The Twist of a Knife
Anthony Horowitz
8 hrs 31 mins
Audible Audio
Published November 15th, 2022
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The Twist of a Knife is the fourth book in the excellent Hawthorne & Horowitz mystery series, which features the unusual gimmick of having the author insert a version of himself into a fictional story as the sidekick-narrator to laconic private detective Daniel Hawthorne. In this one, Horowitz is trying hard not to have to write another book in the series, having survived three cases with the often obnoxious Hawthorne, but when he finds himself accused of murder, discovers he suddenly has no choice.
Horowitz’s dream is finally coming true – his play, Mindgame, is opening in a theatre in London’s West End with a dream cast, and the opening night seems to go well – until the first review by spiteful critic Harriet Throsby appears online, savaging the play and especially its writer. The following day, she is found stabbed to death, and Anthony becomes the lead suspect when his fingerprints link him to the dagger. Will Hawthorne forgive him for ending their collaboration and come to his aid?
We have listened to all of these as audiobooks, narrated by Rory Kinnear, who does an excellent job distinguishing the voices of the two main characters but isn’t as good when it comes to females or foreign accents – a Turkish character sounds strangely South African! The books all work as standalone stories and I think this one is the best yet, with a well plotted mystery and interesting cast of potential suspects. I enjoy the literary in-jokes and sly humour, and like how Horowitz isn’t afraid to poke fun at himself. 4.5 stars rounded up for keeping me guessing as to whodunnit!
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