The Twist of a Knife

A Novel

By: Anthony Horowitz

Narrated by: Rory Kinnear

Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

In New York Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz’s ingenious fourth literary whodunit following The Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death, and A Line to Kill, Horowitz becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation—and only one man can prove his innocence: his newly estranged partner in solving crime, Detective Hawthorne.

“I’m sorry but the answer’s no.” Reluctant author, Anthony Horowitz, has had enough. He tells ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne that after three books he’s splitting and their deal is over.

The truth is that Anthony has other things on his mind.

His new play, a thriller called Mindgame, is about to open at the Vaudeville Theater in London’s West End. Not surprisingly, Hawthorne declines a ticket to the opening night.

The play is panned by the critics. In particular, Sunday Times critic Margaret Throsby gives it a savage review, focusing particularly on the writing. The next day, Throsby is stabbed in the heart with an ornamental dagger which turns out to belong to Anthony, and has his fingerprints all over it.

Anthony is arrested by an old enemy . . . Detective Inspector Cara Grunshaw. She still carries a grudge from her failure to solve the case described in the second Hawthorne adventure, The Sentence is Death, and blames Anthony. Now she’s out for revenge.

Thrown into prison and fearing for both his personal future and his writing career, Anthony is the prime suspect in Throsby’s murder and when a second theatre critic is found to have died in mysterious circumstances, the net closes in. Ever more desperate, he realizes that only one man can help him.

But will Hawthorne take the call?

©2022 Anthony Horowitz (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Eagerly awaited- does not disappoint!

I read a review of Magpie Murders and bought the audible book for a road trip - one of the best audible books ever! I had never heard of Anthony Horowitz prior to that, but searched for other books by the author. I have thoroughly enjoyed them all (even read a couple of the Alex Rider series to my niece) - but I have especially enjoyed this series. The author writes with a wry, self- deprecating humor, and I absolutely love the performances of Rory Kinnear. (So much so that I fear I would be disappointed if I met Mr. Horowitz and he didn’t sound the same!). This blend of fiction with real life people and places seems so plausible and relatable. He uses a Christie-like technique of displaying all the clues throughout the book so that you feel a bit like an idiot for not connecting the dots yourself at the end. All that joined with the storytelling of someone bumbling along, seeing and analyzing the same clues as you and still being surprised at the end - all make for a listening experience that makes me look forward to my commute. And they just keep getting better and better! Bravo, Mr. Horowitz!!

Well-written, well-performed, terrifically fun.

Rory Kinnear is a wonderful voice actor and the perfect surrogate for the fictional Anthony Horowitz, and I hope he narrates as many of these as he can.

I’ll never get tired of Anthony Horowitz’s Hawthorne stories. The real heart of these books is the relationship between Anthony and Hawthorne, but this latest one has everything else I want from these stories as well: endearing (and revolting) characters with genuine nuance, dry self-deprecating humor, rich and visceral settings, and a candid look inside another singular world (in this case, the world of professional theatre).

I almost wish this story would have been less fun, because I listened compulsively and was done in two days. I couldn’t help myself.

Highly recommended!

Still keeps me guessing

I enjoy this series as I love the dynamic between the 2 MCs and I love trying to figure out the mystery before it is revealed. I do get aggravated at the character Anthony when he doesn't tell his wife things that he really should tell her. Most of the time the characters behave the way you'd think they would, with that one exception. Getting arrested and not telling the Mrs? Um, I would think that it would be obvious NOT to do that.

My critical review

Loved it !

Since a review requires fifteen words , I spelled out the number 15. Again, loved it

best one yet....

This was by far the best of the series, but they are all good.
Well done Mr. Horowitz.

Best one yet!

They just keep getting better! Looking forward to the next 4 or 5. These books drove me back to Binge watch the entire Foyle series as well as Magpie Murders. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Another Utterly Captivating, Clever Mystery by Horowitz

This latest entry in Horowitz’s Hawthorne series is just too much fun. His occasionally hapless, eponymous protagonist is the likeliest suspect in the murder of a theater critic. Hawthorne to the rescue, not that he’d ever really let Horowitz know. I absolutely binged this one. Phenomenal narration by Rory Kinnear, as usual.

Loved it!

This series is so fun. I love Tony & Hawthorne and the reader Rory is excellent. Horowitz’s style has all the pleasure of the best of Agatha Christie but brought into our modern world.

I had theory…

Behind the murder but I didn’t anticipate the the last minute twist on the murderer identity.

The best series

I continue to adore these books and this narrator. The stories are compelling and funny. Can’t wait for the next.