A Deadly Episode 

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Anthony Horowitz playing himself inside his own mystery series is already clever. Setting a murder on a film adaptation of that very series? That’s peak Horowitz. This sixth Hawthorne and Horowitz story leans fully into meta-crime fun.

The chaos of a movie set — egos, money problems, clashing personalities — becomes the perfect breeding ground for murder. And when the actor playing Hawthorne is stabbed, the real detective must investigate his own on-screen death. It’s witty, sharp, and very self-aware.

Fans of The Word Is Murder and the rest of the series will love how personal this case feels. Horowitz mixes classic whodunit structure with behind-the-scenes industry satire.

It’s smart without being heavy, twisty without being confusing. You get puzzle-box plotting and dry British humor in one neat package. If you enjoy crime fiction that knows the rules and plays with them, this is a must-listen.