I previously enjoyed The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz, so when I saw Magpie Murders on NetGalley I was keen to read it and delighted when I received an uncorrected proof. I think it is an outstanding book by a master story-teller, with a wonderfully intricate plot. It’s a prime example of a puzzle-type of crime fiction combining elements of the vintage-style golden age crime novel with word-play and cryptic clues and allusions to Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle. It’s also a novel within a novel, with mystery piled upon mystery. I loved it.
The outer story and the contemporary mystery is that of Alan Conway, the author of the Atticus Pund Mysteries. His editor, Susan Ryeland is reading a manuscript of his latest novel Magpie Murders, expecting to enjoy it as much as his earlier books, even though she really couldn’t stand Conway himself. What she wasn’t prepared for is that this book would change her life.
The inner story, that told in Conway’s novel is a whodunnit, a murder mystery full of twists and turns with plenty of red herrings. I was enjoying it as much as Susan as she read of the death of Mary Blakiston in the little village of Saxby-on-Avon in 1955. Mary was an unpleasant character. She had been found dead at the bottom of the stairs at Pye Hall where she was the cleaner for the owner, Sir Magnus Pye. It appeared that she had tripped and fallen down the stairs.Then Magnus is also found dead, but this was obviously murder as he had been beheaded.
So back to the outer story. When Susan came to the end of the manuscript she found it wasn’t finished – there was no denouement. And she couldn’t contact Conway to get the final chapters of the book and then she discovered that he was dead. So, she sets out to find the missing chapters and in so doing discovers even more mysteries – was Conway’s death an accident, suicide or murder? Like Mary Blakiston in his novel, he was not a popular man, and there are a number of other parallels between his novel and his real life.
Magpie Murders is a really satisfying read, with believable characters, set in beautifully described locations, tantalisingly mysterious and so, so readable. I also particularly liked the use of the rhyme of ‘One for Sorrow’ in the chapter headings of Conway’s novel in the same way that Agatha Christie used ryhmes in some of her books. It’s quite long, but the pages sped by as I was drawn into both stories and keen to find the answers to all the questions all the mysteries it had posed.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Orion Books for an ARC.
sounds very good.
LikeLike
It really is, Irene!
LikeLike
I loved this too. I only finished it this morning so haven’t written my review yet, but I agree with everything you’ve said here.
LikeLike
So glad you loved it too and I’ll look out for your review.
LikeLike
Yours is the second review of this book that I’ve read. I’m not a fan of Horowitz or whodunnits, but this book is definitely on my list to read next year. From her comments Helen is going to reinforce my commitment!
LikeLike
I do hope you enjoy it too, Sandra.
LikeLike
I’ve just finished this and love that Horowitz did something quite different – re the story within the story.
And I wish HE’D been selected to revive Poirot as I think he would have done a great job (and I know he did the shows etc…)
LikeLike
Deborah, it’s so well done, isn’t it! And I wish he’d been selected to revive Poirot as well. I haven’t read Sophie Hannah’s Poirot book – except for a few pages in a library book, which didn’t inspire me to read on.
LikeLike
I keep hearing such great things about this one, Margaret. I’m very glad to know you enjoyed it as much as you did. Hmm….I may have to put this on my TBR.
LikeLike
I think you’d like it Margot.
LikeLike
Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did – a great take on the classic mystery!
LikeLike
One of my favourite books of the year. I just wish we could read more Atticus Pund stories!
LikeLike