Close to Death (Hawthorne & Horowitz, #5) by Anthony Horowitz (Goodreads Author)

Amy Caudill‘s review

Mar 29, 2026

This fifth installment of the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, wherein author Anthony Horowitz inserts himself as the Watson to his fictional detective Daniel Hawthorne, takes a very different course than the previous novels. Horowitz is not following Hawthorne around chronicling what he “sees” happening, but is instead basing his text on eye witness accounts of an investigation that occurred before he “met” Hawthorne.

While this does lend a different perspective to some of the events, such as the meeting with Hawthorne’s previous assistant, it also lacks many of the interactions between the two principals that are the hallmark of the series. In fact, Horowitz, in his quest for answers, goes behind Hawthorne’s back and the two are rarely seen together on the same page in this “case.”

It is interesting to see Horowitz interact more with some of the shady characters in Hawthorne’s background, including being threatened by the clandestine organization Hawthorne affiliates with on more levels than previously revealed. However, without the chemistry of direct interaction, this story is more Horowitz investigates than the duo of the series.

Also, the ending of this book is far more ambiguous than the others. The reader has to pay closes attention to discern the resolution to the major crime, and the ending is darker than prior novels in the series.

While this book was not my favorite of the series to date, it was still interesting for its differences. I look forward to reading the next novel in the series, A Deadly Episode, when it’s released next month.

I recommend this book to fans of detective novels, present and classic, and award it four stars for an interesting case with several unexpected twists.