Maissa Lamar – A French performance poet. (The ‘i’ in her Christian name actually has two dots above it, but I have no idea how to type that?!) This begins with Horowitz feeling a little over-confident, as Hawthorne comes to a meeting at his publishers. Hawthorne, he imagines, will be in 'his world.' Of course, this confidence is premature, as Hawthorne manages to be the centre of attention, be utterly confident and embrace the idea of a literary festival on the Island of Alderney. With 'Tony,' as always disgruntled (Horowitz's self-deprecation is done masterfully) and, quite rightly questioning Hawthorne's willingness to attend the festival, the two men and the other 'celebrity' authors head off for the little island. Two Dun It: Anne Cleary and Kathryn Harris, who are revealed to be mother and daughter, worked together to kill Charles and probably also Helen, although both of them insist that Anne killed Helen all alone. Horowitz is a master of misdirection, and his brilliant self-portrayal, wittily self-deprecating, carries the reader through a jolly satire on the publishing world." --Booklist Cigarette of Anxiety: A jittery Helen demands a cigarette and gets one from Hawthorne, the morning her husband is found dead.

The ending reveals that Kathryn Harris put on a French maid costume for the party and lured Charles away with the promise of sex, only to kill him. Welcome to they world of mystery and suspense in the new book, A Line To A Kill by a favorite author of mine, Anthony Horowitz. Inserting himself into story line and teaming up once again with a somewhat nemesis, Hawthorne, this third installment offers lots for those is us who love mystery novels. Horowitz writes character rich mysteries reminiscent of Agatha Christie. These aren’t fast paced stories, but they are rich in detail and plot points. This time, the duo travel to a literary festival on the channel island of Alderney. It’s not long before the sponsor of the festival turns up dead and Hawthorne is asked to help with the investigation. The cast of suspects/characters from the literary world is colorful and quirky, and I loved the witty satire, with the author poking fun at the literary world, and himself. Not every attendee is who they say they are and there are plenty of suspects and secrets to uncover. “There are an awful lot more than six people who wanted him dead… It’s a line to kill if ever I saw one.” Horowitz is a master of misdirection, and his brilliant self-portrayal, wittily self-deprecating, carries the reader through a jolly satire on the publishing world." — BooklistWhat makes this series so fun to read is because it’s fun to play along. The mystery itself feels very accessible to the reader, allowing you to make guesses and have your own suspicions throughout the story. Never feel too confident with your accusations though, as it’s always a shifting climate. On the television front Horowitz says, Magpie Murders has been adapted into a six-episode series with Lesley Manville as the editor Susan Ryeland and Tim McMullan as Atticus Pünd, the detective in the book within the book. The Full Monty director, Peter Cattaneo, helms the show. Sexy Secretary: Kathryn Harris, Marc Bellamy's assistant and gofer, is "very attractive, slim, with grey eyes and sand-coloured hair." At the party, which Bellamy is catering, she wears a sexy French maid outfit. Le Mesurier the dirtbag hits on her more than once.

The book is filled with a dry humor. Horowitz pokes fun at the book industry, the police and human nature in general. The ending was perfect, everyone’s identity was not as it seemed. I would never have guessed the final denouement. I couldn't see the sea from my bedroom, but I could hear the waves breaking in the distance. They reminded me that I was on a tiny island. And I was trapped. Alderney is in turmoil over a planned power line that will cut through it, desecrating a war cemetery and turning neighbour against neighbour. It's a tiny island, just three miles long and a mile and a half wide. The perfect location for a brand-new literary festival. Private investigator Daniel Hawthorne has been invited to talk about his new book. The writer, Anthony Horowitz, travels with him.Islands make for popular settings for whodunits from Agatha Christie’s And Then There were None to PD James’ Skull Beneath the Skin . “There is also The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji.” Choosing to set A Line to Kill on an island was a coincidence, says Horowitz.