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Moonflower Murders Audiobook Summary

Featuring his famous literary detective Atticus Pund and Susan Ryeland, hero of the worldwide bestseller Magpie Murders, a brilliantly complex literary thriller with echoes of Agatha Christie from New York Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz.

Retired publisher Susan Ryeland is living the good life. She is running a small hotel on a Greek island with her long-term boyfriend Andreas. It should be everything she’s always wanted. But is it? She’s exhausted with the responsibilities of making everything work on an island where nothing ever does, and truth be told she’s beginning to miss London.

And then the Trehearnes come to stay. The strange and mysterious story they tell, about an unfortunate murder that took place on the same day and in the same hotel in which their daughter was married–a picturesque inn on the Suffolk coast named Farlingaye Hall–fascinates Susan and piques her editor’s instincts.

One of her former writers, the late Alan Conway, author of the fictional Magpie Murders, knew the murder victim–an advertising executive named Frank Parris–and once visited Farlingaye Hall. Conway based the third book in his detective series, Atticus Pund Takes the Cake, on that very crime.

The Trehearne’s, daughter, Cecily, read Conway’s mystery and believed the book proves that the man convicted of Parris’s murder–a Romanian immigrant who was the hotel’s handyman–is innocent. When the Trehearnes reveal that Cecily is now missing, Susan knows that she must return to England and find out what really happened.

Brilliantly clever, relentlessly suspenseful, full of twists that will keep readers guessing with each revelation and clue, Moonflower Murders is a deviously dark take on vintage English crime fiction from one of its greatest masterminds, Anthony Horowitz.

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Moonflower Murders Audiobook Narrator

Lesley Manville is the narrator of Moonflower Murders audiobook that was written by Anthony Horowitz

About the Author(s) of Moonflower Murders

Anthony Horowitz is the author of Moonflower Murders

Subjects

The publisher of the Moonflower Murders is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Traditional British

Additional info

The publisher of the Moonflower Murders is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062955487.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Yun

June 04, 2022

Ever since I read Magpie Murders and was blown away by its format of a mystery within a mystery, I've been keeping all my fingers and toes crossed, hoping there might be a follow-up. And now my book prayers have been answered. Moonflower Murders is here, and I'm so happy to report that it was just as amazing as its predecessor.Former editor Susan Ryeland is contacted by a couple whose daughter has just gone missing. Eight years prior, a horrific murder had taken place at their hotel and there's a question of whether the real murderer had been apprehended. One of Susan's writers, Alan Conway, knew the murder victim and had stayed at the hotel shortly after the murder. It seems Conway had subsequently written what had happened into his mystery novel, and the daughter realized he had clearly pointed to who was responsible in his story. But before she could tell anyone what the clue was, she had disappeared.This is a lengthy book, with the text coming in at just under 600 pages, because it really is two mysteries in one. In addition to the disappearance of the daughter and the mystery of what really happened at that murder eight years ago, we also get to read the entirety of Conway's novel. But honestly, I breezed through the whole thing in just a few days. I was hooked from the first page, and I couldn't put it down.This book is exactly the sort of murder mystery I love: substantial, clever, different, and immensely satisfying. I read so much of this genre that very few books manage to surprise me; I always have an inkling of what's going on and who's guilty. Yet, this book managed to surprise me on both of its mysteries.The inner mystery, Conway's novel, is written in the style of the Golden Age, and to me, it comes as close to the bar of Agatha Christie as any I have ever read. The outer mystery is a modern take on the genre, but it contains the same hallmarks that I love from the Golden Age, including a small cast of characters, lots of clues and red herrings, and that ultimate reveal when everything is explained with amazement and satisfaction.Horowitz doesn't cheat the reader. All the clues are there, though for some reason, I just don't see them, again and again. And his ability to trick me and to keep me amazed is what makes me love this series. I hope, now that there is a second book, that this is only the beginning of a VERY long series. If so, I can't wait to read more.~~~~~~~~~~~~See also, my thoughts on:Magpie MurdersHawthorne and Horowitz#1. The Word Is Murder#2. The Sentence Is Death#3. A Line To Kill~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anne

June 18, 2021

Oh man, I loved this!I wasn't sure how Horowitz was going to manage to squeeze another story out of the idea that book editor, Susan Ryeland, was going to solve another case with the help of her obnoxious dead author's character, the cozy detective Atticus Pund.But he did! This one explores not only a murder mystery but also Susan's love life and dreams for the future. And everyone knows that you're not reading these just for the mystery, but also for the detective. And there are really 3 detectives in this story. Atticus, the fictional detective who is a ringer for Poirot. Alan Conway the fictional detective's dead author who was pretty damn observant and full of his own assholery when he was alive. And Susan Ryland, an ex-book editor who is now a hotel owner living in Greece. As much as you dislike Alan, you end up loving Susan. She's middle-aged and still searching for what she wants to be when she grows up. I love that! I love that someone gets what it's like to not be settled. Or willing to settle. I think a lot of authors in the past wrote middle age as some sort of ending. But the truth is, a lot of us are just getting started.And that's what resonates with me so much in this series. That someone else my age doesn't necessarily have it all figured out or is willing to concede to society's idea that you be done. Or are snugly tucked into the life that you always dreamed of.That's ridiculous. I'm not sure it was ever realistic, but it's certainly not the reality of myself or any of my friends. Now, the idea behind how Susan becomes involved in this mystery should have made me scoff. But Horowitz somehow made it work. The dead girl's parents want Susan to look over one of the Pund novels that she edited just to see if there was something in it that would have made their daughter change her mind about the guilt of one of their employees who had been convicted of murder.A murder that happened at her wedding.Lots of strings to unravel in this one. And I enjoyed all of them.I know Anthony Horowitz has been bumping around for a while now, but I've just recently discovered him. I feel like I've been missing out!Recommended.

Barbara

April 01, 2022

In this second book in the 'Susan Ryeland' series, the literary editor/hotel owner investigates an old murder and a current disappearance. The book works fine as a standalone.*****In the first Susan Ryeland novel, 'Magpie Murders', the London book editor had to investigate a homicide to find the missing chapter of the 9th (and last) novel by deceased author Alan Conway. Conway's mystery series features Atticus Pünd, a fictional private detective modeled after Hercule Poirot.After Conway's final book was published Susan moved to Crete, where she runs a hotel called Polydorus with her boyfriend Andreas.Polydorus is a money pit with lackadaisical employees, and Susan is feeling the strain of overwork as well as missing her literary life in Britain.Thus Susan is intrigued when she's approached by Pauline and Lawrence Treherne, who've come from England to see her. The couple explain that they own an upscale hotel in Suffolk called Branlow Hall, run by their daughters Lisa and Cecily. Eight years ago, Cecily's wedding at Branlow Hall was interrupted by the murder of a hotel guest named Frank Parris.Branlow Hall's handyman, a Romanian ex-convict called Stefan Codrescu, was convicted of Parris's murder and sent to prison.Nevertheless, Cecily Treherne - who encouraged the hotel's 'second chance' program for offenders - thought Stefan was innocent. As it happens, author Alan Conway stayed at Branlow Hall shortly after Parris's death, and used the tragedy as the inspiration for his 3rd Atticus Pünd mystery, titled 'Atticus Pünd Takes the Case.' The victim in the novel is an actress who owns a hotel, and the characters are thinly disguised versions of real people at Branlow Hall.Cecily Treherne recently read Atticus Pünd Takes the Case and thinks Alan Conway revealed Frank Parris's REAL KILLER in the book. Cecily confided this in a phone call to her parents, after which she disappeared.Since Susan Ryeland was the editor of Atticus Pünd Takes the Case, the Trehernes want her to re-read the book, identify the killer, come to England, and help find Cecily. For this service the couple will pay Susan £10,000 - which she sorely needs to fix up her hotel.Susan accepts the challenge, and stays at ritzy Branlow Hall..........while she surveys the hotel and interviews people who might have killed Frank Parris. Presumably, the REAL KILLER would be threatened by Cecily's (supposed) discovery, and want to silence her. Possible suspects include Parris's friends, relatives, and acquaintances; people staying at Branlow Hall during the murder weekend; Cecily's sister, husband, and hired nanny, etc. In the midst of her investigations, Susan reads Atticus Pünd Takes the Case, and the novel forms the middle part of Moonflower Murders. Susan carefully peruses the manuscript to try to identify Frank Parris's killer. This is easier said than done because Conway was a trickster who liked to include codes, allusions, jests, anagrams, Easter Eggs, etc. in his writing.Of course Susan finally sees the light, but not before she follows a lot of red herrings and is almost killed herself. Finally - in true Atticus Pünd (and Hercule Poirot) fashion - Susan gathers all the suspects for the big reveal.Fans of golden age mysteries will have fun trying to determine who killed Frank Parris in Moonflower Murders and who killed the actress in Atticus Pünd Takes the Case. This is a clever double mystery, highly recommended.You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com

Carolyn

October 10, 2020

I wish to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Canada for the ingenious Moonflower Murders Arc by Anthony Horowitz. This book and the previous one, The Magpie Murders, feature amateur detective, Susan Ryeland. These books are a superb homage to the Golden Age of British mystery exemplified by the writings of Agatha Christie. Like the previous book, The Moonflower Murders is clever and original in its construction and it works well as a stand-alone. We get an old fashioned mystery set in the early 1950s within a modern mystery story. Who doesn't enjoy a two for one deal?! Susan Ryeland was a book editor in England, but retired and moved with her boyfriend, Andreas, to Crete. They are running a seaside hotel which is not prospering. It is exhausting work and their debt is increasing. Susan is being to have doubts about their personal relationship and their stress keeping the hotel running. She is missing England and her previous work for a book publishing company. She is approached by a wealthy British couple, the Treharnes, who own an exclusive Suffolk hotel. Eight years ago, a hotel guest named Frank Parris was brutally murdered in his room during the wedding of their daughter, Cecily. The handyman was convicted of the murder and imprisoned. Recently, Cecily read a mystery book by the late author, Alan Conway. The book titled 'Atticus Pund Takes the Case' was one of his best selling series set in the early 1950s. The book was loosely based on the murder that disrupted Cecily's wedding, along with the hotel staff and members of the wedding party. Conway's series, featuring Detective Atticus Pund, contains hidden clues, anagrams and other word puzzles. Cecily told her parents that she knew who committed the murder of Frank Parris from clues embedded within the story and that the wrong man had been convicted. She vanished before revealing what she had discovered. Her disappearance was probably connected to her figuring out who committed the murder. This put her life in danger. Her parents want to hire Susan to find out their daughter's fate. Because she edited all of Conway's detective series, they feel Susan is the person to figure out what clues Cecily found in the book that identified the true killer. Susan returns to England. She has been offered a large sum of money by the Treharnes and lodging at their luxury hotel. She has the eight-year-old murder to solve as well as Cecily's recent disappearance. She realizes there are many members of the wedding and hotel staff to interview. There were a number of suspects with reason to want Frank Parris dead. At this point, Susan begins to reread 'Atticus Pund Takes the Case' searching for the hidden clues and having no luck. She smartly takes notes about each character, their relationships, their location and the timeline for the murder. I wish I had done the same. There were so many names of subjects in both storylines that it took much concentration to keep the characters straight. This added to the complexity of both stories. When the tangled relationships and motives were explained, everything made sense in a believable manner, proving how well the plots were planned and executed. I found the writing style and tone very similar in both stories except for the mention of modern technology in the present-day tale. Both Susan Ryeland in modern times and Atticus Pund, the 1950s detective, call all the relevant cast together in a room to explain their conclusions, a tribute to Christie and all. Readers who enjoy traditional, old fashioned style mysteries should find this book enjoyable and a pleasure to read.

NZLisaM

November 10, 2020

*US Publication Day. Buy a copy ASAP*Another of Alan Conway's infamous detective series stories is at the centre of a baffling and intriguing mystery in Moonflower Murders.Conway's former editor, Susan Ryeland is now a hotel proprietor living in Greece. It's been two years since the life altering events of Magpie Murders, which saw Susan turning her back on the publishing world for good.Then two English strangers, Lawrence and Pauline Treherne, approach her at work to ask for her help. Their daughter Cecily has been MIA for several days, and they are out of their minds with worry. It all started eight years ago, when a guest at their five-star hotel (Branlow Hall in Suffolk), Frank Parris, was beaten to death in his room during the weekend of Cecily's wedding. When maintenance man Stefan Codrescu was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder, Cecily had strong doubts that he was guilty, but admitted defeat when the evidence against him proved overwhelming.But now Cecily has vanished, and her last words to her parents was an ominous phone call to their holiday home in the South of France. Cecily had just finished reading Alan Conway's third novel, Atticus Pund Takes the Case, and within its pages had discovered something startling that had convinced her that Stefan Codrescu was innocent after all. The author in question had stayed at Branlow Hall six weeks after Parris' murder, and had asked endless questions about the man's death. Cecily excitedly informed the Treherne's that she'd send them a copy to see the link for themselves, but upon reading it they find nothing out of place. When they ring Cecily for further explanation, they are shocked to discover she has been reported missing.Is it conceivable that in the space of the few days Conway spent at Branlow Hall he uncovered the identity of the real killer, but instead of going to the police, chose to include it in his fictitious novel? Susan is determined to get to the truth, whatever it takes.Once again Anthony Horowitz has delivered on all counts – Moonflower Murders was intricate, carefully-plotted, addictive, and a pleasure to read from start to finish. Fans of Magpie Murders will be just as floored by the second installment, and if you are new to this series, I would advise you to start with Magpie as there is one major spoiler in Moonflower.Just like Magpie, Moonflower contains an entirely separate book within the narrative structure of the main story. The first twenty odd chapters were conveyed in Susan's first person POV as she investigated Cecily's whereabouts and learnt all she could about Parris' murder. Then at the 37% mark she delved into Atticus Pund Takes the Case, set during the golden age of mystery stories, which gave us readers the opportunity to search for the clue to Parris' actual killer alongside Susan. Unlike Magpie Murders, this Atticus Pund installment was a published novel rather than a manuscript, so I found it cool that it had its own cover complete with artwork, copyright and publishing information, as well as cast of characters listed in front. Anthony Horowitz never fails to go that extra mile.Moonflour Murders has deservedly knocked all my other books aside and earned the coveted title of ‘My Favourite Book of the Year’. Finally, something amazing has happened in 2020!I'd like to thank Netgalley, Random House UK – Cornerstone, and Anthony Horowitz for the e-ARC.

Anne

February 03, 2022

Last fall I felt like the universe wanted me to read Magpie Murders, and I was so glad I finally did! Over the holiday break I picked up the sequel, though I'll admit to being intimidated by its hefty (600+) page count. No spoilers here, but the story picks up shortly after Magpie left off. Editor Susan Ryeland is called upon to investigate a murder: in a far-away British hotel called The Moonflower, a man was brutally murdered—and the owners think the key to discovering the perpetrator of the crime lies in a book Susan edited years ago. This was a satisfying puzzle of a book, and the story-within-a-story format added extra layers of interest for this reader.As shared in the January 2022 Quick Lit round-up on Modern Mrs Darcy.

Javier

October 23, 2020

"The greatest evil occurs when people, no matter what their aims or their motives, becomes utterly convinced that they are right" 4,5⭐️ When I found out about the existence of "Moonflower Murders" I think I gave a little shriek. Follow up to "Magpie Murders", one of my favorite books of the last years, I even tried to bribe the author on Twitter to get my Netgalley request approved (Shameless! Me, not him. He didn't even respond to my pathetic bribery attempt)When after several weeks pending my request was finally approved I decided to read it inmediately even though it will be published in August and I'm so glad I did. I enjoyed it tremendously!Two years after "Magpie Murders" events, retired publisher Susan Ryeland is living in Crete, running a small hotel with her boyfriend Andreas. When a british couple visiting ask her for help with their daughter's disappearance and its possible link to a murder eight years before, she goes back to England to investigate.I absolutely love the author's writing style and his obvious homage to the Golden Age of detective fiction. Once again he delivers a book within a book (I would gladly read all the Atticus Pünd novels) with such an ingenious plot that it's not till the last pages when all the clues are revealed. And you have to be a good storyteller to be able to tie the clues of not only one but two different murder mysteries, independently and between each other.If I'm rating this 4,5 ⭐️ instead of 5 is because the Atticus Pünd story took a little time to take off.We're just in June but I can say now without fear of being wrong that "Moonflower Murders" will be one my top 10 books of the year.Waiting anxiously to meet back Susan Ryeland very soon!Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK/Cornerstone for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mara

May 09, 2022

Even better than the first one - just very much my kind of mystery. I enjoyed both the framing device and the book within the book, and for such a long book, I was fully engaged throughout. I hope we get more!

Max

November 19, 2020

I don't think Horowitz will ever disappoint me, but I'm worried in the near future if I set my expectations a little bit too high! But anyways, my 2020's most anticipated book was everything that I was expecting and more, in an amazing sequel that I would even argue is better than Magpie Murders.What Horowitz is exceptionally good at in his novels is creating characters with easily distinguished motives and characteristics while simultaneously making it difficult to guess the killer. You will NOT be able to use the process of elimination to find the killer, but I would suggest keeping an eye on suspicious backstories.Moonflower Murders is different from Magie Murders because while they both have the "book inside a book" feature, both of them are in different locations of the novel. While that might not seem like a big factor, keep in mind that they're both about 500ish pages and there are a lot of things you need to remember while reading. Instead of jumping into the Atticus Pund book immediately and leaving the solution until the end of the novel, Moonflower Murders has the Atticus Pund whodunit right in the middle without returning to the main plot until the story is finished. All of this really keeps the pace going, and while returning to the Susan Ryeland plot is a little bit disorienting, it works a lot better than it previously did in Magpie Murders.I was really surprised by how much this book "worked", because I was expecting the rest of Horowitz's mysteries to be continuations in the Hawthorne series. But I'm glad we got a little bit more of Ryeland's story, and a lot of the chapters with Susan's sister and boyfriend really add a personal touch to her character.I don't know what to say, there is so much to say! Go read a Horowitz book if you haven't, I can guarantee you won't be dissapointed.

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