The Twist of a Knife: A Novel Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Anthony Horowitz (Author), Rory Kinnear (Narrator), HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. (Publisher)

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In New York Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz’s ingenious fourth literary whodunit following The Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death, and A Line to Kill, Horowitz becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation—and only one man can prove his innocence: his newly estranged partner in solving crime, Detective Hawthorne.

“I’m sorry but the answer’s no.” Reluctant author, Anthony Horowitz, has had enough. He tells ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne that after three books he’s splitting and their deal is over.

The truth is that Anthony has other things on his mind.

His new play, a thriller called Mindgame, is about to open at the Vaudeville Theater in London’s West End. Not surprisingly, Hawthorne declines a ticket to the opening night.

The play is panned by the critics. In particular, Sunday Times critic Margaret Throsby gives it a savage review, focusing particularly on the writing. The next day, Throsby is stabbed in the heart with an ornamental dagger which turns out to belong to Anthony, and has his fingerprints all over it.

Anthony is arrested by an old enemy . . . Detective Inspector Cara Grunshaw. She still carries a grudge from her failure to solve the case described in the second Hawthorne adventure, The Sentence is Death, and blames Anthony. Now she’s out for revenge.

Thrown into prison and fearing for both his personal future and his writing career, Anthony is the prime suspect in Throsby’s murder and when a second theatre critic is found to have died in mysterious circumstances, the net closes in. Ever more desperate, he realizes that only one man can help him.

But will Hawthorne take the call?

Listening Length

8 hours and 31 minutes
Author

Anthony Horowitz
Narrator

Rory Kinnear
Audible release date

Nov. 15 2022
Language

English
Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
ASIN

B09V3FCJXX
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	8 hours and 31 minutes
Author	Anthony Horowitz
Narrator	Rory Kinnear
Audible.ca Release Date	November 15 2022
Publisher	HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B09V3FCJXX
Best Sellers Rank	#1,165 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #7 in Amateur Sleuth Mysteries #57 in Amateur Sleuths #2,982 in Genre Fiction (Books)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

2,859 global ratings

5 star		56%
4 star		32%
3 star		9%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

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Top reviews from Canada

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Nadia Danay

Great book.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on January 25, 2023

Verified Purchase

Great book.

Helpful

kathleen

Great read. Highly recommend.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on January 2, 2023

Verified Purchase

Mystery with depth, humour and compassion. I like the Agatha approach of a type of closed door mystery where all are suspects. Thanks Tony and Hawthorne!

Helpful

Lj from BC

Thrilling

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on December 22, 2022

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You can't beat this guy for who done it. One of the best authors.

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SPN_972

Fun and full of wit and mystery

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on December 27, 2022

I genuinely do love this series , the ultimate in deliciously twisty and thoroughly entertaining meta-fiction, which, in this particular instance sees our author, and narrator, in a particularly sticky situation. This is a series about and author, Anthony Horowitz, who is commissioned to write up the investigations of former Detective, Daniel Hawthorne. Or at least, he was. A three book deal and all three books are now written. Hawthorne wishes to carry one, Horowitz less so. And so when he finds himself accused of murder and in need of Hawthornes help to prove his innocence … well you can just imagine how that conversation went.

This book is set very much in Anthony Horowitz’s world. A lot of the action surrounds the staging of his play, Mindgame, and its opening night at the Strand Theatre in London, an opening night which, despite completing a successful regional tour, received less than favourable reviews, including a particularly savage one from the books soon-to-be victim, Harriet Throsby. But surely there are far worse things than a bad review, right? Personally I’m often drawn to those plays and films that are critically panned, and they often turn out to become cult classics, so it’s certainly not anything you would expect someone to commit murder over. Unless you are Detective Inspector Grunshaw and DC Mills, two people who have their own reasons for holding a grudge against the author and his Detective friend, and who seem to delight in all the evidence pointing squarely in his direction.

This book is a wonderful mix of humour, character and mystery. From the cast and crew of the ill-fated Mindgame, to the Detectives who are hot on Anthony Horowitz’s trail, to the author himself and the wonderfully matter of fact Hawthorne, each person we meet adds a new dimension to the story. Some brilliantly exaggerated personalities (where I’m sure inspiration has been drawn from true life, even if the author can’t or won’t say where) and acute observations framed in some truly witty turns of phrase made this book an absolute delight to read. Each character, from the actors, to the director to the producer, appeared larger than life. A strange concoction of ego, vanity and enthusiasm, all enshrouded, to a degree, in a thin veil of secrecy. The whole concept of Mindgame (the play) was to unsettle the viewer, to subtly change and alter perception, something which was skilfully reflected in the way in which we viewed the various characters over the course of the investigation.

I tore through the book, finishing in just two days.
It sounds awful, but it was fun reading about the author’s misfortune ) I was, obviously, certain of his innocence and knowing that, eventually, Hawthorne would find his way to the truth, I was still completely intrigued as to which of the remaining production members might be responsible, if any of them actually were. Harriet’s relationship with her own family also seemed to leave a lot to be desired. The more we learned of them all, the clearer it became that any of them might have had a motive, but all seemingly had irrefutable alibis. And you always come back to the question of whether a bad review is really worth killing for or was there something far darker in play? There were plenty of surprise reveals, things I both had and hadn’t been expecting, but which drew us to a very fitting and satisfactory conclusion. Very Hercule Poirot in delivery.

This is the very best in ‘cozy crime’ if you have to label it that way. absolutely packed with red herrings and mystery that I find myself always wanting solve the mystery. I highly recommend this book I Loved it. But advice you start with the First title in the series The Word is Murder.

Helpful

eCanuck

A very engaging mystery

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on December 26, 2022

This book finds writer Anthony and his investigator friend Hawthorne involved in the murder of a theatre critic who has written a bad review of Anthony's latest play. Anthony is the chief suspect, and clues point to him as the murder. He claims he is innocent and engages with Hawhorne to discover the real killer. Hawthorne eventually reveals the murder, a surprise to the other characters, the police, and the reader as well.

A very good read.

Helpful

Alison S. Coad

Meta-Fiction As Mystery Novel

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on December 18, 2022

Anthony Horowitz has split with his sometime collaborator, private detective Daniel Hawthorne, refusing to write another book with him after the three they’ve already done. He has his sights set on the theatre, where his play “Mindgame” is about to debut in London’s West End, after a successful run throughout England. A notorious theatre critic, Harriet Throsby, is at the opening night and pens a savage review that one of the three cast members receives via her phone during the after-party. The following morning, Throsby is found dead, murdered in her front hall with a knife proven to be owned by Anthony Horowitz. More, someone matching his description was scene in the vicinity on CCTV just before the murder, and one of his hairs is found upon the corpse. Anthony knows that the only person who might be able to save him from a wrongful conviction of murder is Daniel Hawthorne, with whom he has just parted on bad terms….This is the fourth book featuring Horowitz and Hawthorne, and it’s just as meta as the first three (The Sentence Is Death, A Line to Kill, The Word Is Murder), with character Anthony Horowitz commenting on his earlier work including the Alex Rider YA books and “Midsomer Murders” on television; one wonders if the real-world Anthony Horowitz has indeed written any plays and an online check shows that, yes, indeed - and one of his plays is called “Mindgame.” Aside from the surrealism of these parallels, it’s the continuous wordplay and sheer joy of language that makes these books so much fun to read - although, given the premise of this particular book, one has to hope that the accused-of-murder aspect is *not* part of Mr. Horowitz’s life! I still have not read the second book in the series, but would recommend that you read at least one of the previous novels in this group before tackling this latest one; that said, highly recommended!

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Top reviews from other countries

Spicewalker

Fun and full of wit and mystery

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 19, 2022

Verified Purchase

Oh I really do love this series. And I’m not just saying that because I know how well being critical of Anthony Horowitz’s creativity worked out for Harriet Throsby … I genuinely do like these books, the ultimate in deliciously twisty and thoroughly entertaining meta-fiction, which, in this particular instance sees our author, and narrator, in a particularly sticky situation. This is a series about and author, Anthony Horowitz, who is commissioned to write up the investigations of former Detective, Daniel Hawthorne. Or at least, he was. A three book deal and all three books are now written. Hawthorne wishes to carry one, Horowitz less so. And so when he finds himself accused of murder and in need of Hawthornes help to prove his innocence … well you can just imagine how that conversation went.

This book is set very much in Anthony Horowitz’s world. A lot of the action surrounds the staging of his play, Mindgame, and its opening night at the Strand Theatre in London, an opening night which, despite completing a successful regional tour, received less than favourable reviews, including a particularly savage one from the books soon-to-be victim, Harriet Throsby. But surely there are far worse things than a bad review, right? Personally I’m often drawn to those plays and films that are critically panned, and they often turn out to become cult classics, so it’s certainly not anything you would expect someone to commit murder over. Unless you are Detective Inspector Grunshaw and DC Mills, two people who have their own reasons for holding a grudge against the author and his Detective friend, and who seem to delight in all the evidence pointing squarely in his direction.

This book is a beautiful mix of humour, character and mystery. From the cast and crew of the ill-fated Mindgame, to the Detectives who are hot on Anthony Horowitz’s trail, to the author himself and the wonderfully matter of fact Hawthorne, each person we meet adds a new dimension to the story. Some brilliantly exaggerated personalities (where I’m sure inspiration has been drawn from true life, even if the author can’t or won’t say where) and acute observations framed in some truly witty turns of phrase made this book an absolute delight to read. Each character, from the actors, to the director to the producer, appeared larger than life. A strange concoction of ego, vanity and enthusiasm, all enshrouded, to a degree, in a thin veil of secrecy. The whole concept of Mindgame (the play) was to unsettle the viewer, to subtly change and alter perception, something which was skilfully reflected in the way in which we viewed the various characters over the course of the investigation.

I tore through the book, finishing in just one afternoon and evening. It sounds awful, but it was fun reading about the author’s misfortune (sorry Mr H 😬😉) Certain as I was, obviously, of his innocence and knowing that, eventually, Hawthorne would find his way to the truth, I was still completely intrigued as to which of the remaining production members might be responsible, if any of them actually were. Harriet’s relationship with her own family also seemed to leave a lot to be desired. The more we learned of them all, the clearer it became that any of them might have had a motive, but all seemingly had irrefutable alibis. And you always come back to the question of whether a bad review is really worth killing for or was there something far darker in play? There were plenty of surprise reveals, things I both had and hadn’t been expecting, but which drew us to a very fitting and satisfactory conclusion. Very Hercule Poirot in delivery it was too.

This is the very best in ‘cosy-crime’ if you have to label it that way. It’s no high action, high thrill chases, although there are some moments that get you right on the edge of your seat. But these books are lighthearted and entertaining, and absolutely packed with puzzle and mystery that I find myself just longing to solve. At following on from that very tantalizing and wonderful of endings, I can only hope there will be plenty more to come. Absolutely, without question, recommended. Loved it.

10 people found this helpful

Joanne Sheppard

Witty, original mystery

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 3, 2022

Verified Purchase

Anthony Horowitz's Hawthorne novels are what I think is now my current favourite detective series. The Twist of a Knife is the fourth in the series and, as always, Horowitz narrates the story as himself, with the premise that he writing crime novels based on Daniel Hawthorne's investigations.
Hawthorne, a disgraced former police officer who was thrown out of the force for assaulting a suspected paedophile in custody, does not make Anthony's task easy. He's secretive about his investigative breakthroughs and his private life, deadpan to the point of blankness, and almost childlike in both his bluntness and his jaw-dropping cheek. He insists on calling Anthony 'Tony', which Anthony hates, and seems to be able to inveigle his way into places with a mysterious charm that's almost never apparent in his relationship with Anthony himself. In short, he is consistently infuriating, and yet at the same time utterly fascinating.

At the start of The Twist of a Knife, Anthony has honoured his three-book contract with Hawthorne and has no desire to continue their partnership. Instead, his attention is focused on the opening of his new play in the West End, a career landmark and a lifelong ambition fulfilled. But then a broadsheet theatre critic gives the production a viciously bad review, the kind that can close a show down. The next morning, she's found murdered with one of the souvenir daggers given to the cast and crew on the opening night, and all evidence points towards Anthony being the culprit.

Anthony, clearly, should use the one phone call he's allowed when under arrest to contact his solicitor or his wife - but inevitably, when it comes to the crunch, it's Hawthorne's number he dials.

Like the previous books in the series, The Twist of a Knife feels like a modern take on Golden Age detective fiction, and it's a highly successful one, complete with a fiendishly clever plot, a sleuth pitting his wits against the police to solve the crime, and a classic ensemble reveal. Horowitz's novels are always masterclasses in pacing, and The Twist of a Knife is no exception, with the investigation itself becoming a race against time to find the real murderer before Anthony is charged.

It's also, at times, very funny. The many pretensions and flaws of the characters are well-observed and there is nobody who can take down an ego like Hawthorne, who does so with such an matter-of-fact ease of manner that it's often unclear whether he's even doing it on purpose. As always, Horowitz is remarkably willing to present his own character as very much the Watson to Hawthorne's Holmes, always one step behind in the murder investigation.

However, in addition to the self-contained murder plot in each novel in this series, there is a continuing puzzle to be solved, which is the mystery of Hawthorne himself. He appears to have been married at some point, and he has a son. His only interest is making elaborate Airfix models, and his social life seems to consist solely of going to a slightly awkward book club with the other residents of his apartment block, where lives in a peculiarly anonymous flat which he claims to be housesitting in for his 'sort of half-brother'. But most intriguingly, he is extremely cagey about his past, and Anthony has reason to believe that Hawthorne might have an awful lot to hide. Partly driven by a desire to beat Hawthorne at his own game and partly by a writer's natural instinct to build a character's back story, Anthony chips away a little more of Hawthorne's defences in each book in the series.

This is made all the more intriguing by an underlying darkness in Hawthorne, which simmers beneath the Christie-esque mystery plot in each novel and occasionally threatens to bubble to the surface. There are elements of Hawthorne's character that hint at sadness, but there are also times when his manner can be sinister, even cruel. He can appear understanding towards the suspects he interviews, but he can also be needlessly hard on them, and one wonders whether any sympathy we see in him is pure deception.

As I understand it, there are a few more books planned in this series. As far as I'm concerned, they can't come soon enough.

6 people found this helpful

Gee

Rather a disappointment

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 20, 2022

Verified Purchase

I've enjoyed the previous Hawthorne novels so much that after a bit of inner debate I gave into temptation and, in these financially straitened times, decided to treat myself to The Twist of a Knife. But I was rather disappointed wished I hadn't rushed to spend £10 and had waited for the price to go down. It was entertaining but I found myself skipping chunks of description and thought the Hawthorne-Horowitz balance was out of kilter; their interactions were more pedestrian than in previous novels, not as amusing. Maybe that's because one gets used to the format and the novelty of it is lost. However, we were given new little titbits about Hawthorne that I'm guessing will be revisited later in the series. I will still look forward to the next story but I hope it will have regained some of its sparkle.

2 people found this helpful

S Riaz

The Twist of a Knife

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 18, 2022

Verified Purchase

This is the fourth instalment in the brilliant Hawthorne and Horowitz series. This begins with Hawthorne asking Horowitz to write another book, but Horowitz has other plans. His play, 'Mindgame,' opens the following week and he has thrown himself into hopes for success on the stage and his name in lights. Of course, it is all going to go wrong. On the opening night in London, theatre critic Harriet Throsby gives the play a terrible review and the next day she is found stabbed to death with an ornamental dagger that producer, Ahmet Yurdakal, gave Horowitz as a gift.

Having told Horowitz their partnership is over, Hawthorne now finds himself having to call him after being arrested, and ask for his help. Of course, Hawthorne rises to the occasion and, before long, the two are searching for the real murderer. This book is full of humour and fantastic characters, from the cast of the play, through those involved in Harriet Throsby's career and Hawthorne's neighbour, who tries to buy Horowitz some time. This is a brilliant series and Anthony Horowitz, known to his partner as 'Tony,' or 'mate,' is fantastically self-deprecating in a series of books which simply showcases his brilliance as a writer.

2 people found this helpful

Linus

no! what happened

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 5, 2022

Verified Purchase

I’ve loved all the Hawthorne books but this one feels like the wrong draft was sent to the publisher. I had to keep skipping back as I thought I must have misread some of it but no, it’s littered with errors.
One mistake quite early on is was when he is arrested and (with the threat of being there 96 hours) says he has no watch. The reader clearly empathises with this scenario. However a couple of pages later when he is taken to an interview room he ‘looks at his watch’. This sets a really bad tone for the reader and I lost trust in the story. Another paragraph refers to his agent as Hilda Sharpe when it’s Hilda Starke. Why, when being interviewed and he is specifically asked if he had contact with the victim at the theatre (as they had found forensics) he doesn’t mention that he did however speak with her at the after party in the Turkish restaurant? It’s very sloppy and some of it reads as ‘filler’ and almost as if the author meant to go back and rewrite/edit/remove it. In general the entire book feels rushed. I was excited by the release of this book but feel cheated out of my £10. If I were Anthony Horowitz I would be furious with my editor.

One person found this helpful

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The Twist of a Knife: A Novel Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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