In Anthony Horowits’ mystery thriller The Twist of a knife our favorite team of detectives, Hawthorne and Horowitz returns. This stunning sequel redefines a unique sub-genre, that series has created. 

At the beginning of the book, we are promptly introduced to most of the unique and colorful cast of characters and suspects. Interestingly, I found the introduction to be a little long while reading it, but after finishing the book, I realize that it was probably a perfect length for what it accomplished. Mere pages after the last of the “cast” are introduced we are thrown directly into the plot. 

Basically, after Anthony Hawthorne, speaking in the first person, is arrested and jailed for the murder of a popular theater critic, he enlists the help of private detective Hawthorne to prove his innocence. 

That being said, I could only recommend this book to people who don’t mind being wrong about who they think did it. It could be my lack of deductive reasoning, but, through the book and especially toward the climax, I found myself guessing and being wrong multiple times. 

The main reason why this book is so innovative for the detective genre is not just that the murder is so hard to figure out. It’s the fact that for most of the book, the story is told through the lens of the person who is suspected to have done it. 

Multiple times through the rising action of the book you find yourself wondering if the writer of the book is really a murderer. Suffice it to say, The Twist of a Knife is incredibly good at misdirection.