Close to Death: A Novel (A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery Book 5)

In Anthony Horowitz’s fifth installment of the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, the bestselling author delivers another clever and suspenseful literary whodunnit centered on a murder in an apparently peaceful gated community.

Riverside Close appears to be an idyllic neighborhood—quiet, beautiful, and secure—until the arrival of the Kentworthy family, whose noisy children, flashy cars, and plans for a gaudy swimming pool quickly alienate their refined neighbors. Tensions rise among the residents, and when Giles Kentworthy is found murdered by a crossbow bolt on his doorstep, suspicion falls on everyone inside the gate.

Only Detective Daniel Hawthorne can unravel the mystery. But in a place where every neighbor has a motive and secrets to hide, solving the crime becomes a nearly impossible challenge.

Blending sharp wit, classic detective storytelling, and Horowitz’s signature meta-narrative style, this novel explores how even the most perfect communities can conceal dark and deadly truths.