A Deadly Episode

In A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz, the Hawthorne and Horowitz series turns sharply meta, delivering a clever, page-turning crime novel set on a film set where everything is performance—until someone dies for real.

With *The Word Is Murder* heading for the big screen, Hawthorne and Horowitz visit the Hastings shoot and find a production bristling with tension: clashing egos, a stressed crew, and money troubles bubbling under the surface. Then the actor playing Hawthorne is stabbed mid-take, and the case becomes uncomfortably intimate. If the wrong man was killed, was Hawthorne the intended target all along?

Perfect for readers who love modern British mystery, behind-the-scenes showbiz drama, and puzzle-box detective fiction with a wry edge—especially fans of cosy crime-adjacent whodunnits and Horowitz’s trademark twists.

Step onto the set and see if you can spot the murderer before Hawthorne does.