By the globally bestselling Anthony Horowitz, a brilliantly entertaining new mystery in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series. From the globally bestselling author of Moonflower Murders and Close to Death comes an unputdownable new mystery in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series. 'Easily the greatest of our crime writers' Sunday Times 'Nobody does this crime fiction better than Anthony Horowitz' Crime Time FM 'Anthony Horowitz is a national treasure' Ragnar J nasson --------- The Word is Murder, the first book in the Hawthorne series, is being made into a major feature film. The actors have been cast, the script written, and filming has already started in Hastings. But when Hawthorne and Anthony visit the set, they find a far from happy family. The director's pretentious, the screenwriter's an eco-warrior, the two stars hate each other, and the producer has run out of money. And things are about to get much, much worse. In the middle of shooting, the actor playing Hawthorne is stabbed - which leaves the real Hawthorne with no choice. He has to step in and investigate his own murder. Because the killer may not have got the right man. Was it Hawthorne himself who was meant to be the target? A Deadly Episode is a wild ride through a world that the author knows only too well, and the most personal case Hawthorne has had to deal with so far.

Details

ISBN13: 9781529904338
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 384
Edition:
Publication Date: 21 Apr 2026
Publisher: Cornerstone
Publication City, Country: London, United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 23.2(H)x15.3(L)x3.1(W)464
Weight (gm): 464

Author Biography

Bestselling author Anthony Horowitz has written two highly acclaimed Sherlock Holmes novels, The House of Silk and Moriarty; three James Bond novels, Trigger Mortis, Forever and a Day and With a Mind to Kill; the acclaimed bestselling mystery novels Magpie Murders, Moonflower Murders and Marble Hall Murders; and the Detective Hawthorne novels, The Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death, A Line To Kill, The Twist of a Knife and Close to Death. He is also the author of the teen spy Alex Rider series, and responsible for creating and writing some of the UK's most loved and successful TV series, including Midsomer Murders and Foyle's War. In January 2022 he was awarded a CBE for his services to literature.

Reviews

The sixth outing for the sleuthing duo of Horowitz and Hawthorne, A Deadly Episode, is another winner. * Financial Times *
Brilliant . . . the author combines delicious dry humour with a rigorous fair-play whodunnit, but this installment’s Scream-like Hollywood satire takes it to another level * Publishers Weekly, Starred Review *
Delightful * Library Journal *
Clever and playful, this is meta-mystery at its best. * i Paper *
With plenty of twists and turns and classic, compelling whodunnit mysteries, his Susan Ryeland series is perfect for Agatha Christie fans * Hello! *
[Horowitz’s] "Overactive imagination” has once again produced a chunk of five-star entertainment * The Times *
The sixth in the brilliant Hawthrone and Horowitz series... (is) layers of fun. * Daily Express *
Horowitz is quite simply a brilliant writer - he's funny, smart and knows how to craft a good story.... Be warned. Horowitz is addictive * Sunday Independent *
I take such pleasure from this series and this, the sixth, is every bit as good as its predecessors... dare I say, my favourite. * Belfast Telegraph *
A fresh treat * Boston Herald *