I enjoyed it but it seemed like something I had seen on tv a few times. Writer of a pllay is involved in the murder of theatre critic and teams up with a detective friend (who is the inspiration for a book series) to clear him of the murder. He tags along with his P.I. friend while he's questioning all the suspects. ( )

Daniel Hawthorne wins the Hercule Poirot award for his excellent analysis of the murder of literary critic, Harriet Throsby, and his saving his ex-partner, Anthony Horowitz, from prison. The final scene where Hawthorne assembles all the suspects and reveals the details of Harriet’s murder, plus the murder of two other individuals. The scene reminds one of Hercule Poirot and/or Nick Charles of The Thin Man fame. The Twist of a Knife provides a fast-paced mystery with a vast array of suspects, and Horowitz embellishes the story with the interior of the theatre and the workings of an actual play. The tension builds as a recently released from jail, Anthony Horowitz, must employ the services of his friend, Daniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne and Horowitz travel here and there to undercover the murderer, no sitting in a chair and thinking like Poirot for these two men. An interesting study on how the past decides the present. ( )

Horowitz's lovable-unlovable detective Hawthorne is an ingenious invention. The same may be said of the self-centred narrator. Utterly enjoyable read. ( )

Another great mystery with the twist being our author is accused of murder this time. I do enjoy these mysteries, I just don't quite love the tone of the relationship between detective and author. It's quite manipulative and not as good-natured as I'd like. ( )

The Twist of a Knife is the fourth book and a worthy addition to the Hawthorne and Horowitz Investigate series featuring former DI Daniel Hawthorne and his biographer/sidekick Anthony Horowitz (the author of the series who writes himself as one of the characters in this series).

As the novel begins, Horowitz is glad to discontinue his professional association with Hawthorne upon completing the three-book deal previously agreed upon. Though Hawthorne would like to continue their collaboration, Horowitz has had enough of the tight-lipped, unfriendly Hawthorne. Besides, it is the opening night of his play, “Mindgame”, in London's Vaudeville Theatre, so he has other concerns keeping him occupied. Opening night is well attended, but when renowned theatre critic Harriet Throsby writes a savage review of the play and the performances, with particularly acidic criticism targeting Horowitz’s writing, he and the cast members are disheartened. In a shocking turn of events, the next morning, she is found stabbed in the heart with a dagger and all evidence points to Anthony as the culprit. DI Cara Grunshaw (remember her?) is more than happy to arrest Anthony and throw him in jail pending interrogation. Anthony needs help and who better to help him get to the truth of the matter than Daniel Hawthorne? Thankfully, Hawthorne does not turn Anthony’s plea for help down and when Anthony is released pending further investigation, the duo race against time to prove Anthony’s innocence and find the true killer before he is formally charged with murder.

The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz is a cleverly crafted mystery with plenty of red herrings, several suspects with motives and interesting backstories linking them to the victim and a good dose of humor injected into the narrative for comic relief. As usual, I loved the dynamic between the two main characters and really like that with every book we get to know more about Daniel Hawthorne. I loved that I was unable to predict who the killer was and though a few aspects of this story were a tad farfetched, it did not detract from my overall reading experience. Those who enjoy classic detective stories would enjoy this series. I do recommend that the books be read in series order to fully enjoy the character dynamics.

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I paired my reading with the terrific narration by Rory Kinnear. I can’t wait for the next installment in this series! ( )