Author: Anthony Horowitz | Narrator: Lesley Manville, Allan Corduner
Runtime: 18h 30m | Genre: Cozy Crime, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Whodunnit
Former publisher Susan Ryeland is lured from her quiet Greek hotel to investigate a hotel murder that hinges on clues concealed within an Atticus Pünd novel. A magnificent 18.5-hour dual-narrated puzzle box performed by Lesley Manville and Allan Corduner.
Former literary editor Susan Ryeland thought she had left the bloody chaos of the London publishing world far behind, trading manuscripts for the sun-drenched terrace of a hotel in Crete with her partner Andreas. But tranquility proves short-lived when an affluent English couple arrives pleading for her help. Eight years ago at their luxury hotel in Suffolk, a brutal murder occurred on the wedding day of their daughter Cecily. The late crime novelist Alan Conway based his third Atticus Pünd whodunnit, *Atticus Pünd Takes the Case*, on the tragedy. Cecily recently read the novel and became convinced that the man jailed for the murder was innocent—before mysteriously disappearing without a trace. Desperate for answers, Susan returns to England to dissect Conway’s vintage prose line-by-line to find what Cecily noticed.
What transforms *Moonflower Murders* into high-wire auditory art is Anthony Horowitz’s intricate "book-within-a-book" architecture, brought to life by an inspired dual-narration cast. Academy Award-nominee Lesley Manville steps in to voice Susan Ryeland, channeling the razor-sharp intellect, self-deprecating wit, and warmth she famously brings to the acclaimed BBC television adaptation. Meanwhile, Allan Corduner returns to voice the Conway manuscript, delivering Atticus Pünd’s 1950s detective inquiries with velvet vintage polish. Moving between modern Suffolk hotel politics and an authentic Golden Age country house puzzle, the audio medium turns what could feel fragmented on paper into an irresistible, immersive rhythm. Paired with its predecessor Magpie Murders and Lesley Manville’s tour-de-force performance in The Thursday Murder Club, this production showcases British detective craft at its zenith.
Clocking in at eighteen and a half hours, *Moonflower Murders* provides sensational return on a single Audible credit. Horowitz plays fair with the listener at every turn: every anagram, cryptic literary reference, and subtle discrepancy is planted in plain sight, rewarding attentive ears with genuine eureka moments when the final tumblers drop into place. Delivering two full-length, masterfully executed whodunnits for the price of one, this is an unmissable credit investment for serious armchair sleuths.
Susan Ryeland Reading Order: • Magpie Murders (Book 1 – 15h 15m) • Moonflower Murders (Book 2 – 18h 30m) • Marble Hall Murders (Book 3 – 17h 38m)
Lesley Manville and Allan Corduner deliver a seamless, theatrical dual performance that elevates Horowitz’s double-puzzle to perfection. Manville embodies Susan Ryeland with flawless naturalism—grounded, observant, and brimming with dry British irony—making her investigative journey through Suffolk hotels feel utterly genuine. Corduner balances her modern cadence with masterfully stylized mid-century theatricality, infusing Atticus Pünd with quiet dignity, precision, and world-weary melancholy. Both narrators handle extensive casts of suspects with effortless vocal distinction, supported by immaculate, warm audio mastering across eighteen mesmerizing hours.
*Note: Narrators may differ across regional releases and audiobook editions.
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