The Sentence is Death is the second in Anthony Horowitz’s mysteries starring himself and detective Daniel Hawthorne. I liked its predecessor, The Word is Murder, but Sentence sees the series really hit its stride.

We start strongly, on a Foyle’s War location shoot. I think this is clever, as it sets Horowitz’s persona up in an extremely accessible way. All too often a crime novel has a slow, scene-setting start. This one doesn’t do anything other than to set up our relationship with the story-teller. By the time Hawthorne arrives, with a mystery to solve, we are happily settled down with the narrator. Horowitz will later, in one of myriad asides to the reader, point out that you ‘cannot have a central character who is…by his very nature, unpleasant.’ Horowitz is supposedly referring to Hawthorne, who is prone to homophobic remarks, but he knows full well that as the narrator he’s the central character. He breaks the fourth wall all the time, to give us the inside insight into his writing process, to muse about the nature of crime fiction, or just to insult a certain kind of writer. He is happy to be playful, with the sort of phrases (my favourite: referring to Ravilious and Gill as ’a collection of Erics’) that a third person narrative just can’t get away with. And he is confident enough to include a rather wonderful running joke involving Michael Kitchen, which is genuinely funny, affectionate enough to delight the Foyle fandom and straightforward enough for the general reader. The result is a form of story-telling which is amusing, engaging and provides a fine frame on which to hang the tale. Yes, we know that Horowitz will fail when he sets off to solve the crime himself. It doesn’t matter in the least.

I thought the mystery was excellent, too. The main plot involves a divorce lawyer and the usual cast of people any of whom could have dunit. But the issue is blown open by a death at King’s Cross station that takes Horowitz and Hawthorne up to Yorkshire to investigate an old caving tragedy. The use of a subplot that involves the menace of the elements contrasts very nicely with tales of the upper middle class folk of Highgate. And the psychological scarring caused by what happens in the Long Way Hole can be compared against the blunt but effective bullying by Met dimwits Grunshaw and Mills (I loved that Grunshaw references Horowitz’s writing for young people and not, say, Foyle or Midsomer Murders), and the low-level power struggle that takes place between Horowitz and Hawthorne; and, indeed, the general sense of injustice (think of Lenny Pinkerman and the admittedly hilarious set-to at Daunt’s).

What next? We’ve had ‘Word’ and ‘Sentence’ so in what I hope will be called The Paragraph is Fatality we can expect some more revelations about Hawthorne and his methods, perhaps involving Pinkerman and Kenneth Brannigan. Perhaps Horowitz will avoid being stabbed next time. But in the meantime I recommend this quirky and enjoyable take on the detective novel.

Thanks to Century for the review copy.

Clever, witty, original, beautifully written, excellent premise and plot. I could write far more but there is no need.

This is a master of the trade at the top of his form. Read it. Highly and totally recommended.

I like Anthony Horowitz books and this one was pretty different to the others I've read.

Basically it's more of a slow-burn mystery. More of an Agatha Christie or Sherlock, old-style detective story.

The core mystery seems to be based on a true story, though it was difficult to understand whether the elements (letters, historical articles etc.) which were added in to the story, were actually 'real' or part of the fictional book (I found this lack of clarity annoying, though perhaps it was my lack of understanding??).

The story follows a writer as he tracks the work of Detective Hawthorne. Hawthorne is aloof and a bit odd. He solves the case (of course) and the writer is trying to do the same and lagging behind horribly.
The mystery was interesting enough and clear enough, and there are plenty of potential suspects. However, the story lacked tension for me and was not as riveting as I'd have liked.

Well described characters are this author's strong point and this book does not disappoint.

The other interesting point about this book is the fictional writer in the book seems to be styled on Horowitz himself (his name, where he lives, his experience of living in London and working as a famous writer etc.). This definitely added interest for me and might even have been a bit more interesting than the actual mystery.

Summary - this is well written and a decent mystery. The curiosity element of having Horowitz making himself a character in it is probably the biggest attraction because the story is a bit slow.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley. This is my honest review.

Anthony Horowitz is back with another instalment in the series featuring Daniel Hawthorne, and yet again he doesn’t disappoint. Returning with the unique format of Anthony himself partnering up with Hawthorne as he solves the crime, The Sentence is Death keeps you hooked from the first page to the last.
While it’s part of a series, it’s perfectly possible to read The Sentence is Death without reading The Word is Murder first, but in my opinion, to get the most from the story it’s best to read them in sequence, especially to better understand Hawthorne’s character and his relationship with Anthony.
As was the case last time, I really enjoyed how the story is told from Horowitz’s perspective and I found it fascinating learning little things about the filming of Foyle’s war and the writing process. I felt that Horowitz’s voice really came through on the page and I thoroughly enjoyed the humour that came with that.
I found myself riveted throughout, with the most suspenseful scenes leaving me wide eyed and never wanting to put the book down. I must say, it took a lot of self-control when it came to times where I had to stop reading, and on a few occasions I was actually tempted to just stay on the train so I could keep going!
I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of reading this and didn’t want it to end, but when I did finish it, the ending was really satisfying and I most certainly didn’t guess the solution, in fact I wasn’t even close!
Overall, I'm giving The Sentence is Death 5 out of 5 and firmly placing it on my Five Star Favourites Shelf. It’s thrilling, enthralling and masterfully written. I can’t recommend it more highly. Get yourself a copy as soon as possible!!

Another brilliant crime story with lots of twists & turns that kept me guessing right to the end.

Many thanks to Random House via NetGalley for giving me a advanced copy in return for a truthful review.
I have been a fan of Anthony Horowitz for many years now, after fully enjoying his previous Hawthorne novel The Word is Murder, I had very high hopes for this novel, I was not left disappointed.
***** (5 stars)
For this novel Hawthrone returns to Anthony to begin work on a second book. The case: a lawyer is discovered murder killed to death by a very expensive wine bottle then the killer has left the figure 181 written in green pain on the wall next to the body. What does it all mean?
We follow Anthony as he tells the story (hoping to creack the case before Hawthrone), that the lawyer was on a divorce case around the famous writer Akira Anno (who has a clear dislike for Horowitz works), was she somehow involved, did she have something to hide
The second option surrounds the ex-widfe of one of the lawyers clients who assaulted him (which involved wine) and threatened him in a restaurant. Was she involved?
Then a thrid option involves an incident that occured 6yrs previously involving a death of a man in a caving accident in Yorkshire, is this somehow connected?
However standing in there way is a Met police office who has a big dislike for Hathorne and is wanting to solve the crime first, at any cost (at such a point as interfering with Anthony life), which adds to the fun and the drama.

There is a lot of twist and turns through out the book and just when you think you have guessed you are proven wrong right to the very end when the true killer is relieved. And believe me no reader will guess it right?

Overall I fully enjoyed this book. The fact that Horowitz has included himself in the book and we follow his day to day life involving his work on Foyles War, this family along with his publishers. Along with the locations in London you cant help put feel that the murders are true (when they are fictional) and you are a member of the gang trying to solve the crime. A number of reviews have commented on the dislike for Hawthrorne, however I never had a issue with him and feel he was more likelable in this novel however there is a lot (like anthony) that we dont know about him, I hope we find out more about him, so hopefully he becomes more likelable to more readers.

So overall another brilliant novel, with a lot of twist and turns to keep you encage right to the very end. I cant wait for the next installment (Anthony states in the novel that he has a 3 book deal for the Hawthorne series, so we got a least other book to look forward too, I hopeful he considering making more).

Many thanks again to Random House via Netgalley for the advanced copy.

For someone who "... had no wish to turn myself into a character, a secondary one at that; the perennial sidekick .." that is exactly what Horowitz has done, quite possibly for the second time, if one reads between the lines correctly.

Anyway, whilst in the midst of filming an episode of "Foyle's War", Dorian Gray like detective, Daniel Hawthorn whisks Horowitz away to investigate the murder of high profile divorce lawyer, Richard Pryce. With some cracking dialogue, basic powers of observation - "... so far I had missed three clues and misconstrued two more. Things were only going to get worse." - Hawthorn and Horowitz must work ahead of the police investigation to solve this little mystery, all while trying to finish filming, re-write scenes, dealing with malevolent police detectives, and attending book club

Horowtiz is humourous and self deprecating, the naive Watson to Hawthorn's oft-times annoying, condescending, and definitely not PC Holmes. By the end of it all you are left with one question - is it real or just very clever writing .....

I loved The Word is Murder, Anthony Horowitz’s first book to feature the detective Daniel Hawthorne, so when I heard that there was going to be a second book I couldn’t wait to read it. I didn’t have to wait too long, as this one has been published only a year after the first, and I’m pleased to report that I enjoyed it just as much, if not more.

When high profile divorce lawyer Richard Pryce is found bludgeoned to death with an expensive bottle of wine, the culprit seems quite obvious. Just days earlier, Pryce had been threatened by a client’s ex-wife who poured a glass of wine over his head in a restaurant. Surely that can’t be a coincidence? But Pryce has plenty of other enemies, whose identities come to light as investigations continue. Could one of them have wanted him dead? And what is the significance of the numbers painted on the wall near Pryce’s body? As this is clearly a more complex case than it seemed at first, ex-police detective Hawthorne is asked to assist with solving the crime.

Having worked with Hawthorne on his previous mystery in The Word is Murder, author Anthony Horowitz reluctantly agrees to team up with him again and document the progress of the investigations in a second book, The Sentence is Death. Hawthorne is supposed to be the hero of the book, but this time Anthony decides to do some detecting of his own in the hope of reaching the solution first. Can he solve the mystery before Hawthorne does?

If this sounds confusing, I should explain that, as in the previous novel, Horowitz is a character in his own book. The Anthony in the story is clearly based on the author himself – he frequently discusses his career as a novelist and screenwriter and refers to his wife and his publisher by name – yet he interacts with fictional characters, takes part in fictional storylines and struggles to solve the mystery the real Horowitz has created. I think it’s a clever concept and great fun, though not everyone will agree – it’s probably something you’ll either love or you won’t.

It’s not really necessary to have read the first book before starting this one as the mysteries are entirely separate. Like the first, this is a strong, well-constructed mystery with plenty of clues but plenty of red herrings as well. I didn’t manage to solve it (I confess that I allowed myself to be distracted and misled by every one of those red herrings) but I was happy to be kept in suspense and wait for Hawthorne – or Anthony, of course, if he got there first – to explain it all for me.

However, I would still recommend reading both books in order if you can, so that you can watch the progression of Anthony’s relationship with Hawthorne. Hawthorne is no more pleasant or likeable now than he was when we first met him in The Word is Murder, and he is still every bit as much of an enigma, but we do pick up a few new bits of information about him here, with some glimpses of his home and his life away from his detection work. I think he’s a great character, for all of his flaws, and I love his partnership with the fictional Anthony.

When I read the first novel I found the details of Anthony’s publishing and television career a slight distraction from the main plot, but in this book they seemed to form a more intrinsic part of the story and I liked that aspect much more. Horowitz seems to be having fun at the expense of his fictional self, as Anthony stumbles from one disaster to another; I particularly enjoyed the opening scenes on the set of Foyle’s War and a later scene involving the theft of a book – and I’m curious to know whether the literary fiction author Akira Anno was based on a real person (although if she was, I doubt her true identity will ever be revealed).

I loved this book – and the good news for Horowitz and Hawthorne fans is that there’s going to be a third.

What a delight to read this was. The second in the series, but that did not matter.. it was easy to pick up on the what was going on. I loved the clever idea of Anthony Horowitz in real time as a detective, trying to solve the murder before the private investigator did. I oved that we went onto the set of Foyles War and met Michael Kitchin.. the story was easy to follow , and the characters and storyline plausible . An added delight for me was the inclusion of Ingleton and the Yorkshire dales as a location as that is near where i live.. His description of caving and that location was very realistic.. So a great fun read.. i highly recommend it.

A whodunnit crime thriller with a twist - the protagonist is in fact the author.

I didn’t realise until I’d finished the book that it was the second in a series, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story.

I did get a bit irritated by the name-dropping of other authors and brands, but this does lend to its authenticity as a piece of realism, almost faction, as it is being told in the author’s voice.

I’d be keen to pick up the first of the series to get to know Tony and Hawthorne some more.

A captivating whodunnit

This is the latest and second in the Daniel Hawthorne series. I haven’t read the first but this in no way detracted from my enjoyment of this novel.

Hawthorne has been brought in to investigate the murder of Richard Pryce, a high profile (and expensive) divorce lawyer whose throat has been slashed by a broken bottle of very expensive wine. His capacity in investigating the crime is a little vague, but it is crystal clear that there is no love lost between him and the senior investigating officer, Cara Grunshaw (what a great name – almost Dickensian). The likely suspects are lined up for the reader and the investigation begins.

Hawthorne has a sidekick who fancies himself as a bit of a sleuth. Anthony has agreed to write three books for his publishing house around the exploits of Hawthorne but, after the first case, has become increasingly unwilling to complete his contract. Will this be the case to change his mind? Theirs is a bit of a love/hate relationship, and I was wondering which way it would go.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, despite having worked out who the killer was by the time all the various threads were being drawn together. Hawthorne and Anthony are a present-day Holmes and Watson – the one being an observant professional and the other being a professional out of his depth. It’s a good set up and one that still works well.

All the clues are presented to the reader who finds himself racing, along with Hawthorne, Anthony and Grunshaw, to be the one to solve the murder first. The dialogue is excellent and develops the somewhat turbulent relationship between the two main protagonists very well but it’s the mysterious background of Hawthorne which led me on and wanting more. The murder investigation for me was almost a sideshow at times. Clearly, something of Hawthorne’s background was revealed in the first novel, and we get to learn a little more in this one. It’s an excellent mechanism to maintain the reader’s interest and one which is used perfectly by Horowitz.

The sidekick author has been contracted to write three books – I can only hope that the contract is extended. Great reading.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

This is an interestingly original take on the crime novel trope, with the author himself our main protagonist. This novel follows the emotionally complex murder of hotshot lawyer Richard Pryce, with a scattering of suspects draw from the outset.
Horowitz’s involvement in this novel reclaims the often complicated pathways of some crime novels, as we are following through the plot with an individual of the same standing as us as readers. It is this very technique which highlights the painfully obvious hints we continuously miss as readers with no criminal justice background. Horowitz is a very likeable, regular ‘character’, who carries us through this novel with simple grace.
The plot itself is brilliant, with the murder and the lack of clarity surrounding the multiple events leading up to its taking an unnerving collection of blurry alibis and intentions. Whilst it lacked the suspense of some crime novels, the frustratingly, and seemingly never ending to-and-fro between suspects created an addictive narrative. I was vexed to not have figured out the killer before finishing the book, it was so obvious but so well crafted and hidden I would have had to have been as skilled as Hawthorne to have picked it up!
I definitely recommend this novel to anybody who desires a crime novel without an excess of death, blood, fast chases and wild grit. It is a well paced novel which unfolds brilliantly to an excellent end. I will definitely be reading the other books in this series!

A strong four stars.

Yet again, a supremely interesting book from Anthony Horowitz. I did have my doubts – the highly suspicious mentions of a certain phone made me wonder quite how daft this neo-Watson was going to be made to be, and I did wonder why we got dragged to Yorkshire (having heard Horowitz on the radio mention it as a chance to learn a little more about his anti-Holmes Hawthorne), when the dead lawyer in London seemed of more interest. But rest assured, this man certainly knows what he's doing, and proves it once again. It's old-school fun with a very modern bent, with so many clues, and the piece is so readable you fail to realise that every time there's a summary of what's known, or an inclination to solve things, half of them are left out. Once more, the inclusion of the real Horowitz's real work alongside proceedings only adds beneficial detail, although perhaps he doesn't have such quite revealing asides to say about the crime publishing world as last time. The case itself is certainly a very good one, right up the street of the genre reader, and even if the ultimate arc of the series is supposed to be concerning our semi-pro, semi-antagonist Hawthorne, this evidence seems to show that every incidence of the pair together will be nothing but fun.

So happy to be given a whole budget to replenish our senior shelves in the school library. The books in there are far from appealing at the moment and I have been delighted to find books here that will intrigue, captivate and engross my senior students.

This is a fantastic read with characters they will be able to connect with, a pacy narrative and an ending that will provide plenty to talk about. I will definitely be using extracts for our creative writing group too and asking them to think about what makes this such a successful piece of genre fiction.

It's great to read a book that does not feel formulaic and gives some credit to their reader's intelligence too. Young people are very fussy about the books they choose to read and in this time-precious day and age it really has to be something above and beyond the ordinary to get them to put down their devices and get their noses stuck in a book.

I think this is one book that will capture their imagination and keep them turning the pages until the end. This is definitely going onto my 'must-buy' list and I really look forward to seeing what the young people themselves think of this twisty, clever and engaging novel.

This was my first book by Anthony Horowitz and definitely won’t be my last. It was a great read.

I only found out after I’d finished it that it is the second in the ‘Daniel Hawthorne’ series but that didn’t matter as I am not sure my not having read the first book detracted from my enjoyment of the second.

I found the style unusual in that Horowitz narrates as himself in real life. Horowitz is writing a book about Daniel Hawthorne who used to be a Detective Inspector at Scotland Yard until he left after an incident in which a suspect fell down a flight of stairs. Hawthorne now acts as a consultant to the police force. Horowitz is also involved in filming the latest episode of Foyle’s War. While this is all happening Richard Pryor, a divorce lawyer, is murdered and Hawthorne is called in as a consultant which allows Horowitz access to the case. I did find a writer being so involved in police proceedings a little hard to believe but I also think the same when watching the TV series ‘Grantchester’ when the local vicar seems to have unlimited access to the police station and investigations.

I was, and am, further bamboozled by the acknowledgements as Horowitz thanks people who are fictional characters in the book. Or are they? I looked up one or two online and they are real people. All quite unsettling as I thought it was a pure work of fiction but am left wondering if it was faction.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A thoroughly entertaining read from an author clearly at the top of his game. The way the author is himself very much part of the story is incredibly entertaining and original. You never quite know at what point he’s drawing from real life experience or making it all up! I was completely fascinated from start to finish and the length of the book was just about perfect. Not too short and not too long, Horowitz has really hit the ball out of the park with this one.

As with most of his books, The Sentence is Death is heavily character driven and as the story progresses Horowitz somehow manages to juggle writing the second book in the Hawthorne trilogy, keep up to date with re writes for Foyle and somehow solve the murder!

At times witty, the writing is intelligent and well crafted. I really enjoyed the red herrings and the Sherlockian deduction that Hawthorne utilises at the end to solve the crime. Very clever and so much fun. The Sentence is Death is well worth a read.

This is the second book in which the author, Anthony Horowitz, is one of the central characters alongside the ex-policeman Daniel Hawthorne. His style is immensely readable and the plot of the murder mystery well constructed. There are sufficient twists and turns to maintain interest but not so many to test the readers credibility. A recommended read.

Thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone for this review copy in exchange for honest review.

Mind bending, urgent, and so real you'll think this is true crime. This is a one of a kind series by the only author that could pull it off.

A high profile lawyer is murdered and a former police officer Hawthorne is drafted in to solve the case, probably due to the known incompetence of the police officers assigned to the case.

A number of possible suspects and motives are discovered and investigated with the culprit well hidden until the closing chapters.

The murder story itself is intriguing enough but what sets the book apart is the presentation of the story.

The book is written like a Sherlock Holmes novel, with the deductions of the lead detective Hawthorne documented by the author. As with Doctor Watson, the author doesn't correctly follow the lead of the clues so well and does not reach the correct conclusions that seem to leap out at Hawthorne.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style, but still enjoyed the stories and in the main the characters involved.

The Sentence is Death is another clever book from the mind of Anthony Horowitz. Horowitz writes so convincingly the lines get blurred for me between fact and fiction and as he is a character in the book it blows my mind a little. We rejoin Anthony and Hawthorne investigating a new crime, Hawthorne is still as hard to work with as ever and now there is the awful DI Carla Grunshaw who doesn’t take kindly to their being called in. There are plenty of twists and turns and red herrings along the way which will keep readers guessing right up to the end.

I was genuinely excited to receive an email from Net Galley, asking for people to read and review a preview copy of Anthony Horowitz's latest novel for adults, 'The Sentence is Death'. As a high school teacher of English and a parent, I am much more familiar with his books for children and teenagers. I'd read and really enjoyed just one of his books for adults, 'Magpie Murders', but hadn't even heard of the first book in this series, 'The Word is Murder'.

I started reading this book, anticipating another 'magpie-like' novel in the style of Agatha Christie, and it took me a while to realise that I was reading the start of the detective novel itself, and not the prologue. You see, Horowitz has done something rather unusual in this book - he stars in it himself as one of the main characters and narrator. The plot itself is of the usual 'whodunnit' style; nothing too risque, and no gory descriptions which may offend. This is one reason why I would be comfortable in recommending this book to my students, without fear of receiving parental complaints. The second reason though is that it is a masterclass in how to 'play' with a narrative, something which I suspect started in the split-narrative of 'Magpie Murders' It is almost as though the author is deliberately trying to think 'outside the box' with style in each of this latest novels, and for this I commend him. I'm not sure that it is particularly to my taste, but it certainly makes for an interesting read.