Magpie Murders and its sequel Moonflower Murders are both whodunits-within-whodunits by the clever mystery writer, Anthony Horowitz. Horowitz is probably best known for his work as a screenwriter for the Midsomer Murders, Foyle’s War, and the very best version of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot stories starring David Suchet. The Poirot series was a favorite Masterpiece Theater production and soon Magpie Murders will be a Fall 2022 Masterpiece feature.
These mysteries feature an unlikeable fictional mystery writer, Alan Conway who writes nine mysteries led by his likeable detective Atticus Pünd. Like one of Horowitz’ favorite sleuths Hercule Poirot, Pünd is a cerebral immigrant detective with a sidekick who works the English village and manor house murders and keeps his own counsel. The Pünd story, Magpie Murders, is nested within the mystery of the death of its author Conway, whose editor, Susan Ryland becomes a reluctant sleuth herself. There are murders galore, red herrings, miscues and all the features of the English village murder mystery. The sequel, Moonflower Murders, follows Susan Ryland to Greece and then back to England to discover a clue she knows must be hidden in Conway’s story. Moonflower Murders again is a nested mystery with the detective Pünd story in another English village manor house murder. This story is told enveloped within Susan Ryland’s search for yet another murderer.
What is particularly appealing in both novels is the rumination of Susan Ryland as she tries to discover the perpetrator by exploring how mystery stories are written. There are references to famous whodunits and even Horowitz’ own work. These intriguing stories are detective stories for the lovers of detective stories. I loved reading them.
Two Strikes 