Mr. Horowitz continues his imaginative literary gamesmanship in his witty and suspenseful new work...an irresistible page turner in which he himself purports to be the narrator ... The Word Is Murder, with its dry tone and insider anecdotes about publishing and the movie business, is certainly one of the most entertaining mysteries of the year. It’s also one of the most stimulating, as it ponders such questions as: Which is of greater interest to the reader, the crime or the detective? And: Is the pencil truly mightier than the butcher knife?
Despite the poor handling of [homophobia], The Word Is Murder remains an intriguing detective novel that beautifully intertwines fiction and reality. Horowitz, yet again, has complicated the typical mystery and created something that is difficult to explain but easy to follow.
Deduction and wit are well-balanced, and fans of Peter Lovesey and other modern channelers of the spirit of the golden age of detection will clamor for more...
Though the impatient, tightfisted, homophobic lead detective is impossible to love, the mind-boggling plot triumphs over its characters: Sharp-witted readers who think they’ve solved the puzzle early on can rest assured that they’ve opened only one of many dazzling Christmas packages Horowitz has left beautifully wrapped under the tree.
And now comes The Word Is Murder, a bit of meta-fiction told by a writer named Anthony Horowitz, whose works include a couple of Sherlock Holmes novels, the 'Alex Rider' series, and Foyle’s War on TV. This alter-Horowitz encounters a former British detective—a consultant on a series called 'Injustice' starring James Purefoy (everything but the former detective being true to life)—who wants Horowitz to write a nonfiction account of his investigative methods.... Much like The Magpie Murders, Horowitz succeeds with The Word Is Murder by simultaneously adhering to and defying the rules of a traditional mystery.
reading The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz requires a certain amount of suspending you're disbelief and believing a couple of impossible things before breakfast, it is an enjoyable and wonderful mystery. While the quirks of the story could have interfered with the actual mystery and investigation, Horowitz manages to balance the two to create something unique and fun.
[Horowitz is] up to some new tricks in The Word Is Murder, another entertaining puzzler full of red herrings and dead ends.... The mix of fact and fiction is mostly gossipy fun.
