One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.
After reading his take on Sherlock Holmes I was excited tio read more from Anthony Horowitz, and luckily I already owned Magpie Murders!
Susan Ryland, an editor and publisher of mystery novels, sits down to read the latest book draft from her star writer. She never imagines the twists and turns this new mystery will take her on, both while reading and in real life!
After the first chapter of this book, you start reading another book! The first book you are reading is a mystery. The book within a book that you are reading is a mystery. The book within a book is a knock off off a famous belgian private investigator that we know and love. The more I read, the more obvious and blatant the homage became. And the more I read, the more I was confused as to how this book was going to tie into the original book. The main character, a book editor and publisher, tells you right off that this second book is important and the cataylst to the larger mystery of the first book. So now you have two mysteries, one that you can’t see and one that you haven’t read. Sound frustrating? It is. I found in the end, it was worth it, but I felt it took a long time to get there. I like the idea of a book within a book, I like the characters and side plots, I like the descriptions. My favorite part of this book may have been the fun it poked at the book industry. I don’t work in the book industry but this has become one of my favorite devises this year. I love when writers make fun of writers, editors, and publishers. I’m excited for the next in this series, which I believe comes out in 2021. I wonder what form it will take, could it be another book within a book? I would recommend this book to those who are Agatha Christie fans, or fans of homages to her, fans of straightforward “cozy” style mysteries, and readers who aren’t mad about guessing the ending of a book.
Have you read Magpie Murders?
This book is featured in my Dec Wrap Up.