If you haven’t yet read the bestselling mysteries by talented and prolific writer Anthony Horowitz, what are you waiting for? A Deadly Episode is the sixth in the series, following The Twist of the Knife and Close to Death, where Horowitz injects himself as a character in the story. Years ago, Horowitz was convinced to write about the cases solved by former Detective Inspector Daniel Hawthorne. Now, the first book in that series, The Word Is Murder, is being made into a film and both Horowitz and Hawthorne have been invited to the set.
David Caine is cast to play Hawthorne, while Ralph Seymour, is chosen to play Horowitz. The two actors have a complicated history. They both appeared in a film called The Point of It All, directed by Cy Truman, who will also be directing The Word Is Murder. The Point of It All was based on the true story of Elizabeth Wilding, UK’s first female lighthouse keeper. The plot had both the male characters competing for Elizabeth’s attention. Real life mirrored fiction with Caine and Seymour having their sights set on the actress playing Elizabeth. She chose Ralph and David has been seething about it ever since.
Caine and Seymour were nominated for BAFTAs, the British equivalent of an Academy Award. Seymour won, but his victory was overshadowed when he became ill on stage and vomited all over Judi Dench, who was handing him the golden mask. Rather than celebrating his win, Ralph retreated to New Zealand, his personal life and career in ruins. Being cast as Horowitz is his chance to redeem himself. But when Horowitz meets the actor for a drink, he’s appalled by Seymour’s disheveled appearance. Hawthorne, on the other hand, is satisfied with the dapper Caine playing him on the screen.
Anthony Horowitz (Photo Credit: Anna Lythgoe)
The Word Is Murder is being produced by Dandelion Productions whose CEO, Teresa de Léon, has obtained financing from her wealthy father. But whether the money will be enough to cover the film’s mounting expenses is a huge question. And when Caine is found stabbed to death in his Winnebago, the entire operation comes to a halt.
Although DSI Sarah Milnes is in charge of the investigation, she’s happy to have Hawthorne assist. Soon the two are meeting for intimate dinners, excluding Horowitz, who, miffed with being excluded does some investigating on his own.
There’s no shortage of suspects. Everyone on the set had a reason to hate David Caine. Izzy Mays was an intern on the set, excited about the opportunity to be dipping a toe into the film industry. One evening at a pub, her friend recognizes Caine and takes his photo with her mobile. For some reason, Caine is irate and gets Izzy fired.
Caine fired his agent, James Aubrey, who dismisses Hawthorne’s implication that he retaliated by killing the star. “I’d just gotten him a major part in the next reboot of Spider-Man,” he tells Hawthorne and Horowitz. He believes that Caine would have returned as a client with the lure of such a high profile role. Aubrey does look the part of a successful agent with his logo wardrobe, an expensive Patek Philippe watch on his wrist.
Shanika Harris was brought in to write the screenplay, even though Horowitz wanted the job. Harris knew Caine from their work on an environmental group called Last Gasp, which focused on climate change. Adherents were vegans who were anti-car. Caine stepped back from a visible role in the group when his acting career took off. Shanika remains a big fan, saying she changed her life because of his influence. But did his choosing his career over the cause turn her against him? Enough to stab him to death?
And, of course, Seymour is also a prime suspect. Because he became sick on stage after he had drinks with Caine, did his rival put something in his drink? If so, Caine essentially torpedoed Seymour’s career. As motives, they don’t come bigger than that.
Horowitz remains curious about Hawthorne’s history. Despite all the books he’s written about the detective, he remains a mystery. While Hawthorne stays in Hastings to work on solving the murder, Horowitz travels to Reeth where something happened to Hawthorne that changed the trajectory of his life. Horowitz entertains the idea that perhaps Caine wasn’t the target, but Hawthorne was since it’s not the name of the actor posted on the outside of each Winnebago, but the character. Since Caine actually did resemble Hawthorne, was the wrong man killed? And, if so, what in Hawthorne’s background would have created so much hatred?
Once again, Horowitz has created an entertaining mystery. Along the way, he drops in books, films, and events from his real life. And he name drops, stars he knows or maybe not but just enjoys including them in his plots.
Thank goodness Hawthorne wasn’t killed because we hope to see him, and Horowitz, of course, in the seventh mystery.
A Deadly Episode
Anthony Horowitz
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