A fitting conclusion for this trilogy. A new author for Pund mysteries that also weaves in real life into the novel. With using real life characters in fiction, danger arrives again while Susan restarts her life in England. Twists, turns and murders in Susan and Pund's worlds.

This book features a clever book-within-a-book structure, which allows you to follow two mysteries at once.
The main story centers on Susan Ryeland, an editor in England who is working with a promising new author. His novel, a classic Pund mystery, is the bonus story you get to read within the book. Pund himself is reminiscent of a Poirot-type character.
I found the book very enjoyable. The narrator's personality was a bit much at times—she occasionally pushes too hard when she should probably relax—but overall, I really liked her.
While I was able to solve both mysteries before the big reveal, the author included some fascinating details that I didn't connect until the end. I especially loved the dynamic between the police officer and the narrator; the police officer was a consistently excellent and likable character.

Thank you, Anthony Horowitz, for writing this book. The second book ended on such a sour note. Her going to Greece to live with her boyfriend and run a hotel felt too much like a defeat. It was amazing how mean people were to Susan for turning in a murderer. At least she was finally able to get a happy ending after all the turmoil she went through in this series, all because she turned in an editor who murdered a writer.

TY to Net Galley and Harper for the ARC. I absolutely adored reading this conclusion to the Susan Ryland series. The "book within a book" aspect makes for an even more intriguing and interesting story and the returning characters delightful. Love it!

Two mysteries in one book, sorry to see them go, but I think Atticus has run his course. I wouldn't mind seeing Susan solve a mystery on her own.

This Anthony Horowitz unfortunately did not do it for me, and I’m feeling pretty bummed about it! In this novel we are back with Ms. Ryland as she edits another murder mystery (a book within a book) and solves a real life mystery. The problem is, this worked well when we know that Alan Conway had written several books. The idea that ANOTHER writer is taking on the Atticus Pund novels and also is hiding the secret of a murderer in their book AND that there are real life murders? The suspension of disbelief was too high, and without a real payoff.

I love this series and this final book was incredible. The mystery plot, book within a book, call backs to earlier books’ plot points - all amazing! I also appreciated how I could still tell the characters apart, even though there were quite a few. The family tree and recaps were helpful. Anthony Horowitz is my favorite mystery author by far! Please keep writing mysteries!

I was pretty excited about Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz, and was shocked at how immersive the whole experience was. It was a book within a book, and I was barely into Editor Susan Ryeland’s story before I was suddenly at work with her, reading Eliot Crace’s historical mystery manuscript.

One issue I had was that I felt there was a character overload (around 20 new characters introduced in the manuscript) not to mention the characters in Susan’s story. I love mysteries and puzzles, which is why I was initially so excited to read this, and this one had plenty of many moving parts for me to enjoy searching for clues within the manuscript.

All in all, I look forward to seeing what he’ll come up with next as this was quite the adventure!

Reviewed by: Adri D. (Guest Reviewer)

I started the book somewhat irritated by the abrupt jettisoning of Susan's relationship with Andreas and her life in Crete. After all, he did save her life, as well as put up with her various idiosyncrasies. And I continued to be annoyed as she was drawn back into what seemed to be a posthumous trap set by the unlikable Alan Conway. In fact, it was difficult to find anyone likeable in the early pages. Then Atticus Pund reappears and I was hooked. Still, the Crace family, who's saga parallels Pund's case are truly awful and I continue to wonder why Susan doesn't just walk away and race back to Crete with her tail between her legs and beg Andreas' forgiveness. The Pune case keeps me reading and I am rewarded with the introduction of DI Blakeney (and his miserable sidekick). While his arrival dramatically changes the narrative, it comes quite late in the book and I'm not sure every reader will hang on until then. Nevertheless, the ending is satisfying and while it appears this is indeed "Pund's Last Case," one never knows.

Did I think we needed a third Susan Ryeland outing? No. Did I snatch it up just as soon as I could get my hands on it? Of course. This was my first Susan Ryeland book read via audio and Lesley Manville was outstanding. I really enjoyed this format, although I think my preference is still for print with this series. I would've like to see a second narrator for the Atticus Pund portions, but it was still very good. This particular story didn't feel quite as tight as the previous two, but I also thought it did an admirable job of tying together some major threads from the first novel. I only have one major disappointment with this novel - not a spoiler, as it is in the synopsis, but I was very disappointed in the change in Susan's personal relationship. That character felt like a significant loss to the story. But, I suppose that is true to life. If this is the last Susan Ryeland novel we get, we still managed to go out on a high note. If there are more, you won't hear me complaining at all.

A new book from Anthony Horowitz is such a treat. I think he is such a talented author. His new book, Marble Hall Murders is so very clever!

Marble Hall Murders gives us a book inside a book again. Editor Susan Ryeland returns as well. She’s out of work so she’s agreed to work with Eliot, a new author on Pund’s Last Case. After a reading, she’s found similarities and deliberate clues to a death in Eliot’s family. Was it an accident or a murder…?

I dove into the book and honestly forgot that I was lost in the manuscript. Scrambling out, I was still in a fictitious tale. I adored the fictional Detective Pund. He reminded me of Hercule Poitou in his methodology and mannerisms.

For those of you that are like me and try to solve the mystery before the final pages - I wasn’t able to do it. There’s twists, turns, red herrings, and more it kept me guessing till the last pages. Absolutely recommended for those who love 'old school' mysteries, where the answers are in deduction, not DNA.

“From my experience, I’d say that people who enjoy crime fiction and who form communities all over the internet are the most discerning - and the most unforgiving - of all readers.”

I have to admit that I was a little intimidated when I received Marble Hall Murders. This is a big book!

But I was amazed at how quickly I flew through the story. I was completely immersed in this world and would periodically stop reading only to look around and realize I was still in the real world.

It’s brilliantly done - from the characters to the setting to the book within a book. I would have happily kept on reading beyond the last page!

This is the third entry in Horowitz’s Susan Ryland series. In the succinct first chapter Susan explains her decision to leave her boyfriend and their home in Crete and return to London to start again. Her freelance editing jobs leads her to being reluctantly assigned to edit an Atticus Pund continuation novel. As usual this leads to intrigue and murder with Susan as the main suspect. Interesting new characters keep the story fresh and it has some lighthearted moments. It’s a good addition to the series.

Marble Hall Murders is the third book in the bookish Susan Ryland mystery series by Anthony Horowitz. Released 13th May 2025 by HarperCollins on their Harper imprint, it's 582 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

The author writes entertainingly and so very well. All the parts (and they are varied and numerous) fit together and do precisely what they're meant to do. The characters are believable and well rendered. The dialogue works and is never clunky or awkward. Although this series isn't fluffy enough to fit firmly into the cozy mold, it's not at all gritty, either. In short, it's a modern British murder mystery with a well plotted story arc, some not-too-graphic crimes, some humour, and a satisfying denouement and resolution. For readers who enjoy modern amateur sleuths without paranormal aspects, talking cats, telepathy, and crystals, this series is blessedly free of them. He uses the "book within a book" trope to full effect, and the shifting back and forth is clearly delineated in the chapter headers and not confusing in the slightest.

It's a delightful read and despite the potentially serious subplot elements (terminal illness, breakups), Mr. Horowitz manages to imbue the whole with enough humour to make it an entertaining and quick read, despite the rather prodigious length. North American readers should be aware that it's written in British vernacular (crisps, lift, flat, tyres, etc), but this shouldn't pose any problems in context.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 17 hours 38 minutes and is capably read by series narrators Leslie Manville and Tim McMullen reprising their roles from the TV productions. Sound and production quality is high throughout the read.

Four and a half stars. Really well done. With three books currently extant in the series and with such a prolific author, this would make a good choice for a binge/buddy read. Recommended for fans of not-terribly-fluffy modern cozies. Fans of M.C. Beaton, G.M. Malliet, and Simon Brett will likely enjoy these also.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Could not have loved this more. This series was so great, and I loved the way it all wrapped up. I'm only sad that there aren't going to be any more!!

Another Susan Ryeland meta-mystery (after Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders) starring Atticus Pund in a book-within-a-book. Brings the standard Anthony Horowitz cleverness, twisty plots, and underlying humor. Susan is back in London, and editing again after a break running a hotel in Crete. The last thing she wants is to get drawn back into the world of Atticus Pund, but there she is. A fun read with a just-challenging-enough mystery (though I saw at least one deelopment coming).

4.5

If I was going to worship another God, it would be Anthony Horowitz. He’s one of those people who’s genius and ingenuity never ceases to amaze. He is behind shows like “Midsomer Murders” and “Foyle’s War” and several other books and TV mysteries. This series isn’t my favorite of them, but it is still both clever and engaging.

The creativity of “Magpie Murders” (and definitely NOT “The Magpie Murders”) with a book within a book is back with some slight variation. It was great to be reminded of the original format, unlike the television series, where Susan Ryland is reading and solving muders in the present reality based on clues written into a mystery set in the 1950s. Then, we switch completely to that mystery in the form of an Atticus Pünd book as if we are both in that story as well as experiencing the story in real time as Susan reads it. The television series bounces back and forth and completely loses that fourth wall, metafiction element, thogh its still a decent mystery show.

Note: The first book, “Magpie Murders”, is referenced constantly in this book, so read this first and then go and tell a bunch of little kids that there is no Santa Claus because you obviously have no respect for proper order or spoiling secrets.

I started reading this as a book, but just couldn’t get it through it all. It’s a long one at about 550 pages and more than seventeen hours. My brain finds audiobooks easier, but also, this, as with all of the Horowitz audiobooks, is very well done. Lesley Manville, who also plays Susan Ryland in the television series, reads Susan’s first-person narrative. She also provides the fantastic voices for the first two books in “The Thursday Murder Club” series—one I constantly recommend listening to over reading—and my mind kept expecting her to switch in the slower, more thoughtful voice of Ibrahim. Tim McMullen narrates the Atticus Pünd stories with a classic aristocratic voice. I even recommend having book the audiobook and the book at hand because both have something to add to the storytelling.

Ironically, even though I just explained that the format is set in present day and the 1950s via Atticus Pünd, the murder being solved “in real life” has actually taken place somewhere in between the two timelines, not that there isn’t room for murder in the present time as well. Meanwhile, Atticus Pünd is in the south of France, though still dealing with the British aristocracy. <spoiler>Alan Conway is still dead, but the new author is so has even more baggage than Allen. </spoiler>

This book is like a gymnastics routine, and not just because your eyes are following in wonder, but because the extra complexity gives it a higher base score. It was a bit long, but is packed with more mysteries than any of Midsomer villages.

And for the record, my favorite Horowitz series is the Hawthorn series. An actor impersonating Anthony Horowitz narrating a fictional mystery about a fictional detective he’s following in his current life while he talks about episodes of series I had already seen blows my mind. I can’t even begin to understand on what metaphysical plane the books contract is taking place.

Thank you to Anthony Horowitz, NetGalley, Harper and HarperAudio Adult for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book and audiobook for my unbiased review.

#MurderAtMarbleHall #NetGalley #bookreview #ADHDreader #historicmystery #AnthonyHorowitz #murder #mystery #AtticusPund #MagpieMurders #Harper #HarperAudio #metafiction #bookwithinabook

Susan Ryeland is ready to start over again in England. Leaving behind her Greek Island, the hotel, and her boyfriend, she's looking for fresh opportunities in the editing field. She might have just found the perfect opportunity too, but it includes working with an author from her past, one who is working on an Atticus Pund revival of sorts. After all, no one knows Pund like Susan does.

As Susan explores the new story, she starts unraveling a story that harkens back to real-life mystery and more. Can Susan and Atticus solve one more mystery together before they are both out of time?

The continuing of the Pund series delivers! I liked to build up of connection Susan and Eliot was fun and I love how the case of his grandmother unraveled.

Gripping, full of so many twists and turns, intriguing, fast-paced, captivating, and witty, "Marble Hall Murders" is a mystery book within a mystery book! Set in the present, and the book within the book set in the 1950s, this book will keep you guessing whodunit and the connection between the two worlds up until the final pages!

Anthony Horowitz's writing style is brilliant and breathtaking! His seamlessly weaves the various pieces of the puzzle of his stories together, revealing everything in exactly the right moment, and his world-building is oh so clever! I found myself trying to solve the mysteries right along with the characters, and simply could not put this book down! I found myself reading into the early hours of the morning chapter after chapter to see what was going to happen next, and what would be revealed..and I was truly on the edge of my seat throughout.

In the present, when Susan Ryeland is asked to edit a continuation novel of the Atticus Pünd mystery series, with the new novels being written by grandson of a famous author, she knows she needs to accept even though her mind is telling her not to. In the book itself, Atticus Pünd must solve the murder of someone he knew. Soon, both he and Susan find themselves pulled into worlds where nothing is as simple as it seems, and they soon discover there is more than one mystery to solve.

With characters from the first two books in the series either present or mentioned including: Susan Ryeland, Atticus Pünd, James Fraser, and Charles Clover, and more, and characters original to this story whom brilliantly tie into the world, the book is incredibly enthralling. What happens when there are secrets to be told, and someone will do anything to stop that from happening? What happens when the literary and reality start to intertwine? How do the two worlds intertwine, and why? You will just have to read to find out!

If you enjoy Mystery, I HIGHLY recommend this book! I can't wait to read what Mr. Horowitz writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper for the e-ARC of this incredible novel, and to Harper for sending me a physical ARC as well! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.