I have to admit I meant to read the earlier Hawthorne and Horowitz mysteries, The Word is Murder and The Sentence is Death, but I never got around to them. If you’re like me, and just want to start with the third in the series, A Line to Kill, you’ll be just fine. Hawthorne and Horowitz head to a small Channel island, Alderney, so it’s a fresh environment.

In the mysteries, Anthony Horowitz, the narrator, is writing about Daniel Hawthorne’s investigations. Hawthorne is a private investigator, relieved of his duties as a detective inspector after an incident with a prisoner. Horowitz has written the second book in the series, although it hasn’t been published yet. Once Horowitz’ publishers meet Hawthorne, they’re eager to send the pair to a small literary festival on Alderney, a neighboring island to Guernsey. To Horowitz’ surprise, Hawthorne is eager to attend, although Anthony knows there must be an underlying reason.

There’s an eclectic mix of authors attending, including a war historian, a blind psychic, a children’s author, a celebrity chef, and a performance poet. Horowitz is not impressed with the company, nor is he impressed with the sponsor, Charles le Mesurier. Mesurier’s money came from his online gambling site, but now he seems to be lord of the island with a finger in every project. The most controversial one is the Normandy-Alderney-Britain electric line project, one that has divided the community. BAN NAB signs are all over the island.

Naturally, a murder victim is found the last night of the literary festival when Mesurier holds a large party at his home. When the Guernsey police ask Hawthorne to consult, Horowitz jumps to conclusions that the killer must be one of the small group of people he knows. Hawthorne points out there is actually an entire island of suspects.

The conflict between Hawthorne and his “Watson”, Anthony Horowitz, is actually the most entertaining aspect of the book. Horowitz is a little bitter that Hawthorne never keeps him in the loop, and he’s always a step behind the detective. And, Hawthorne always seems friendlier to others than he is to the man writing his story.

Horowitz always plays fair with readers, and the clues are right there in front of us. But, he’s skilled at directing our thoughts elsewhere, and the killer will come as a surprise to most readers. Even if you haven’t read the earlier books, readers who appreciate an isolated location for the setting, and two sleuths who are not always amicable. will enjoy this mystery. If you read for interesting sleuths, you might want to try A Line to Kill.

Anthony Horowitz’ website is https://www.anthonyhorowitz.com/

A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz. Harper, 2021. ISBN 9780062938169 (hardcover), 384p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a .PDF to review for a journal.

If you would like to see an entertaining conversation with Anthony Horowitz and Jeffrey Archer, check out Door to Door from HarperCollins’ Library Love Fest. I watched it, and poor Virginia Stanley, the Library Marketing Director, never had a chance to say much more than hello. This one is fun.