May is quickly slipping away quicker than quick sand and I’m plowing through my May tbr list. With only a hand full of days left before we officially enter June, I had the pleasure of reading some outstanding nonfictions and just as many fiction novels in May. If you are looking for a scandalous murder mystery ala Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but modern and with brilliant characters, look no further than ‘The Sentence Is Death‘ by Anthony Horowitz.

This is the second book in the best-selling series. I didn’t have the chance to read the first book; The Word is Murder, before; I picked up ‘The Sentence is Death’. I was worried that I might get lost in the plot, but those feelings rapidly evaporated as I started to read.

Richard Pryce is a successful divorce lawyer to the uber rich and famous. His body is found bludgeoned to death with a pricey vintage bottle of wine. The numbers ‘182’ scribbled on a wall at the crime scene. And a partial voice recording of Pryce speaking to someone right before he gets killed. These are the fragmented clues the police has to work with to catch the culprit.

Pressured by time to make an arrest, the police brings in PI Daniel Hawthorne and his sidekick. I wasn’t surprised by the fact our PI has a sidekick. Sherlock Holmes had Dr. Watson, after all. Anthony Horowitz, the author, himself, is Hawthorne’s sidekick, and it’s genius.  The relationship between Hawthorne and Horowitz is never harmonious, but often humours. I can’t remember if I have encountered another book where the writer writes himself in as a character. I admit, I like it.

It’s been a while since I read a murder mystery that gave me the same level of thrill and reminded me of my childhood days when I stay pass my bedtime to read Sherlock Holmes. ‘The Sentence is Death’ is a breath of fresh air for the mystery book lovers.

The plot of the book is carefully crafted with thoughtful consideration given to the details. The murderer will inevitably surprise you! The clues are there but Horowitz manipulates them with cleverness to throw the readers of their track. In the end, it’s worth it.