by Lorie Lewis Ham

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

Over the last several years I have become a big fan of the work of Anthony Horowitz, both in books and on screen. But I think my favorite thing of his is the Hawthorne and Horowitz mystery series, in which Anthony acts as the Watson to Hawthorne’s Holmes. The fifth book in that series, Close to Death, came out in April and I couldn’t wait to read it!

In this series, Anthony writes about the cases of former police detective and now private detective, Daniel Hawthorne, and follows him on his cases. I love how Anthony puts a version of himself in the stories and includes little tidbits of things that really happened—it makes you feel stop and wonder sometimes if perhaps these stories are real which is a lot of fun! (I know they are actually fiction, or are they? LOL)

The latest book was a bit different, and I have to say at first I was a little disappointed that we would be seeing less of the “character” Anthony Horowitz in this book, but it didn’t take long for that disappointment to melt away because this book is so good! In Close to Death Anthony is struggling to come up with another book in the series so he decides to write about a past case of Hawthorne’s, but Hawthorne doesn’t like the idea and is very uncooperative—providing Anthony with a minimum of details. So Anthony has to go out and interview other people and do some digging on his own to put the story together. We go back and forth in this book between Anthony’s efforts to write the book and the story of the book itself—giving this one more of the feel you get from his Magpie Murders series.

The case that he is trying to write about is the murder of an obnoxious resident of the high society and otherwise close-knit Riverside Close neighborhood. Every one of his neighbors is a suspect. Law enforcement is stumped so they reluctantly call in Hawthorne to help. Hawthorne’s partner is John Dudley—who turns out to have a mysterious backstory that Anthony tries to figure out as well. This book provides the reader not only with another well-plotted and interesting mystery, but we also finally learn more about Hawthorne’s mysterious past. There is a map of Riverside Close in the front of the book, which was helpful in keeping track of things.

I devoured this book and it kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat all the way until the end. My favorite part though will always be how Anthony Horowitz puts a version of himself in the story. If you love a well-written mystery, with great characters, and a bit of breaking the fourth wall, do not miss this book and this series! Absolutely one of my favorites!

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of Close to Death, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “close” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen June 22, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and a contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet. Lorie’s latest mystery novels, One of Us and One of You, are set in the Tower District of Fresno and the world of community theatre!<

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.