This is yet another mystery where real life author, Anthony Horowitz, is both narrator and primary character. Former London detective, Daniel Hawthorne, had requested Horowitz, the author, to write about the cases Hawthorne was working on since leaving the police force. Their collaboration has already resulted in three books (The Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death, and A Line to Kill), but author Horowitz has now tired of following Hawthorne around without learning much about the man.
So, as this book opens, Horowitz has told Hawthorne that now that he has fulfilled their three-book deal, he’s done! But that decision made Hawthorne angry, and he refused to attend the London premiere of Horowitz’s new play, “Mind Game.” The play had done well in out-of-town previews but unfortunately one London critic, Harriet Throsby, gave it a really terrible review. Then the next day she is found murdered! The worst thing about her murder is that ALL the clues point to Horowitz as the killer! Once he is arrested Horowitz knows that only Hawthorne can help him, but will he?
This is a fun mystery, as all the earlier Horowitz and Hawthorne collaborations have been. And, I never had any idea who the real killer was until the final pages.