Magpie Murders: A Novel

By Anthony Horowitz

From the New York Times bestselling author of Moriarty and Trigger Mortis, this fiendishly brilliant, riveting thriller weaves a classic whodunit worthy of Agatha Christie into a chilling, ingeniously original modern-day mystery.

When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan’s traditional formula has proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.

Conway’s latest tale has Atticus Pünd investigating a murder at Pye Hall, a local manor house. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but the more Susan reads, the more she’s convinced that there is another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript: one of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition, and murder.

Masterful, clever, and relentlessly suspenseful, Magpie Murders is a deviously dark take on vintage English crime fiction in which the reader becomes the detective.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jun 6, 2017
• ISBN: 9781443452588

Anthony Horowitz

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.

Reviews for Magpie Murders

[infjsarah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

2 stories in 1 - a classic Agatha Christie type story with a related modern story. I preferred the 1950s story to the modern one but the length of delay in reading the end of the 1950s story did make the resolution less interesting. Enjoyable light read.

[tomdonaghey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Magpie Murders (2017) by Anthony Horowitz. I think Mr. Horowitz must be getting tired of writing just superb mysteries in books and for the visual mediums. Hence MAGPIE MURDERS, a twist on the conventional story. Here you have two mysteries combined, one within the other.The meat of this nut is a story called “Magpie Murders” (purposefully without the ‘The’ the title might ordinarily have in it. This is the latest manuscript in the latest, and final, Atticus Pudd case. He is the throwback creation of Alan Conway, and a great nod of the hat to Hercule Poirot.The story is a compelling tale fully laid out within this book’s interior; entirely save for the last several chapters that are missing form the manuscript.The shell of this story takes place through the eyes of Susan Ryeland, the editor at Cloverleaf Books who has been handing the Detective Pudd novels from the start. She warns us, the readers, right from the start, that we will find the inclosed manuscript frustrating, and she is right. The real mystery is trying to uncover what has happened to the end of the manuscript.You would think sho could just ask the author but he has a terminal disease and has thrown himself from the convent tower at his country-side estate.Or has he?This book is crammed full of wordplay, anagrams and the like, a playful lulling of your senses ensues, and when the final reveals occur you might be saying, :But of course, I could see that coming a mile away”, but more likely you’ll simply say, that Mr. Horowitz has gotten you again.

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Starts out as formulaic but becomes exceptional and clever mystery or set of mysteries. Excellent cure for the dog days of winter.

[siri51 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Overly complicated murder mystery - narrator's life and novel about some murders intersect - we read both - and then there is the plagiarism of the novel from another author (we also read some of that) - and the climax with attempted murder of the narrator and arson of the publisher's office is somewhat contrived. But I read through to the end - needed to know whodunnit!

[tkcs-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Clever, entertaining, and well written. I’ll look for more books by Anthony Horowitz. He also created and wrote the Foyle’s War series, and wrote for Poirot and Midsummer Murders. This was a well done audible book.

[kayanelson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A mystery within a mystery. I really enjoyed this.

[invisiblelizard · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a clever little mystery within a mystery. A meta-mystery, if you will. Short synopsis: a writer of mystery novels finishes his latest book, hands it in to his publisher, and then dies under suspicious circumstances, possibly murdered, and his editor who then reads (most of) his last novel, which is left unfinished because the final chapters are missing, goes about solving the crime of the writer's death and the disappearance of the final chapters. The end result ties together the world of the writer/editor and the world-within-that-world that the writer created for his final novel.I think Horowitz pulled it off about as well as anybody could without getting silly. What I mean by that is he slyly wrote into the writer's mystery novel (the mystery within the mystery) references to the "real world" (the meta-mystery wrapped around, the world of the editor doing the investigation) and left clues in there revealing both the killer in the book-within-the-book as well as clues to the outcome of his own death, which of course he didn't know about when he was writing the book, but the breadcrumbs he did lay out help the editor piece together what actually happened. It's hard enough just talking about how these plots intertwine. I imagine it must have been even harder for Horowitz to craft them. Horowitz could have gone nuts and tried tying those two worlds together even tighter, but that would have started getting absurd. I think he struck a good balance. The book-within-the-book could stand on its own as a very respectable (albeit brief) murder mystery in and of itself.Anyway, well done. Admirable example of a mystery novel off in a whole new direction. I sure something like this has been done before. I can't imagine he's the first mystery writer to write about the death of a mystery writer who's book is the source of the clues to his own death... just can't think of an example off the top of my head. But it was fresh and original to me.

[hardlyhardy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As gimmicky murder mysteries go, “Magpie Murders” by Anthony Horowitz is one of the best, which is why it created something of a sensation among mystery readers when it was published a couple of years ago. The gimmick is that it contains a mystery within a mystery, giving the reader two for the price of one, while at the same time producing a satisfying single story.Susan Ryeland is an editor for a small British publishing company that is in the black only because of one author, Alan Conway, whose ninth Atticus Pund mystery will be the last because both Pund and Conway himself are dying.This ninth book in a popular series involves the mysterious death of a housekeeper in a fall down some stairs and, days later, the vicious murder of her employer. Although Pund, an amateur detective with remarkable success, had previously decided that, because of his declining health he would accept no new cases, this murder case he finds impossible to ignore.After reading a few pages about Susan, we are treated to virtually the entire Conway novel. But the ending of that novel is missing, she finds, and then Conway is found dead of an apparent suicide. Susan wonders if it might have been murder, and while searching for the missing chapters she herself plays amateur detective. Not until she finds her murderer (and the missing chapters) do we return to observe Pund catching his.The two mysteries are interrelated in clever and creative ways, clues to one mystery being found in the other.

[squirrelhead_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my first acquaintance with author Anthony Horowitz. I can say that I will be seeking out more of his work and hope it’s as engaging as this book. How did I miss this guy when he has written so many successful English series such as Foyle’s War?This murder mystery featuring fictional detective Atticus Pund was appealing on it’s own but wait……there is another story line and mystery about the publishing company for Alan Conway, author of the Atticus Pund books.The book opens in present time with Susan Ryeland, editor for Conway’s books, telling the story. She is given the last manuscript from Conway but the last few chapters are missing. This will change Susan’s life and not for the better I can tell you.You are immediately immersed into the ninth Atticus Pund book which is set in rural England, the time period is the 1950’s. It’s such noir writing, reminds you of Agatha Christie with the sleuthing.After a tragedy (spoiler so I can’t say here) we are back to Susan’s world in modern times visiting London and the rural English countryside. The characters and motives from both stories are intertwined. It’s a classic whodunit with some great twists.I liked the mention of other books and movies throughout this story, some of which I book marked to request form the library.A few food and drink references:Champagne, fish and chips, sandwiches, Victoria Sponge cake, grilled sardines, salad and wine. Eggs and toast fingers. English breakfast with two eggs, bacon, sausage, tomato and a fried slice. Homemade quiche and bean salad. Smoked salmon with salad and artisan bread. A bottle of wine, Nacho Cheese flavored tortilla chips and a jar of hot salsa dip. Pub food and ales.I wanted to make the Victoria Sponge cake but after our vacation, I think I better cut back on high caloric treats. It’s for the best, really (I’m telling myself this). So I went for a favorite, this passes for pub grub in my neck of the woods.A grilled Mahi Mahi sandwich with all the trimmings. Lettuce, tomato, onions, lime on toasted Cuban bread. Served with black beans and rice and ale. Oh. Yeah.

[bookczuk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A mystery inside a mystery, with lost pages to a manuscript of a recently deceased popular who-done-it series author. As his editor sets out to find the lost pages, the circumstances of her author's death become clues to understanding his own death. Was it murder? My first Anthony Horowitz and I really enjoyed it. I only wish the Atticus Punt series existed, because I think I would have enjoyed reading more of this Holocaust survivor- turned private investigator's exploits.This was recommended to me by my 97 year old neighbor.

[brangwinn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A mystery in a mystery---a perfect plot forces an editor to solve the mystery of a cantankerous mystery author when she is asked to read his latest and last book. The problem lies in the missing last chapter and leads to her becoming more involved in British mysteries than she ever expected.

[ozzer_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

One has to be a fan of the detective/murder mystery genre to really enjoy Anthony Horowitz’s MAGPIE MURDERS. As one who finds this form a bit tiresome, this novel was a bit of a slog. However its clever structure—two linked whodunits (one real and one fictional)—and its many tongue-in-cheek imitations of the murder mystery genre were somewhat redemptive.Horowitz explores the strained relationships that often exist between mystery writers and their material by giving us two linked potboilers that closely adhere to the beloved conventions that bestow immense popularity on the genre and immense wealth on its creators. As his editor, Susan Ryeland settles down with Alan Conway’s latest only to discover that the all-important last chapter is missing. As all aficionados know, this is the place where all is revealed. Conway is now dead, apparently a suicide, so she sets out to find the missing chapter only to discover that Conway’s personal life closely parallels his novel right down to the murder. Not unlike the victims in his novel, Conway is petty and mean-spirited with any number of people who would like to see him dead. But most revealing is how much he disliked his chosen genre. His oeuvre was filled with cruel jokes, puns, caricatures and games at the expense of mysteries and mystery writers.Horowitz fills his novel with two inventive mysteries that pay homage to the genre while providing commentary on its limitations. We have two detectives (one skilled and one not so much); we have circumscribed settings (the village of Saxby-on-Avon in the 50’s and Conway’s friends and associates in modern London); we have any number of viable suspects in both contexts with the characters in the novel serving as avatars for the real world people; we have multiple plot twists in both tales; and we have deaths each of which could or could not be a murder. Certainly anyone used to reading mystery novels will find plenty to enjoy and consider in these stories, especially how they connect to one another. Unfortunately, Horowitz seems so taken with crossing every “t” and dotting every “i” that one gets a sense of parsing formulas rather than telling compelling stories.

[librarygeek33 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This tale was a mystery within a mystery with shades of Agatha Christie. I enjoyed the first part but thought that the story line bogged down with the somewhat jarring transition to the second half. I felt it was overdone and I really kept with it just to see the end of the first story which, by the time it came around again was anticlimactic.

[tommyb_50 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Classic English murder mystery made more interesting by =-- quite literally -- a story within a story.

[arielfl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book so much. I have previously read and enjoyed Horowitz's Sherlock Holmes novel House of Silk. In this book he has moved from the world of Holmes and into Agatha Christie. The novel starts out with an editor Susan Reyland receiving the newest Atticus Pund novel from author Alan Conway. Although Susan likes fictional Atticus well enough she is non too fond of real life author Conway. The reader than reads the novel along with Susan about Atticus Punds last case that concerns murders that take place in a sleepy English village, much like one Christie would have favored. The novel within a novel is quite interesting but in a frustrating twist for both Susan and us, the last chapter is missing. That is when the book turns to the "real" life mystery of author Alan Conway. It turns out that quite a bit of Alan's real life was put into his last novel and in fact the missing chapter may hold the crucial key in solving two murders. If all of this sounds a bit confusing I can assure you it is not. By the time you finish the Atticus Pund novel you are fully invested in the book. This book pays great homage to Agatha Christie as well as any number of Masterpiece Mystery series. As a fan of classic English mysteries I found this book to be so much fun. Horowitz gives the reader two fascinating cases to ponder. Well done!

[jtck121166 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really excellent Agatha pastiche.

[kaulsu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The plot is complicated, the ending (or at least the first ending) was a surprise. The final ending was expected, but only after the first ending. This is the kind of book it is! Complicated. But worth it.The author was the creator and writer for the BBC Midsommer Murders and Foyle's War (Foyle's War being the best WWII mystery series! A must Netflix!).If you like puzzles, this book may require pen and paper....

[beckyhaase · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

MAGPIE MURDERS by Anthony HorowitzThis book within a book was frustrating at times. It was difficult to know who was the narrator and which “book” you were in. There is a difference of font, but it is a slight variation and easily missed. Susan is a bit too “talky.” I wanted her to just get on with it instead of rehashing all of the clues and suspects. I thought the Atticus book was by far the better plotted and told of the two tales. It just took forever to get to the finish line.Andreas seemed to be thrown in just so he could be around to “finish the plot.” Susan didn’t miss him at all when he was gone for 6 weeks. The end, therefore, seemed too pat a finish.The depiction of the English village and the various inhabitants was spot on. I didn’t agree with some of the characterizations of other detectives. I rather like Father Brown and don’t find Miss Marple brusque at all. So….. Magpie Murders by Alan Conway is well written and tightly plotted. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz is too long and too fussy. Bring back Conway and Pünd!4 of 5 stars

[lisahistory · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another Anthony Horowitz that looked so promising, and full of references to other mysteries, but just didn't live up to it. The double mystery consists of an author who appears to have committed suicide, and his fictional work where the detective is dying. Different points of view don't bail this out.

[romonko · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a wonderful modern-day Golden Age mystery! Horowitz has penned two murders in one book - two different time frames, one supposedly fiction, the other real-life. It is a very unique way to present his story. The first part of the book is devoted to the fictional book - Magpie Murders. We are given the whole scenario and we lose ourseles in that story. Then, the editor of the author's books is given a voice and we are thrown into the real-life murder. Did the author actually jump off the tower in his house, or was he pushed? The more that Susan Ryleland investigates, the more she realizes that Alan Conway may have not committed suicide despite all the evidence to the contrary. There is a lot of name dropping of famous literary detectives like Morse, Lord Peter Wimsey, Sherlock Holmes and lots of Agatha Christie. For long-term lovers of detecitve fiction like me, that was the hook that got me for this book. Mr. Horowitz manages to keep both of his storylines intact, and we are given the very unique and welcome chance to solve two detective stories, that are each simiar and each different in their own. way. I loved the story. It was very well done, sophisticated and tricky, and I recommend the book highly.

[msf59 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have sampled a classic British mystery, here and there, over the years, so I am just a novice in these deadly waters, but I do appreciate smart, crafty story-telling and I can tell this one is a homage to the those revered classics and is surely catnip for mystery buffs.I am not divulging many details but this one follows an, ailing, retired investigator, named Atticus Pund, looking into a murder at a manor house, called Pye Hall, in a sleepy English village. This death could have been an accident but it is soon followed by a clear-cut murder and we are now off and running. There is also no shortage of suspects and the list keeps growing. I will also mention there is also a book, inside of a book, in this story, which doubles the fun. Enough said: Read it!

[angiestahl-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An inventive form of novel that's a classic British mystery within a mystery. It unspools as Jane Marple speed, like a game of Clue complete with a cast of characters armed with motive. A pleasant way to while away an afternoon or two, particularly if it's cool and rainy and you're under a nice throw blanket fortified with your favorite hot beverage. Recommended for fans of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and possibly extending to fans of the Bryant and May series by Christopher Fowler.

[jcambridge_4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I admit I am a sucker for whodunnits, both in books and on the screen. In my view, Magpie Murders takes it to a new level -- offering not only two great whodunnits, but also insights into the art of writing/creating them and the fascination with reading/watching them. There are two time frames: the current time where an editor and publisher are reviewing the latest manuscript from their best-selling author for a story set in the 1950s. The popularity of this genre is also raised, as noted in this exchange in the book (interesting that Midsomer Murders was not among the shows listed):...Haven't the public had enough of murder?......You're joking. Inspector Morse, Taggart, Lewis, Foyle's War, Endeavour, A Touch of Frost, Luther, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Cracker, Broadchurch, and even bloody Maigret and Wallander -- British TV would disappear into a dot on the screen without murder. They're even bumping people off in the soap operas. And it's the same the world over. You know, they say in America that the average child sees eight thousand murders before they leave elementary school. Makes you think, doesn't it?...I highly recommend this novel -- you will not be disappointed and you will learn a lot about how the characters, places, and plots are developed. Enjoy!!

[flashflood42 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Even though I am told in the meta-mystery section that the mystery is not brilliant, full of derivatives and stolen plots from other writers, I was totally immersed in it and frustrated when the last section was missing. But then the meta-mystery kicks in and one moves from Adrian Pounce, dectective, to the author who is also murdered and the editor must figure it out. And the reward: the last section!!! Very satisfying.

[pw0327 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A book review on the NYT Book Review page had me intrigued. Two stories told in an interwoven fashion could be looked upon as a writing gimmick, but I liked that device; especially if the author is someone who is very good at relating disparate details and pulling them together.Anthony Horowitz is fantastic at this device. There are so many Easter eggs, puns, and intended word plays that I will admit to missing some of them early on in my reading.Contrary to what I had envisioned, the authors decided to use two large chunks of the book to tell the two stories, I had expected a constant back and forth between the two stories and was a little annoyed that I had to wait for the second story to commence. As it turned out he had a very good reason for doing it this way, and much more sensible.The first story is that of a murder mystery, a la Agatha Christie. Set in the lovely Somerset countryside and populated by the usual suspects that would feel at home in a Hercule Poirot novel. The main detective is Atticus Pünd, a crime solver who is cut from the same clothes as so many others in crime fiction. He is a loner, a man of deep and complex thought, a man who is quite nonlinear, a survivor of Auschwitz, and very keen. The story takes off when a housekeeper in service to landed gentry is killed in what is seemingly a simple household accident. This is where all the pertinent characters begin to appear in the story. In very traditional fashion, the back stories of each of the suspects are explained and told by the omniscient narrator. The author methodically advances the story as he builds the suspense. Soon a second murder occurs, and this time there is no doubt as to whether it is an accident or not. So far so good. It is what we expect and we are giddy with anticipation of what will come next. The story crescendos and then, the author abruptly switch gear quite suddenly as the denouement for the first story is postponed indefinitely until the second story is started. For a time there I was quite annoyed with this change of events, and naturally angry with Mr. Horowitz. As it turns out, and this is where the genius of Mr. Horowitz rears its head, the coupling and inter connectedness of the fiction within the fiction comes to the fore. The second story revolves around the editor of a publisher, Cloverleaf Books, the publisher of the Atticus Pünd series of murder mysteries. The author of the series, the cash cow of Cloverleaf Books, Alan Conway had just died, apparently of a suicide, right after he’d delivered his latest book in the series to the publisher, except he delivered it without an ending. The main protagonist of the modern day story, Susan Ryeland, is the editor for the publisher, it is through her eyes that we observe the complex interactions of crime solving once again, except now, instead of look at it through the familiar styles of the great British mystery writers, it is through the eyes of an editor, someone who is not omniscient and decidedly not a practiced crime solver. As the second story unfold, we are treated to a second trip through the investigation and fact finding process of fictional crime solving. The brilliance of this book is that it is telling two stories in two different ways, two different styles, and in two different epochs. Even more impressively, the aforementioned Easter eggs, puns, and intended word plays really make their presence known as Susan Ryeland unravels the writing style and tricks that Alan Conway employs to tell his story. Just like in the first half of the book, Mr. Horowitz advances his plot patiently and builds up the suspense in a masterful manner. For the second time in the same book, he drew me into the swirl of intrigue methodically until I was completely trapped in Magpie Murders.The beauty of the plotting of this book is that the denouement of the Susan Ryeland/Alan Conway part of the book is completely dependent on the denouement of the Atticus Pünd mystery. And Mr. Horowitz does not disappoint, all the pieces are brought together and there is a large amount of: “Why didn’t I see this!” as I wound down my reading experience, which is always a large part of the satisfaction of reading a good mystery. In short, this was a brilliant book, by its complex plotting and development of the characters, it accomplished the main thing: it entertained me.I must admit that I had no idea who Anthony Horowitz is prior to reading this particular book but now I will keep that name in the back of my head for future reading enjoyments.

[writemoves · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At the start of this review, I should acknowledge being a huge fan of earlier books by the author including Moriarty, The House of Silk and Trigger Mortis. This book is very cleverly written – – as one of the Goodreads reviewers has pointed out – – "a novel within a novel." Unlike many mysteries, this book does not start slowly. There also is no wasted storylines in the book. The reader begins to draw his or her own conclusions early in the story. So many suspects – – so many motives and opportunities.

Perhaps other readers will be better detectives than I, the resolution(s) caught me by surprise. A number of surprising twists and turns with plenty of swerves that will intrigue readers of mystery novels. A good book for the beach...

[seasonsoflove_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are times when you need to write a review immediately upon finishing a book, a gushing review that pretty much just states that said book is amazing and everyone needs to read it. This is one of those times, and Magpie Murders is one of those books.There is everything to love about this book. It's so cleverly meta, containing a book within a book (and the book within a book even has its own reviews, author page, and page numbers), and thus a mystery within a mystery. Each mystery is brilliant and brilliantly written, with shocking, surprising reveals. The mystery within a mystery is an homage to Agatha Christie and that golden age of mysteries, and there are great shout outs and name drops to other wonderful mystery authors and books.This is a book that reminds me why I love mysteries ("whodunnits" as one of the narrators refers to them as)--the mad rush to turn page after page because I have to find out what is happening next, the obsessive tallying of clues and possible suspects, getting lost in small English villages with brilliant detectives, a cast of characters both unique and so familiar, and that gasp out loud that comes when I reach the solution to the mystery and realize I've been completely fooled (and I love the book even more for fooling me).I tend to get anxious about rating things-just how many stars to give a book can be something I go back and forth on, and in the end, I'm still not sure the star rating really accurately reflects how I feel about a book, and where I would rank it on my list of reads. But for this book, five stars is completely accurate and deserved. Go read this book, right now. I can't recommend it enough.

[doondeck · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Extremely clever murder mystery within a murder mystery.

[newsieq · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Magpie Murders has almost 500 pages,and readers get a two-fer in the bargain. The contemporary story with which the book starts is narrated by Susan Ryeland, a book editor with a small British firm that publishes the immensely successful Atticus Pünd historical mysteries by Alan Conway. Susan is reading a manuscript containing the latest and last Pünd mystery, “Magpie Murders,” when she discovers that the last chapters – containing the denouement -- are missing. That’s the second book in the two-fer … the entire Atticus Pünd mystery is contained within Magpie Murders. Susan sets off to find the missing pages and finds, instead, a murder – which she is determined to solve. Soon the two stories are interweaving in a delightful fashion. With a story within a story, things could have gotten hopelessly muddled. But in the skillful hands of Anthony Horowitz, that’s not happening. Here is an author clearly at the top of his game – one who’s not averse to showing off a little. Or a lot. I loved this book!

[twink_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Anthony Horowitz's latest release - Magpie Murders - is well, simply brilliant! The writing is so very, very clever. Mystery fans - this is a must-read for you - especially if you love Agatha Christie style mysteries!An unnamed narrator warns the reader about Magpie Murders in the first few pages..."As far as I'm concerned, you can't beat a good whodunnit: the twists and turns, the clues and red herring,s and then finally, the satisfaction of having everything explained to you in a way that makes you kick yourself because you hadn't seen it from the start. That was what I was expecting when I began. But Magpie Murders wasn't like that. It wasn't like that at all. I hope I don't need to spell it out any more. Unlike me, you have been warned."Well, who could resist such a warning? Not I! I settled in with delicious anticipation - and was rewarded. You see, Horowitz has written a novel within a novel. Our narrator starts reading a period murder mystery set in the 1950's in Britain. "...the golden age of British whodunnits with a country house setting, a complicated murder, a cast of suitably eccentric characters and a detective who arrived as an outsider." That outsider is Private Investigator Atticus Pünd. (Who will call Hercule Poirot to mind) This book kept me enthralled for over two hundred pages - then we go back to our narrator on page four. (who turns out to be the author's editor) And discover that there is a mystery to be solved in the present day. But we're left on tenterhooks, awaiting the reveal of the final whodunnit of the 1950's book.Confused? Don't be - the novel reads seamlessly and is so very, very addictive. I've tried to say much without giving too much away. Suffice it to say, that Magpie Murders is highly recommended - easily one of my favourite reads this year.