Synopsis and Book Review of 'Close to Death' [Anthony Horowitz]
Anthony Horowitz's 'Hawthorne & Horowitz' series has continued to captivate readers, and the latest installment, 'Close to Death,' does not disappoint.
Having already novelized three murder cases solved by Detective Hawthorne, Horowitz, feeling exhausted by his partnership with Hawthorne, finally decides to leave him.
He could no longer endure the days of being treated like a fool by Hawthorne.
However, shortly after Horowitz leaves Hawthorne, an unbelievable event occurs.
A theater critic who panned a play written by Horowitz is murdered, and Horowitz is taken into custody as a suspect.
Of course, Horowitz did not commit the murder, but given the circumstances at the scene, it was difficult to prove his innocence.
Locked in a detention center, Horowitz has no choice but to rely on Hawthorne.
Having fallen into the ironic situation of having to ask his former partner for help, will he be able to find the real culprit?
'Close to Death' is a thrilling story that unfolds with a relentless pace.
How will the relationship between the two change in the process of uncovering the truth?
You will be drawn into the world of the story at once and enjoy the suspenseful developments until the very end.
Now, let's move on to the book review.
Synopsis
As usual, the synopsis is from Amazon.
'Our contract is over.' I, the author Anthony Horowitz, told Detective Daniel Hawthorne this, unable to bear writing mysteries where he is the protagonist. The following week, the performance of my play 'Mindgame' begins at a London theater. On the opening night, I am discouraged to see the critic's harsh review. The next morning, the critic's dead body is discovered. The murder weapon is, of all things, my dagger. Thus, arrested, I knew one thing: the only person who could save me was that man. A new masterpiece in the 'Hawthorne & Horowitz' series!
Characters
The characters were pulled from the main text of 'Close to Death'.
Daniel Hawthorne: Consultant to the Metropolitan Police Service. Former detective. Author.
Anthony Horowitz: Author.
Jordan Williams: Actor playing Dr. Farquhar.
Chillian Kirk: Actor playing Mark Styler.
Sky Palmer: Actor playing Nurse Plimpton.
Ahmet Yurdakul: Theater producer.
Maureen Bates: Ahmet's assistant.
Ewan Lloyd: Director.
Martin Longhurst: Ahmet's accountant.
Keith: Acting stage door keeper at the Vaudeville Theatre.
Harriet Throsby: Theater critic for The Sunday Times.
Arthur Throsby: Harriet's husband.
Olivia Throsby: Harriet's daughter.
Stephen Longhurst: Former student at Moxham Heath Primary School.
Trevor Longhurst: Stephen's father.
Annabel Longhurst: Stephen's mother.
Wayne Howard: Stephen's childhood friend from primary school.
Philip Alden: Former deputy headmaster of Moxham Heath Primary School. Deceased.
Rosemary Alden: Philip's wife.
Adrian Wells: Former editor-in-chief of the Bristol Argus.
Frank Haywood: Theater critic for the Bristol Argus. Deceased.
Cara Granshaw: Detective Inspector.
Darren Mills: Constable.
Kevin Chakraborty: Hawthorne's young neighbor.
Hilda Stark: Horowitz's copyright agent.
Jill Green: Anthony's wife.
The breakdown of the relationship between Hawthorne and Horowitz
Isn't the charm of the 'Hawthorne & Horowitz' series the banter between Horowitz and Hawthorne?
It is funny to see the brilliant Hawthorne make a fool of Horowitz, who is an excellent writer but an amateur as a detective.
Hawthorne's sarcasm and snide remarks have a certain flair, and one can sense a feeling of trust and intimacy in his mean-spirited behavior.
In the fourth installment, 'Close to Death,' this relationship breaks down.
For Horowitz, Hawthorne's behavior must have been the height of stress.
The contract is finally terminated.
For someone like me who enjoyed the banter between the two, the breakup at the beginning was a shock. The development where Horowitz leaves Hawthorne makes me read the story at a breakneck pace.
Hawthorne, left by Horowitz, seems more devastated than ever before. Seeing Hawthorne in such despair, a complete turnaround from his usual calm and collected self, stirs my emotions even more.
Wishing for the two to somehow return to their original relationship, my hands turn the pages faster and faster.
The story takes a new direction following the termination of their contract.
Before I could even recover from the shock of their relationship falling apart, the story...
develops into Horowitz being implicated in the murder of a theater critic he had harshly reviewed.
And then, Horowitz is arrested as a murder suspect.
With Horowitz's knife and hair left at the scene, it is a desperate situation where no one but Horowitz could be the culprit.
To prove his innocence, Horowitz must once again seek Hawthorne's help. Ironically, this case becomes the catalyst that brings the two back together.
Hawthorne calmly analyzes the evidence, trying to find the real culprit. Meanwhile, Horowitz struggles to prove his own innocence.
・Will a new bond form between the two in the process of finding the real culprit?
・Can Hawthorne find the real culprit and save Horowitz?
・And will the two be able to trust each other again?
Please read 'A Line to Kill' to find out.
Summary of 'A Line to Kill'
Tonight, I wrote a book review of 'A Line to Kill'.
Since it was my first post in a while, I'm exhausted...
I feel like I managed to write it while being surprised by the turbulent development of Horowitz leaving Hawthorne.
The content of the book review, which feels a bit rushed, is...
・The relationship between Hawthorne and Horowitz falls apart
・The story takes a new direction following the termination of their contract
Hawthorne and Horowitz, who were getting along well after all.
The story starts with the shocking development of their relationship falling apart, and I was worried about what would happen.
I felt like I spoiled almost half of it, so I can't write any more, but I seriously finished reading it in the blink of an eye.
I feel like I've become hooked on Anthony Horowitz's worldview.
I pray that the 'Hawthorne & Horowitz' series does not end.
Thank you for reading until the end.