A Deadly Episode: The gripping NEW murder mystery from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Close to Death

· Random House
24 reviews
Ebook
384
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

The unputdownable new murder mystery in the Sunday Times bestselling detective series, from the award-winning author of Magpie Murders and Close to Death.

‘Easily the greatest of our crime writers’ Sunday Times
'Nobody does this crime fiction better than Anthony Horowitz’ Crime Time FM
‘An absolutely wonderful writer’ Richard Osman
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How do you investigate your own murder...?

The good news is that The Word is Murder, the first book in the Hawthorne series, is being turned into a major feature film.

The bad news is that the director is pretentious, the two stars hate each other, and the producer has run out of money.

And things are about to get much worse.

In the middle of shooting, the actor playing Hawthorne is stabbed – which leaves the real Hawthorne with no choice. He has to step in and investigate his own murder.

Because the killer may not have got the right man. Was it Hawthorne himself who was meant to be the target?

A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, A Deadly Episode is an intriguing page-turner that once again demonstrates why Anthony Horowitz is the reigning king of the modern whodunit.
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Praise for A Deadly Episode . . .

'Five-star entertainment’ The Times

‘Clever and playful, this is meta-mystery at its best.’ iPaper

'Another winner' Financial Times

'Perfect for Agatha Christie fans' Hello!

'A brilliant writer' Sunday Independent

‘Delightful’ Wall Street Journal

'Full of humour, twists and red herrings' 5-star reader review

'A pacy and entertaining mystery that I loved from start to finish' 5-star reader review

'A rollercoaster of red herrings' 5-star reader review

'Exceedingly brilliant' 5-star reader review

'The perfect whodunnit' 5-star reader review

The unputdownable new murder mystery in the Sunday Times bestselling detective series, from the award-winning author of Magpie Murders and Close to Death. ‘Easily the greatest of our crime writers’ Sunday Times 'Nobody does this crime fiction better than Anthony Horowitz’ Crime Time FM ‘An absolu...

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Ratings and reviews

24 reviews
Alison Robinson
April 23, 2026
I rather enjoyed this, there was a logic to Hawthorne's deductions and most of them weren't too hard to see (in retrospect). I would definitely read more in this series, particularly when they are set in parts of the world that I know. I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
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Diane Elizabeth Taylor
April 26, 2026
Lights, Camera, Corpse - Utterly Brilliant! I simply could not put this book down! The latest instalment in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series is a clever triumph of mystery writing. The narrative truly shines through their unique dynamic; you can’t help but pity Anthony as he navigates the enigmatic, often frustrating charisma of the ex-police officer, yet the partnership works perfectly. A must read for fans of sharp mystery with depth and humour.
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Stefan Lorett
October 18, 2026
Very enjoyable and clever plot- the missing star because I couldn't remember the names of all the characters, and I felt Shanika and the fictional narrator were perhaps too cruelly mocked
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About the author

Bestselling author Anthony Horowitz has written two highly acclaimed Sherlock Holmes novels, The House of Silk and Moriarty; three James Bond novels, Trigger Mortis, Forever and a Day and With a Mind to Kill; the acclaimed bestselling mystery novels Magpie Murders, Moonflower Murders and Marble Hall Murders; and the Detective Hawthorne novels, The Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death, A Line To Kill, The Twist of a Knife and Close to Death.

He is also the author of the teen spy Alex Rider series, and responsible for creating and writing some of the UK’s most loved and successful TV series, including Midsomer Murders and Foyle’s War. In January 2022 he was awarded a CBE for his services to literature.

Bestselling author Anthony Horowitz has written two highly acclaimed Sherlock Holmes novels, The House of Silk and Moriarty; three James Bond novels, Trigger Mortis, Forever and a Day and With a Mind to Kill; the acclaimed bestselling mystery novels Magpie Murders, Moonflower Murders and Marble H...

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