Tag Archives: Hawthorne & Horowitz

Amy Caudill’s Reviews : Close to Death

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Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz

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.

Amy Caudill’s Reviews : The Word is Murder

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The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

The Word is Murder (Hawthorne & Horowitz #1) by Anthony Horowitz (Goodreads Author)

Amy Caudill‘s review

It is very rare for a published author to insert himself as a character into a story, “in the flesh,” but that is exactly what Anthony Horowitz has done in his popular series, Hawthorne and Horowitz.

This series features a former detective inspector, Daniel Hawthorne, an abrasive, temperamental and brilliant investigator, who works as a consultant for the constabulary.  He has decided that he wants a book written about his work and cases.  He picks Anthony Horowitz to write said book, as he is familiar with his writing due to the fact that Hawthorne consulted on a TV show for the author previously.

Horowitz needs some convincing to begin a partnership with the abrasive detective, and often is frustrated with him over his handling of suspects, and his lack of sharing information about theories and anything “personal” which would allow Horowitz to write said book.  Despite this, the author finds himself drawn into the intrigue of the case, and realizes that he wants to see it through just as desperately as it seems Hawthorne does.

Diana Cowper, a woman who appears to have a very successful, though quiet life, makes arrangements for her own funeral at a funeral parlor, and later that same day is murdered.  Is the case a simple coincidence and burglary gone wrong, or is there something more sinister involved?  The investigation will unearth facts pertaining to the victim and her famous though often absent son that will establish a number of motives for murder.

While the author is a first person narrator, he is not omniscient; he seems to rarely understand Hawthorne’s motives and is often in the dark about his actions till after the fact, supporting the premise that Hawthorne is a “real” detective and separate person.  All in all, the two have a very interesting dynamic that makes for a novel take on the typical detective story.  

The case itself is interesting for the reader, and contains plenty of twists and turns for fans of the genre.  All in all, an excellent story, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I award this book 4.5 stars.