVERYONE!
There would be a reckoning and many fingers pointing at each other in this once cosy neighborhood. None of them liked Giles Kenworthy. They ALL had a motive, so who exactly was it?!

The author was brilliant in the conclusion, planting seeds of doubt and distractions. I went back and forth on who the villain was! Just when I thought I'd connected all the dots, the rug was pulled!

I had both the audio and the ebook which kept me entertained until the last page.

Thanks to Libby for the loan! Published Aprill 11, 2024

[Utkarsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you solve a murder.... when everyone has the same motive.

How do you find a real killer when everyone wants to kill the guy.

Was Giles kenworthy such a bad neighbor that he deserved to be shot through the throat with an arrow?

What did he do that every one of his neighbors detested him with every fiber of their being?

Can they all be accomplices?

How Can Trivial neighborly feuds lead to a murder?

Something doesn't make sense and Detective Supritendent Tariq khan, feeling out of his element, had no other choice but to call in the notorious Ex DI Daniel Hawthorne.

A crime thriller series where the Writer joins hands with a detective to write about true crime series. But Hawthorne is not your usual detective. He neither cares about being politically correct nor about diplomacy. He calls a spade a spade. He is also notorious for his unorthodox ways of solving mysteries.

Anthony is the Watson to his sherlock. He is the less intelligent guy who is always several steps behind solving the mystery. He is the personification of the average audience who barely have an idea about what's going on. He is the butt of everyone's jokes.

Overall experience

If you would tell me the heart of a man, tell me not what he reads, but what he rereads. And I can reread this thousand times.

Much to my fortune, 7 more parts are going to be published. I am deeply enamored by this series.

Trust me when I say, you are not gonna be sure about who done it till the end. It's a complex web and there are so many red herrings that you often find yourself strayed and lost.



Who should read this book 📚?

For all the literary detectives out there who like the thrill of solving a  mystery, this book would be right up your alley.

If you listen to audiobooks quite often then you will love the audiobook version of this one, Rory Kinnear Narrated it so well. I am disappointed in myself as a literary detective as I couldn’t solve the mystery on my own

[Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Anthony Horowitz’s agent breaks the news that he needs to have a new book featuring his ever disagreeable writing partner Daniel Hawthorne finished before Christmas, it puts him in a rather awkward position. After all, there hasn’t been a murder to write about and Anthony hasn’t even talked to Hawthorne in months. So the idea of writing about one of the talented private detective’s past cases seems to be Anthony’s only choice. There just so happens, however, to be one that has interested him ever since he got to know Hawthorne.

Just after ex-Detective Inspector Hawthorne left the police force, he was faced with quite the tough case when a despised new neighbor on Riverview Close was murdered. With two troublesome kids, no respect for the six fellow residents of his exclusive courtyard community and plans to build an eye-sight of a pool, no one was sad to see Giles Kenworthy dead. So difficult is the case, in fact, that the detective in charge felt just desperate enough to call Hawthorne. Despite his less than stellar reputation with the police.

As soon as Hawthorne arrived, however, he started to irritate Detective Superintendent Tariq Khan. At the same time, though, he and his partner in crime, John Dudley, began to discern details that had somehow escaped Khan’s notice. From the fact that no one seemed to be telling the truth to the existence of a series of seemingly coincidental attacks, the residents of Riverside Close were certainly hiding something. The only problem the investigators then faced was how to figure out who the guilty party really was when each and every person living alongside of Giles had a motive for murder.

Will this be the first time that Anthony will be able to actually solve a case before Hawthorne reveals the guilty party? And what secrets are Hawthorne still hiding? Despite the old case and the fact that it’s already been closed, perhaps Anthony will finally prove his mettle when it comes to identifying the well-hidden clues. At the very least, it will offer up the opportunity to learn more about his curmudgeon of a writing partner—a man more mystery than fact.

Joy of all joys, Anthony Horowitz is back on top with Close to Death. The fifth book in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, this one presented a case from the private detective’s storied past. Due to that fact, I was overjoyed to find one of Horowitz’s specialties—a book within a book metafiction tale. Told in nine sections via alternating timelines, the well-plotted storyline revealed a superbly written whodunnit. From a locked room mystery worthy of Madame Christie herself to the gloriously eccentric characters in both the present and the past, I got sucked in as I desperately wanted to know all of the who’s, the what’s and the why’s.

Speaking of those characters, from the two central personas of Hawthorne and Horowitz to the quirky residents of Riverview Close, they fit the classic mystery/crime fiction genre to a tee. This time around, however, the Sherlock and Watson-esque pair were nowhere in sight. You’d think that would put me off, but I was just as enthralled with Horowitz’s predecessor and his smile-worthy intellect. Hawthorne, as well, was a bit more palatable in this book. Perhaps because his interactions with Horowitz were minimal at best, I grew to cheer on the sly, brilliant man even more. The star of the show, however, were the handful of individuals that provided quite the red herring trap. Suspicious and seemingly dodgy, the provided the perfect backdrop for a locked room mystery novel.

All said and done, this book was yet another hole in one thanks to the virtuoso-like skill of Mr. Horowitz himself. Despite the change in style and narration—or perhaps because of it—I inhaled this book cover to cover. After all, I wasn’t exactly thrilled by the last book in the series. Devilishly shrewd and complete with the perfect Golden Age mystery turned modern setting, even the fact that these books were, for the most part, without gore is just an added bonus. Take it from me, if you love Midsomer Murders (which Horowitz happened to pen some episodes of) or the Grand Dame herself, this series is one you just have to read. After all, it managed to keep me guessing right up until the very end. Rating of 5 stars.

Thank you to Anthony Horowitz and Harper Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: April 16, 2024

Trigger warning: animal death, chronic illness, racism

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

River Close is a quaint little neighborhood with quite the collection of neighbors. Like a chess master (grandmaster), and an overworked doctor, or the overlooked black QC (British lawyer – senior barrister), and so forth. Readers get to meet them all.

And then, there is the newest noisy neighbor who doesn’t seem to care what his neighbors think, Giles Kenworthy, until readers find him shot dead, and now all the neighborhood is under suspicion.

Enter, former detective Daniel Hawthorne, who is usually followed by writer, Anthony Horowitz. But not in this case. This time, this story within a story is told differently – in a back-and-forth way through time – where Horowitz is in the present – and Riverview Close is five years in the past. Since this is the case that Hawthorne is telling him about that Horowitz is wanting to write about for his next book.

So, how did this case really end?

Who wanted the despicable neighbor dead and why? What was someone hiding that Kenworthy may have unknowingly uncovered?

And then, just when all seemed to be clear, there is another murder. What? Why? And, who did it?

How will this second death play into the final scene? What will Horowitz discover as he sleuths out clues?

With so many people who hated the original victim, will this be difficult for readers to guess who could have been the culprit? Will this seem like readers are actually reading an Agatha Christie novel, like “Murder on the Orient Express?” Or, will there be a surprise twist that is original in its own way? (No spoilers from me.)

For fans of the Hawthorne & Horowitz series, this will feel like another easy-to-read, page-turning cozy. For those who are new to the series, you may want to start at the beginning...book 1, "The Word is Murder."

[JanB · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of the Horowitz & Hawthorne duo, then you need no introduction to the characters. If you haven’t met them, do yourself a favor and start with book one.

Horowitz, the character, is under a deadline to produce a book. In desperation he decides to write about one of Hawthorne’s old cases, a murder that took place 5 years ago in the seemingly idyllic cul-de-sac community of Riverview Close.

The residents have lived in peaceful harmony for many years until the neighbor from hell moves in.
When he’s found on his doorstep with a crossbow to the chest, there is no shortage of motives among the quirky eccentric neighbors. As we get to know each of them, Horowitz’s detection skills are put to the test.

Very clever! The breadcrumbs are all there but my detection skills were put to the test too, and I was surprised at the resolution. The author has written a smart whodunit featuring my two favorite characters, and did so while keeping things fresh. The relationship between Horowitz & Hawthorne remains amusing, and the neighbors were delightfully annoying and fun (as long as they aren’t MY neighbors).

Excellent - all the stars! My reading buddy, Marialyce, and I thoroughly enjoyed our yearly dose of H&H and we can’t wait for the next book.

[carol. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unconventional mysteries are where it’s at this year for me. Stevenson was the first and now Horowitz has the second. It was a bit of a gamble; occasionally, Horowitz has gotten a little too clever for me, but this one is solid, minimizing the meta. Once again, the author inserts himself into the story, this time under the pretext of a desperately-needed plot for a contracted book (shades of real life?). In prior books, the character Horowitz has been working with former detective Daniel Hawthorne. In this, he hits up Hawthorne for a prior case that he can turn into a story.

“I wouldn’t have described him as a friend, but after four outings together we were becoming something that vaguely resembled a team. It was also true that but for him, I would have been writing this from inside a prison cell.”

Hawthorne has conditions for this story, and will only tell it a few chapters at a time. The author (the real one) uses a dual timeline for the story, going back in time for the mystery and then working with Hawthorne in the present.

“Hawthorne didn’t like the way I was writing the story. Perhaps neither of us had quite understood the power of the third person. I was describing what people were saying, thinking, where they had come from, how other people saw them – even though, unlike Hawthorne, I had never met them. I was using the notes, pictures and recordings that he had given me, but I was interpreting them my own way and he was insisting that was a departure from the truth. So which one of us was actually in control? We were beginning to see that neither of us was. It was as if the characters themselves had taken control.”

The story is classic country estate mystery with requisite limited cast, although instead of an isolated country manor, we have a gated community of six houses. Because of that, it takes on the feel of the Golden Age mysteries, diving head first into setting and character studies, although Horowitz takes many liberties.

“Giles Kenworthy did not look very friendly, as if he had been disturbed in the middle of something important. He was a short man with very dark, beady eyes and neatly combed hair that was so jet black it might have been dyed. He was smiling but in an unpleasant way. It was the way a child might smile whilst pulling the legs of a spider.”

The meta reflections are interesting, I suppose, but honestly feel quite secondary to the story. There is another murder (of course!) and a reveal, but honestly, it just felt like so much smoke to help the illusion that Horowitz was revealing something tricky when he really wasn’t. It does get more than a little meta when Hawthorne calls Horowitz out on this very fact:

“You never know the solution, mate. That’s what makes your writing so special. You don’t have a clue.”

Bravo, Horowitz; bravo.

[Helga چـو ایـران نباشد تن من مـباد · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant work by one of my favorite authors!

It is the perfect neighborhood; a gated community where everyone knows each other and everyone gets on.
That is until the Kenworthys arrive.

the Kenworthys are the neighbors from hell or more precisely, ‘nightmare neighbors’.
They are loud, rude and irresponsible. They park their cars wherever they want and throw parties whenever they want and they couldn’t care less about their neighbors.
And now, they have decided to build a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi in their back yard. Think of all the dust and noise and the blocking of the views.

When things get out of hand the neighbors decide to sort things out in an emergency meeting. But surprise, surprise! Mr. Kenworthy doesn't show up.

Six weeks after the failed meeting, the hated Mr. Kenworthy is found dead with a crossbow bolt stuck in his throat.

Question:
What do a flustered and irritated GP, a chess grandmaster, two little old ladies, a retired barrister, and a dentist have in common?

Answer:
They are all the Kenworthys' neighbors and they all have a motive to kill.

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author takes a slightly different approach in this fifth book and has Horowitz tackling one of Hawthornes' old, closed cases. Sounds easy but Hawthorne is being even more crabby than usual and will only provide the information Horowitz needs in small batches of paperwork. Plus he will not provide the name of the guilty party in advance. A vital ploy since we the readers do not need this information either.

The first death takes place at Riverside Close which is a gated community with only a limited number of suspects. The second death is a locked room case or in this story a locked car in a locked garage. The residents are not getting on well but would they really go as far as murder?

Horowitz and Hawthorne are not getting on well either, largely due to Hawthorne being uncommunicative and generally difficult. It is hard to work out what his aim is in contacting Horowitz at all. Surely if it is for the money he would be a bit more helpful. This was a minor point of irritation for me, plus I struggled occasionally with the author's voice and the timing. I have not had this issue in the previous books and it was maybe because it was a closed case, so I assumed it had a fixed closure. Never assume.

Still an excellent and very entertaining read and I look forward to more.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I confess, I didn't get on with the first Hawthorne & Horowitz book but so many book-friends love this series and I like Magpie Murders so I thought I'd give it another try, albeit by jumping straight to book 5 - and this time we clicked!

Maybe because Horowitz is sidelined so there's far less opportunity for him to insert all his name-dropping and derail the murder investigation for his literary/TV woes; maybe because that results in most of the investigation being in 3rd person based as it is on Horowitz writing up the story from Hawthorne's notes and recordings; maybe because it gave Hawthorne the chance to shine with a different side-kick - by playing down the exact element (Horowitz!) that didn't work for me in the first of the series, this book suddenly sprang to life.

With a handful of great characters, a crazy murder in a posh Richmond close followed by a version of the 'locked room' mystery, this does a fantastic job of bringing the Agatha Christie-esque mystery to contemporary London. There are lots of little nudges to Christie aficionados, not least a whole bookshop dedicated to Golden Age crime. And there's almost a replay of one of Christie's most famous plots - I gasped in delighted excitement that Horowitz might go there!

In the end, this does show up the artificiality of the genre (and I couldn't help wondering how Christie makes her books so convincing - at least while we're reading them!) but I was all in for the ride.

Classy switch-off entertainment.

Many thanks to Random House, Cornerstone for an ARC via NetGalley

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Close to death listening to this snoozer.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started listening to the audiobook with Simon on the flight from Chicago, USA to London, UK. It was an epic journey as we were relocating back to the UK after living on the other side of the pond for thirty-four years!

Update: It's July 5th and we are settled into our temporary home in rural Herefordshire. We completed the audiobook while working out some of the wrinkles of our new life here in the UK. While we enjoyed the story overall it was a bit difficult to follow at times. I will say that I enjoyed the chapter on locked room mysteries very much.

Horowitz writes that "the real problem of the locked-room mystery is that the mechanics are often so complicated and even contorted that it's hard to believe the murderer could go to so much trouble, and the emotions of the story can disappear in a Heath Robinson construction of cogs and wheels, mirrors, sliding doors and body doubles." We have no choice but to suspend our disbelief.

In the acknowledgements at the end, Anthony Horowitz announces he plans seven more Hawthorne and Horowitz novels and gives a shout out to the excellent narration from Rory Kinnear. Additionally, he mentions that he has written a staggering fifty-three novels so far and wonders if some of his original readers from forty-six years ago may still be reading his books! I learned that he has an online stress counselor, which sounds quite intriguing.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCERPT: The Tea Cosy was a bookshop with a café attached, although given that the space was divided fifty-fifty between the two, it just as easily could have been the other way round. It specialised in detective stories - but only those that belonged to the so-called Golden Age of Crime or modern novels that reimagined it. So, in conversation, the two women who would fondly refer to 'Peter' or 'Adela' or 'Albert' in such a way that an eavesdropper might think they were referring to a friend or a regular customer when in fact they meant Lord Peter Wimsey, Mrs Bradley or Albert Campion, all fictional detectives whose adventures they sold either in antiquarian editions or in new, retro paperbacks put out by British Library Crime Classics. They did not stock any modern, violent, crime novels, especially ones that contained bad language. A casual reader looking for Harlan Coben, Steig Larsson, Ian Rankin or even James M. Cain (The Postman Always Rings Twice) would have to continue down the hill to Waterstones at the corner. What they specialised in - exclusively - was cosy crime.
They also stocked a range of gifts that were all crime related, including the Agatha Christie tea towel May had used to wipe her hands. Other novelties included a Sherlock Holmes magnifying glass, Midsomer Murders mugs and t-shirts, Cluedo jigsaw puzzles and a box of assorted chocolates marked 'POISONED', a tribute to the great novel by Anthony Berkley.
They should have gone bankrupt long ago, but for some reason they continued to scrape by. The books were at the back, packed into floor-to-ceiling oak shelves with the different authors and categories divided by potted plants. The gift section was at the front of the shop on half a dozen tables close to the entrance. There were several different varieties of tea and coffee on offer, along with an assortment of cakes and pastries that Phyllis cooked fresh every day. Her blood orange sponge was probably the most violent object in the entire place.
Ellery went with them. He seldom left their side. And that was how they would spend the rest of the day, May and Phyllis bustling about, chatting to whichever customers happened to look in, Ellery asleep in his special basket, surrounded by books.
An English Murder. The Nursing Home Murder. Murder Must Advertise. Sleeping Murder.
Murder was all around them.

ABOUT 'CLOSE TO DEATH': Detective Hawthorne is once again called upon to solve an unsolvable case—a gruesome murder in an idyllic gated community in which suspects abound

Riverside Close is a picture-perfect community. The six exclusive and attractive houses are tucked far away from the noise and grime of city life, allowing the residents to enjoy beautiful gardens, pleasant birdsong and tranquility from behind the security of a locked gate.

It is the perfect idyll until the Kentworthy family arrives, with their four giant, gas-guzzling cars, a gaggle of shrieking children and plans for a garish swimming pool in the backyard. Obvious outsiders, the Kentworthys do not belong in Riverside Close, and they quickly offend every last one of their neighbours.

When Giles Kentworthy is found dead on his own doorstep, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, Detective Hawthorne is the only investigator that can be called on to solve the case.

Because how do you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect?

MY THOUGHTS: Close to Death, #5 in the Hawthorne & Horowitz series is a bit of a departure from the structure of the previous books. For a start, Hawthorne and Horowitz are not working together although both are characters. The case is not current, but historical - a case from Hawthorne's past and one, I might add, that neither Hawthorne nor anyone else associated with the investigation seems to be happy about being resurrected.

While Horowitz might think that this book would be much easier to write than the previous four - after all, all the facts would be set out, the clues assembled, the killer already known. He felt relieved that he wouldn't have to follow along behind Hawthorne for weeks on end, enduring his constant jibes and he wouldn't be in any danger of being stabbed, which had happened on two previous occasions. All he would need to do would be to have a quick interview with Hawthorne, examine the case notes, visit the crime scene to get the atmosphere and general layout, and then sit down, quietly and safely, to write the novel in the comfort of his own home. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, quite a lot, actually!

There are two murders, maybe more; one of a generally despised man where everyone is a suspect, the other a complex locked room mystery that only Hawthorne sees as a murder. The plot has more twist and turns than a New Zealand road map and I found myself suspecting anyone and everyone. At one point I was absolutely delighted with myself for picking up a clue that Horowitz had obviously missed, patting myself on the back and quite convinced I knew who the murderer was, without a doubt! Of course, I was wrong! It was a red herring. There are a lot of those, strategically placed.

A lot of the red herrings are cleverly laid by the suspects. There are a lot of secrets being hidden by the inhabitants of Riverside Close. None of the inhabitants really want the police taking too close a look at them. Then why the murder which really only can have been committed by one of the neighbours? That is the delicious question, the answer to which is exquisite.

Close to Death is, imho, the best book of the series to date.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#closetodeath #waitomodistrictlibrary

MEET THE AUTHOR: Anthony Horowitz's life might have been copied from the pages of Charles Dickens or the Brothers Grimm. Born in 1956 in Stanmore, Middlesex, to a family of wealth and status, Anthony was raised by nannies, surrounded by servants and chauffeurs. His father, a wealthy businessman, was, says Mr. Horowitz, "a fixer for Harold Wilson." What that means exactly is unclear — "My father was a very secretive man," he says— so an aura of suspicion and mystery surrounds both the word and the man. As unlikely as it might seem, Anthony's father, threatened with bankruptcy, withdrew all of his money from Swiss bank accounts in Zurich and deposited it in another account under a false name and then promptly died. His mother searched unsuccessfully for years in attempt to find the money, but it was never found. That too shaped Anthony's view of things. Today he says, "I think the only thing to do with money is spend it." His mother, whom he adored, eccentrically gave him a human skull for his 13th birthday. His grandmother, another Dickensian character, was mean-spirited and malevolent, a destructive force in his life. She was, he says, "a truly evil person", his first and worst arch villain. "My sister and I danced on her grave when she died," he now recalls.
A miserably unhappy and overweight child, Anthony had nowhere to turn for solace. "Family meals," he recalls, "had calories running into the thousands. I was an astoundingly large, round child." At the age of eight he was sent off to boarding school, a standard practice of the times and class in which he was raised. While being away from home came as an enormous relief, the school itself, Orley Farm, was a grand guignol horror with a headmaster who flogged the boys till they bled. "Once the headmaster told me to stand up in assembly and in front of the whole school said, 'This boy is so stupid he will not be coming to Christmas games tomorrow.' I have never totally recovered." To relieve his misery and that of the other boys, he not unsurprisingly made-up tales of astounding revenge and retribution.
Anthony Horowitz is perhaps the busiest writer in England. He has been writing since the age of eight, and professionally since the age of twenty. He writes in a comfortable shed in his garden for up to ten hours per day. In addition to the highly successful Alex Rider books, he has also written episodes of several popular TV crime series, including Poirot, Murder in Mind, Midsomer Murders and Murder Most Horrid. He has written a television series Foyle's War, which recently aired in the United States, and he has written the libretto of a Broadway musical adapted from Dr. Seuss's book, The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. His film script The Gathering has just finished production. And, oh yes, there are more Alex Rider novels in the works. Anthony has also written the Diamond Brothers series.

https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Knocked off the half because the inimitable Mr Horowitz isn't in it as much as I'd like.

Close to Death is a slightly different Hawthorne & Horowitz novel in that the murder that takes place is historical (5 years prior to being written - read the acknowledgements at the end, it explains everything).

The story itself is a case that involved Hawthorne and his "sidekick" at the time -John Dudley. They are called in to solve what appears to be a very easy case. However, as things transpire, it becomes a lot more complicated.

Horowitz thinks that by regurgitating an old murder that has already been solved it will be easier to write but he can't help trying to pry into Hawthorne's mysterious background and into John Dudley despite being warned by just about everyone to leave it alone.

Close to Death may be a different format but it is still as enjoyable and twisty and complicated (and no I didn't guess whodunnit - in fact I guessed the same as the Horowitz in the story). John Dudley is an engaging character but still Hawthorne and Horowitz play the starring roles.

I love this series of books. The gentle fun that Mr Horowitz pokes at himself is only part of it. He also gives us a detective, unafraid to push the boundaries, who has as fierce an intelligence as any Sherlock. His characters are always believable, the dialogue pitch perfect and when I've finished one I just want more. I hope we get more.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House, Cornerstone for the advance review copy. Most appreciated.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Anthony is being pressured to have another book ready for publishing. Problem is there have been no unusual murders of the type Hawthorne is called on to solve. So, Hawthorne offers him a case that he undertook a few years back, a murder with a crossbow. A limited cast of would be murderers, living in a gated close community, and a murder case that didn’t turn out as expected. Anthony also finds out Hawthorne had a different partner, Dudley that worked with him on this case.

I enjoy this series, but thought this was missing the zing of his others in this series. First of all, Anthony only plays a bit, though essential part and second,I missed the humorous interplay between Anthony and Hawthorne. A very unusual and twisty case though and as with all book in this series, well worth reading.

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I love Mr. Horowitz's stories, this has to be the most senseless book by him. The plot was full of so many holes, I'm not sure how this passed the editorial room.

**Major spoilers ahead**

Why would Adam Strauss sell his property if he had buried his dead spouse in the backyard? Even if he couldn't afford it anymore, the most sensible thing to do would be to find a way to get rid of the body before actually selling it. Given that he's an incredibly clever man - a grandmaster who's always ten moves ahead.

Even if he really couldn't find a way to get rid of the body and has no other way out other than killing Giles, why on earth would he kill Browne? No one suspects Adam and the police have already narrowed Browne as a suspect, so why would you plan an elaborate suicide that further complicates everything?

And the biggest plot hole of all, even if you kill Giles, what happens if his wife decides to go ahead with the pool? Or the people who buy the house next?

****

I was not a fan of the two different POVs. I loved reading the book as written by the author in the book. I didn't like reading behind the scenes, it was a bit jarring and I didn't really care for Tony's obsession with Hawthorne.

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 5th Hawthorne book, dashed through in just a couple of days. An easy, entertaining and breezy read. The initial set up is ultimate cosy crime scenario and as I feel I'm starting to tire of the genre a little, that slightly put me off. However, the beauty of these books is the character of Hawthorne and the layers involved with Horowitz inserting himself into the stories. Once these elements kicked in, the novel took off. Did manage to see the end coming about 50 pages before it arrived, but still a satisfying solution to an entertaining yarn.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my, having just closed the pages on the fifth literary mystery fiction in the wonderful Hawthorne and Horowitz series, I love these books. Horowitz is being pressured to have another book ready for publication but Hawthorne has not had any unusual cases for awhile. But there is a case from the past that piques a lot of interest as once again Detective Hawthorne is called in to solve a very complicated case of a gruesome murder in the idyllic and exclusive gated community, Riverside Close, where six exclusive and attractive homes are nestled away from the grime and grit and noise of the city life of London. This was a change in the format in that this was a former case of Hawthorne’s that he pleaded with Horowitz to leave be, that no good would come from delving into it. And as the mystery unfolds, one begins to understand why Daniel Hawthorne may have been so opposed to it seeing the light of day. Anthony Horowitz is one of my favorite contemporary mystery writers. The Riverside Close location and all of the interesting neighbors was compelling as well as Anthony Horowitz’s determination to learn more about Daniel Hawthorne and the mystery surrounding his former assistant as Anthony is now in that role.

Close to Death uses the cozy mystery genre as it probes what it means to be a good neighbor in this tight-knit community. However, as the book progresses, we begin to explore the darker side of this unwritten social contract. All neighbors in the Close have been in the neighborhood from the beginning, but when the Kenworthy’s move in they have not fallen in line with the expectations and norms spelling trouble in this idyllic community. And thus, the crux of the book that is well done and will leave one with greater insight, not only to Daniel Hawthorne, but to Anthony Horowitz.

“It was a tightly knit community. In fact, it was almost hermetically sealed.”

[Safee-Naaz Siddiqi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Hawthorne series is special for two reasons:
1. Anthony’s first person narration, as the bumbling author who accompanies Hawthorne on investigations, is fresh, funny, and interesting.
2. Hawthorne is an excellent character - and his engagements with Anthony are hilarious.

This book largely lacked both those elements.

That’s because, unlike with its predecessors, Anthony isn’t accompanying Hawthorne while they solve the case together. The case was closed(ish) prior to their ever meeting and Anthony is using the case notes to write the book. With the third party narration, the characters, Hawthorne included, seem flat and the conversation stilted. Anthony is not the narrator for most of the book and, for the few portions he is, Hawthorne is largely ignoring him. So yeah, what I don’t get are my favourite elements.

And what I do get is Murder On The Orient Express but in a small Richmond enclave, plus MORE so that it couldn’t be called a _complete_ ripoff. Given MOTOE was my second Christie and the ending left me feeling so cheated I haven’t read another since, I don’t mind that there was more. The problem is that the more was absolutely predictable.

And it’s much too long and filled with noise. Even Hawthorne complains about the intro and tells Anthony to drop the parakeet descriptions and focus. It’s all very meta because I’d just been thinking about that.

And more meta: Anthony mentions something else during his narration that makes me think he’s referencing his process. This isn’t a real spoiler (but those will come so quit while you’re ahead), it’s about a conversation he’s having with and about his agent. She’s pressing him to publish a book, even though Hawthorne hadn’t been asked to investigate any interesting mysteries of late. That’s the reason he gives for covering one of Hawthorne’s old mysteries - he’s being forced. And he even says that that’s the best part of having a four book deal, they’ll print your book even it isn’t good. Now, I’m not saying this did happen but I can’t help but feel that he didn’t feel inspired to write this book, wrote it because he had a deadline and was being forced, and he borrows heavily from the works of others.

It wasn’t the worst cozy I’ve read. Horowitz, even when he’s at his worst (imo), is still a generally good writer. It was too long, and it was the furthest thing from a page turner - but I knew I wanted to finish it and it was easy to follow. I thought I was right about the twists but I couldn’t be 100% sure. So I don’t regret the read.

Now, for two SPOILER bits - the things that made me find the book to be a fail:

1. The killer is a chess master. His whole game is being a million steps ahead of everyone, planning weeks, months, maybe even years in advance. But he murders his wife and buries her in his own yard. If you read my Practical Magic review, you know I think this is the most idiotic idea, especially when we are supposed to think the person burying the body is smart. Not only that, he moves house and leaves the body there. It’s silly. And it’s huge. Without this, it would’ve been 3*.

2. Horowitz has previously introduced the idea of Hawthorn’s employer who owns the flat in which he lives. In this book, it gets fully juiced. Anthony casually discovers that it’s the biggest security company in the UK, maybe even the world. And they’re shady. And secretive. And it belongs in one of the 007 novels Horowitz is writing rather than a cosy mystery. This is silly but small enough.

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fifth entry in Anthony Horowitz's Hawthorne & Horowitz series is a bit different than the previous books. Instead of Hawthorne and Anthony Horowitz investigating a crime together in real time, Anthony is using case notes to write about a murder Hawthorne investigated a decade ago. In an exclusive gated community, a resident was found dead -- and everyone who lived there was a suspect. The case is now closed, but did Hawthorne really solve it?

This was definitely my least favorite book in the series to date. For me, the most enjoyable aspect of these books is the interplay between H & H when they're on a case together: Anthony's bumbling awkwardness, Hawthorne's gruff demeanor and not-so-subtle digs. That's largely absent from Close to Death because the two don't interact all that much in the plot. The mystery here also isn't on par with previous books; the "whodunnit" is fairly obvious early on, and the explanation of the crime relies on too many coincidences, so it all comes across as a bit far-fetched.

As in previous entries, Horowitz uses his fictional counterpart to provide lots of interesting insights into the world of publishing, which is something I always find fascinating. Horowitz tells us that there will be seven more H & H adventures, so hopefully he'll return to the more interactive formula of the previous books. Thank you to Harper Collins for the beautiful gifted hardcover.

[Cindy Rollins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently I missed book 4 of this series! But this was a pretty fun one.

[Sam Hendley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this latest Hawthorne outing as I’m a big fan of the series, but although I loved the closed community setting, the 3rd person narrative made for a less sparky story than usual. The humour comes when AH is interacting with Hawthorne on the page in first person and I really don’t think it worked without that element. I was also confused about why the killer did it, it seemed obvious it was him, and I was expecting a brilliant twist which didn’t come (unless I missed it!).
I’ll be back for book six, obviously!

[Barbara K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthony Horowitz continues to entertain in this series of metafictional crime novels. As with the earlier books, Horowitz places himself inside the story as he shadows Daniel Hawthorne, former cop and now private investigator, solving crimes that stump the police.

Of course, in order to write about Hawthorne’s crime-solving skills, there has to be a crime to solve, and as Horowitz’s publisher’s deadline approaches the murder scene is quiet. So at his agent’s suggestion, Horowitz decides to write about a case from Hawthorne’s past, using the copious notes, photos and recordings made by Hawthorne’s then-sidekick, John Dudley. After every few chapters, Hawthorne critiques what Horowitz has written.

So the tone of this book is somewhat different from the previous entries. Those evolved more organically, in “real time”, with Horowitz always a step behind Hawthorne as he chases down red herrings and infers the solution from what he sees and hears. In this instance Horowitz has no personal knowledge of events; he is dependent solely on those notes and what Hawthorne chooses to share.

The mystery is a kind of locked room within a locked room. There are actually two deaths. The first is a homeowner who is universally disliked by his neighbors on Riverside Close (an upscale gated cul de sac community on the edge of London). No outsiders can get past the gate, hence the closed close. The second death is more of a true locked room, in this case a tightly secured garage.

Horowitz is frustrated by Hawthorne’s refusal to tell him whodunnit in advance, leading him to pursue his own investigation into what happened to John Dudley. Why is he no longer working with Hawthorne if he was as talented as Hawthorne insists? This, of course, incurs Hawthorne’s wrath, and although Horowitz is able to sort out the ending without a clear explanation from Hawthorne, the tension between the two is high at the end of the book.

But fellow enthusiasts of the series, do not fear! In the acknowledgements following the end of the book, Horowitz reveals that he has 7 more books planned for the series. I, for one, will be looking forward to them!

[PorshaJo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Horowitz is becoming one of my favorite authors. Such a fun read. The cast of characters in this one were just that....characters. Made me laugh about some of my neighbors but they get no where near this crazy. Audio was great as always. Hawthorne is such a great character. I'm only sad that I've finished it and now must wait for the next one.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fifth novel featuring Hawthorne & Horowitz is told much like an Agatha Christie story. There is murder, multiple suspects & a somewhat contrived conclusion.
The thing that I've enjoyed most about the previous novels in the series is the relationship between former detective Daniel Hawthorne & writer Anthony Horowitz & the numerous moments of humour this creates. Close to Death is a much more straightforward crime novel & sadly has little interaction between these two characters & for me this made it the weakest story in the series so far.
It's still a good read, but lacks the spark of the previous stories, which is a real shame.

[Tanja Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this has got to be my favorite detective series ever! It’s Agatha Christie on steroids! Character driven, very little gore, incredibly entertaining and devilishly clever.

Note: this book is based on a case Hawthorne solved five years ago, so Horowitz wasn’t actually there. He still figures and it all works marvelously.

A posh neighborhood is plagued by the neighbor from hell. Inconsiderate, loud, parks in the way, wants to build a swimming pool. A prick, along with his wife and two Dennis the Menace type of sons. No wonder the guy ends up dead, right? And he probably deserved it too! The police gets Hawthorne involved and he doesn’t think it’s quite as simple as the police does, particularly not after the second death.

I can’t recommend this enough, if you like smart British detectives. Better yet, seven more books are planned! You will easily manage to read all five released so far before the sixth. I’m seriously considering a re-read of them all, that’s how good this is.

[Gail Souter · Rating 1 out of 5]

They kill the dog

I decided not to read it after the dog is thrown down the well and left to die! Mr Horowitz should know better than to kill a dog in his books! The first and last book I will ever read of his! In fact as soon as I got to the brutal killing of the French bulldog I stopped reading! NEVER KILL THE DOG in a book or a movie! Everyone knows that!

[Vince · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would have given it a 3 star if the author had kept the mystery continuous without interjecting chapters about author and Hawthorne. The mystery was interesting, but the interjections were distracting.

[Julie Durnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of the Hawthorne series-so far!
What a clever, intricate plot and resolution!
I loved the map- cheers, Mr.Horowitz! So well written and the mystery of Hawthorne’s past is slowly revealed in each book. Keep them coming!!