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In The Word Is Murder (2017), a woman walks into a London undertaker’s to plan her own funeral and is strangled six hours later; the writer called in to follow the investigation is Anthony Horowitz himself. Born in 1955, Horowitz has written for children since the late 1970s, created the television series Foyle’s War, and sold more than 20 million copies of his Alex Rider books. He is also the writer both the Conan Doyle and Ian Fleming estates chose to continue Sherlock Holmes and James Bond. This guide covers his 14 key books, in order, and where to begin.
By Lisanne Swart · 14 key books · 1986–2026 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Anthony Horowitz has published more than 50 books. The best known are Magpie Murders (2016), the Alex Rider spy novels that began with Stormbreaker (2000), the Hawthorne and Horowitz mysteries from The Word Is Murder (2017), and his Sherlock Holmes and James Bond novels. Start with Magpie Murders; below are the complete series orders and what each book is about.
Where to Start with Anthony Horowitz
If you want a classic whodunit with a twist
→ Magpie Murders (2016) — a full Golden Age mystery inside a modern one.
If you want a teenage spy thriller
→ Stormbreaker (2000) — the first Alex Rider mission.
If you want the author as a character
→ The Word Is Murder (2017) — the first Hawthorne and Horowitz case.
If you want Holmes or Bond
→ The House of Silk (2011) — then Trigger Mortis for Bond.
14 Anthony Horowitz Books, in Order
The Falcon’s Malteser
The first Diamond Brothers book: Tim Diamond is a hopeless private detective in London, and his younger brother Nick is the one who actually solves the case. A client leaves them a package, a box of Maltesers, that half the city’s criminals want back. It was filmed as Just Ask for Diamond (1988).
Stormbreaker
After his uncle dies in a supposed car accident, 14-year-old Alex Rider learns that he was an MI6 agent, and is sent undercover to a computer factory in Cornwall, where the free Stormbreaker computers meant for every British school hide a biological weapon. It began the Alex Rider series and was filmed in 2006 with Alex Pettyfer.
Raven’s Gate
Matt Freeman, a teenager in trouble with the police, is sent to a foster home in a Yorkshire village and finds that the people there are preparing to open a gate for an ancient evil. It is the first of the five-book Power of Five series, published in the US as The Gatekeepers.
The House of Silk
The first Sherlock Holmes novel authorised by the Conan Doyle estate. An elderly Dr Watson, writing after Holmes’s death, tells a case from 1890 that he says was too shocking to publish at the time: an art dealer followed by a man in a flat cap leads Holmes to a conspiracy known only as “the House of Silk”.
Moriarty
Days after Holmes and Moriarty vanish at the Reichenbach Falls, Frederick Chase, a Pinkerton investigator from New York, arrives in Switzerland and teams up with Inspector Athelney Jones of Scotland Yard. Together they hunt the American criminal who wants to take Moriarty’s place in London. Holmes himself barely appears.
Trigger Mortis
His first James Bond novel, commissioned by the Fleming estate and including original material by Ian Fleming. It is set just after Goldfinger, with Pussy Galore staying with Bond in London, and moves from motor racing at the Nürburgring to the American space programme.
Magpie Murders
Susan Ryeland, an editor at a small London publisher, reads the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest Atticus Pünd mystery, set in a 1950s English village, and finds the last chapter missing; then Conway is found dead. The book contains the whole Pünd novel inside the modern investigation. Horowitz adapted it as a six-part series with Lesley Manville (2022) and won an Edgar Award for the script.
The Word Is Murder
Diana Cowper arranges her own funeral and is strangled six hours later. Daniel Hawthorne, a difficult former detective, asks Horowitz to write a book about the case, and Horowitz narrates as himself, with his real television work and family appearing alongside the investigation.
Forever and a Day
A prequel to Casino Royale: the agent known as 007 is found dead in Marseille, and a young James Bond is given the number and sent to find out why. Along the way he meets a woman called Sixtine.
Moonflower Murders
Susan Ryeland has left publishing to run a hotel in Crete when a couple from Suffolk ask her for help: their daughter vanished after reading Alan Conway’s Atticus Pünd Takes the Case, which she believed showed who really committed a murder at their hotel. Again a complete Pünd novel sits inside the book. The BBC adaptation aired in 2024.
With a Mind to Kill
His third Bond novel follows on from Fleming’s last, The Man with the Golden Gun. Bond is sent into 1960s Moscow, posing as a brainwashed agent who has gone over to the Soviets, and has to persuade them that he killed M.
The Twist of a Knife
Horowitz’s play Mindgame opens in London to a savage review, and the next morning the critic is found stabbed with a dagger carrying Horowitz’s fingerprints. Horowitz is arrested, and the only person who can clear him is Hawthorne.
Marble Hall Murders
Back in London and working freelance, Susan Ryeland is asked to edit Pünd’s Last Case, a continuation of the Atticus Pünd series by a young writer, Eliot Crace. Eliot believes his grandmother, a famous children’s author, was poisoned years earlier, and Susan finds clues to her death in the manuscript. A third television series with Lesley Manville was announced in 2025.
A Deadly Episode
A film of The Word Is Murder is being shot in Hastings, with a pretentious director, two stars who dislike each other and a producer who is out of money. Mid-shoot the actor playing Hawthorne, David Caine, is stabbed, and the real Hawthorne investigates what may have been an attempt on his own life. Published in April 2026.
In What Order to Read Anthony Horowitz
Horowitz writes in separate series, and each one is best read in its own order. That matters most for Alex Rider, Hawthorne and Horowitz, and Susan Ryeland, where characters and relationships carry over and later books refer back to earlier cases. Moonflower Murders gives away the solution of Magpie Murders, so read those two in order.
The Sherlock Holmes and James Bond novels stand alone and can be read in any order, although the Bond books are pitched at specific points in Fleming’s chronology: Forever and a Day comes first in Bond’s life, Trigger Mortis after Goldfinger, and With a Mind to Kill after The Man with the Golden Gun. The full series orders are below.
A reading path
1. Magpie Murders (2016)
2. The Word Is Murder (2017)
3. The House of Silk (2011)
4. Trigger Mortis (2015)
5. Stormbreaker (2000)
Every Anthony Horowitz Series, in Order
Beyond the 14 key books: 48 more, grouped by kind.
Open a group with the + to see every book in it.
Hawthorne and Horowitz, in order
6
6 books · 2017–2026
- 2017The Word Is Murdera woman plans her own funeral and is killed the same day
- 2018The Sentence Is Deatha divorce lawyer is killed with a bottle of wine
- 2021A Line to Killa murder at a new literary festival on Alderney
- 2022The Twist of a KnifeHorowitz is arrested for murder
- 2024Close to Deatha death in a quiet gated close
- 2026A Deadly Episodea stabbing on the set of the film of the first book
Susan Ryeland (Magpie Murders), in order
3
3 books · 2016–2025
- 2016Magpie Murderswith the Atticus Pünd novel Magpie Murders
- 2020Moonflower Murderswith Atticus Pünd Takes the Case
- 2025Marble Hall Murderswith Pünd’s Last Case
Alex Rider, in order
14
14 books · 2000–2023
- 2000Stormbreakerthe first mission, in Cornwall
- 2001Point Blanca school for rich boys in the French Alps; basis of TV series 1
- 2002Skeleton Keya Caribbean island and a nuclear plot
- 2003Eagle Strikea pop star’s charity project; basis of TV series 2
- 2004Scorpiathe criminal organisation behind Alex’s past; basis of TV series 3
- 2005Ark Angela space hotel
- 2007Snakeheadsouth-east Asia and the Australian secret service
- 2009Crocodile Tearsa famine relief charity
- 2011Scorpia Risinga final mission in Cairo
- 2013Russian Roulettethe life of the assassin Yassen Gregorovich
- 2017Never Say DieAlex searches for Jack Starbright
- 2019Secret Weaponshort stories
- 2020Nightshadea criminal cult that trains children
- 2023Nightshade Revengethe follow-up to Nightshade
Sherlock Holmes and James Bond continuations
5
5 books · 2011–2022
- 2011The House of SilkSherlock Holmes, narrated by Watson
- 2014Moriartyafter the Reichenbach Falls
- 2015Trigger MortisJames Bond, set after Goldfinger
- 2018Forever and a DayJames Bond, before Casino Royale
- 2022With a Mind to KillJames Bond, after The Man with the Golden Gun
The Diamond Brothers, in order
9
9 books · 1986–2022
- 1986The Falcon’s Malteserthe first case
- 1987Public Enemy Number TwoNick in prison with a master criminal
- 1991South by South Eastthe third novel
- 2003The Blurred Mannovella
- 2003I Know What You Did Last Wednesdaynovella
- 2003The French Confectionnovella
- 2007The Greek Who Stole Christmasnovella
- 2011The Double Eagle Has Landednovella
- 2022Where Seagulls Darethe fourth novel
The Power of Five (US: The Gatekeepers), in order
5
5 books · 2005–2012
- 2005Raven’s GateMatt Freeman in Yorkshire
- 2006Evil StarPeru and the second gate
- 2007Nightrisetwins in Nevada
- 2008NecropolisHong Kong
- 2012Oblivionthe final battle
Other children’s books and stand-alones
6
6 books · 1979–2004
- 1979The Sinister Secret of Frederick K. Bowerhis first book
- 1983The Devil’s Door-Bellfirst of four Pentagram novels (1983–1989)
- 1988Groosham Grangea boarding school for witches and wizards
- 1994Grannya monstrous grandmother
- 1999Horowitz Horrorhorror stories for young readers
- 2004The Killing Jokean adult comic novel
The years · 1955–2026
Quick facts about Anthony Horowitz
- Known for
- Writing the Alex Rider spy novels for children, creating Foyle’s War, and building clever puzzle mysteries in which a book or the author himself is part of the case.
- 1955
- Born in Stanmore, Middlesex
- 2000
- Stormbreaker
- 2016
- Magpie Murders
- 2026
- A Deadly Episode
- Born
- 5 April 1955, Stanmore, Middlesex, England
- Education
- Rugby School; University of York, English literature and art history (1977)
- Television
- Created Foyle’s War (2002–2015); wrote early Midsomer Murders and Poirot episodes
- Married
- Jill Green, producer of Foyle’s War, in 1988
- Honours
- OBE (2014) and CBE (2022) for services to literature; Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (2018)
- Continuations
- Chosen by the Conan Doyle estate (Holmes) and the Ian Fleming estate (Bond)
The red mark is 2016: Magpie Murders, the book that made him a leading adult crime writer.
How Anthony Horowitz Writes: The Puzzle Inside the Puzzle
His adult mysteries are built like Golden Age detective stories — a closed group of suspects, fair clues, a final explanation — with a frame around them. In the Susan Ryeland books the frame is a manuscript: Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders each contain a complete Atticus Pünd novel, and the solution to the modern crime is hidden in it. Before this he spent years adapting Agatha Christie for Poirot and writing Midsomer Murders for television.
In the Hawthorne and Horowitz books the frame is Horowitz himself. He narrates as the real author, with his real plays, television series and family, playing the role of Watson to a detective he does not much like. The Twist of a Knife goes as far as having him arrested, and A Deadly Episode sets the crime on a film of the first book in the series.
For children he writes fast, plot-driven thrillers in short chapters, with a teenage hero and real danger: Alex Rider is a reluctant spy, used by MI6 because adults overlook a boy. His Holmes and Bond novels follow the original authors closely in voice and period; the Bond books even place themselves at precise points in Fleming’s chronology.
Frequently asked questions about Anthony Horowitz’s books
How many books has Anthony Horowitz written?
More than 50, counting his children’s books, short-story collections and companion titles. This page covers 14 key books and lists his main series in full: six Hawthorne and Horowitz novels, three Susan Ryeland novels, 14 Alex Rider books, two Sherlock Holmes and three James Bond novels.
What are Anthony Horowitz’s books in order?
The key books are The Falcon’s Malteser (1986), Stormbreaker (2000), Raven’s Gate (2005), The House of Silk (2011), Moriarty (2014), Trigger Mortis (2015), Magpie Murders (2016), The Word Is Murder (2017), Forever and a Day (2018), Moonflower Murders (2020), With a Mind to Kill (2022), The Twist of a Knife (2022), Marble Hall Murders (2025) and A Deadly Episode (2026).
Where should I start with Anthony Horowitz?
With Magpie Murders (2016), which contains a complete classic village mystery inside a modern one. For younger readers, start with Stormbreaker; for Holmes, The House of Silk; for Bond, Trigger Mortis.
What is Anthony Horowitz’s most famous book?
For children, Stormbreaker (2000), the first of the Alex Rider books, which have sold more than 20 million copies. For adults, Magpie Murders (2016), which he also adapted for television.
What order should I read the Hawthorne and Horowitz books in?
The Word Is Murder (2017), The Sentence Is Death (2018), A Line to Kill (2021), The Twist of a Knife (2022), Close to Death (2024) and A Deadly Episode (2026). Each case stands alone, but Hawthorne’s past is revealed slowly across the series.
What order are the Magpie Murders books in?
Magpie Murders (2016), Moonflower Murders (2020) and Marble Hall Murders (2025), all with the editor Susan Ryeland and the fictional detective Atticus Pünd. Read them in order: the second gives away the solution of the first.
What order are the Alex Rider books in?
Stormbreaker (2000), Point Blanc (2001), Skeleton Key (2002), Eagle Strike (2003), Scorpia (2004), Ark Angel (2005), Snakehead (2007), Crocodile Tears (2009), Scorpia Rising (2011), Russian Roulette (2013), Never Say Die (2017), Secret Weapon (2019, short stories), Nightshade (2020) and Nightshade Revenge (2023). Russian Roulette is a prequel about the assassin Yassen Gregorovich and can be read at any point after Stormbreaker.
Did Anthony Horowitz write Sherlock Holmes and James Bond books?
Yes. The Conan Doyle estate authorised The House of Silk (2011), followed by Moriarty (2014). For the Ian Fleming estate he wrote three Bond novels: Trigger Mortis (2015), Forever and a Day (2018) and With a Mind to Kill (2022). In Bond’s own chronology the order is Forever and a Day, Trigger Mortis, With a Mind to Kill.
Which Anthony Horowitz books have been adapted for the screen?
Stormbreaker was filmed in 2006. An Alex Rider television series ran for three seasons (2020–2024), adapting Point Blanc, Eagle Strike and Scorpia, with Otto Farrant as Alex. Horowitz adapted Magpie Murders (2022) and Moonflower Murders (2024) himself, with Lesley Manville as Susan Ryeland, and a third series based on Marble Hall Murders was announced in 2025.
What did Anthony Horowitz say about cultural appropriation?
In 2017 he said a publisher had tried to dissuade him from making a Black character central to one of his novels, and he criticised the idea of cultural appropriation, siding with the novelist Lionel Shriver. The remarks drew both support and criticism; he has also spoken out against what he calls the “mobbing” of people with unpopular opinions.
Footnotes
- Anthony Horowitz — Wikipedia
- Stormbreaker (novel) — Wikipedia
- Alex Rider (TV series) — Wikipedia
- Anthony Horowitz’s James Bond Trilogy, Ranked — Spybrary
- Marble Hall Murders: Everything We Know So Far — Country & Town House
- Anthony Horowitz on Alex Rider — Square Mile, 2021
Bibliography last verified 9 October 2026. Where sources give different first-publication years, this page uses the year in library catalogues or the publisher’s own record.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
“When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it’s never good news.”
— Anthony Horowitz, Stormbreaker (2000), the first line of the first Alex Rider book
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