The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz

‘Our deal is over.’

This is what reluctant author Anthony Horowitz tells ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne in an awkward encounter. The truth is that Anthony has other things on his mind.

His new play Mindgame is about to open at London’s Vaudeville theatre, and on opening night, Sunday Times critic Harriet Throsby gives the play a savage review.

The next morning she is found dead, stabbed in the heart with an ornamental dagger that has only one set of fingerprints on it. Anthony’s.

Anthony is arrested, charged with Throsby’s murder, and thrown into prison.

Alone and increasingly desperate, he realises only one man can help him.

But will Hawthorne take his call?

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I’m a huge fan of this series which sees Anthony Horowitz as the increasingly reluctant sidekick to ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne, ostensibly working with Hawthorne, but in reality trailing him and trying to follow his logic in order to turn his investigations into bestselling novels.  With their initial three-book deal now complete following the events of A Line to Kill, “Tony” is keen to move onto other things, and – with some regret – rejects Hawthorne’s suggestion that they continue to work together.  Of course, as you’re reading this review, that means that there is a fourth novel – something which pleases me greatly as there’s a long way to go before I get tired of this series.

The Twist of a Knife raises the stakes for Anthony as he is arrested for the murder of a theatre critic who gives a decidedly unfavourable review of his new play, Mindgame.  It’s hard to believe that he would do such a thing, and yet the evidence against him his convincing – his prints are on the murder weapon, DNA evidence places him at the scene, and while it’s an extreme reaction, the opening night review of his play gives him a motive.  He also has no verifiable alibi, and it seems like an open-and-shut case.  Perhaps I should be wary of posting this review, although I know it’s favourable, so I think I’m on safe ground… With few options available to him, Anthony calls the only person who might help prove his innocence – Hawthorne, who may still be feeling slightly aggrieved after his suggestion to keep working together was rejected. 

The plot moves along at quite a clip as Hawthorne and Anthony try to work out who did kill the theatre critic if not Anthony himself.  Horowitz writes brilliantly twisty tales with red herrings a plenty that will keep even the finest armchair sleuths guessing to the end, and I’m far from being the finest armchair sleuth!  As usual, I had my own theories, and I was, as usual, proved incorrect by the end of the novel.  But to be honest, as much as I like trying to identify the culprit before the denouement, I’d be disappointed if it was actually that easy, and I love the way that these novels always manage to surprise, even though all the clues are there to be picked up on.

The Twist of a Knife also gives a little more insight in Hawthorne himself.  The first three novels show him to be an intensely private and not entirely likeable individual (for me, at least), and part of Anthony’s frustration in working with him stems from his refusal to share any personal information about himself – even those details that would enhance the novels in which he is to appear.  He is clearly very intelligent, able to charm when needed, and yet also comes down hard (and harder than necessary?) when he’s not getting the answers that he wants.  I think that coming novels in the series (this novel sets us up for the further adventures of Hawthorne and Horowitz) will gradually reveal more about this intriguing and occasionally frustrating character.    

As ever, Horowitz paints himself as something of a bumbling sidekick – one who tries to be helpful and supportive, although Hawthorne clearly thinks he hinders as much as helps their investigations.  Hawthorne would have him do nothing more than follow and take notes, but with Anthony’s future at stake, he certainly isn’t going to sit back and say nothing this time around.  You might think that Hawthorne might be more open about his theories given the circumstances, but as ever he prefers to keep his cards close to his chest, going for the big reveal and keeping Anthony and the reader on tenterhooks until the very end. 

I adore this series and can’t wait for the next instalment.  Each one has been brilliantly plotted and while they work as standalones, I do recommend reading them all, and in order, partly to understand the relationship between Hawthorne and Anthony and to see how it’s developed, but also for the sheer enjoyment of doing so. 

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The Daniel Hawthorne books, with links to my reviews:

1. The Word is Murder 
2. The Sentence is Death
3. A Line to Kill