The Word Is Murder

The Word Is Murder

The bestselling mystery from the author of Magpie Murders – you've never read a crime novel quite like this

Summary

Pre-order the next thrilling Hawthorne mystery CLOSE TO DEATH - coming soon!

She planned her own funeral. But did she arrange her own murder?
Buried secrets, murder and a trail of bloody clues lie at the heart of Anthony Horowitz's page-turning detective series.

'EASILY THE GREATEST OF OUR CRIME WRITERS' Sunday Times
_____

A woman is strangled six hours after organising her own funeral.

Did she know she was going to die? Did she recognise her killer?

Enter Daniel Hawthorne, a detective with a genius for solving crimes and an ability to hold secrets very close.

With him is his writing partner, Anthony Horowitz. Together they will set out to solve his most puzzling of mysteries.

What neither of them know is that they are about to embark on a dark and dangerous journey whether the twists and turns are as unexpected as they are bloody.
_____

'Raises the game-playing to Olympic level' Guardian Books of the Year
'A real page-turner. I loved it!' Aled Jones
'Horowitz blurs the line between fact and fiction' Financial Times
'Splendidly entertaining, absorbing and difficult to put down. Hawthorne is an intriguing character' Daily Express
'Sharp-witted readers who think they've solved the puzzle early on can rest assured that they've opened only one of many dazzling Christmas packages Horowitz has left beautifully wrapped under the tree' Kirkus Reviews
'Deduction and wit are well-balanced, and fans of Peter Lovesey and other modern channelers of the spirit of the golden age of detection will clamor for more' Publishers Weekly

About the author

Anthony Horowitz

Bestselling author Anthony Horowitz has written two highly acclaimed Sherlock Holmes novels, The House of Silk and Moriarty; three James Bond novels, Trigger Mortis, Forever and a Day and With a Mind to Kill; the acclaimed bestselling mystery novels Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders and the Detective Hawthorne novels, The Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death, A Line To Kill, The Twist of a Knife and the latest Close to Death is out in April 2024.

He is also the author of the teen spy Alex Rider series, and responsible for creating and writing some of the UK's most loved and successful TV series, including Midsomer Murders and Foyle's War. In January 2022 he was awarded a CBE for his services to literature.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more