Definitely the weakest of the series, though it's always nice to revisit our old friends. The thing is, Susan has learned nothing from her scrapes and the reader is left to roll her eyes at her willingness to charge directly into dumb situations.

3.8 stars, rounded to 4.

So, editor Susan Ryeland had done what we’ve all seen coming; she’s left Greece and Andreas and returned to England for good (it was becoming hard to keep inventing reasons to go back for long periods of time.). Now she’s freelancing and has a job working on…wait for it…PUND’S LAST CASE with a writer named Eliot Crace, the grandson of famous children’s author Miriam Crace who died twenty years ago. Eliot believes his grandmother was poisoned and it becomes clear he placed clues in his manuscript. Someone is unhappy about that, murder results and Susan is a suspect.

Horowitz’s books are always entertaining and here we have the book within the book to enjoy. I guessed correctly about where Susan’s future cases may come from and even guessed the identity of the killer before the reveal, so I’m feeling quite proud of myself (there is one clue partway through that points in the right direction, but it could also mean nothing.) Anyway, I enjoy this series and the publishing aspects, so I’m anxious to see what comes next. It would be nice if Susan had people in her life who weren’t nuts.

Where do I begin? This is the third (and I think final, sob) book in the Magpie Murders series. It can stand alone, but will ruin especially the first book, but I can highly recommend the first two books, so definitely read those first. Without ruining or spoiling, wow! This book takes you on an adventure. And just like the first two books it like getting two for one, because there is always another book written within. There are some very likable characters, especially the main and narrator of all three, Susan Ryland. There are also some highly annoying ones as there are in all of them. But they make the books so much fun in my opinion. If you love twisty turns with a lot of funny moments, you will love this one!

Anthony Horowitz never dissapoints. I have read all books and watched all the streaming interpretations. This was no exception. A great mystery written in his fabulous stule with great characters and twists and turns.

Horowitz has done it again. The continuation of the magpie murders and moonflower murders is a thrilling phenomenal read that keeps you gripping the edge of your seat with anticipation the whole time.

Susan Ryeland swears, after this outing, she is done with Atticus Pund and Alan Conway forever. I, for one, hope she is wrong. The book within a book conceit takes a new turn when the author is indisposed and Susan must find a new way to tie up the ending. Susan is up a creek. She's working with a new author on a continuation novel under dubious, tenuous circumstances. The author in questions plans to air his family's dirty laundry through thinly veiled plot contrivances, and the members of the clan are afraid a reckoning may tarnish the image of their late grandmother, whose public image as a beloved children's author is a cash cow upon which they all depend. Susan is also accepting tentative overtures from the wife of the man who tried to kill her in the first book. And to top it all of, she's got a new flat and a new cat that she's not too sure about. Maybe Susan is done with AP and AC, but I hope Anthony Horowitz is not done with her.

This third (and presumably final) book in the "Magpie Murders" series has Susan Ryeland back in London and looking to resume her career in publishing. In the previous books in the series, her main author, Alan Conway, died while the last book in his wildly successful crime novels featuring the detective Atticus Pünd was being prepared for publication. The final chapter, which revealed the murderer in that book, was missing and trying to track it down to finish the book put Susan in danger and exposed Alan's killer. Now Susan has been contacted by one of her publishing friends and asked to edit a new book being written featuring Atticus Pünd. Susan is shocked that the character is being brought back by a new author, but she agrees to work on the project (hoping it will lead to a permanent position in publishing). The author of the new book, Eliot Crace, is the grandson of another famous author, Miriam Crace. Miriam died 20 years ago, but the beloved characters she created in her Little People books continue to create a large income for her estate, which is currently run by her son Jonathan. Eliot is a mess, having abused alcohol and drugs for his entire life. Even now, when he gives Susan the first third of his book to read, he's disheveled and rude. Eliot's book makes up the "book-within-a-book" mystery that has been a feature of the previous two Pünd books. Eliot's book is about an elderly wealthy woman who dies at her summer estate in France in 1955. She had recently met up with Pünd by chance and asked him to visit her at her home to discuss a situation that had upset her greatly. She died before Pünd could meet with her. The death seems to be suspicious, even though the woman was terminally ill and only expected to live a few more weeks. Pünd must investigate the case and find out who wanted to hasten her death. As Susan reads the book, she can't help but notice the similarities between the characters and Eliot Crace's own family. The names and relationships all mirror one another, and Eliot soon confides in Susan that he doesn't believe his grandmother's death all those years ago was from natural causes. Susan becomes involved in two mysteries -- what is the solution to the current novel, and was Miriam Crace actually murdered as well? As many people turn hostile toward Susan, she wonders if someone is trying to stop her investigations, or whether her own past might be catching up with her.

Since the first two books have been turned into a TV series, it was very useful to place the actors into the action of the story (Susan, Atticus, Alan). I enjoyed the two dueling narratives, although the hostility and anger directed at Susan from all directions seemed a bit too much. I also didn't like how several times in the book one of the characters would say, "I know who the killer is" then refuse to tell because "I'm still working out the details." When the answer was eventually provided, there was never any clarification as to what "details" needed to be worked out. It was frustrating and done several times, so double the annoyance for the reader! Other than that, I enjoyed the story, and I appreciated the London settings, and the name drops of other mystery writers. I'm looking forward to seeing this latest outing turned into another series, and I will be interested to see if this really is the last we hear from Susan and Atticus.

What a great end to the series. Initially, I found the literary device difficult (story within a story) however seeing the tv series made me go back to the book and all became clear. Great story, fast paced, enjoyable, a certain amount of levity. All in all a fun read. I look forward to seeing it on the screen.