Few contemporary crime and mystery writers produce work that is as meticulously plotted, fiendishly clever, and riotously entertaining as that of Anthony Horowitz. For decades now, the prolific British author has captivated millions with his brand of intrigue, suspense, and murder most foul. Young readers have avidly followed the high-octane exploits of his teenage spy, Alex Rider. Viewers have immersed themselves in his TV series, in particular the much-loved (and much-missed) Foyle’s War, a period drama not about a soldier on the battlefront but a detective on the home front.

However, it is Horowitz’s adult fiction that best showcases both his versatility and his ingenuity. This consists of three categories. There are his continuation novels commissioned by the literary estates of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Ian Fleming. Successfully ventriloquizing these past masters — and indeed formative influences — while at the same time making sure his own voice could be heard, Horowitz devised two original adventures for Sherlock Holmes and three new missions for James Bond. In doing so, he put these classic heroes back in business and in the rudest of health.