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The Sentence is Death: A Novel
The Sentence is Death: A Novel
The Sentence is Death: A Novel
Audiobook8 hours

The Sentence is Death: A Novel

Written by Anthony Horowitz

Narrated by Rory Kinnear

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

Narrated by Rory Kinnear

Death, deception, and a detective with quite a lot to hide stalk the pages of Anthony Horowitz's brilliant murder mystery, the second in the bestselling series starring Private Investigator Daniel Hawthorne.

“You shouldn’t be here. It’s too late . . . ”

These, heard over the phone, were the last recorded words of successful celebrity-divorce lawyer Richard Pryce, found bludgeoned to death in his bachelor pad with a bottle of wine—a 1982 Chateau Lafite worth £3,000, to be precise.

Odd, considering he didn’t drink. Why this bottle? And why those words? And why was a three-digit number painted on the wall by the killer? And, most importantly, which of the man’s many, many enemies did the deed?

Baffled, the police are forced to bring in Private Investigator Daniel Hawthorne and his sidekick, the author Anthony, who’s really getting rather good at this murder investigation business.

But as Hawthorne takes on the case with characteristic relish, it becomes clear that he, too, has secrets to hide. As our reluctant narrator becomes ever more embroiled in the case, he realizes that these secrets must be exposed—even at the risk of death . . .

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateMay 28, 2019
ISBN9780062930934
Author

Anthony Horowitz

ANTHONY HOROWITZ is the author of the US bestselling Magpie Murders and The Word is Murder, and one of the most prolific and successful writers in the English language; he may have committed more (fictional) murders than any other living author. His novel Trigger Mortis features original material from Ian Fleming. His most recent Sherlock Holmes novel, Moriarty, is a reader favorite; and his bestselling Alex Rider series for young adults has sold more than 19 million copies worldwide. As a TV screenwriter, he created both Midsomer Murders and the BAFTA-winning Foyle’s War on PBS. Horowitz regularly contributes to a wide variety of national newspapers and magazines, and in January 2014 was awarded an OBE.

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Reviews for The Sentence is Death

Rating: 4.135006860244233 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved the narrator and the mystery itself. When a well-known divorce lawyer is murdered, there are plenty of suspects. I am ready to read the others in this series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I think the voice acting ruined this for me. Clara's voice was unbearable. On paper this would have been a much better experience.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Fun story terrible narrator. I wonder if anyone heard the recording before releasing most characters sound loud and cartoonish. Surprisingly bad.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    As far as I know, Horowitz’s premise of himself as his own protagonist, including glimpses into his life as author of the Alex Rider series, Foyle’s War, new Holmes novels commissioned by the ACD estate etc., is unique. It’s also hilarious— with his self-portrait as a slightly bumbling Watson to the Holmes of Hawthorne, a mysterious and ornery ex-cop. Great mystery, great characters, a bit of fun name-dropping, a look into the London publishing scene—and the promise of Hawthorne’s back story being dribbled our through what I hope will be at least a dozen more in this series. I loved The Word Is Murder with a passion, and was even more delighted with this one, which is even funnier. I mostly listened to the audio version, but also bought the Kindle edition, and went back and forth— it’s so delicious that I may go back and reread it with eyeballs in toto. Rory Kinnear is masterful as narrator— great characterizations of everyone.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Anthony Horowitz is once again a central character in his latest whodunit, "The Sentence is Death." The author, who plugs his own work in this series, has written popular books for children, teens, and adults in addition to scripts for a British television series. Much to Anthony's dismay, Daniel Hawthorne, an ex-cop turned private detective, reappears to disrupt Horowitz's life. Hawthorne is a self-assured sleuth and savvy observer who notices the seemingly unimportant things that most people miss. As improbable as this may sound, members of London's Metropolitan Police occasionally recruit him to help them solve difficult cases. The latest one involves the murder of divorce attorney Richard Pryce. Might the killer be one of Pryce’s disgruntled clients, his lover, or someone else who had reason to hate him? Anthony jots down the details of the inquiry for a projected second volume of true crime starring Hawthorne, who is a modern-day Sherlock Holmes.

    This novel lacks the charm and cleverness of its predecessor, "The Word is Murder." The bossy and condescending Hawthorne drags a reluctant "Tony," as he calls Horowitz, along on his witness interviews; scolds him like a recalcitrant child when he does not do as he is told; and frequently sponges off Horowitz, who foots the bill for meals, taxis, and other expenses. For his part, Horowitz jots down everything he sees and hears, and longs to outwit Hawthorne for a change by being the first person to identify the culprit. There are amusing scenes that involve a foul-mouthed and overbearing detective inspector, Cara Grunshaw, and an angry feminist poet, Akira Anno, whose bitter divorce was handled by the aforementioned Pryce. The investigation becomes even more complex when someone from Pryce's past dies suddenly and violently. Are the two incidents related?

    "The Sentence is Death" has snippets of amusing dialogue and delightfully satirical passages that poke fun at the public's fondness for wretchedly written bestsellers. Otherwise, this talky and rambling tale lacks focus, and has a heavy-handed plot that is laden with coincidences and red herrings. By the time we find out who did what to whom and why, we do not care very much, especially since most of the characters are uninteresting and unlikeable. The biggest mystery of all is why a successful man like Horowitz would allow himself to be browbeaten by the rude, condescending, and self-centered Hawthorne.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The second in the Hawthorne & Horowitz series, investigating the death of a successful divorce lawyer murdered with an expensive bottle of wine.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Probably fine for a second book. I liked the first better.
    It was fun and worth reading within the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Sentence is Death is written by Anthony Horowitz and published in 2019.It is Book #2 in the Horowitz & Hawthorne series.Best-selling author Anthony Horowitz and eccentric, rogue detective Daniel Hawthorne team up in a new mystery. They delve deep into the killing of a high-profile divorce lawyer and the death, only a day earlier, of his one-time friend. The ‘deal’ is that Hawthorne solves the ‘case’ and Tony (as Hawthorne calls him) writes a book about it.While reading, are we concentrating on the murder mystery? or the unusual detective style of Hawthorne? or the relationship between Daniel Hawthorne and his ‘assistant’ Anthony Horowitz?I like all the ‘snippets’ about the film sets and production of Foyle’s War. I also like all the ‘snippets’ about the publishing world.Witty, very clever, complicated and absolutely brilliant. *****
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Some idiosyncrasies were glaring. Like how he was manhandled by Detective Inspector. And how meekly the author has acted. He doesn't act like an accomplished author but as noob author.

    Like if this book is realistic in its crime but its setup are comical.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another one down. One more to go. I enjoyed. Pizza!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fantastic, twists and turns! Would read again ! ! !
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked a lot! A literary mistery of sorts with a writer at the heart of it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Amazing!!! I love the narrator's voices!! If you are like is this good? Listen it is amazing!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent book. But audio recording skips through whole parts of the book multiple times. Very disappointing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz is the second in the Hawthorne/Horowitz series. This one begins with the murder of a high-priced divorce lawyer the day after the death of his one-time friend. Horowitz continues his quest to learn more about his partner as they work together to solve the mystery. I enjoyed this one as much as the last and have the third one already on the pile. A good mystery with an interesting backstory that includes Horowitz's real life as a television writer.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good interplay between Hawthorne and Horowitz. As usual, an interesting plot twist at the end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A writer 100% reflecting on and playing with the tropes of detective stories and murder mysteries, which I'm here for.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Just like in the first book, Anthony Horowitz - the author himself, or a fictionalized version of himself - is the narrator of the story. He has got a contract to write another book about private investigator Daniel Hawthorne and cannot help but be drawn into the newest case, as much as he tries to keep out of things.The case itself is intriguing for sure: A very rich divorce lawyer is killed with a bottle of expensive wine. The story features a cast of mysterious and interesting characters, and chapter after chapter reveals another secret. Horowitz is a very likable character and it's easy to identify with him, as well as to enjoy the comic relief he provides. The glimpse into his real life (such as filming Foyle's War) are nice to read about, too. However, everything still feels a little fabricated sometimes and I do think that some of the characterizations are over the top, which is why my rating is like it is.However, I was happy to learn that there will be more books in this series!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    “The Sentence Is Death” (2019), the second Daniel Hawthorne mystery by Anthony Horowitz, proves the first one, “The Word Is Murder,” was no fluke.As before, this novel reads like autobiography. Horowitz himself is a key character, the Watson to Hawthorne's Holmes. Hawthorne is an ex-cop, kicked off the force because he was suspected of pushing a child-porn suspect down a flight of stairs. Yet this very disagreeable man is just too smart, too good at solving unsolvable murders to ignore. So he gets hired to help with difficult cases. He then drafts a reluctant Horowitz, a noted writer of mysteries that include some featuring Sherlock Holmes, to write about his brilliant deductions.This time the case involves a divorce attorney killed with a bottle of wine after the wife of a man he had defended in a divorce case had apparently threatened to hit him over the head with a bottle of wine. Of course, open-and-shut cases are not so open and shut in mystery novels, and before long there are several other possible suspects and a number of other possible motives.Horowitz keeps things hopping, maintaining the mystery until the end without overcomplicating things. Not every mystery writer can do this this well. Yet perhaps his greatest achievement is fitting this fictional story so seamlessly into his own life.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have 1 or 2 others in this series. I enjoy them, although sometimes not as much as I would like.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is my first Anthony Horowitz novel, although it is the second in the series. It is quite entertaining, especially with the author as a character in the book. He is paired up with an ex-detective, Hawthorne, and the pair is often at odds, with Horowitz showing a dislike for Hawthorne. In this novel, a lawyer is found murdered, and there is a long list of suspects, including clients and friends, a as well as his husband. Many have a motive. Entertaining, but also a bit sad, especially when you read the ending and how everything is resolved.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love the relationship between Horowitz and Hawthorne, it's such a clever premise for a book, the author is a character in his own book. Looking forward to the next in the series...
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An excellent follow up to Anthony Horowitz’s first book in this series. Although I still find the format a bit odd, it works. I like this author. There’s mystery, wit, and cleverness with this series. The main character, Anthony Horowitz, is only supposed to be writing the biography of his subject, yet he gets drawn into the drama of the detective‘s cases and tries to solve it himself. There is a nice bit of competition between Mr. Horowitz and the detective, Daniel Hawthorne. It’s a good combination.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another clever case for Tony Horowitz and his Sherlock equivalent, Hawthorne. These books are remarkably easy reads with a complex plot and tongue-in-cheek humor since the author is also a character.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    . The second of Horowitz’s “writer as reluctant sidekick to the idiosyncratic detective” series was something of a let down. The central mystery was a lot easier to solve (I figured out most of it about half way through - which meant I started to get annoyed at Horowitz as the reluctant narrator for missing clues and connections), and I felt that the detective, Hawthorne, remained too much of an enigmatic cypher for a second outing. I may be wrong but I felt that Horowitz was just going through the motions with this one, and as such I found it a less engaging read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good story. Looking forward to #3 in the series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Honestly this one was pretty similar to the first in this series. Good for a slow summer afternoon, if nothing else. Not sure I'll keep on with the series, but I keep saying that and keep reading them, so we'll see, I guess.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Celebrity divorce lawyer Richard Pryce is bludgeoned to death in his home with a very expensive bottle of wine; quite odd, because he doesn't drink. Once again, former detective Daniel Hawthorne is called in by the baffled police, and he drags along 'Tony' Horowitz, his reluctant biographer. Lots of suspects, lots of clues, and a twist make this an entertaining murder mystery.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The Sentence Is Death by Anthony Horowitz provides humor and a tongue in cheek detective story. Ex-inspector Hawthorne exhibits Sherlock Holmes tendencies, while the sidekick author, Anthony Horowitz bumbles among missing all the clues. Horowitz, like Dr. Watson, records the progress of the investigation. The story displays humor and many red herrings. Who killed the divorce lawyer, Richard Pryce, with an expensive bottle of 1982 Chateau Lafite wine? As Hawthorne and Horowitz follow the clues, another man dies. Suicide or murder? Does the drowning death of a fellow cave dweller play into the deaths? Horowitz also uses the novel to laud his television scriptwriting endeavors.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very successful divorce attorney has been found dead in his home, battered with an unbelievably expensive bottle of wine. There are plenty of possible suspects because, well, lawyer. Once again Private Detective Daniel Hawthorne is looking into the crime with his sidekick, the book's author, Anthony Horowitz. This was a terrific, very clever mystery and Horowitz is getting to be a favorite of mine, having read his last two also. The crime is complicated by the fact that there is another, very unlikely crime in the past involving this lawyer and two other men, all of whom are now dead, two of them under suspicious circumstances within the last 24 hours. I love the narrator of these mysteries although his Female voice for a British police woman is the most grating thing I've ever heard. That aside I can't wait for the next book in the series.