Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz, Orion October 2016 // This novel’s format took me off guard at first. I knew the plot: An editor (Susan Ryeland) receives the mystery manuscript for the final book in the Atticus Pünd series from her publishing house’s star client, Alan Conway, and finds it is incomplete. Just a few chapters shy of the murderer’s unmasking, it abruptly stops. Before she can find out why, Alan Conway is murdered. The first few pages introduce the reader to Susan, who describes the rainy night when she sprawled out on her bed, wine and snacks at the ready, to read the manuscript for Alan’s new book. The book, she says, that changed her life and ended up costing her many of the things she had once held dear. And then, the format changes to Alan’s manuscript and continues until the reader, like Susan, encounters the unexplainable non-ending. Susan’s story picks back up here and the real mystery, the one that altered Susan’s life forever, begins. Opening the book up, I hadn’t realized I was going to be treated with a whole other novel to enjoy. Horowitz has created a story within a story. It’s two excellent novels for the price of one. It’s brilliant. The tone of each is distinct: Susan’s story takes place in modern-day London and is told in first-person; Pünd's story takes place in a quiet English village in 1955, is told in third-person, and has that quintessential Golden Age feel. The mysteries in each are well-crafted with plenty of red herrings and unique characters, though I admit I did find myself more invested in Pünd’s story. The only small complaint I have is the ending of Susan’s story; I can’t quite pinpoint why, but it didn’t satisfy me. Other than that, Magpie Murders is a complex and captivating mystery. Highly recommended. #anthonyhorowitz #magpiemurders
