Magpie murders by Anthony Horowitz

Orion Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781409158370
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Mystery. Horowitz is a best-selling author and creator of many TV shows and in Magpie Murders he showcases his talent with a homage to vintage crime novels in this novel within a novel. Editor Susan Ryeland is given Alan Conway's latest manuscript featuring Atticus Pund, a detective very similar to Hercule Poirot, but the last chapters are missing. Then the author dies in suspicious circumstances and Susan finds herself in the middle of a real life murder while trying to find the missing chapters.
Horowitz very cleverly gathers together two stories, that of Atticus Pund's latest investigation in the manuscript and that of the circumstances surrounding Alan Conway's death. There are many nods to vintage Agatha Christie and village murders which mystery fans will recognise and really enjoy. At the same time the reader's attention is constantly grabbed by the two interweaving stories, as well as the characters in the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery within a mystery, and what was particularly good was the surprising denouement at its conclusion. I look forward to more crime stories from this very talented author.
Pat Pledger