Prolific writer Anthony Horowitz has created a marvelous series of novels featuring himself as part of the story solving mysteries with private investigator Hawthorne. Book Five, Close to Death, is a little different from the first four because Horowitz is writing about a five year old case that Hawthorne solved with his old partner Dudley which still has residual effects on both men. In a small secluded group of homes all neighbors get along until a new family move in and disrupts everyone’s life with terrible effects.
Close to Death is a brilliant tour de force with its many nuanced and interesting characters, including of course Hawthorne and Horowitz, as well as a satisfying mystery that kept me guessing right to the end.

Great book; lots of red herrings and really a locked room murder that was very very hard to figure out. I didn’t like the first in the series as I had trouble figuring out who was narrating. The PBS series helped me a great dinner.

Horowitz is meta-writing again! In this story, the narrator Horowitz is charged with creating a novel based on a case that has already been solved - changing the style of the novel and providing quite a bit of narration without the famed pair. In Close to Death we enter the Riverside Close - a wealthy enclave of 6 homes. The community is tight and tranquil until the Kentworthy family moves in to the largest home. The Kentworthys are loud, expanding their house, refuse to move their cars and don't care to socialize with the rest. Clearly something needs to be done. When Mr. Kentworthy is murdered, Hawthorne is assigned to help the police with the case.

I prefer the duo narrating the whole time for the comic relief! This was a bit more serious for me, but still a great work of mystery and twistyness and enjoyable all the way #closetodeath #anthonyhorowitz #harper