Whenever I venture out of my reading comfort zone, I always find myself returning to an author I know will never disappoint, which is why I’ve snuck back to Anthony Horowitz’s latest mystery.
It troubles me a little that I always seem to need a juicy murder to put some balance in my life. Once again, Horowitz of Foyles War fame, proves his mastery of inserting you right into the middle of the action with The Marble Hall Murders, the third instalment in the Susan Ryeland series. This novel is a dazzling feat of storytelling, seamlessly blending a classic whodunit with a contemporary crime narrative. Horowitz’s signature ‘metafictional’ (I really had to search for that word) style—where a mystery novel exists within another—reaches new heights here, offering a richly rewarding puzzle to unravel.
I perhaps should advise the reader to begin with the first in this series so that you can get to know our nosy heroine as she builds in confidence and terrier-like annoyance. (The previous books are Magpie Murders, Moonflower Murders and now Marble Hall Murders)
Susan Ryeland, while not a detective but a book editor, will not leave the police to do their job. She is now back in London after a stint in Crete, and is drawn into a new literary project involving the continuation of the novels for the late Alan Conway’s detective Atticus Pünd. But when the new author, Eliot Crace, begins weaving suspicious parallels between his manuscript and his own family’s dark history, Susan finds herself entangled in a real-life murder mystery. I know it sounds complicated, but it is simpler than I have made it sound.
Despite its nearly 600-page length, the book never feels bloated; instead, it invites readers to savour every twist and revelation. It needs to be read with your favourite beverage at your side and possibly a small assortment of chocolates. It’s that sort of comfy read.
Horowitz has delivered another literary gem – clever, compelling and utterly satisfying.
It has a Thursday Murder Club of Richard Osman fame feel about it.
Book: Marble Hall Murders
Author: Anthony Horowitz
Published: May 13, 2025 by Harper
