Death, deception, and a detective with quite a lot to hide stalk the pages of Anthony Horowitz's brilliant murder mystery, the second in the bestselling series starring Private Investigator Daniel Hawthorne. ""You shouldn't be here. It's too late . . . "" These, heard over the phone, were the last recorded words of successful celebrity-divorce lawyer Richard Pryce, found bludgeoned to death in his bachelor pad with a bottle of wine--a 1982 Chateau Lafite worth £3,000, to be precise. Odd, considering he didn't drink. Why this bottle? And why those words? And why was a three-digit number painted on the wall by the killer? And, most importantly, which of the man's many, many enemies did the deed? Baffled, the police are forced to bring in Private Investigator Daniel Hawthorne and his sidekick, the author Anthony, who's really getting rather good at this murder investigation business. But as Hawthorne takes on the case with characteristic relish, it becomes clear that he, too, has secrets to hide. As our reluctant narrator becomes ever more embroiled in the case, he realizes that these secrets must be exposed--even at the risk of death . . . "A clever and well-written crime story." -- "Washington Post" "Superb...Fans of traditional puzzle mysteries will be enthralled." -- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)" "There are twists and turns and unexpected developments. The fact-fiction blurring continues to the last page." -- "Minneapolis Star Tribune" "Except for Jeffery Deaver and Sophie Hannah, no one currently working the field has anywhere near this much ingenuity to burn." -- "Kirkus Reviews" "Horowitz succeeds on all levels with book two in the Detective Daniel Hawthorne series...The overall voice of the series is fresh and original, Horowitz writing with the effortless élan that distinguishes all of his work." -- "Booklist (starred review)" Anthony Horowitz is the author of the New York Times bestseller Moriarty and the internationally bestselling The House of Silk , as well as the New York Times bestselling Alex Rider series for young adults. As a television screenwriter, he created Midsomer Murders and the BAFTA-winning Foyle's War , both of which were featured on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery . He regularly contributes to a wide variety of national newspapers and magazines and in 2014 was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire for his services to literature.