Anthony Horowitz delivers yet another clever story-within-a-story with Close to Death. Here the gated community of Riverside Close has all the amenities a resident would want, until the annoying Kentworthy family moves in. Their self-centered antics disturb their neighbors so much so that Giles Kentworthy is found dead. Horowitz puts a modern spin on the "locked room" mysteries of the Golden Age of Crime. Fans of Horowitz's mysteries will find this story intriguing and will be wondering until the very end who the murderer is.

The Hawthorne series is one of my favorites. I find Horowitz's writing to be funny, engaging and clever and this one is no exception.

I found the beginning of this story a bit slower to move and I had a hard time keeping track of all the neighbors at first. And it got more complicated before it started to unravel so I found the pacing to be a bit less engaging than the others in the series.

But I loved the meta nature like in the others and I loved jumping in and out of the story. I also loved to find out a bit more about Hawthorne's past which I assume will be more of a plot line in upcoming stories.

As always, the ending and how it all comes together is very clever and so fast that I had to read it twice! I can't wait for the next one!

with gratitude to netgalley and Harper for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy this part of the series, especially a different approach to the development of the plot.

Anthony Horowitz never dissapoints. I love the way he weaves a story and his writing style. Cant wait for the next one!

Close to Death is a slightly different Hawthorne & Horowitz format for the series with Horowitz revisiting an old case, basing his manuscript on notes and recordings instead of real-time investigation, but it is still enjoyable. I really liked the new characters and the nods to Agatha Christie as the mystery unfolds. Another excellent addition to this series.

The continuation of a remarkably fun series, Close to Death is another expertly crafted tale of murder, deception and investigative genius. Anthony Horowitz delivers another wonderfully mysterious whodunit in which he’s the Watson to Hawthorne’s Sherlock.

With no active case being investigated by Hawthorne, Anthony Horowitz is compelled to write his next book about a murder that happened several years ago in a small, exclusive gated community called Riverside Close. Containing six houses and friendly neighbors, it seems like an idyllic neighborhood. That is until the newest resident is found murdered. With every inhabitant a suspect, the police call in Hawthorne to assist in the investigation. Using notes, recordings and conducting a few new interviews, Horowitz reconstructs the events and tries to figure out who’s the killer and their motive. But with several individuals strongly recommending abandoning this story in favor of finding a different case to write about, Horowitz just might conclude this is a crime best left dead and buried in the past.

Close to Death has a different and intriguing feel to the prior books in the series in which the author is the sidekick during an active murder investigation. This time, he’s researching and reconstructing a past crime investigated by Hawthorne. And while Horowitz isn’t constantly being told by the onery Hawthorne that he’s getting it all wrong and compromising the investigation, he’s still being told that his writing isn’t capturing events exactly as they occurred. So, there’s still some investigative stress between the two. But the conflict ratchets up to higher levels as Horowitz attempts to learn more about Hawthorne’s past. And that’s the part that really propels the character development and moves the series forward. It’s a great device for delving into Hawthorne’s past and providing a deeper look into what makes him tick. Though there’s still plenty left uncovered to keep him mysterious and enigmatic, which keeps the tension between the main characters in place.

Additionally, this feels like a potential turning point for the series with an uncertain ending that could go multiple directions. Adding to the suspense of the novel with ambiguity for the future. But as long as we get more Hawthorne and Horowitz, whatever comes next will be a treat.

Horowitz's publisher is breathing down his neck for the manuscript of the next Horowitz & Hawthorne book. With Hawthorne not currently involved in a case, Anthony proposes he be allowed to base the new book on a past case. Reluctantly, Hawthorne agrees, warning Horowitz that he won't be happy with the ending.
The murder took place in Rivrview Chase, a quiet, gated community of six houses located in Richmond Upon Thames. The eclectic group of residents are compatible and enjoy the peaceful setting. All that disappears when Giles Kenworthy and family move into the community. The Kenworthy's come with two noisy children , four loud cars and plans to cut down trees and build a swimming pool. Everyone has reason to dislike the new neighbors so
when Giles is found brutally murdered there's no shortage of suspects.
The police investigation closes despite Hawthorne's objections that the wrong person has been targeted as the killer.
Five years later, at Horowitz's insistence, Hawthorne turns over his case notes and recordings. The author becomes so intrigued by what he learns that he begins his own investigation that exposes dangerously, dark facts .
This fourth title in the series is a terrific read in which characters come alive on the page. The intricate, challenging plot will keep readers fascinated until the last page.

Horowitz revisits one of Hawthorne's old cases involving a murder in a small, close-knit community. The mystery was convoluted. I didn't enjoy this as much as the previous Hawthorne novels.

I really enjoyed this newest addition to this series, it just might be my favorite so far. It is a bit different than the other books, in that there is a story within the story, but the mystery was just as twisty and hard to figure out as the first four books were.

The structure of this book is very different from the other four, as there are really two stories going on simultaneously. The story starts off in the past, introducing us to the characters that live in Riverside Close, through their own voices in several chapters. It is only after these chapters that Anthony Horowitz brings us to the present and lets the reader know that this book is about a murder that happened before he met Hawthorne. There is not a whole lot of interaction between Hawthorne and Horowitz in this book, which I kind of liked. I often don’t like how Horowitz treats Anthony, so this was a bit of pleasant respite. The story continues to jump back and forth between the past and the present, which really works well for this story.

I liked seeing how Hawthorne tackled this case. He does go about it in his usual way, but even when the evidence points to one person, he is determined to prove that the police detectives are wrong. Hawthorne is just as prickly as he always is, and often turns his suspects into adversaries. I think at times this makes his job harder, but it seems to work for him.

All of the suspects that live in Riverside Close are rather nice and seem perfectly normal on the surface, but they all have secrets that they would prefer to keep hidden. They all had reasons not to like the victim, Giles Kentworthy, but none seem strong enough for murder. I liked how the plot for this part of the story had lots of twists and even though I thought I knew who did it, I was never quite sure until the end. Even then there were doubts as to what really happened.

The present part of the story was interesting as well. Anthony finds out some more about Hawthorne’s past and is beginning to understand him better. He is still curious about the man behind the detective, but I think that will always be a bit of a mystery. One of the things I like best about these stories is the way the author makes himself a character, sort of like a Watson, always a step behind his Sherlock.

If you enjoyed the other books in this series, you will certainly like this one. It is a bit different but that difference really works well for this story. If you haven’t yet started this series, then you should give it a chance. It is a cozy mystery that is well written and has interesting characters and plots that will make you work hard to solve the murders.

I love Anthony Horowitz and was excited to read the ARC for his latest Detective Hawthorne series. Close to Death kept me guessing to the end, and while I missed the usual interplay between Horowitz and Hawthorne, this book felt like the perfect conclusion to the series. This book is highly entertaining, with multiple suspects all hating the victim, and a resolution that seemed impossible but perfectly acceptable at the same time. I can't wait to see what "Tony" writes next!

A slightly new approach to the Hawthorne and Horowitz series: instead of solving a current case, Hawthorne slowly doles out informatino from a 5 year old case to Horowitz so a book can be developed by a publishers deadline. Interesting and a neat spin on a locked door mystery involving a suicide, which also provides Horowitz with additional insights into Hawthorne's past and current life.

Horowitz and Hawthorne are back for book five in this popular mystery series.

This time around, the story focuses on the idyllic neighborhood of Riverside Close. A close-knit community, it is the kind of place where everyone gets along, or at least they do until the Kentworthy family arrives. Soon the residents of Riverside Close find themselves at odds with their new neighbors, with animosity building until the father, Giles, winds up murdered. Known for being anything but neighborly, there are enough motives to make Riverside Close feel like the Orient Express, and it falls to Hawthorne to make sense of it all.

This installment of the series has a very different feel from the rest of the books featuring Horowitz and Hawthorne. It reads a bit more like another series from the author (the Susan Ryeland series including Magpie Murders), in that it follows the story within a story format.

Additionally, there is much less focus on the dynamic between Horowitz and Hawthorne. While it is missing a hit of the energy of the earlier books, the reader can gain more insight into the relationship between Hawthorne and his former assistant Dudley. This background regarding Hawthorne's mysterious personal life feels like it will be essential in any book to follow.

While Horowitz and Hawthorne feel a little removed overall in this one due to the plot being far more driven by other characters, this is ultimately an engrossing addition to the popular series.

Thank you as always to NetGalley and Harper for this ARC.

Although this is possibly the weakest plotline in the series as far as the murder being solved, Close to Death is primarily focused upon Hawthorne's background much more than any of the previous books have been. Because of this, I would say that this book still feels necessary in order to advance the overall story so that the series can continue towards a final conclusion. Looking forward to more books in the Hawthorne/Horowitz series.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for honest review.

Giles Kentworthy is found dead just inside his front door, killed with a crossbow. He and his family were not popular at Riverside Close, an exclusive community of six houses marred only by the presence of the Kentworthys with their loud cars and children and their plans for a hideous swimming pool. All the neighbors are suspects, the GP and his jewelry designer wife, the dentist and his ailing wife, the bookstore owners (and former nuns,) the retired barrister and the chess grandmaster and his wife. How are Horowitz and Hawthorne involved? Well, not their usual.

This is the fifth of the Hawthorne and Horowitz series and I believe it’s my favorite so far (which might mean I like less Hawthorne and Horowitz in my Hawthorne and Horowitz?). I liked the mixed of third person and first person here and really enjoyed this mix of suspects (although I figured out the murderer pretty early on, but from just one of the clues.). I like this quirky series and would recommend it to anyone who likes murder mysteries.

This is the fifth and probably last installment in the Horowitz and Hawthorne series. I have thoroughly enjoyed the series where Anthony Horowitz puts himself up as a clueless and yet self-important Watson to Hawthorne's Holmes. We have seen their relationship deteriorate over the span of the last four books and in this one they do not even work together. Horowitz decides to write about one of Hawthornes old cases, and is mostly working off the case notes. This means this book is more about the case itself, and less about the bickering between the main characters. By the end of the book Hawthorne refuses to even talk to Horowitz.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Thanks to Harper & NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an hones review.

This is a great series, and I love the conceit of the author making himself a (lightly fictionalized) character. Anthony Horowitz (not "Tony," thanks) is less present as a character in this story, so if your favorite aspect is the back-and-forthing between Anthony and Hawthorne, you won't like this one as much. For my part, I find that relationship less interesting, so I was just fine, thanks (still getting over the too-muchness of Book 3).

There's not much going on currently in Hawthorne's crimeworld just now, so Anthony has to go back in time a few years to a previous solve. It occurred before Horowitz's time, and Hawthorne had another assistant, this one a former cop named Dudley. In Riverside Close, the neighbors all get along pretty well, that is, until Giles Kenworthy and his brood appear, buying up the largest house in the neighborhood and proceeding to piss everyone off with their loud parties, wild kids, and badly-parked vehicles. When they get permission from the Council to build a pool, jacuzzi and patio area out the back, that's evidently the last straw for someone at the Close, and Giles takes a crossbow bolt to the neck. Hawthorne and Dudley are called in since pretty much everyone is a suspect, but after another resident turns up dead in an apparent locked-room suicide, it would seem that the case is solved. Or is it? Hawthorne doesn't seem to think so ...

There aren't many series that I consistently look forward to, but this is in the top 5. I was prepared for disappointment with this book, as I saw a review that mentioned it was way too complicated (put down the knife, PW!), but have they read Freida McFadden? This is a realist's dream in comparison. Please, Mr. Horowitz, keep writing these. 4 stars, taking away a half since less Anthony (I know I'm not alone).

Anthony Horowitz owes his publisher another Hawthorne mystery. The problem is they don't have any current cases. So Horowitz asks Hawthorne to provide the details of one of Hawthorne's early cases. This changes the usual narrative, Horowitz isn't the assistant in this case. He is following the "crumbs" Hawthorne grudgingly provides. The case involves the murder of an obnoxious neighbor in an exclusive gated close. Only one of the residents could have done it, but which one? In addition to following this case to its solution Horowitz discovers more about the mysterious Hawthorne.
Thanks to NetGalley for an eGalley of this title.

Horowitz is back with Hawthorne in this fresh take on their dynamic - examining one of P.I. Hawthorne's past cases that he's reluctant to talk about. Horowitz's agent wants a new novel by Christmas, however, the lack of mysterious deaths in the area has left Horowitz and Hawthorne with a dearth of material. Reluctantly Hawthorne agrees to provide Horowitz with information about this notorious case, however he is irritated by the writer's attempt to dig deeper and flesh out the characters. Who in a quiet and close-knit neighborhood would want to shoot an obnoxious partying finance guy in the throat with a crossbow? Apparently everyone!

What will happen when Horowitz digs too far into Hawthorne's secrets? The different set up has refreshed this series and made it fun again, along with revealing just a couple more clues about who Hawthorne is as a character. Looking forward to the next one!

Another innovative mystery from Horowitz starring himself and his unlikeable detective, Hawthorne. Such an intriguing conceit, and still one (even after 5 books) I have trouble getting my mind around. The Acknowledgements don't help, haha.

I really love this series by Anthony Horowitz, and I was so excited to read the latest book! It is my go-to book to hand to mystery readers who do not know what to read next!
This story is actually a cold case that Anthony is piecing together from old notes. He is working on solving the murder but also has some questions about Hawthorne's past and his previous partner that he wants answers to.
The setting for this case is a gated, tight-knit community in Richmond. There is a cast of untrustworthy characters who all have reason to kill.
I basically read this book in one sitting because I could not put it down!