From Powells.com
Hot new releases and under-the-radar gems for adults and kids.
Staff Pick
When editor Susan Ryeland receives the latest manuscript from her difficult but bestselling author, she dives right in and so does the reader. The new book is written in the best tradition of Agatha Christie, but it abruptly stops short of the end. How frustrating! Susan knows something is wrong, especially when the author turns up dead. She begins to investigate. What follows is as engaging as the mystery within a mystery, full of clever clues, publishing inside jokes, real suspense, and some horrifying but hilarious examples of very bad writing. Any mystery fan will love this exciting, well-written whodunit. Recommended By Kathi K., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
"Magpie Murders is a double puzzle for puzzle fans, who don’t often get the classicism they want from contemporary thrillers." — Janet Maslin, The New York Times
From the New York Times bestselling author of Moriarty and Trigger Mortis, this fiendishly brilliant, riveting thriller weaves a classic whodunit worthy of Agatha Christie into a chilling, ingeniously original modern-day mystery.
When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan’s traditional formula has proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.
Conway’s latest tale has Atticus Pünd investigating a murder at Pye Hall, a local manor house. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but the more Susan reads, the more she’s convinced that there is another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript: one of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition, and murder.
Masterful, clever, and relentlessly suspenseful, Magpie Murders is a deviously dark take on vintage English crime fiction in which the reader becomes the detective.
Review
"An extravagant circus of a novel, part high-wire act, part funhouse mirror. Intricate, bold, stone-cold clever — both comfortably old-fashioned and thrillingly new." A.J. Finn, author of The Woman in the Window
Review
"There’s much to enjoy in Anthony Horowitz’s spry, sardonic Magpie Murders." Guardian
Review
"A treat for fans of golden age mysteries…. [A] tour de force …. Horowitz throws in several wicked twists…. Highly satisfying." Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
"An ingenious novel-within-a-novel... part crime novel, part pastiche, this magnificent piece of crime fiction plays with the genre while also taking it seriously." Sunday Times
Synopsis
Curl up with this cozy mystery perfect for autumn
"Magpie Murders is a double puzzle for puzzle fans, who don't often get the classicism they want from contemporary thrillers." --Janet Maslin, The New York Times
New York Times bestseller Winner of the Macavity Award for Best Novel NPR best book of the Year Washington Post best book of the Year Esquire best book of the Year
From the New York Times bestselling author of Moriarty, this fiendishly brilliant, riveting thriller weaves a classic whodunit worthy of Agatha Christie into a chilling, ingeniously original modern-day mystery.
When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway's latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she's intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus P nd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan's traditional formula has proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.
Conway's latest tale has Atticus P nd investigating a murder at Pye Hall, a local manor house. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but the more Susan reads, the more she's convinced that there is another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript: one of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition, and murder.
Masterful, clever, and relentlessly suspenseful, Magpie Murders is a deviously dark take on vintage English crime fiction in which the reader becomes the detective.
About the Author
Anthony Horowitz is the author of the New York Times bestseller Moriarty and the internationally bestselling The House of Silk, as well as the New York Times bestselling Alex Rider series for young adults. As a television screenwriter, he created Midsomer Murders and the BAFTA-winning Foyle’s War, both of which were featured on PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery. He regularly contributes to a wide variety of national newspapers and magazines, and in January 2014 was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his services to literature. He lives in London.