“Magpie Murders” : A cozy ‘whodunnit’ for Christmas!

Book: Magpie Murders

Author: Anthony Horowitz

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction

My rating: 4 / 5

Excerpt from Goodreads’ summary:

When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages…

…Conway’s latest tale has Atticus Pünd investigating a murder at Pye Hall, a local manor house. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but the more Susan reads, the more she’s convinced that there is another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript:…

 

image credit: Goodreads

 

This is easily one of the top 5 books (apart from the HP series which I’ve not finished off yet) that I’ve read so far in this year.

Juicy, cozy, intelligent and a language which will make you flow through it- “Magpie Murders” will tease your brain, tickle your funny bones and itch you to give your favorite ‘Agatha Christie’ books a re-read.

When I’m talking about Agatha Christie, it should be told that “Magpie Murders” is a tribute to the “Queen of Crime” in itself.

 

• Do you love true-blue British murder mysteries from the bygone era?
• That used to take place in scenic, idyllic  (with an undercurrent viciousness) English country-side?
• And a vicar preaching religious order but hiding some dark, dark truth?

 

Well don’t know about you, but I lap up to such settings. And “Magpie Murders” fed them to me- aplenty.

This book also dishes out some insider-dirt in the hallowed “Publishing industry”. Much like “Silk Worm”- another of my favorite British mystery from the “Cormoran Strike” series.

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

 

While perusing through this book, one thought struck my mind –

How the hell such “Smart with a capital S” murder mysteries are not in  ‘vogue’ anymore?

 

I mean, how many times we’ll read two most “overused tropes”  in this genre?

It’s either:

i) The lame spin-offs of “Gone Girl” (that have neither the writing prowess of Gillian Flynn nor her imagination) that involves bickering, arse-hole couples with their lying, cheating, and killing spree

or

ii) A murder takes place in a small town. It mirrors another murder that happened 20 years ago. A “miserable” police/detective/reporter sets foot in this town, which incidentally is her/his hometown, where everybody knows others’ business.

 

(*banging head on the wall emoji*)

 

In case you are a chest-thumping crime-fiction aficionado, do give “Magpie Murders” a shot. This is a breath of fresh air amidst so many junks passed off as “detective thrillers”.

 

quote source: The book

 

 

Q. Would I place it on my Legen..Wait For It..Dary shelf?

Ans. No. Because I felt the first-person narrative could have been a little bit more intimate/passionate.

 

Q. Would I place it on “phenomenal” shelf?

Ans. An effing  Y-E-S.

Ans. It makes me adding every book Anthony Horowitz has ever written on my TBR list. I doff my hat to thee, Mister.

 

*My other post on “crime” genre:

6 reasons you should read Tana French

 

Have you read “Magpie Murders” or planning to read it? What’s your favorite book in the mystery/thriller genre?

 

 

 

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