Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
The Word Is Murder
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
A wealthy woman strangled six hours after she's arranged her own funeral. A very private detective uncovering secrets but hiding his own. A reluctant author drawn into a story he can't control. What do they have in common? Unexpected death, an unsolved mystery and a trail of bloody clues lie at the heart of Anthony Horowitz's page-turning new thriller. SPREAD THE WORD. THE WORD IS MURDER.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
humouress

ISBN: 9781473539105

Intriguing concept; the author has written himself into the story as the narrator and even tells us the various TV and book series (eg Alex Rider) that he has written. Now he is collaborating with a police consultant from his TV series to cover a crime he's investigating

… and meeting Peter Jackson & Steven Spielberg to discuss the sequel to the Tintin film!

review
jenniferw88
post image
Pickpick
blurb
jenniferw88
post image

It was very close between The Word is Murder and Dead Simple (hence the bonus pick), but considering that I've already bought another book in the Horowitz series and not the James, I think it means this book won for September.

Librarybelle I love the Horowitz series! 3w
42 likes1 comment
review
Centique
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

Just a light pick for this one. My brain has been fried lately - so i appreciated the light tone and some of the amusing asides as Anthony Horowitz inserts himself into the mystery as a kind of goofy Watson character. Some good red herrings and a bunch of unlikeable but well created characters. However there were a few things that brought me out of the story because they felt too far fetched.

review
bthegood
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

A writer, Horowitz, is asked by an ex-detective,Hawthorne, to write about him and his case. Horowitz agrees. The case, a woman who just planned her funeral is murdered. Her son is a famous actor, she has a crime from her past where some feel justice wasn't served. And Horowitz can't get a handle on Hawthorne. Overall, good read. Will continue the #SeriesLove2024 . #AwesomeApril first book finished.
Make a great day everyone 😊

blurb
bthegood
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image

One week left for this months #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks 😊

Make a great day everyone 📚

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looking great!! 6mo
bthegood @TheAromaofBooks thanks and thanks for hosting. 🙂 6mo
30 likes2 comments
blurb
bthegood
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image

Adding another #SeriesLove2024 to my list of series - will start the first one this week.

#blameitonlitsy

Make a great day everyone 🙂

Aims42 I love this series! Hope you enjoy it too 🤓🥰 6mo
bthegood @Aims42 thanks - starting it this evening! 6mo
37 likes2 comments
review
lauraisntwilder
post image
Pickpick

I finished this audiobook during our evening walk. I liked it, but there is something odd about the author being a main character in their own novel. I'm not saying it doesn't work, but there were moments that took me out of the story and made me think about what really happened, specifically where film productions were concerned. Overall, I enjoyed the mystery, even if the Watson-Holmes archetype was slightly too obvious.

review
jlhammar
Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

Really enjoyed this meta-mystery. Good audiobook. Will definitely be continuing with the series.

69 likes1 stack add
review
Robotswithpersonality
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

This...review is not going to make a whole lot of sense. Logically, I should not like this book. I hesitate to recommend it to others for most of the reasons I shouldn't like it. For SOME reason, I had a good time reading it? 🥴 Basically everybody is a bit of an asshole, except for Hawthorne who is HUGE asshole. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? I dislike books centred on unlikeable characters as a rule. The characters are regularly unlikeable, or rude, or offensive. Bits of the plot feel melodramatic, or predictable. And yet, I merrily trucked along with the mystery, I was amused at the plight of the part-self-satisfied, part brought-down-a-peg narrator, and I KEPT trying to see the redemptive pieces in Hawthorne even though certain things he said are just unforgiveable without hearing the same character actually profess they were wrong and will do better - which he didn't! 9mo
Robotswithpersonality 3/3 The camaraderie isn't really there, each glimmer of it had a sort of darkly humourous counterpoint soon after. I feel questionable for having been entertained!
Will I be reading the next in the series? Yes! Don't, don't ask me why. 🤷🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️
⚠️ Homophobia, fatphobia, ableism
9mo
Texreader Well that review was a fun read!!! Well done! 9mo
13 likes3 comments
quote
Robotswithpersonality
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image

The Undertaker's WHAT?! 😂

quote
Robotswithpersonality
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image

Not gonna lie, that vivid analogy is going to stick with me.

quote
Robotswithpersonality
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image

I love that the full list of options is explored. You COULD have sat around gleefully chewing your own shoelace (an impressive feat if the shoe's on your foot), but it just didn't seem as likely...🤔😁

6 likes1 stack add
review
BarbaraBB
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

The unlikable police officer Hawthorne convinces author Anthony Horowitz to document a murder case together. He will solve it, Horowitz will write about it. They are an original couple. At least as original is the murder of a woman just hours after she arranged her own funeral. Red herrings everywhere! An engaging mystery novel!

jlhammar Look forward to trying this series. I really enjoyed his Susan Ryeland books (Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders). 12mo
BarbaraBB @jlhammar I only read Magpie Murders and enjoyed it but this one I can really recommend. I can‘t wait to read the next installment! 12mo
Librarybelle I love Horowitz and his ingenious books! 12mo
CarolynM Sounds like fun🙂 12mo
72 likes1 stack add4 comments
blurb
RaeLovesToRead
The Word is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image

#tbrtarot @CBee One word title?? ?? One "word" in the title? ??? No? Oh OK.

(This is the picture I took to complain about this book not being in the condition advertised. On what planet is this "Like New"? The pages are yellow, the spine is cracked and the cover is peeling. I don't usually quibble about this sort of thing, but I feel they are taking the mickey a little here.)

TrishB I would complain too! I‘ve been lucky so far with my like new purchases! 2y
Bookwormjillk What the heck? It‘s ripped! 2y
AshleyHoss820 I think you were totally right to make them aware of this! I bought a book that was listed as “acceptable”from ThriftBooks. It was covered in mold or something crusty, and smelled like it had been in someone‘s basement for a long time. Sometimes, you gotta say, “nah…” ☺️ (edited) 2y
See All 19 Comments
julesG I would complain too. That's far from "Like New" 2y
CBee Ha! That works if you want it to work. The rules aren‘t strict 😊 And that is not “like new” omg 😳 2y
RaeLovesToRead @TrishB @Bookwormjillk @AshleyHoss820 @julesG @CBee You should see the copy of The Bluest Eye that they sent me... supposedly "good" condition, but it's been written all over! It's obviously someone's school copy complete with annotations ? Not impressed. 2y
AshleyHoss820 @RaeLovesToRead Ugh! I‘ve bought “acceptable” books, knowing that might happen. I‘m not picky about writing/highlighting in the books. Sometimes it‘s fun to see someone else‘s notes. (English major 😂) but that is not “good” condition! 😫😫 2y
CBee @RaeLovesToRead not cool! This is ThriftBooks? I wasn‘t impressed with my last couple purchases so haven‘t bought anything for a bit. 2y
RaeLovesToRead @AshleyHoss820 My favourite note so far: "depression, foreboding, imagery of sofa" ? I think whoever picked this particular parcel just grabbed any old shite. The other parcel was fine! 2y
RaeLovesToRead @CBee No, it wasn't, it was World of Books. I'm hoping they will sort it for me. Only one parcel of books was badly described. I accept that the margins between Good and Very Good can be subjective, but this is not "Like New"! This is "well thumbed"! And it's not got the cover I ordered either. I suspect a newby packed them. 2y
CBee @RaeLovesToRead I hope so! They better! 2y
AshleyHoss820 @RaeLovesToRead “imagery of sofa” sent me! 🤣🤣🤣 I love it! I bought Sir Gawain & the Green Knight used for my Arthurian Legends class. The girl before me wrote, “She wants the D” in the margins. 💀💀💀 2y
RaeLovesToRead @AshleyHoss820 OMG 🤣🤣🤣 2y
Clare-Dragonfly @AshleyHoss820 That is the best marginal note I‘ve ever heard 😂😂😂 2y
AshleyHoss820 @Clare-Dragonfly It stopped me dead and I was chortling in class! My professor got a kick out of it and was “ya know what, fair.” 🤣🤣🤣 2y
BarbaraBB This is definitely not like new 😱 2y
The_Book_Ninja I‘ve notice WOB sending out tatty books that were described as like new or good. I complained and they sent me a replacement that was in EXACTLY the same condition! 2y
RaeLovesToRead @The_Book_Ninja Hmm... that's not good... I won't get my hopes up too much then! 😬 2y
63 likes19 comments
review
Nalbuque
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

A🤘🏽but just barely. This kept me interested and was a fast, entertaining listen. But ooooft the characters are so unlikable. One of them is explicitly homophobic and while the other one disagrees, it‘s done in a way that feels performative (“oh, that‘s wrong, but I‘m not gonna do anything abt it, I‘m the good guy tho ok?”). You can‘t just drop some homophobia, even if it seems self-aware, and not take it anywhere- no lesson, no redemption?! Nah

review
led567
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
Pickpick

It was very clever - I didn‘t get ‘whodunnit‘, though I did get some other elements - but I couldn‘t quite settle into the autobiographical first-person style, it was just a bit too weird! I stopped after a couple of pages then came back to it after I‘d read another book. One thing that needled me was that because AH is so successful, it felt like too much name-dropping. I couldn‘t feel much connection with the detective. I will read the sequel.

blurb
TheSpineView
post image
Eggs 🔪🩸 ✏️ Perfect 🤩 2y
62 likes2 comments
blurb
Read4life
post image

#AdventRecommends @emilyrose_x

Book 1 in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series. Horowitz writes himself into these stories as, well, himself writing the stories. In order to do this, he has to spend a lot of time with Hawthorne who is smart, irritating, rude and unapologetically blunt.

30 likes2 stack adds
blurb
Litlady
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image

Halloween is in full swing now that I‘ve unwrapped all these fabulous, festive gifts and treats from my thoughtful and totally awesome #litsypenpal @Beck9lol !! 🎃📚🥳🧟‍♀️👻The Jack Skellington wrapping paper (not pictured) was perfect, too! I love, love, love it all! Thanks so much, Becky, you‘re the best! ❤️ Wishing Becky and all my #Litsy mates a very Happy Halloween 🎃👻📚🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤

Beck9lol Hooray!!! Happy Halloween friend! 🎃 2y
13 likes1 comment
review
BookishTrish
Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

Anthony Horowitz is very good at his job. He threw out some excellent red herrings and I was left guessing until the very end. Highly recommended.

kspenmoll Enjoyed this book! 3y
61 likes4 stack adds1 comment
blurb
BookishTrish
Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image

Had to stop for 10 minutes for a sing along with Tay Tay #swiftieswhoread

Branwen 😂🤣👏 3y
zezeki 😂😂 Lately I've been listening to tolerate it on reapeat and just thinking how I should reread Rebecca. 3y
Bookzombie 😂😂 3y
33 likes3 comments
review
Jhullie
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

Quite a good read once Ingot used to the very unusual premise of the author inserting himself into the story. I enjoyed the fast pace and the characters were really believable which is always a huge plus for me. I will definitely be looking into further books in this series.

review
acp
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
Pickpick

my favourite murder mystery :)

blurb
BookBelle84
post image

review
Jeg
post image
Pickpick

I‘m really warming to this author. Great for a light read. Clever and at times funny. My 3 reads have been op shop books. So will continue to look out for more.
#joysbooks2021
@MrsMalaprop

EvieBee I really like this series, and glad you did too. 3y
14 likes1 comment
review
suvata
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

• TBR since November 6, 2021

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nobody arranges their own funeral, and then gets killed the same day – do they? Well, that‘s exactly what happened to Diana Cowper One bright, sunny morning in London.

The Word is Murder is the first in a series of crime novels starring Detective Daniel Hawthorne and the author Anthony Horowitz. Very clever … the writer inserting himself as a character.

EvieBee Love this series. 3y
59 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
Nebklvr
post image
Pickpick

I was worried this would be too meta for me but it was a fun mystery. Contemporary Sherlockian detective and proud, slightly mystified writer.

EvieBee I really like this series. It‘s weird but good lol! 3y
Nebklvr @EvieBee I have never read any of his adult fiction but this was great! Felt like a throwback to Doyle and Christie. 3y
EvieBee I read all three of the books in this series in about a month and because I miss them, I started watching Foyle‘s War lol! 3y
Nebklvr @EvieBee I didn‘t know that was real! I will have to check it out. 3y
Magpiegem I love these books but I have a thing for meta-fiction 3y
44 likes1 stack add5 comments
review
starlight97
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

I almost bailed on this but I'm glad I didn't. Full review on GoodReads
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

blurb
LeslieO
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image

October #BookSpinBingo. Excited about both the #BookSpin and the #DoubleSpin.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Looks great!!! 3y
26 likes1 comment
review
EvieBee
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

I first picked this audiobook up 3 years ago when I went on a Litsy hiatus. I never finished it. News of the 3rd installment in the series coming out in October put it back on my radar. I really enjoyed it, especially on my morning hikes with Benji. Can‘t wait to start THE SENTENCE IS DEATH. There‘s something to be said about the Hawthorne character.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½ #shibainu #benji

BarbaraBB Which is the first one? 3y
EvieBee @BarbaraBB The Word is Murder is the first. (edited) 3y
BarbaraBB That‘s the one I have on my shelves. Thanks! I‘m glad it‘s the first one 👍🏽 3y
EvieBee @BarbaraBB you‘ll enjoy it! Especially if you like Magpie Murders. 3y
54 likes4 comments
review
NatalieR
Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

I randomly selected this book off of my Overdrive wish list and was unsure how much I would like it. Turns out I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery! A woman plans her own funeral and is murdered shortly thereafter. Hawthorne, a detective, is solving the crime. He wants a book written about his life and hires Horowitz. The two form a strange relationship as Horowitz follows Hawthorne around on his interrogative interviews. #MountTBR

RachelAmphlett I struggled to get into the book so maybe I‘ll try again! 3y
ChasingOm I love this picture! 3y
arkei “Strange relationship“ made me think of NBC Hannibal's Will×Hannibal dynamic... is it similar to that? 3y
See All 6 Comments
NatalieR @RachelAmphlett If you revisit this book I hope you enjoy it! 😀 3y
NatalieR @ChasingOm Thanks! 😊 3y
NatalieR @arkei I haven‘t seen that show. I meant that they don‘t have much of a relationship. A lot of emotional distance and stiff boundaries. They seldom share personal information despite spending so much time together. 3y
97 likes2 stack adds6 comments
review
Ericalambbrown
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

I wound up liking this one, but didn‘t know if I would about half way through. The detective is a next-level arse that almost pushed this book to so-so for me. I kinda loved the author writing a fictionalized version of himself into the story, however - it saved the book for me. I picked this up on audiobook loan just because the author wrote episodes of Midsomer Murders and I adore Rory Kinnear, whose performance is lovely. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

review
BlueMoonJ
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Mehso-so

Meh.
So, this could have been excellent. Great jerk of a detective, great mystery and plot. The problem was Anthony Horowitz. He wrote himself in to the story as the “Watson” and pontifically waxed about all of his success as a writer. And waxed and waxed.... It took me out of the story and I had to keep going back to find the plot again.

#mystery #audiobook #AnthonyHorowitz #Knittingwhilereading

review
midath75
Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

I love the idea that the author wrote himself into this book. A cool idea and a good book. Right up my alley.

5 likes1 stack add
review
sparrowssavvy
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

A fast paced and delightful read. I was intrigued how the author basically wrote himself as a main character and literally referenced his own writing career. But a fun mystery and I‘ll be checking out the second book.

review
Aims42
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
Pickpick

I loved this book 👍🏻 I finally started and finished a book and it didn‘t feel like “work” to do so. I‘m onto his next book in this series 🙌🏻

LiteraryinPA Anthony Horowitz is an auto-buy author for me. ☺️ 4y
Aims42 @LiteraryinLititz I loved “Magpie Murders” and after reading this, yep, auto-buy authority granted 🧞‍♂️ 4y
23 likes2 comments
review
Scorbet
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

The premise of this book is a little unusual, as the author himself is part of the book. In it, is asked by an ex-policeman now consultant to write a book about one of his cases, leading him (the author) to play a Watson-like role in the book.

The presence of the author-as-character is a bit off-putting in some ways, but this is still an interesting mystery. The consultant Hawthorne also takes a bit of getting used to, as he is pretty abrasive.

review
behudd
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This is perhaps the most meta book I have ever read. Anthony Horowitz, the author, is also the narrator, and while he uses realities of his life & writing career, his relationship with Detective Hawthorne is, I assume, purely fiction. If you read or watch any British mysteries you have likely encountered Horowitz‘s work, & he is a master at his craft. For the actual murder mystery, I did not see the ending coming (though I almost never do)

review
SKlich
post image
Pickpick

Wonderful book! I enjoyed traipsing around London with the characters!

review
mcctrish
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

My husband bought this for me to read for our March Break trip to London, England that we never went on. It‘s the most meta murder mystery. Truthfully I found it a bit jarring at times, the sort of true crime vibe. I often thought of Comoran Strike, who is a crotchety bastard that I LOVE and the Hawthorne character in this book. There is no comparison. Hawthorne is more Sherlock, I guess. It is a good mystery with some good twists

blurb
mcctrish
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image

Saturday mornings are for treats and reading

cajunsyd Yummy!!! 4y
mcctrish @cajunsyd the best thing I do is order treats from this bakery on Sunday mornings so they can be delivered for the next weekend 🤓 4y
cajunsyd @mcctrish so smart! I might have to steal that idea! 4y
50 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
suzie.reads
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

Book 1 in the Hawthorne series and it was a good one. Was abit strange that the story was told in the first person by Horowitz but it was an interesting way to do it.
#Murder2020 (book 42)

55 likes1 stack add
review
Jaimelire
The Word is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

I am really enjoying Anthony Horowitz‘s books. This is the second I have read and I plan to read more. His style is quite different and I really get drawn into his mysteries. 👍

kspenmoll I love his writing as well 5y
Jaimelire @kspenmoll I am so glad I discovered his books. Keeps me busy while stuck at home. 5y
38 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
katy4peas
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

I really, really enjoyed this book. I listened to it and enjoyed the narrator as well. The author puts himself into the story as the MC and works with a grumpy ex-police detective to solve murders. I found the book to be funny and full of twists and turns. There was some strong language, but overall a really fun read/listen!! Definitely recommend.

review
MommyWantsToReadHerBook
The Word is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image
Pickpick

I had never even heard of Anthony Horowitz before Litsy. I really enjoyed this! The climax was the slightest bit corny but I get that it kind of had to be. Thanks to all the Littens who reviewed this and piqued my interest!

Suet624 That's what's so great about Litsy!!! 5y
57 likes1 comment
blurb
MommyWantsToReadHerBook
The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz
post image

My reading spot on this Friday afternoon. The girls and I are, very impromptu, spending the weekend with a friend in Westdene, Johannesburg. I'm dying of jealousy at how lovely her place is! By comparison I live in a hole 🙁

Crazeedi So lovely and peaceful looking, have a great weekend 💕 5y
MommyWantsToReadHerBook @Crazeedi thank you, I'm sure I will! 5y
BarbaraJean Goodness, that is lovely!! The art—! 😍 And by comparison, my home is a bit hole-ish as well—but they say comparison is the thief of joy. 😏 Hope you enjoyed your weekend in such a lovely home! 5y
73 likes3 comments