Review of "Moonflower Murders: A Susan Ryeland Mystery" by Anthony Horowitz

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.

Rating: 4 stars