Summary

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz is a masterful blend of classic and contemporary mystery, offering readers a unique “story within a story” experience. Published in 2016, this New York Times bestseller pays homage to the golden age of British crime fiction while weaving a modern thriller. The novel follows Susan Ryeland, an editor who becomes entangled in a real-life mystery while reading the manuscript of a fictional detective story. Horowitz's ingenious structure allows readers to simultaneously enjoy a traditional whodunit and a contemporary investigation.

In 2022, Magpie Murders was adapted into a six-part television series, starring Lesley Manville as Susan Ryeland and Tim McMullan as the fictional detective Atticus Pünd, premiering on BritBox in the UK and PBS Masterpiece in the US.

Plot

Magpie Murders follows two intertwined mysteries. The first is a classic whodunit set in 1955, written by fictional author Alan Conway. In this story, detective Atticus Pünd investigates the murders of Mary Blakiston, a housekeeper at Pye Hall, and her employer, Sir Magnus Pye. Pünd uncovers family secrets and motives, ultimately revealing Robert Blakiston as the killer of not only both victims but also his brother Tom years earlier.

The second mystery unfolds in the present day, as editor Susan Ryeland reads Conway's manuscript. She discovers the final chapter is missing, leaving the mystery unsolved. When Conway is found dead, Susan begins to suspect foul play. She travels to Conway's village to investigate, uncovering the author's true feelings about his work and compiling a list of potential murderers.

As Susan delves deeper, she uncovers a shocking truth—her boss, Charles Clover, murdered Conway to prevent him from revealing a coded message hidden in his books that would have damaged the publishing company's reputation. When Susan confronts Charles, he attacks her and sets fire to the office. She is saved by her boyfriend Andreas, and the final chapter of Conway's novel is recovered.

The novel concludes with Charles arrested for murder, Cloverleaf Books closed down, and Conway's final novel published by another company. Susan, having declined the offer to take over Cloverleaf Books, decides to move to Crete with Andreas to run a hotel, leaving behind the world of publishing and murder mysteries.

Themes

• The blurred line between fiction and reality

• The nature of truth and deception in storytelling

• The complex relationship between authors and their work

• Power dynamics in the publishing industry

• The evolution and subversion of classic mystery tropes

• The dual narratives of past and present

• The search for identity and purpose

Setting

Magpie Murders is set primarily in contemporary England, with the main story taking place in London and the surrounding countryside. The novel's framing narrative follows Susan Ryeland, an editor at a London publishing house, as she investigates the mysterious death of one of her authors. This modern-day setting provides a stark contrast to the book-within-a-book, which is set in the 1950s.

The secondary narrative, a manuscript written by the fictional author Alan Conway, takes place in the quaint English village of Saxby-on-Avon. This setting is reminiscent of the classic British murder mysteries of the mid-20th century, complete with a grand manor house called Pye Hall. The village and its inhabitants are described in rich detail, evoking a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era.

As Susan delves deeper into her investigation, the story moves between London and various locations in the English countryside. These include Alan Conway's home village and other rural settings that play crucial roles in unraveling the mystery. The juxtaposition of urban and rural landscapes adds depth to the narrative, highlighting the contrast between the modern publishing world and the traditional mystery genre that Conway's books represent.

Characters

• Susan Ryeland: Editor at Cloverleaf Books who investigates Alan Conway's death. She is intelligent, determined, and becomes an amateur sleuth when faced with the mystery surrounding Conway's manuscript and demise. Susan struggles with balancing her career ambitions and personal life as she delves deeper into the case. Her investigation leads her to uncover dark secrets in the publishing world.

• Alan Conway: Bestselling crime author who dies under suspicious circumstances. Conway is a complex character who resents the mystery genre that made him famous, preferring to write literary fiction. His death and missing manuscript chapter set the main plot in motion. Conway's personality is described as difficult and troubling by those who worked with him.

• Atticus Pünd: Fictional detective created by Alan Conway for his mystery series. Pünd is an homage to classic detectives like Hercule Poirot, known for solving murders in English villages. In the novel-within-a-novel, Pünd investigates the murders at Pye Hall while dealing with a terminal illness.

• Charles Clover: Susan's boss and head of Cloverleaf Books. He initially seems supportive of Susan's investigation but is later revealed to have sinister motives. Charles plays a crucial role in the real-world mystery surrounding Conway's death.

• Andreas: Susan's boyfriend who wants her to move to Crete with him. He provides emotional support to Susan during her investigation and plays a heroic role in the climax.

• Mary Blakiston: Housekeeper at Pye Hall in Conway's fictional novel. Her death at the bottom of the stairs sets off the events in the Atticus Pünd mystery.

• Sir Magnus Pye: Owner of Pye Hall in Conway's novel. His murder is the central crime that Atticus Pünd investigates.

• Robert Blakiston: Mary's son in Conway's novel. He becomes the key suspect in the murders of both his mother and Sir Magnus Pye.

• Detective Inspector Chubb: Local police detective in Conway's novel who works with Atticus Pünd. He represents the typical local law enforcement character in classic mystery stories.

Quick facts

• Magpie Murders uses a “story within a story” format, containing both a fictional murder mystery and a modern-day mystery surrounding the author's death.

• Anthony Horowitz first conceived the idea for Magpie Murders while working on the TV series Midsomer Murders in 1997.

• The book pays homage to classic British crime authors like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers.

• The fictional detective in the novel-within-the-novel is named Atticus Pünd, an anagram for “a stupid cunt,” reflecting the fictional author Alan Conway's disdain for the mystery genre.

• The audiobook version features narration by two different voice actors, Allan Corduner and Samantha Bond.

• Magpie Murders has been translated into several languages, including Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and German.

• The novel received overwhelmingly positive reviews, earning a “Rave” rating from the book review aggregator Book Marks.

• Magpie Murders was adapted into a six-part television series, which aired on BritBox in the UK and PBS Masterpiece in the US in 2022.

• Horowitz wrote the screenplay for the TV adaptation himself.

• The TV series was filmed in various locations, including London, Suffolk, and Dublin, with extensive shooting in the village of Kersey.

About the Author

Anthony Horowitz (1955-) is a prolific English novelist and screenwriter. He is best known for his young adult spy thriller series Alex Rider, which debuted in 2000 with Stormbreaker. Over his career, he has written more than 40 novels for both young readers and adults, with a priority on mysteries and thrillers. 

Horowitz began writing at the age of eight and published his first novel at age 24. In addition to his 15 Alex Rider novels, his work for younger readers includes The Power of Five supernatural thriller series and Diamond Brothers mysteries. His original works for adults include the Susan Ryeland books, starting with Magpie Murders, and the metafictional Hawthorne and Horowitz detective novels. He has also written two highly successful Sherlock Holmes novels, The House of Silk (2011) and Moriarty (2014), authorized by the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle estate, and three thrilling additions to the James Bond franchise, sanctioned by the Ian Fleming estate.

In television, Horowitz has contributed scripts to popular series like Agatha Christie's Poirot and Midsomer Murders. He also created and wrote the long-running World War II detective drama Foyle's War. His screenwriting extends to film as well, including the screenplay for the Alex Rider: Stormbreaker movie adaptation.

Horowitz's diverse body of work has earned him numerous accolades. He was appointed OBE in 2014 and CBE in 2022 for services to literature. His books have won various awards and achieved international popularity, solidifying his place as one of the UK's most successful authors. Horowitz continues to be prolific, with new novels and adaptations of his work regularly in development.