On March 19, 2024, Detective Hawthorne is back in another page-turning whodunit when Close to Death, the latest mystery novel from New York Times bestselling Anthony Horowitz, hits bookstores.
A modern take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series, Horowitz—who plays Watson to Hawthorne’s Holmes—has starred alongside his fictional detective since he first introduced readers to the exciting concept in his 2018 novel, The Word is Murder. Since then, Horowtiz (the character) has teamed up with Hawthorne, a master detective who is wonderfully proficient in the art of deduction but altogether a proper mess and painfully difficult outside of solving murders, for four books to date, including The Twist of a Knife, which was released in 2022. That book saw Horowitz (again, the fictional character) accused of murdering a critic who was rather hard in her review of the author’s play. Together, he and Hawthorne, though they were initially headed for a break, had to work together to find the real killer, leading readers on another exciting adventure full of twists and turns.
Now, Hawthorne and Horowtiz (still the character) will anchor the fifth book in Horowitz’s (the author) series, and this time around, they’re given their most unsolvable case yet.
Check out the official plot details below.
In New York Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz’s ingenious fifth literary whodunnit in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, Detective Hawthorne is once again called upon to solve an unsolvable case—a gruesome murder in an idyllic gated community in which suspects abound.
Riverside Close is a picture-perfect community. The six exclusive and attractive houses are tucked far away from the noise and grime of city life, allowing the residents to enjoy beautiful gardens, pleasant birdsong, and tranquility from behind the security of a locked gate.
It is the perfect idyll, until the Kentworthy family arrives, with their four giant, gas-guzzling cars, gaggle of shrieking children, and plans for a garish swimming pool in the backyard. Obvious outsiders, the Kentworthys do not belong in Riverside Close, and quickly offend every last one of the neighbors.
When Charles Kentworthy is found dead on his own doorstep, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, Detective Hawthorne is the only investigator they can call to solve the case.
Because how do you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect.
Anthony Horowtiz is the author of the US bestselling Magpie Murders and The Word is Murder, and one of the most prolific and successful writers in the English language; he may have committed more (fictional) murders than any other living author. His novel Trigger Mortis features original material from Ian Fleming. His most recent Sherlock Holmes novel, Moriarty, is a reader favorite; and his bestselling Alex Rider series for young adults has sold more than 19 million copies worldwide. As a TV screenwriter, he created both Midsomer Murders and the BAFTA-winning Foyle’s War on PBS. Horowitz regularly contributes to a wide variety of national newspapers and magazines, and in January 2014 was awarded an OBE.
We’ll have plenty of coverage of Horowitz’s forthcoming new novel leading up to its release, including a cover reveal in the coming months. In the meantime, readers excited to pre-order Close to Death can now do so here.
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor and is building a growing community on Twitch. His debut thriller, FIELDS OF FIRE, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr says “will leave you speechless and begging for more,” is now available. His second novel, LETHAL RANGE, comes out on August 8th. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook. And to take part in free, exclusive BOOK CLUBS each month, join The Real Book Spy on Discord.