Review: Magpie Murders

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
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I am blown away. A clever book within a book. It offers a retrospective study of the structures and elements of whodunits through the eyes of a publishing house's editor. It's a story and a study all in one volume. It is challenging enough to write one story, but to incorporate another within one is another thing. It shows grit and mastery.

I am so glad I have read Sherlock Holmes before starting this, as there are many references to classic mystery novels in Horowitz's work. The mystery on the book was as gripping as the mystery on the narrator's 'real-life' events. The book paid homage to the notable whodunit classics like Agatha Christie's and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, effectively resulting in a clever pastiche. It makes an entertaining and a scholarly read.

The writing was precise and accurate. It amazed me how Horowitz particularly adapted to two drastic timelines with two different voices: one on Pünd's timeline taking the voice of Atticus Pünd through the fictional writer, Alan Conway, and the other on Susan's timeline, the fictional editor. Those varying voices and distinct timelines sewn together into one narrative showcased Horowitz's sense of control in and grasp of his story.

Horowitz just gained a fan in me.


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