A Line to Kill: a locked room mystery from the Sunday Times bestselling author (Hawthorne and Horowitz, 3)

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The Big Reveal, when it comes, felt much less satisfying than in the first book and I could see it coming a mile off. (At least in this one, we can be thankful that Horowitz’s alter-ego doesn’t stagger away from the scene with a knife poking out of his chest.) and the next morning someone is found dead in a 'snug' at the edge of le Mesurier's property - a cozy studio the entrepreneur uses to conduct his adulterous affairs.

With every installment in this series, we get to learn more about Daniel Hawthorne’s life from before his collaboration with Horowitz in bits and pieces. He doesn’t reveal much about himself to Horowitz, who is often baffled and annoyed with his tight-lipped partner. In this story, we are finally introduced to certain facets of Hawthorne’s personality we had not seen before and given insight into the details about Hawthorne’s dismissal from his former position as DI.

A Line to Kill

Petry, Alice. "Introduction" in On Harper Lee: Essays and Reflections. University of Tennessee Press: 1994. ISBN 1-57233-578-5 Kiernan, F., "Carson McCullers" (Book Review). Atlantic Monthly (1993) v. 287 no. 4 (April 2001) pp. 100–102. The visiting authors - including a blind medium, a French performance poet and a celebrity chef - seem to be harbouring any number of unpleasant secrets.

The two are invited to be the featured guests at a literary festival on the island of Alderney, off the coast of England. Horowitz’s biggest worry is how the eccentric, unpredictable Hawthorne will act when they take the stage to discuss his latest book. But that is the least of his worries once the host of the festival is found murdered. Hawthorne is asked to help with the investigation, and Horowitz tags along to take notes. This begins with Horowitz feeling a little over-confident, as Hawthorne comes to a meeting at his publishers. Hawthorne, he imagines, will be in 'his world.' Of course, this confidence is premature, as Hawthorne manages to be the centre of attention, be utterly confident and embrace the idea of a literary festival on the Island of Alderney. With 'Tony,' as always disgruntled (Horowitz's self-deprecation is done masterfully) and, quite rightly questioning Hawthorne's willingness to attend the festival, the two men and the other 'celebrity' authors head off for the little island. After Hawthorne, Horowitz, and others questioned Abbott about Charles and Helen’s deaths, Abbott left what appeared to be a suicide note in his home. He jumped to his death from a cliff, making it appear that he had committed the murder. Those attending the festival, as well as the local police, believed the crime was solved when Derek Abbott, a man who had worked for Charles, seemed to admit to the murder. Abbott, who had just been fired by Charles, had been arrested and questioned by Hawthorne in the past for child pornography and having sex with minors. The police were only able to convict him of possession of pornography. While Abbott was in police custody, his left leg was permanently injured when he fell down a flight of stairs. He claimed Hawthorne pushed him.

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Some of the funniest moments occurred when Horowitz deliberately downplayed his success as an author, and the dismissive irrelevant way he was often treated by other characters. Horowitz may be the narrator but Hawthorne remained the definite star of the show.