A magnificent two-for-one murder mystery
When modern day editor Susan Ryeland reads the manuscript by Alan Conway, she suspects that his death was not accidental, but murder. As she begins sleuthing, she looks to Conways manuscript — and the missing last page— for guidance. Atticus Pünd, Conway’s Poirot-like detective, is a German who comes to England in the 1940s. He solves murder mysteries that are inspired by actual murders that occur in sleepy English towns.
This 496 page novel is a well-written, intriguing treat for mystery lovers. The plot is engaging and the two timelines are satisfying. I loved this book and am so happy that there is another Atticus Pünd novel. Although each of these books is standalone, reading Magpie Murders can make Moonflower Murders more gratifying.
Other titles that feature novels within novels, or plots based in the publishing world and around books, read Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz, Antoine Laurain’s The Readers’ Room and Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson.