Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Audible sample
Follow the author
OK
The Twist of a Knife: A Novel (A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery Book 4) Kindle Edition
In New York Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz’s ingenious fourth literary whodunit following The Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death, and A Line to Kill, Horowitz becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation—and only one man can prove his innocence: his newly estranged partner in solving crime, Detective Hawthorne.
“I’m sorry but the answer’s no.” Reluctant author, Anthony Horowitz, has had enough. He tells ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne that after three books he’s splitting and their deal is over.
The truth is that Anthony has other things on his mind.
His new play, a thriller called Mindgame, is about to open at the Vaudeville Theater in London’s West End. Not surprisingly, Hawthorne declines a ticket to the opening night.
The play is panned by the critics. In particular, Sunday Times critic Margaret Throsby gives it a savage review, focusing particularly on the writing. The next day, Throsby is stabbed in the heart with an ornamental dagger which turns out to belong to Anthony, and has his fingerprints all over it.
Anthony is arrested by an old enemy . . . Detective Inspector Cara Grunshaw. She still carries a grudge from her failure to solve the case described in the second Hawthorne adventure, The Sentence is Death, and blames Anthony. Now she’s out for revenge.
Thrown into prison and fearing for both his personal future and his writing career, Anthony is the prime suspect in Throsby’s murder and when a second theatre critic is found to have died in mysterious circumstances, the net closes in. Ever more desperate, he realizes that only one man can help him.
But will Hawthorne take the call?
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarper
- Publication dateNovember 15, 2022
- File size1754 KB
Shop this series
See full series-
First 3$41.47
-
All 5$69.45
-
First 3$41.47
-
All 5$69.45
This option includes 3 books.
This option includes 5 books.
Customers also bought or read
- Still Life: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel (A Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Book 1)Kindle Edition$9.99$9.99
- The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder: A Novel (Antique Hunter's Series Book 1)Kindle Edition$13.99$13.99
- The Long Call: A Detective Matthew Venn Novel (Matthew Venn series Book 1)Kindle Edition$12.99$12.99
- Bruno, Chief of Police: A Mystery of the French Countryside (Bruno Chief Of Police Book 1)Kindle Edition$3.99$3.99
Customers who bought this item also bought
- That was something Harriet learned from him, the pleasure that comes with the twist of a knife.Highlighted by 170 Kindle readers
- He might have a moral compass, but he was the one who would decide which way it pointed.Highlighted by 158 Kindle readers
- Authors don’t write their books for other people. We write for ourselves.Highlighted by 155 Kindle readers
From the Publisher
Customer Reviews |
4.3 out of 5 stars
20,061
|
4.3 out of 5 stars
12,215
|
4.3 out of 5 stars
11,367
|
4.5 out of 5 stars
9,507
|
---|---|---|---|---|
Price | $10.99$10.99 | $12.99$12.99 | $11.99$11.99 | $16.70$16.70 |
Editorial Reviews
Review
“This humorous homage to golden age closed-circle mysteries is not to be missed.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Playful ... An efficiently old-fashioned whodunit with all the surprises you'd expect.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Excellent . . . . Readers of character-driven novels will love the twists and turns of this Agatha Christie–style mystery that leads to an unexpected reveal. Perfect for fans of G. M. Malliet, Elly Griffiths, and Richard Osman.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“Horowitz continues to delight in mixing real life (e.g., Horowitz's play Mindgame was staged in London) and fiction, as well as in juxtaposing Horowitz (the character) as nebbish against the always-three-stepsahead Hawthorne. Not to worry, their relationship isn't over quite yet. There's much more to discover, and readers will be waiting eagerly for more from one of the best mystery writers around.” — Booklist (starred review)
“ Gleefully witty.” — Tom Nolan for The Wall Street Journal
“The thing I most like about the mysteries of Anthony Horowitz — besides their smooth writing, skillful plotting and delightful sense of humor — is this: Horowitz gives you clues. He lays them all out there, and if you are sharp and paying attention, you can solve them. I assume. I never have.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune
“An adventure that will enchant mystery lovers, Anglophiles and theater buffs.” — Washington Post
"The Twist of a Knife is consistently, delightfully entertaining, with Horowitz’s own theatrical experience providing just the right amount of bittersweet bite." — Air Mail
“Fall is the time to read a mystery novel, and Anthony Horowitz consistently delivers a great whodunnit.” — Town & Country
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.
Product details
- ASIN : B09SHW84CW
- Publisher : Harper (November 15, 2022)
- Publication date : November 15, 2022
- Language : English
- File size : 1754 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 370 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 0062938185
- Best Sellers Rank: #11,296 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #91 in Fiction Satire
- #116 in Traditional Detective Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- #118 in Amateur Sleuth Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Welcome to my Amazon author page. It's strange to think that when I wrote my first book, there was no Amazon - in fact there was no internet, no computers. That doesn't make me particularly old. It just shows how quickly times have moved.
In fact I wrote my first book when I was ten, stuck in a miserable, north London boarding school where reading and telling stories were my only lifeline. Every time I write a new book, I have the same sense of urgency that I had then. I knew without any doubt that I would be an author. Perhaps it helped that I wasn't much good at anything else.
Cut forward to the present and now I have over forty-five published novels to my name. The game changer for me was Stormbreaker, the first Alex Rider adventure, published in 2000. There were eleven more books in the series - the latest, Never Say Die, was published in 2017 - and they are now being developed for TV. I have plenty of other children's books out there - I was delighted to discover my Power of Five series (Raven's Gate, Evil Star etc) on sale in a tiny bookshop in Elounda, Crete only a few days ago.
But as I grew older (and my original audience entered their twenties) I felt a need to move into adult writing. This began with two Sherlock Holmes continuation novels, The House of Silk and Moriarty, followed by my entry into the world of James Bond with Trigger Mortis. A second Bond novel is on the way. An original thriller, Magpie Murders was published last year and got some of the best reviews I've had. One of the joys of Twitter, incidentally, is that it allows readers to contact me directly and these 140-character exchanges are as valuable to me as what the professional critics have to say.
I also write for TV. After cutting my teeth on the hugely popular show, Robin of Sherwood, I moved on to work with David Suchet and his brilliant portrayal of Hercule Poirot, writing about nine or ten episodes of Agatha Christie's Poirot. I was the first writer on Midsomer Murders and then went on to create Foyle's War which I worked on for the next sixteen years. Somewhere along the way, I also created a five-part series for ITV called Injustice which very much influenced the book I'm publishing now.
The Word is Murder is hopefully the start of a long-running series. It introduces a detective by the name of Daniel Hawthorne - a rather dark and dangerous man whom I actually met on the set of Injustice. At least, that's my version of events and that's what counts here because, very unusually, I actually appear in the book as his not entirely successful sidekick; the Watson to his Holmes.
The whole point of being an author is that you're in control. But here I am, writing a book in which I have no idea what's going on, following in the footsteps of a character who refuses to tell me anything. What I'm trying to do is to give the traditional whodunit a metaphysical twist. I hope, if you read it, you'll enjoy all the clues, the red herrings, the bizarre range of suspects and the occasionally violent twists. With a bit of luck you won't guess the ending (nobody has so far). But at the same time, The Word is Murder offers something more. It's a book about words as much as murder, about writing crime as well as solving it.
Do let me know what you think. I really hope you like the book. If you do, you can tweet me your thoughts at @AnthonyHorowitz. I hope to hear from you!
Anthony Horowitz
Crete 2017
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the story intriguing and enjoyable. They describe the book as clever, funny, and well worth their time. Readers appreciate the pacing and great clues. The writing quality is described as well-written and enjoyable. They like the characters and the talented cast. Overall, customers describe the series as great and another great whodunit.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the story intriguing and well-crafted. They recommend it for mystery fans, describing it as an exciting read that holds their interest. The book is described as an entertaining blend of mystery and psychological insights by Anthony Horowitz.
"...Aside from the surrealism of these parallels, it’s the continuous wordplay and sheer joy of language that makes these books so much fun to read -..." Read more
"...Yes, his mystery-solving powers are acute, but his personality and his relationship with the fictional Horowitz were not all that they could be...." Read more
"As far as AH's "Hawthorne" series is concerned, this fourth novel is his masterpiece...." Read more
"...it combines the author as a character within the book which makes the story intriguing. What a gift at weaving ideas together!" Read more
Customers enjoy the book. They find it clever, funny, and suspenseful. The book is well worth reading and a good addition to the series.
"...wordplay and sheer joy of language that makes these books so much fun to read - although, given the premise of this particular book, one has to hope..." Read more
"...Still, the ending is a surprise and enjoyable since it's well supported by what has gone before. All in all, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4." Read more
"...Will Hawthorne ever let down his barriers? A very good addition to this addictive series. ****" Read more
"Great series. Hawthorne and Horowitz work well together. I Enjoy the humor and am looking forward to the mystery of Hawthorne’s life unfolding." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's pacing and find the clues clever. They say the series keeps getting better and that the author continues to impress.
"...of them, as well as many of his other books and TV series, but this one is superb...." Read more
"Great series. Hawthorne and Horowitz work well together. I Enjoy the humor and am looking forward to the mystery of Hawthorne’s life unfolding." Read more
"Horowitz is a truly inspiring author and his works continue to impress...." Read more
"...reading Anthony Horowitz books, but this one was repetitive, trite, dull, with careless errors… not up to his usual standards...." Read more
Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it well-written and engaging. The author is praised for his writing for TV, including Foyle's War.
"...For the most part, "The Twist of a Knife" is a well-written, well-constructed mystery seasoned, in places, with a self-deprecating, dry wit...." Read more
"...the frustrations between Horowitz & Hawthorne are amusing and cleverly written. Also the frustrations - will they ever get along?..." Read more
"...British writer of mystery novels, a series of books for kids, and writes for TV, notably he wrote Foyle's War, a public television series...." Read more
"...say I like this as much as some others but he has always been extremely readable." Read more
Customers enjoy the character development. They find the cast talented and the author talented as well.
"...The cast is talented, the producer cautiously optimistic, and Anthony is dealing with debut jitters...." Read more
"...Characters and intrigue well developed in the context of a theatrical setting." Read more
"...I liked the characters as usual, I could picture each one!" Read more
"Very much enjoyed this book. The characters are individual s who are quite hilarious and make reading the story enjoyable while at the same time..." Read more
Customers enjoy the series. They find it a great whodunit mystery.
"Great series. Hawthorne and Horowitz work well together. I Enjoy the humor and am looking forward to the mystery of Hawthorne’s life unfolding." Read more
"...Will there be more books? A great successor to a great series! I loved the interaction and hope more Hawthorne..." Read more
"An already great series just keeps getting better. Horowitz doesn't disappoint. This truly is an excellent example of a book you can't put down." Read more
"great title - great series..." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's unique and imaginative style. They find it original and fun to read, though a bit self-centered. The book has a different style from other mystery books.
"...It's a story within a story! Very original and a fun read...." Read more
"It was an interesting read, different style from other mystery books. I liked the characters as usual, I could picture each one!" Read more
"...Just saying...These books are still uniquely imaginative if a bit self-aggrandizing...." Read more
"Love this series. That Anthony is a character is unusual and unique. So enjoyable! Will read every one of them as they are written." Read more
Reviews with images
Looks used
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2025Great series. Hawthorne and Horowitz work well together. I
Enjoy the humor and am looking forward to the mystery of Hawthorne’s life unfolding.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2022This is the fourth in a series of murder mysteries in which author Anthony Horowitz fictionalizes himself to join detective Daniel Hawthorne as he utilizes Sherlockian powers of observation and deduction to bring murderers to justice. Only this time, it's Horowitz himself who looks like he's done the murder. All the evidence points to him. And he has every motive. The victim just closed his play--newly opened on London's West End--with an absolutely scathing review. Will Hawthorne be able to save Horowitz? Does he even want to?
For the most part, "The Twist of a Knife" is a well-written, well-constructed mystery seasoned, in places, with a self-deprecating, dry wit. It's a quick read and fairly light entertainment, perfect for the beach or a long train or plane trip.
Plot-wise, there's nothing really new here. Mr. Horowitz has taken a standard template--solving the murder of a victim hated with good reason by all the other characters--and tried to freshen it up by making himself the chief suspect and setting it in the world of the theater and in London and the English countryside. Unfortunately--and this may just be me--I found the device of fictionalizing himself to be distracting. Mr. Horowitz makes more than a few references to his own previous works and projects and I sometimes found it difficult to tell what was real and what was fiction.
I also found the Hawthorn character somewhat distant and elusive and difficult to bring into focus--not sharply drawn as, say, a Holmes or a Poirot or a Sam Spade. Yes, his mystery-solving powers are acute, but his personality and his relationship with the fictional Horowitz were not all that they could be.
And while Mr. Horowitz does a good job depicting the world of the theater, those who are not interested in or knowledgeable about that world (its plays, traditions, foibles, etc.) may find themselves lost at times.
Still, the ending is a surprise and enjoyable since it's well supported by what has gone before.
All in all, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2022Anthony Horowitz has split with his sometime collaborator, private detective Daniel Hawthorne, refusing to write another book with him after the three they’ve already done. He has his sights set on the theatre, where his play “Mindgame” is about to debut in London’s West End, after a successful run throughout England. A notorious theatre critic, Harriet Throsby, is at the opening night and pens a savage review that one of the three cast members receives via her phone during the after-party. The following morning, Throsby is found dead, murdered in her front hall with a knife proven to be owned by Anthony Horowitz. More, someone matching his description was scene in the vicinity on CCTV just before the murder, and one of his hairs is found upon the corpse. Anthony knows that the only person who might be able to save him from a wrongful conviction of murder is Daniel Hawthorne, with whom he has just parted on bad terms….This is the fourth book featuring Horowitz and Hawthorne, and it’s just as meta as the first three (The Sentence Is Death, A Line to Kill, The Word Is Murder), with character Anthony Horowitz commenting on his earlier work including the Alex Rider YA books and “Midsomer Murders” on television; one wonders if the real-world Anthony Horowitz has indeed written any plays and an online check shows that, yes, indeed - and one of his plays is called “Mindgame.” Aside from the surrealism of these parallels, it’s the continuous wordplay and sheer joy of language that makes these books so much fun to read - although, given the premise of this particular book, one has to hope that the accused-of-murder aspect is *not* part of Mr. Horowitz’s life! I still have not read the second book in the series, but would recommend that you read at least one of the previous novels in this group before tackling this latest one; that said, highly recommended!
- Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2024How can Horowitz level up from his three prior meta-mysteries? The ones where he is writing about his real-life self but in a completely made-up story? By making himself the chief murder suspect! What fun!
Now the skill of his cohort, Detective Hawthorne, can mean the difference between jail and freedom for Horowitz.
If you haven't read any of this series you might want to start with the first to better understand the relationship between these two. It's a bit like Holmes (Hawthorne) and Watson (Horowitz). Then, again, it isn't.
And it's delicious.
Top reviews from other countries
- M CrandlemireReviewed in Canada on November 9, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent condition
love it, great shape looks new
- MNReviewed in India on March 20, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling and engaging from start to finish
I started this book two days ago on vacation in Goa. I couldn't have picked a better book to contrast my time spent lazily near the beach. I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series.
- Joanne SheppardReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, original mystery
Anthony Horowitz's Hawthorne novels are what I think is now my current favourite detective series. The Twist of a Knife is the fourth in the series and, as always, Horowitz narrates the story as himself, with the premise that he writing crime novels based on Daniel Hawthorne's investigations.
Hawthorne, a disgraced former police officer who was thrown out of the force for assaulting a suspected paedophile in custody, does not make Anthony's task easy. He's secretive about his investigative breakthroughs and his private life, deadpan to the point of blankness, and almost childlike in both his bluntness and his jaw-dropping cheek. He insists on calling Anthony 'Tony', which Anthony hates, and seems to be able to inveigle his way into places with a mysterious charm that's almost never apparent in his relationship with Anthony himself. In short, he is consistently infuriating, and yet at the same time utterly fascinating.
At the start of The Twist of a Knife, Anthony has honoured his three-book contract with Hawthorne and has no desire to continue their partnership. Instead, his attention is focused on the opening of his new play in the West End, a career landmark and a lifelong ambition fulfilled. But then a broadsheet theatre critic gives the production a viciously bad review, the kind that can close a show down. The next morning, she's found murdered with one of the souvenir daggers given to the cast and crew on the opening night, and all evidence points towards Anthony being the culprit.
Anthony, clearly, should use the one phone call he's allowed when under arrest to contact his solicitor or his wife - but inevitably, when it comes to the crunch, it's Hawthorne's number he dials.
Like the previous books in the series, The Twist of a Knife feels like a modern take on Golden Age detective fiction, and it's a highly successful one, complete with a fiendishly clever plot, a sleuth pitting his wits against the police to solve the crime, and a classic ensemble reveal. Horowitz's novels are always masterclasses in pacing, and The Twist of a Knife is no exception, with the investigation itself becoming a race against time to find the real murderer before Anthony is charged.
It's also, at times, very funny. The many pretensions and flaws of the characters are well-observed and there is nobody who can take down an ego like Hawthorne, who does so with such an matter-of-fact ease of manner that it's often unclear whether he's even doing it on purpose. As always, Horowitz is remarkably willing to present his own character as very much the Watson to Hawthorne's Holmes, always one step behind in the murder investigation.
However, in addition to the self-contained murder plot in each novel in this series, there is a continuing puzzle to be solved, which is the mystery of Hawthorne himself. He appears to have been married at some point, and he has a son. His only interest is making elaborate Airfix models, and his social life seems to consist solely of going to a slightly awkward book club with the other residents of his apartment block, where lives in a peculiarly anonymous flat which he claims to be housesitting in for his 'sort of half-brother'. But most intriguingly, he is extremely cagey about his past, and Anthony has reason to believe that Hawthorne might have an awful lot to hide. Partly driven by a desire to beat Hawthorne at his own game and partly by a writer's natural instinct to build a character's back story, Anthony chips away a little more of Hawthorne's defences in each book in the series.
This is made all the more intriguing by an underlying darkness in Hawthorne, which simmers beneath the Christie-esque mystery plot in each novel and occasionally threatens to bubble to the surface. There are elements of Hawthorne's character that hint at sadness, but there are also times when his manner can be sinister, even cruel. He can appear understanding towards the suspects he interviews, but he can also be needlessly hard on them, and one wonders whether any sympathy we see in him is pure deception.
As I understand it, there are a few more books planned in this series. As far as I'm concerned, they can't come soon enough.
-
深海の丸石Reviewed in Japan on January 4, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars 圧倒的な安定感
ハズレがないシリーズ。ホーソーンとの関係はどうなるのか、次作が気になる。
- Rosalind RobbReviewed in Australia on September 26, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and very funny as expected.
I have enjoyed all the books in this series, and this is another enjoyable and highly entertaining addition. The writing is crisp and concise, often hilarious. I also enjoyed learning new words and how they are used in sentences. The plot cracks along with a satisfying conclusion.