The Word Is Murder Review

Title: The Word is Murder
Author: Anthony Horowitz
Series: Not Applicable
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: 05 June 2018
Source: Harper Books
Format: Paperback (ARC)
Pages: 400
Rating: 4 Stars
Reading Timeline: 8 June 2018 - 12 June 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

She planned her own funeral--but did she arrange her murder? 

A wealthy woman strangled six hours after she’s arranged her own funeral.

A very private detective uncovering secrets but hiding his own a story he can’t control.

What do they have in common?

Unexpected death, an unsolved mystery and a trail of bloody clues lie at the heart of Anthony Horowitz's page-turning new thriller.

Book Review:

Pre-reading Thoughts:

I'm pretty excited for this book. When I got an email from Harper Books saying that they were sending me a package, I kept wondering which of the two books they were going to send me. I am so happy that I got this book because the moment I read the synopsis, I was so intrigued. 

Thank you so much to Harper Books for providing me with an ARC of this book! Just a small disclaimer for those reading this review. I have received this book for free. Please note that this does not affect my opinion in any way. All thoughts are my own.

Writing Thoughts:

My first impression of the writing was that it was heavy. It wasn't easy to get into but the moment I just sat down and marathoned the book, the writing got easier to read. I think it was mainly the first person narrative that threw me off but at the end of the day, it allowed me to get a very personal insight into the story. The dialogue was so quirky sometimes and I loved that there was some subtle humour throughout the book.

Plot Thoughts:

I have to say that I really didn't think that this book was a true crime but the more I got into the story, the less it seemed like fiction. I definitely say that Horowitz is a master at showing the obvious in a not so obvious way. I was never able to guess the killer and even when the person was revealed, I couldn't believe it was them. The plot is a lot to get through but you just get sucked into the story. It was honestly one of the best thriller/detective stories I have ever read.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I am not a person who will read true crime but if Anthony Horowitz is the writer, I will definitely pick up more of them. He made the story interesting and lively. He added this personal aspect to the story that I didn't expect and it was so refreshing. The writing was heaving in the beginning but once you get into it, you just don't seem to have enough pages. The plot was a full-on masterpiece. You could see that every part had a purpose. There is this constant question in your mind which is who killed Diana. And trust me, it is a difficult question to answer until the very end when it is revealed. I was constantly intrigued by the story and never felt like there was a dull moment. Thank you so much to Harper Books for sending me a copy of this book!

Yours in Reading,

Melleny

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