Although the Hawthorne & Horowitz books do not need to be read in order, readers would get the fullest experience by reading them in publication order, by following this sequence:[8-17]
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
The Word is Murder | 2017[8-9] | Introduces Anthony and Hawthorne’s investigative partnership. |
| 2 |
|
The Sentence is Death | 2018[10-11] | Continues the partnership through a new murder case. |
| 3 |
|
A Line to Kill | 2021[12-13] | Places the pair in a literary-festival investigation. |
| 4 |
|
The Twist of a Knife | 2022[14] | Builds on Anthony’s role as both narrator and suspect. |
| 5 |
|
Close to Death | 2024[15-16] | Uses a past case within the ongoing book-writing frame. |
| 6 |
|
A Deadly Episode | 2026[17] | Extends the series through a film adaptation and a new case. |
1. The Word is Murder
The Word is Murder (2017)[8-9] establishes the series’ central arrangement: Anthony shadows Daniel Hawthorne during a murder investigation and plans to turn the case into a true-crime book. The case begins with Diana Cowper arranging her own funeral shortly before being killed.[2]
This novel introduces Hawthorne’s abrasive methods, Anthony’s uncertain role, and the blend of investigation with literary self-awareness, a combination that continues throughout the series.[2]
2. The Sentence is Death
The Sentence is Death (2018)[10-11] follows Anthony and Hawthorne into another self-contained murder inquiry, this time involving the death of divorce lawyer Richard Pryce. This installment maintains the narrator-detective structure while heightening the tension between Anthony’s attempts to interpret events and Hawthorne’s more controlled approach.[3]
It may be read for its individual case, but it also expands the recurring professional dynamic.[3]
3. A Line to Kill
A Line to Kill (2021)[12-13] moves the series to Alderney, where Anthony and Hawthorne attend a literary festival that becomes the setting for a murder investigation. This book maintains the familiar case-based structure while situating the pair within the context of writers, performers, island politics, and local disputes.[4]
It also continues the pattern of Anthony trying to understand both the crime and Hawthorne himself.[4]
4. The Twist of a Knife
The Twist of a Knife (2022)[14] places Anthony in danger when he becomes implicated in the murder of a hostile theatre critic. Hawthorne’s investigation is therefore not only another case but also a means of clearing the narrator.[5]
As the next installment in the series, this book draws on the ongoing relationship between the two men, while still presenting a theatrical murder plot with its own circle of suspects.[5]
5. Close to Death
Close to Death (2024)[15-16] changes the structure by having Anthony write about an older Riverview Close case from Hawthorne’s past. The principal murder investigation predates Anthony’s involvement, but the present-day frame belongs to the ongoing sequence of Hawthorne books.[6]
This positions it as a later series entry rather than an ideal start, because it relies on the already-established premise of Anthony documenting Hawthorne’s cases in previous installments.[6]
6. A Deadly Episode
A Deadly Episode (2026)[17] continues the series as Anthony’s Hawthorne books inspire a film adaptation. The murder of an actor during production connects the familiar literary frame with a new investigation in Hastings.[7]
This book also reaches into an earlier Hawthorne case, but in the series, its main role is to develop the partnership further, guiding the characters through a story shaped by adaptation, performance, and Hawthorne’s past.[7]
References
- Hawthorne & Horowitz | Books. Anthony Horowitz.
- The Word Is Murder. Arrow. ISBN: 9781784757236.
- The Sentence is Death. Arrow. ISBN: 9781784757533.
- A Line to Kill. Penguin. ISBN: 9781529156966.
- The Twist of a Knife. Penguin. ISBN: 9781529159370.
- Close to Death. Penguin. ISBN: 9781804942963.
- A Deadly Episode. Century. ISBN: 9781529904321.
- The Word Is Murder. Penguin Books UK.
- The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz. Penguin Books Australia.
- The Sentence is Death. Penguin Books UK.
- The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz. Penguin Books Australia.
- A Line to Kill. Penguin Books UK.
- A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz. Penguin Books Australia.
- The Twist of a Knife. Penguin Books UK.
- Close to Death. Penguin Books UK.
- Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz. Penguin Books Australia.
- A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz. Penguin Books Australia.