Close to Death: A Novel

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 9,098 ratings

Price: 18.89

Last update: 12-31-2024


About this item

In New York Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz’s ingenious fifth literary whodunnit in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, Detective Hawthorne is once again called upon to solve an unsolvable case—a gruesome murder in an idyllic gated community in which suspects abound.

Riverside Close is a picture-perfect community. The six exclusive and attractive houses are tucked far away from the noise and grime of city life, allowing the residents to enjoy beautiful gardens, pleasant birdsong, and tranquility from behind the security of a locked gate.

It is the perfect idyll, until the Kentworthy family arrives, with their four giant, gas-guzzling cars, gaggle of shrieking children, and plans for a garish swimming pool in the backyard. Obvious outsiders, the Kentworthys do not belong in Riverside Close, and quickly offend every last one of the neighbors.

When Giles Kentworthy is found dead on his own doorstep, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, Detective Hawthorne is the only investigator they can call to solve the case.

Because how do you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect?


Top reviews from the United States

  • Karen B
    5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully convoluted puzzle! ????
    Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2024
    Once again, Anthony Horowitz writes a clever, creative and vastly entertaining detective novel. There are several delightfully surprising twists, which is a special kind of joy for those of us who enjoy this genre.

    The characters really come alive on the page, which is one of my tests for great story writing, that I forget I’m reading and am immersed in someone else’s world. Very satisfying!

    The location in a residential close overlooking the Thames becomes a character in its own right, forming a lot of the propulsive force driving events and affecting relationships between the very disparate characters.

    The relationship between the detectives becomes a deeply textured and structural element in the plot. Again, enjoyable, unique, touching even.

    Looking forward to the next book!
  • Katherine Y
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fifth book in mystery series doesn't have much interaction between Hawthorne and Horowitz
    Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2024
    Unlike the previous books in this series, this one doesn't contain much interaction between the two main characters, Daniel Hawthorne and Anthony Horowitz. The author is usually a sidekick character to the inscrutable detective Hawthorne as he follows the detective around documenting the cases. This story follows a different approach. This case happened years ago, and Hawthorne didn't achieve the results he wanted. Horowitz has to dig for information on his own, partially to be able to write his past deadline book and partially because he wants to know more about Hawthorne. After four previous cases, Horowitz is no closer to knowing Hawthorne and details of his personal life than before.
    The case involved an inconsiderate neighbor, Giles Kenworthy, who managed to alienate every one of his close neighbors in their small, exclusive community. Kenworthy answers the door one day and is greeted by a crossbow arrow in the head. Everyone in the neighborhood is a suspect in his murder because all had motives. The suspects include a dentist who lived next door and was forever hampered from getting his car out of the shared driveway, two former nuns whose wandering pug had supposedly been killed by one of the Kenworthys, and a barrister whose tribute garden to his wife had been trampled by the Kenworthy children. Probably the neighbor with the biggest axe to grind was the man whose bedridden wife would have her only pleasure of a nice view destroyed by the building of a Kenworthy pool. Finally, there was the man whose invaluable chess set had been smashed to bits by the Kenworthy children's cricket ball.
    The story is intriguing and holds the reader's interest. However, I miss the amusing back-and-forth sparring between Hawthorne and Horowitz. As usual, Horowitz gives real-life insight into writing his mysteries and some of the writer’s frustrations. I recommend this book to all mystery readers, but those who have read the previous books in the series will enjoy it the most.
  • Alison S. Coad
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Great!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2024
    In the absence of a new case, Anthony Horowitz decides to take a look at one of Daniel Hawthorne’s earlier cases: the death, by crossbow no less, of an obnoxious man living in a formerly close-knit enclosed neighbourhood, or close. There are any number of suspects amongst the neighbours, as the victim had caused problems for them all, including destroying a valuable chess set owned by a chess grandmaster, the hideous death of a dog beloved by two little old ladies (ex-nuns!), the destruction of a garden bed kept in memory of a deceased wife, an ongoing dispute concerning parking which resulted in an unnecessary death, and more. Horowitz is warned that he won’t like the outcome, but once he’s started there’s no turning back….If you’re unfamiliar with the Hawthorne and Horowitz books, you must immediately turn to the first one (“The Word Is Murder”) and read that and the other three before returning to this, the fifth book in this very strange series. As you might gather from the brief synopsis above, this is super-meta in structure: the author is himself a character in the novel, and he often refers to real books that he has written in real life (including the four of this series, and the Alex Rider YA series, among others). Here, we are going back and forth between two time periods (2014 and 2019), but it is easy for the reader to keep them straight, and the story itself and its denouement is quite stunning. I really love these books, so of course this one is highly recommended, but as noted above, start at the beginning of the series please!
  • K. Boyer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2024
    Not at all what I expected! Every time I thought I had it figured out....I was so wrong. Full of twists and turns. Amazing. The best one yet!
  • NoID99
    4.0 out of 5 stars Another enjoyable book with despicable characters
    Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2024
    Anthony Horowitz must be an exceptionally good writer, because he can pull you into a book against your will and drag you through its entirety while not presenting even one remotely likable character…including his fictional version of himself. Hawthorne is the same self-serving jerk as in the earlier books, Horowitz is even more whiny and petulant, and each and every overly privileged suspect becomes less likable and more likely with every interview. The storylines of all the Hawthorne books have been complex, but I think this one even more so. So many people, so few to sympathize with. All that said, though, if you really pay attention throughout the book, you won’t be surprised at the true murderer or the reason for the murders, you’ll just be frequently doubting yourself because of all the red herrings. Good read, and good for Horowitz for willingly playing himself as the buffoon in a series of books over which he has total control. It adds a little Watsonian flavor.
  • Mystery Fan
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Stunner
    Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2024
    This one is the best yet in this series. And they are ALL excellent!
  • billie mesner
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not As Good
    Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2024
    Disappointed! Not as good as his other mysteries.
    The premise was interesting but took too long to get the idea to develop.
    Disappointing!

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