SERIES HUB · SPOILER-LIGHT
Hawthorne & Horowitz books in order
Daniel Hawthorne investigates; a fictionalised Anthony Horowitz narrates, complains and slowly notices what matters.
Recommended starting point
Begin with The Word Is Murder, where the reluctant narrator first agrees to shadow Hawthorne.
Publication order vs chronology
Publication order is also the clearest story order because the partnership and narrator's career develop across cases.
Prequels, origins & interstitials
Close to Death revisits an earlier Hawthorne case inside the continuing narrator timeline.
Series status
Six novels are published through A Deadly Episode (2026). The Vanishing Jury is listed by Penguin UK for 8 April 2027; that future date may change.
Themes & recurring ideas
Observation, privacy, authorship, reputation, and the unstable boundary between a real writer and his fictional self.
Locations & organisations
Contemporary London, publishing and television circles, police contacts, and Hawthorne's deliberately guarded private life.
The Word Is Murder
2017 · NovelA woman plans her own funeral and is murdered hours later. Daniel Hawthorne investigates, with a reluctant Anthony Horowitz cast as his Watson.
The Sentence Is Death
2018 · NovelA divorce lawyer is found bludgeoned with a bottle of wine. Hawthorne notices what everyone else misses; Horowitz tries to keep up.
A Line to Kill
2021 · NovelA literary festival on Alderney becomes a locked-island investigation, with every celebrated guest carrying baggage.
The Twist of a Knife
2022 · NovelWhen a theatre critic is killed after a savage review, Horowitz becomes the prime suspect and has no choice but to call Hawthorne.
Close to Death
2024 · NovelHawthorne revisits a murder in an apparently perfect gated London close. A cold case, a hostile community and an unfinished story collide.
A Deadly Episode
2026 · NovelA film adaptation of the first Hawthorne case runs into egos, money trouble—and murder. The newest case, published in 2026.
The Vanishing Jury
Forthcoming 8 April 2027 · NovelDuring a murder trial, a juror is killed and former detective Daniel Hawthorne intervenes. Penguin UK lists this forthcoming case for 8 April 2027.
Publication timeline
Spoiler-free FAQ
Where should I start?
Begin with The Word Is Murder, where the reluctant narrator first agrees to shadow Hawthorne.
Do I need to read in order?
Publication order is also the clearest story order because the partnership and narrator's career develop across cases.
Is the series complete?
Six novels are published through A Deadly Episode (2026). The Vanishing Jury is listed by Penguin UK for 8 April 2027; that future date may change.
Continuity FAQ — reveal spoiler-marked guidance
What belongs to the main sequence?
Close to Death revisits an earlier Hawthorne case inside the continuing narrator timeline.
Does story chronology differ from publication order?
Publication order is also the clearest story order because the partnership and narrator's career develop across cases.
Warning: follow the individual book pages' ending controls before reading solution-level discussion.
Sources
Order, format and publication year use the source links on each permanent book page.