Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz. 

4/5 rating. 473 pages.

Book #46 of 2023. Read November 14, 2023.

This is a book-within-a-book of whodunnits.

Susan, the editor of best-selling author Alan Conway is given his next manuscript. The first half or so of the book is her reading Alan’s version of “Magpie Murders”. This version follows Atticus Pund, the British detective in the small village Saxby-on-Avon. The mysterious death of an employee of the great Magnus Pye is followed by his violent beheading in his home. Nearly everyone in the village had a motive to kill Magnus, meaning there are plenty of twists and turns trying to find the killer.

Unfortunately, as Susan is getting to the end of the book, she realizes that there are some chapters missing. But when Alan ends up dead having fallen (or been pushed?) off a tower at home, she must solve the real-life mystery in hopes to get the final chapters of the manuscript.

I thought this book was wildly entertaining. There were points where I had to go back a few pages to keep track of characters, but besides that, this duel-world murder mystery is definitely worth a fun read!

Quotes:

“‘It is true that we have many ways of coping with loss,’ he said. ‘And grief is never rational.’”

“You should always think before you dig around in someone else’s life.”

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