BOOK REVIEW: THE SENTENCE IS DEATH

Death, deception and a troubled detective with a lot to hide, stalk the pages of Anthony Horowitz's latest novel, The Sentence is Death.

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The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
The Sentence is Death is book 2 of Daniel Hawthorne series.

Author: Anthony Horowitz

Publisher: Century

Publication Date: 24th November 2018

Pages: 400

Language: English

Country: England

Rating: 4/5

Do you love a good whodunit? Are you a fan of the classic murder mystery? Then The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz is the perfect book for you! It is the second novel in the Daniel Hawthorne series. This is, easily, one of my favourite series and I can’t recommend it enough.

The Sentence is Death features Daniel Hawthorne as the brilliant but troubled detective and Anthony Horowitz himself as his sidekick. These two are a perfect pair and their partnership adds an interesting angle to the plot. The central mystery of the novel is the murder of a divorce lawyer named Richard Pryce. He is bludgeoned to death in his London home. The murder weapon is an expensive bottle of wine. It’s strange because the victim did not drink alcohol. Another puzzling thing is the number 182 scrawled on the wall beside the body. What does the message mean? Moreover, Pryce’s last words were, “You shouldn’t be here.” Did the victim know his murderer?

The police are baffled and clueless- enter detective Danile Hawthorne and sidekick Horowitz. Hawthorne is delighted to solve a new case but Horowitz is fast realizing that the detective has secrets to hide too. As the death toll rises and secrets are beginning to resurface, Hawthorne get entangled in a tangle of mysteries while trying very hard to conceal his own past.

I bought this novel in November last year. I was travelling from Delhi to Hyderabad and my flight was delayed by two hours. I was browsing the airport bookstore and I came upon this book. I didn’t need to think twice and immediately bought it. I had almost four hours to kill and I finished this book during my journey. The Sentence is Death has the feel of a Christie and Conan Doyle mystery. The plot is fast-paced, with some solid characters. I am not sure how similar Horowitz is to his book self but I loved his self-deprecating humour.

The Sentence is Death is an intriguing read, full of twists and turns and some really good bumour. I like Horowitz writing-it’s fresh and he is easily the king of Christie-style mysteries. His other novels- The Word is Murder and The Magpie Murders are just as ingenious and witty.

Put this novel on your TBR. It will definitely make an excellent read on the gray, rainy evenings. I would recommend a strong cup of tea to go with The Sentence is Death.