The Word is Murder

The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz, 390 pages


Diana Cowper walks into a funeral home and later that day is killed. A former London police detective named Daniel Hawthorne is called in to consult on the case. In this book, the ex-detective had consulted on a TV show that Anthony Horowitz wrote for. Hawthorne proposes that Horowitz follow him around while he works on the case and write a book about Hawthorne and the case. They would split the profits. Hawthorne is a difficult man so Horowitz is reluctant but decides he can't pass up the opportunity.

Years ago, Diana had hit two twin boys but got off lightly. Could her death be related to that incident? Her son is a famous actor who is spending too much money and may be taking too many drugs. Could he be involved? Shortly before her death, she had a disagreement with a man about an investment she made in a failed play. Could he be the culprit?

Of course, there are twists and some of the information creates red herrings. I was able to spot one of them but the question was how it fit into the larger puzzle.

I picked up this book because I was intrigued that the writer had written himself into the book. I was expecting it to be funnier (possibly without good reason) than it was but there were still parts that I found amusing. Despite not meeting all my expectations I really liked this mystery. Some mystery lovers may not appreciate it but I think a lot would.