Hawthorne and Horowitz Mysteries Series: Book 5
Publication Date: April 16, 2024
In New York Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz’s ingenious fifth literary whodunnit in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, Detective Hawthorne is once again called upon to solve an unsolvable case—a gruesome murder in an idyllic gated community in which suspects abound.
Riverside Close is a picture-perfect community. The six exclusive and attractive houses are tucked far away from the noise and grime of city life, allowing the residents to enjoy beautiful gardens, pleasant birdsong, and tranquility from behind the security of a locked gate.
It is the perfect idyll, until the Kentworthy family arrives, with their four giant, gas-guzzling cars, gaggle of shrieking children, and plans for a garish swimming pool in the backyard. Obvious outsiders, the Kentworthys do not belong in Riverside Close, and quickly offend every last one of the neighbors.
When Giles Kentworthy is found dead on his own doorstep, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, Detective Hawthorne is the only investigator they can call to solve the case.
Because how do you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect?
Everyone has had difficult neighbors. But in the small community of Riverview Close, that difficulty turns to murder in Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz.
Riverview Close is a very well-to-do neighborhood in Richmond, England. The neighbors all get along outside of one. Giles Kenworthy has seemed to frustrate just about every neighbor—Blocking driveways, loud noises, out-of-control children, and the cherry on top—a pool ruining the view for a housebound woman.
Tired of the problem, the neighbors arrange a meeting to address all the issues with Kenworthy. Naturally, he doesn’t show up, listing a last-minute excuse for his absence. Six weeks later, Giles Kenworthy is dead, and everyone is a suspect.
Wanting to cover his bases, Detective Superintendent Khan calls in ex-Detective Inspector Daniel Hawthorne, a man with a mixed reputation but a history of solving difficult cases. Hawthorne, along with his colleague, John Dudley, must investigate every suspect, seeing more than just the obvious.
Five years later, Author Anthony Horowitz is stuck in writer’s block. Unsure of where to take his next novel, he calls his muse, Daniel Hawthorne, asking for an investigation from Hawthorne’s past. Switching between the inquiry into Riverview Close and Horowitz’s own writing journey, Close to Death is a head-scratching mystery that challenges you on every page.
If you ever feel like you have read too many cookie-cutter mysteries, pick an Anthony Horowitz mystery. This book is so well written and is truly a phenomenal mystery. I love trying to figure out the mystery before the end of the book, and this one really gave me a run for my money. I was so convinced I had the answer, but quickly realized I was wrong. Every character was so well thought out, and everyone felt like someone you could meet walking down the street.
I love the frame story of Anthony writing the book as we read it. It brings realism to the book that adds gravity to the story. These people feel real; their pain is not something to just be read and forgotten. Whenever I see a Horowitz novel, I know I am in for a treat, and this book is no different.
With an Agatha Christie-type mystery executed with a heavy dose of reality, Close to Death will keep you guessing until the very last page. Try to keep up!
ANTHONY HOROWITZ is the author of the US bestselling Magpie Murders and The Word is Murder, and one of the most prolific and successful writers in the English language; he may have committed more (fictional) murders than any other living author. His novel Trigger Mortis features original material from Ian Fleming. His most recent Sherlock Holmes novel, Moriarty, is a reader favorite; and his bestselling Alex Rider series for young adults has sold more than 19 million copies worldwide. As a TV screenwriter, he created both Midsomer Murders and the BAFTA-winning Foyle’s War on PBS. Horowitz regularly contributes to a wide variety of national newspapers and magazines, and in January 2014 was awarded an OBE.
