Linda's Reviews > Moonflower Murders
Moonflower Murders (Susan Ryeland, #2)
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Anthony Horowitz's Mayflower Murders is one of the most creative detective novels I have read. Two years ago, Horowitz introduced his innovative book within a book format in The Magpie Murders. In The Moonflower Murders, Horowitz brings back protagonist, mystery editor, Susan Ryeland and perfects the new structure that he had previously originated.
At the opening of the "outer" book, Susan Ryeland has left the London publishing scene and opened a small hotel in Crete with her boyfriend/ fiancée Andreas. Lawrence and Pauline Treherne, proprietors of a posh hotel in Sussex, arrive in Crete. Eight years ago, there was a murder at their hotel on the night of their daughter Cecily's wedding. The murder was ostensibly solved. One of Susan's mystery writers, Alan Conway (deceased), used the case in one of his novels, Atticus Pund Takes the Case. On reading the book, Cecily realized that the wrong man had been imprisoned. She confided this to her parents in a phone call and disappeared shortly afterward. The parents want Susan to find the clue to the killer's identity that their daughter had recognized in the book and offer her 10,000 pounds to return to London and assist with the investigation.
The Moonflower Murders' first quarter consists of Susan's investigation of the eight-year-old, murder, and Cecily's disappearance. Once Susan and the reader have gained sufficient background, we read the book within the book, Atticus Pund Takes the Case, a humorous pastiche of Hercule Poirot and the golden age of detective fiction that on the surface appears to have little resemblance to the eight-year-old murder. Of course, in the last quarter of the book, Susan solves the crime.
Horowitz's writing is lively and humorous. He continuously pokes fun at the conventions of the detective genre. At the same time, he provides twists, turns, and provocative puzzles that continually throw .the reader off-base. Horowitz clearly enjoys the game he is playing with his readers.
I listened to the book on audio. It was great fun!
At the opening of the "outer" book, Susan Ryeland has left the London publishing scene and opened a small hotel in Crete with her boyfriend/ fiancée Andreas. Lawrence and Pauline Treherne, proprietors of a posh hotel in Sussex, arrive in Crete. Eight years ago, there was a murder at their hotel on the night of their daughter Cecily's wedding. The murder was ostensibly solved. One of Susan's mystery writers, Alan Conway (deceased), used the case in one of his novels, Atticus Pund Takes the Case. On reading the book, Cecily realized that the wrong man had been imprisoned. She confided this to her parents in a phone call and disappeared shortly afterward. The parents want Susan to find the clue to the killer's identity that their daughter had recognized in the book and offer her 10,000 pounds to return to London and assist with the investigation.
The Moonflower Murders' first quarter consists of Susan's investigation of the eight-year-old, murder, and Cecily's disappearance. Once Susan and the reader have gained sufficient background, we read the book within the book, Atticus Pund Takes the Case, a humorous pastiche of Hercule Poirot and the golden age of detective fiction that on the surface appears to have little resemblance to the eight-year-old murder. Of course, in the last quarter of the book, Susan solves the crime.
Horowitz's writing is lively and humorous. He continuously pokes fun at the conventions of the detective genre. At the same time, he provides twists, turns, and provocative puzzles that continually throw .the reader off-base. Horowitz clearly enjoys the game he is playing with his readers.
I listened to the book on audio. It was great fun!
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Berengaria
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Feb 03, 2021 03:27AM
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Barbara,
The audio on this one is great as well! I actually liked this better than the Magpie Murders, although I enjoyed that as well.