Step into the tantalizing world of Anthony Horowitz’s MARBLE HALL MURDERS, where literary estates guard deadly secrets and past sins refuse to stay buried. In my latest Jen’s Jewels column, I sit down with the master of mystery himself to unravel the inspiration behind his newest novel, the evolution of beloved protagonist Susan Ryeland, and the intricate art of crafting a whodunit that both honors and subverts classic detective fiction. With insights into his writing process, a glimpse at his next project, and even a real-life mystery from his own past, this is an interview you won’t want to miss!
Jennifer Vido: In your latest novel, you've again brilliantly blurred the lines between fiction and reality. What inspired you to write MARBLE HALL MURDERS?
Anthony Horowtz: MARBLE HALL MURDERS is the third book in a series that began with MAGPIE MURDERS and MOONFLOWER MURDERS. We successfully filmed both of these and our star, Lesley Manville (who plays Susan Ryeland) asked me to do a third. How could I refuse?
Jen: Susan Ryeland has become a fascinating protagonist across multiple novels. How has her character evolved from MAGPIE MURDERS to this latest work, and what challenges did you enjoy presenting her in Pünd's Last Case?
Anthony: Susan doesn’t actually appear in Pünd’s Last Case but she is helping the young author, Eliot Crace, write it. That’s the crucial difference in this third book. She’s actually working on the text, trying to prevent Eliot from harming himself. At the same time, she’s rebuilding her own life after her break-up with Andreas in Crete and this makes her both more vulnerable and more determined. Every time I write about Susan, I find something new. I love the way all her challenges (and death threats) have only made her stronger.
Jen: Generational trauma and unresolved mysteries are prominent themes in this novel, mainly through Eliot Crace's storyline. What inspired you to explore the lingering impact of a potentially unsolved murder across generations?
Anthony: I was fascinated by the world of literary estates. I’ve worked with five of them: Ian Fleming, Roald Dahl, Hergé (Tintin), Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. These have all been happy experiences but imagine what it must be like to grow up in the shadow of a world famous author or artist, to carry their flame for the whole of your life. And what happens if you know the truth: that your grandmother or grandfather wasn’t the wonderful person that everyone imagines but, like Miriam Crace, a monster? That’s the theme of MARBLE HALL MURDERS.
Jen: Your novels often feature intricate, nested narratives. Can you walk us through your writing process? How do you keep track of the complex layers and ensure each narrative thread remains compelling?
Anthony: I spend months and months working on the structure and interconnections of these books, developing the characters and their motives, layering the clues, planning the red herrings. Sometimes the planning takes longer than the writing. My first and main concern is to ensure that although the readers may be puzzled, they can never be confused. With a book as long as MARBLE HALL MURDERS, with two time frames and two hierarchies, I have to be sure that the story will flow and that nobody will find themselves on page 470 wondering who someone is!
Jen: You've mentioned being influenced by classic mystery writers like Agatha Christie. How do you balance paying homage to the golden age of detective fiction while simultaneously subverting its traditional conventions?
Anthony: Subverting is a good word. I love golden age detective fiction – not just Christie but Dorothy L. Sayers, Ellery Queen and many others. But I’m also aware of some of the absurdities which are part of the genre. In real life, people don’t generally commit murders the same way that they do in books and I’m always playing with this thought, questioning the narrative even as I write it.
Jen: As a novelist and screenwriter, how do different mediums influence your storytelling? Are there techniques you've learned in screenwriting that inform your novel writing, or vice versa?
Anthony: Novel writing is an art. Screenwriting is a technique. This is a very rough definition but I think there’s some truth in it. You have to learn how to write film – perhaps by reading books about cinematography but definitely by watching and focusing on films, trying to understand how they have been authored. And of course the different media affect the way you write. You have to know exactly what can be achieved on screen, how much your producer can afford. In a book, anything goes.
Jen: What's currently on your To-Be-Read stack?
Anthony: I want to read Ian Kershaw’s huge biography of Hitler. I’m looking forward to the next thriller by Mick Herron (Slow Horses). I have it mind to start Orley Farm by Anthony Trollope.
Jen: If you could collaborate with any writer—living or deceased—on a mystery novel, who would it be, and why?
Anthony: I’m afraid I’m not very good at collaborating. I’m too set in my ways and don’t make an easy writing companion. If I could choose one writer I’d like to work with, it would be Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He didn’t write enough Sherlock Holmes stories!
Jen: Are you currently at work on your next novel? If so, what can you share?
Anthony: Yes, I’m working on the sixth Hawthorne novel. I’m not allowed to reveal the title but it’s set in the world of a television production where one of the actors is murdered. I’ve just finishing the structuring and have written two chapters. I’m loving it so far.
Jen: What's one mystery from your own life that you've never quite solved?
Anthony: When I was 22, my father (who was supposedly very wealthy) lost all his money and, before he could tell us where it was, died. It’s a mystery that has informed my life. My mother was left more or less bankrupt and homeless and she never discovered the truth. Was the money stolen? Did it even exist?
Jen: Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing the fascinating story behind your latest book. I'm excited to see what incredible mystery you'll create next.
Anthony: And thank you for your interesting questions, Jen. I hope you enjoy MARBLE HALL MURDERS.
Susan Ryeland #3
Murder links past and present once again in this mind-boggling metafictional mystery from Anthony Horowitz featuring detective Atticus Pünd and editor Susan Ryeland, stars of the New York Times bestsellers Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders.
Editor Susan Ryeland has left her Greek island, her hotel and her Greek boyfriend, Andreas, in search of a new life back in England.
Freelancing for a London publisher, she's given the last job she wants: working on an Atticus Pünd continuation novel called Pünd’s Last Case. Worse still, she knows the new writer. Eliot Crace is the troubled grandson of legendary children’s author Miriam Crace who died twenty years ago. Eliot is convinced she was murdered—by poison.
To her surprise, Susan enjoys reading the manuscript which is set in the South of France and revolves around the mysterious death of Lady Margaret Chalfont, days before she was about to change her will. But when it is revealed that Lady Margaret was also poisoned, alarm bells begin to ring.
The more Susan reads, the clearer it becomes that Eliot has deliberately concealed clues about his grandmother’s death inside the book.
Desperately, Susan tries to prevent Eliot from putting himself in harm’s way—but his behaviour is becoming increasingly erratic. Another murder follows . . . and suddenly Susan finds herself to be the number one suspect.
Once again, the real and the fictional worlds have become dangerously entangled. And if Susan doesn't solve the mystery of Pünd’s Last Case, she could well be its next victim.
Mystery Amateur Sleuth [Harper, On Sale: May 13, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book , ISBN: 9780063305700 / eISBN: 9780063305717]
Anthony Horowitz is one of the most prolific and successful writers working in the UK – and is unique for working across so many media. Anthony is a born polymath; juggling writing books, TV series, films, plays and journalism.
Anthony was awarded an OBE for his services to literature in January 2014.
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry, earning acclaim as the award-winning author of the Gull Island series. Her debut novel, "Serendipity by the Sea," secured the prestigious Best First Book award from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. In 2024, Vido's talent garnered further accolades, with Baltimore Magazine readers naming her Best Local Author in their annual Best of Baltimore poll, while the Baltimore Sun acknowledged her with an Honorable Mention in their Best of 2024 Author category. When not writing fiction, she interviews authors for her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, leads water exercise classes, and directs a legal nonprofit. Currently residing in Maryland, she and her husband are proud parents to two grown sons and a rescue dog named Fripp.
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