Why we’re excited
Anthony, the fictional version of the author, gets called for jury duty on a case about a judge's son accused of killing a family friend with a sculptor's mallet. The verdict looks certain until a juror is killed and Hawthorne steps in.
This is the seventh Hawthorne and Horowitz mystery, a series that began with The Word Is Murder. Each case works alone, but the running joke of Horowitz as Watson builds over the books. Horowitz also wrote Magpie Murders and the Alex Rider series, so classic whodunnit fans are in safe hands.
On our most-anticipated list since 22 October 2026. See all the most anticipated books →
What to know about The Vanishing Jury
The Vanishing Jury is Book 7 in the Hawthorne & Horowitz series. New readers should begin with Book 1, The Word is Murder (we have reviewed it). The book just before this one is A Deadly Episode. We have reviewed 1 of the series so far.
Anthony Horowitz is a familiar name here: 4 of Anthony Horowitz’s books have full reviews, averaging 4.0 out of 5. The one we rated highest is Marble Hall Murders (4★).
From the publisher
The seventh entry in the beloved mystery series featuring the sleuthing duo of Detective Daniel Hawthorne and the author’s fictional alter ego, Anthony Horowitz.
It starts with a trial.
It ends with a murder.
AND THEN THERE WERE NINE . . .
Anthony has been called for jury service.
On trial is the troubled son of a retired High Court judge. Lawrence Gascoyne stands accused of killing his mother’s closest friend, hammering him to death with a sculptor’s mallet.
All the evidence is against Lawrence who is himself a sculptor and was seen carrying the murder weapon out of his house. He had even threatened the victim on the day of the murder.
Anthony, along with almost everyone else in the courtroom, believes that Lawrence is guilty.
But from the very start, somebody else has been secretly watching the trial.
And when a juror is murdered, former detective Daniel Hawthorne intervenes.
Although Hawthorne has his own secrets to hide . . .
Description supplied by the publisher.
We haven’t read The Vanishing Jury yet. When our review goes up, it will replace this page.
