Moonflower Murders (2020) is the second book in Anthony Horowitz's Susan Ryeland mystery series. Susan when we first met her in Magpie Murders was living in London and working as an editor at Cloverleaf Books. Her main client was a bestselling mystery novelist, Alan Conway. Alan was murdered in the first book and Susan almost died trying to figure out who killed him.
Susan solved the case and at the end of Magpie Murders moved to Greece with her fiance Andreas to open a small hotel, the Polydorus. But two years have passed and running a hotel even in a beautiful environment is not all its cracked up to be:
"I found myself starting a new life, and frankly too much of it was hard work. Inevitably, this had had an effect on my relationship with Andreas... In London, Andreas had always been my best friend. Perhaps it was because we weren’t living together that I had always looked forward to seeing him. ..But Crete had trapped us in an altogether different sort of arrangement ... I was already thinking about a way out, even if I wasn’t actively looking for one".
Susan loves Andreas but she misses London, editing and the world of publishing. Plus the Polydorus is amassing debts. And then a British couple, Lawrence and Pauline Treherne, arrive at the Polydorus looking for Susan. Eight years ago a guest at their 5 star hotel was brutally murdered. His name was Frank Parris and he was murdered on the same night the hotel, Branlaw Hall, was hosting the wedding reception for the Treherne's daughter Cecily.
The police arrested one of the employees working at the hotel, Stefan Codrescu, for the murder. But Cecily Treherne has never believed Stefan was guilty. And recently Cecily has read Alan Conway's third Atticus Pund novel "Atticus Takes The Case" which is based on the murder of Frank Parris. Cecily is sure after reading Alan's novel that she knows the real killer.
Lawrence and Pauline Treherne have come to Susan Ryeland knowing she was Alan's editor. They ask Susan to come to London they will pay her to interview people who knew Frank Parris, were at the wedding and the Treherne's hope Susan will be able to discover what Cecily learned by rereading Atticus Pund Takes The Case. But Susan tells the Treherne's why not just ask your daughter Cecily? Because Cecily is now missing.
As with Magpie Murders, Moonflower Murders is a novel within a novel. The first part of the book involves Susan Ryeland travelling to Suffolk, interviewing potential suspects and then sitting down to reread Atticus Takes The Case. What follows is the entire Atticus Pund novel.
And it's not an exhausting experience. The time period in which Atticus Pund lives is 1950's England. Atticus has old world charm. He struck me as a cross between Hercule Poirot and Louise Penny's Armand Gamache. Atticus Pund suffered during the war and he is a very smart, compassionate detective who is under no illusions about human cruelty.
We read Atticus Takes The Case knowing that the fictional author Alan Conway dropped clues in his book as to who murdered Frank Parris, the case that Susan Ryeland is trying to solve. I know it may sound a bit confusing but I had no trouble following Moonflower Murders. The Atticus Pund section of the book was so well done and I liked Susan Ryeland, Atticus' present day detective counterpart as well. And Andreas, Susan's fiance, is a great guy, a partner in every sense of the word. A four star read for me.
I haven't read any of these mysteries. I'm not always a fan of that novel within a novel trope, which is why I've steered clear of theses books. But all my favorite bloggers all seem to like them, so maybe I should try the first one next year.
ReplyDeleteI steered away from this series too because I have begun too many series as it is. But I noticed Magpie Murders was on kindle unlimited and I figured alright I'll give it a try and it was great. I do recommend starting with the first book which sets the tone.
DeleteYeah, this doesn't seem like a series you can just jump into mid-flow.
DeleteI need to read this book, since I bought it the first week it was out.
ReplyDeleteIt was really good and there is a third book published this year.
DeleteThis novel within a novel sounds cleverly done. I usually like them as long as they get back to the story in the present day. Ryeland sounds like a good character.
ReplyDeleteSusan is a good character and so is her detective counterpart Atticus Pund who solves cases in 1950's England. In fact the novel within a novel "Atticus Takes The Case" runs to over 200 pages and could stand on its own as a very good mystery novel.
DeleteIt has been a while since I read this, but I enjoyed it a lot. And I liked the Susan Ryeland character, which is really important in this type of mystery.
ReplyDeleteI liked Susan too and glad there is a third book in the series.
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