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Cover of Magpie Murders

Mystery · 2017 · PG-13

Magpie Murders

by Anthony Horowitz

An editor reads a mystery manuscript — and discovers the fictional murder is connected to a real one

Don’t miss Magpie Murders on PBS's MASTERPIECE Mystery! "A double puzzle for puzzle fans, who don’t often get the classicism they want from contemporary thrillers." —Janet Maslin, The New York Times New York Times Bestseller | Winner of the Macavity Award for Best Novel | NPR Best Book of the Year | Washington Post Best Book of the Year | Esquire Best Book of the Year From the New York Times bestselling author of Moriarty and Trigger Mortis, this fiendishly brilliant, riveting thriller weaves a classic whodunit worthy of Agatha Christie into a chilling, ingeniously original modern-day mystery.

For14+GenreMysteryLength490 pagesRead time~12.5 hoursCommunity ratings0

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

Some

Murders in both narrative layers; nothing graphic in Horowitz's traditional mystery register

Language

Barely any

Mild language in the British mystery tradition

Sexual Content

Barely any

Minimal sexual content

Substance Use

Barely any

Some social drinking

Emotional Intensity

Some

The clever structure — mystery within mystery — creates its own psychological pleasure; not disturbing but genuinely engaging

What this book is about

Anthony Horowitz's meta-mystery follows Susan Ryeland, an editor at a publishing house who is reading the latest Atticus Pünd mystery manuscript by her famous author — and discovers a missing final chapter and a real death connected to the book. The novel contains two complete mysteries: the Atticus Pünd story within the story and the modern murder investigation. Horowitz writes clever, layered crime fiction that satisfies on multiple levels. For adult readers of traditional mysteries.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

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