Delighted to include this title in Books for Book Lovers, the bibliophile list in my thematic seasonal holiday gift books guides for Zoomer magazine. It appeared in the Books section in December. (The listicle is online at related link.)

Once again author Anthony Horowitz teams up with former DI Daniel Hawthorne in a line to kill. The pair are invited to attend a literary festival in Alderney. It is an island
off the south coast of England that had been occupied during the war.
The festival is attended by a small group of authors that includes a cookbook author, a children’s author, a blind psychic and a French poet.
A party is held for the festival attendees and some of the important locals. It is hosted by a wealthy businessman who has a luxurious home on the island. The next day the businessman is found murdered. All residents and guests are not allowed to leave the island. Daniel Hawthorne is called in to assist the local police and Anthony accompanies him during the investigation.
As always Anthony Horowitz’s novels are entertaining and a pleasure to read. It is the perfect read to pass the time on a cold winter’s day.
Looking forward to the next instalment.
Thank you to Harper Collins Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced digital edition of this novel.

A Line to Kill is the latest entry (3#) in Anthony Horowitz'sHawthorne and Horowitz series.

I can't recommend this series enough. It's clever in so many ways. The protagonist is the enigmatic Hawthorn, let go from the police force and now working as a P.I. Hawthorne is such a great character - a brilliant detective, but somewhat lacking in personal interactive skills. I quite like him. And playing Watson to his Holmes? Anthony Horowitz. Uh huh - Horowitz has written himself in as a character in the series! He plays himself, writing about Hawthorne's cases. The relationship between the two is...interesting...
Hawthorne and Horowitz are invited to a literary festival that's being held on the island of Alderney to promote their first two books. They attend and meet the other presenters - who are a peculiar bunch. When a murder occurs and the island is locked down, Hawthorne's expertise is called upon. And Horowitz is along to document what may become the basis for their third book.(He fervently hopes so, as then his contract would be fulfilled and he'd be done with Hawthorne.)

I adore 'locked room' mysteries. There's always a wealth of characters to sift through for the final whodunit. None of them will tell the truth and we're along for the ride as Hawthorne interviews, investigates and pulls on the threads that will unveil the culprit. My suspect list changed with every revelation. Horowitz adds in his two cents worth as well. There is a large cast of possible suspects and I did have to stop and make a mental list of who was who. The mystery is well written, intricately planned and the final ah hah wasn't easy to suss out. But what I enjoy the most are the characters. I want to know more about Hawthorne's past. There are some hints and clues leaked in this latest, with one final revelation opening the door for the next book. My curiosity is more than whetted. And again the clever way Horowitz has inserted himself in the story. I wonder how much of the book character is Horowitz himself? The verbal sparring and mental jousting between the two is so much fun.

This is the third book in the' Hawthorne and Horowitz' series of mysteries, the other two being "The Word Is Murder" and "The Sentence is Death" . This UK author is known for several series, including the Alex Rider series for 9-12 year-olds and his Sherlock Holmes series for adults. He is also the author of The Magpie Murders and Forever And A Day and many others. Also in his repertoire is screenwriting, including Foyle's War and Midsomer Murders. In this particular series he has made himself one of the characters and fiction and reality are blended in a unique and clever way. This time Hawthorne (a police consultant) and Horowitz (a novel writer) are invited to a small literary festival on the channel island of Alderney. When someone is found murdered Hawthorne is asked to help out. This is a fun series and a great recommendation for mystery fans. I really enjoyed it.

Hawthorne is definitely the kind of detective who needs a side kick. He is taciturn and shares nothing. Reading the first book felt very much like an author who had created a character then couldn't get him to speak and inserted himself into the story to try to get some action. It was funny but not too deep.

This book, however, is everything I expect in British detective fiction. Yes, Hawthorne is still just as taciturn as usual, although he did say more this time. The clues were clever and not obvious, the red herrings were everywhere and the conclusion was quite satisfying. If Anthony decides not to write books anymore, he could become a detective.

Wow!! “The modern Agatha Christy” is a perfect description for Horowitz! This book has two stories within one, both equally riveting and mysterious! I love the whodunit features mixed with such complex forethought, readers will never be able to figure it out. More so, I was constantly compelled forward by the classic big reveals and complex character relationships. Being a publishing student, the settle hints at behind the scenes work of our the whole book process was super interesting too.
If you haven’t read a Horowitz book, I highly recommend this series! The first in this loose series is ‘The Magpie Murders’ - but this book can easily standalone too! Definitely give it a try!

Rating: 4.75 stars
Enjoyment: 8/10

You know I love the Hawthorne Horowitz series. It's cheeky; it's meta; it's tightly plotted and fair. No surprise this is in my TBR, BUT this really sounds like it will be the best one yet.

Hawthorne and Horowitz are invited to a literary festival on a remote island with a colourful group of guests; A children's author, a French poet, a TV chef cookbook author, a blind psychic, a war historian, and some feuding locals. Not long into their stay, H2 find themselves locked down into the island. The only logical thing is for a body to be found, right? Of course!

As always, Horowitz delivers. I am a massive fan of his narrative and consumed this book faster than I could blink. I cannot fault Horowitz's writing. He knows how to deliver a highly atmospheric story with compelling, well-rounded characters and a tight, well-crafted plot that provides both ingenuity and fairness. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because I missed some of the great Horowitz/Hawthorne banter, and the setting was as isolated as I would have liked/I'm chucking the latter to wrong expectations, though.

Not only do I highly recommend this book, but I also want everyone to read the how series. It is cheeky, witty, and meta.

Disclaimer: I first read it as an ARC. In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to HarperCollins Canada, Anthony Horowitz, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of A Line to Kill.

I want to start by thanking NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review. Anthony Horowitz continues to be an author l return too again and again. For me his books can be termed as modern Christie’s. The classis, who done it, with strong characters driving what makes them intreguing.

A great addition to the series. Loved the island setting and the plot twists that kept me guessing until the last pages.

I’m so happy to be back in Horowitz’s meta world, it feels so much like a modern day Agatha Christie novel come to life. The fact that he can successfully write himself into a fictional world speaks volumes about his talent. This one is a lot of fun, a small literary festival on a little island is the setting & it’s perfect. There’s a little And Then There None Were None vibe going on, but in a positive way. Hawthorne continues to be a interesting character, he’s great at reading people & I love the way Horowitz (the “character” in the book) is forever trying to figure Hawthorne out. The mystery itself is sharp & there’s suspects galore. Do yourself a favour & read the first two books, The Word is Murder & The Sentence is Death, then read this one. It’s an amazing series! Great for people who like books that are about books & publishing. I hope there will be more!

I wish to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Canada for this clever and entertaining ARC in return for an honest review. This is the third book in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series where the author has inserted himself into a mystery story alongside the intelligent, cool, and conceited detective Hawthorne. Hawthorne has asked Horowitz to write about his cases to enhance his fame. In this capacity, Horowitz accompanies Hawthorne as his assistant detective but doesn't have Hawthorne's skills in drawing clues together and establishing the truth. Their relationship is difficult, but they need each other to produce successful and popular books.

The setting is the quiet channel island of Alderney, where a literary convention is being held. Horowitz feels he must attend to publicize his next book about Hawthorne's cases, although it isn't yet finished. We meet some of the residents of this remote, historic island, some eccentric, some menacing and almost all burdened with secrets. The literary guests who have agreed to attend are a mixed lot. There is a blind psychic who talks to the dead, an author of children's books, a TV chef and cookbook writer, a war historian, and an idiosyncratic French poet, also Hawthorne and Horowitz. However, the author feels the guests will mostly ignore his books and his writing. Instead, those attending his lecture will be more interested in discussing Hawthorne's famous solutions to the crimes he solved.

The island's inhabitants are divided about a power plant to be built with a power line running through Alderney. Some believe it will bring economic advantages to the island, but others fear the beauty of their island will be diminished, and property values decrease. This division has brought out rivalries and hatred among the people of Alderney. However, this project is being pushed by a wealthy businessman and islander.

One of the members of the literary group is travelling along with her accomplice under a false identity.
Some hold long-held past grudges against local citizens. So it is no surprise that Alderney erupts with its first murder. No one can leave the island when the two-day convention is finished. Soon there is a second murder. Police officers arrive from Guernsey after Hawthorne has started investigating and looking for clues. We now have a classic locked-room mystery with many suspects and motives.

There are many twists, revelations, misdirections and red herrings galore. This is an entertaining, easy, and relaxing read for anyone who enjoys an old-fashioned mystery. I felt this series would make great TV. There is a setup at the end that demands a fourth book in the series.