Book review: Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Before I started Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz I re-read my reviews of Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders and realised this review was going to be similar. Firstly it’s very long. And though I LOVED the book within a book theme again, I feel like Horowitz spends too long in the fictitious inner novel before getting back to real life. Here—we get so embedded in the fictional Pünd plot I thought maybe there wasn’t going to be a real-life mystery— but was again being jolted out of the book within a book and and reminded there was another layer to come. I realise that sounds as a criticism but it’s really more that I was quite contented, completely lost in the Pünd account so would have happily stayed there.

Editor Susan Ryeland has left her Greek Island, her hotel and her Greek boyfriend Andreas in search of a new life in England.

She is freelancing for Causton Books, where she is asked to work on a ‘continuation’ novel , Pünd’s Last Case, by a young author, Eliot Crace. Eliot Crace is the grandson of one of the most well known children’s authors ever, Marian Crace. Think Enid Blyton, then double her sales. Marian Crace died some 15 years previously and Eliot is sure she was poisoned.

Rather doubtfully, Susan starts to read the opening chapters, finding to her relief that Pünd’s Last Case is actually pretty good. Set in the South of France, it revolves around the mysterious death of Lady Margaret Chalfont who, though mortally ill, is poisoned – perhaps by a member of her own family. But why? And who did it?

It soon becomes clear to Susan that the clues to who was responsible for the death of Eliot’s grandmother, Marian Crace, are hidden from view in this Atticus Pünd mystery.

Eliot’s behaviour becomes increasingly erratic as his alcohol and gambling addictions increase. But when he is killed in a hit and run accident, Susan realises that she is suspected of his murder.

Three mysterious deaths and a group of people with multiple motives for Susan realises that if she doesn’t solve the mystery in Pünd’s Last Case, her death may well be next …

Horowitz knows the literary (and television) industry well so he’s easily able to place readers amongst it. Here through editor Susan who worked with Pünd’s original creator – Alan Conway, an antagonistic type who came to hate his literary creation and developed great disdain for his work and the world in which it sat. Horowitz (through Susan) does however, reflect on his brilliance and ability to hide clues and little puzzles [in his work] to entertain himself and have a little joke at readers’ expense.

Here Eliot Crace is recruited to recreate Pünd. Despite his literary legacy Eliot had no success with his own attempt at crime fiction. His new publisher thinks he can nail the voice and writing style of Conway, and if not, Conway’s original editor (Susan) will help. Susan is a tad reluctant but needs the money so begrudgingly starts reading his half-finished manuscript.

And there we spend a lengthy amount of time in the mid 1950s as Pünd is beseeched by [a character who’d featured in a previous novel] to visit her in southern France on an urgent matter. But of course, when Pünd arrives, she’s already dead (Horowitz again showing some deference to Dame Agatha!). The victim was wealthy, but diagnosed with a terminal illness so in many ways it makes no sense that she’s murdered – although we learn her adult children and second husband and step-son all had financial issues.

And in the present Susan meets Eliot, as an editor she tells us she feels a level of responsibility for her author. She realises then that Eliot has emulated Pünd’s original creator (Conway) by putting a number of his own extended family in his novel – taking minimal care in hiding their identity. Which is problematic because (as per the blurb above) Eliot believes his own grandmother was murdered and is unveiling her killer through his novel… putting his life at risk. Dum-dum…

It has to be mentioned that Eliot is not particularly likeable and we learn life with his famous grandmother was unpleasant for the whole family and (in person) she was far from the beloved children’s author worshipped by strangers.

So again Susan’s placed amidst two murders for the price of one, initially relying on the book for clues, but when Eliot dies before finishing she’s forced to insert herself into the investigation into his death. I have to admit I didn’t really understand why Susan didn’t walk away at some point, given she’s treated very poorly… but it was interesting she still wanted to know whodunit – in real life and in the novel.

At almost 600 pages this is loooooong but I again loved Pünd’s story and investigation—Horowitz again demonstrating his crime fiction and story-telling prowess—ensconcing me in 1955 where I was happy to stay. But the ‘real-life’ investigation is excellent here as well, with old Crace family secrets revealed and some of Susan’s own past revisiting in a not-pleasant way. And happily this ends in a way that makes me think there will be more in this series despite the fact that Pünd is edging closer to the end of his life.

Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz was published by Harper Collins and is now available.

I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.