Few authors manage to keep one foot in children’s literature and the other in adult crime fiction quite like Anthony Horowitz. With over 50 books to his name—including the blockbuster Alex Rider series and three official James Bond novels—he has built a career that spans genres and generations (PBS MASTERPIECE; Penguin Books). This guide walks through his most famous works, explains the reading order of his major series, and settles the question of what Atticus Pünd really means.
Books published Over 50 ·
Alex Rider novels 12 main books ·
James Bond novels written 3 ·
Years active Since 1979 ·
Notable TV series created Foyle’s War
Quick snapshot
- Horowitz has written three James Bond novels, all authorized by the Ian Fleming estate (Penguin Books).
- The Alex Rider series contains 12 main novels, starting with Stormbreaker (2000) (Fantastic Fiction).
- He created the long-running TV drama Foyle’s War (IMDb).
- Whether Horowitz will write additional James Bond novels.
- The exact number of future Hawthorne & Horowitz books.
- Plans for new TV adaptations of Alex Rider.
- First Alex Rider novel: Stormbreaker (2000) (Fantastic Fiction).
- First Hawthorne novel: The Word Is Murder (2017) (Britannica).
- First Bond continuation: Trigger Mortis (2015) (Penguin Books).
- Moonflower Murders continues the Hawthorne series (Anthony Horowitz official site).
- Future Bond novels remain unconfirmed. (Anthony Horowitz official site)
Below is a quick reference of key facts about Anthony Horowitz.
Key facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Anthony John Horowitz |
| Born | 5 April 1955, London, England |
| Occupation | Novelist, screenwriter |
| Notable series | Alex Rider, Hawthorne & Horowitz, Diamond Brothers |
| Awards | CBE (2022), multiple children’s book awards |
| James Bond novels | 3 (Trigger Mortis, Forever and a Day, With a Mind to Kill) – Penguin Books |
| Alex Rider main books | 12 – Fantastic Fiction |
| Foyle’s War | TV series creator (2002‑2015) – IMDb |
| Sherlock Holmes novels | 2 (The House of Silk, Moriarty) – Penguin Books |
What is Anthony Horowitz’s most famous book?
Alex Rider series: Stormbreaker
- First published in 2000 – Fantastic Fiction
- Introduces teenage spy Alex Rider, orphaned and recruited by MI6.
- Adapted into a 2006 film starring Alex Pettyfer – IMDb
Stormbreaker remains Horowitz’s highest-profile single title, especially among younger readers. The book launched a franchise that now includes graphic novels, a TV series, and video games.
For any reader under 16, Stormbreaker is the entry point. It established the formula—gadgets, globetrotting, and a reluctant hero—that Horowitz would refine over 12 books.
Magpie Murders and Hawthorne series
- Magpie Murders (2016) is a standalone crime novel featuring fictional detective Atticus Pünd.
- It became a New York Times bestseller and was adapted into a PBS Masterpiece series – PBS MASTERPIECE
- The book’s success spawned the Hawthorne & Horowitz series.
The twist: Atticus Pünd is a character inside a novel, and his name is an anagram that ties back to Agatha Christie.
The Word Is Murder
- First book in the Hawthorne & Horowitz series, published 2017 – Britannica
- Metafictional concept: Horowitz writes himself as a character solving crimes with Detective Hawthorne.
- Penguin recommends it as the best starting point for adult readers – Penguin Books
The implication: if you’re an adult looking for a clever, self-aware whodunit, The Word Is Murder is the most acclaimed entry.
What is Anthony Horowitz’s most famous series?
Alex Rider series
- 12 main novels, plus graphic novels and companion books – Fantastic Fiction
- Target audience: ages 9‑14.
- Published from 2000 to present (latest: Nightshade Revenge, 2023).
- Adapted into a feature film (2006) and a TV series on Amazon Prime (2020‑2024).
No other series by Horowitz comes close in sales volume or cultural footprint. It remains his flagship brand.
Hawthorne & Horowitz series
- Four books so far: The Word Is Murder, The Sentence Is Death, A Line to Kill, The Twist of a Knife – Anthony Horowitz official site
- Metafictional: Horowitz appears as a character helping detective Daniel Hawthorne.
Moonflower Murders, a related standalone, continues the Hawthorne universe.
James Bond continuation novels
- Three official novels: Trigger Mortis (2015), Forever and a Day (2018), (2022) – Penguin Books
- Authorized by the Ian Fleming estate – Penguin Books
- Set between Fleming’s original novels, filling in untold stories.
These books earned praise for capturing Ian Fleming’s tone while adding Horowitz’s own pacing.
Readers coming from Alex Rider will find Bond grittier and less gadget-driven. Horowitz calls it “Bond for grown-ups,” but fans of his YA work may be surprised by the violence.
What this means: Horowitz’s Bond novels offer a more mature take on espionage, distinct from his younger-reader series.
How many James Bond books has Anthony Horowitz written?
Trigger Mortis (2015)
- Set two weeks after the events of Fleming’s Goldfinger.
- Features a cameo by Pussy Galore and a new villain, Jason Sin.
- Received positive reviews for its fidelity to Fleming’s style – Penguin Books
Forever and a Day (2018)
- A prequel to Fleming’s Casino Royale, showing how Bond became a double‑0 agent.
- Explores Bond’s first mission and his relationship with the missing agent 007 before him.
With a Mind to Kill (2022)
- Set after The Man with the Golden Gun, continuing Bond’s story in a Cold War context.
- Marketed as Horowitz’s final Bond novel, though no official announcement rules out more – Penguin Books
The pattern: each novel slots into a different part of the Bond timeline, giving longtime fans new adventures without contradicting canon.
In what order should I read Anthony Horowitz books?
Reading order for Alex Rider
- 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) – prequel
- Never Say Die (2017)
- Nightshade (2020) – Fantastic Fiction
Publication order is the intended reading order. The prequel Russian Roulette fits best after Scorpia Rising.
Reading order for Hawthorne series
- The Word Is Murder (2017)
- The Sentence Is Death (2018) – Britannica
- A Line to Kill (2021)
- The Twist of a Knife (2022) – Anthony Horowitz official site
Moonflower Murders (2020) is a standalone but shares the same world and can be read after book 2.
Chronological order of all works
Because Horowitz writes in multiple series with different audiences, there’s no single chronological order across his entire bibliography. For a reader who wants both YA and adult crime, this order works:
- Start with Stormbreaker for the Alex Rider arc.
- Read the James Bond novels in publication order (any time).
- Then dive into the Hawthorne series starting with The Word Is Murder.
The implication: choosing the right starting point depends on the reader’s age and taste, not on a single universal order.
What is Atticus Pünd an anagram of?
The anagram explained
- Atticus Pünd is a detective character in Magpie Murders, created by the fictional author Alan Conway.
- The name is an anagram of “Catus Pünd” – a playful reference to Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot.
The twist is meant to signal that Pünd is a Christie homage, complete with a Belgian‑sounding name and a sharp little grey‑cell style.
Significance in Magpie Murders
- Pünd appears only inside the fictional novel within the novel.
- His role is to solve a murder in a quaint English village, mirroring the real‑life mystery the editor is trying to solve.
Other wordplay in Horowitz’s works
- Detective Hawthorne’s name may echo Nathaniel Hawthorne, the American novelist.
- Horowitz frequently uses literary inside jokes, such as naming characters after real editors or authors.
The catch: the anagram isn’t perfect (adding an extra “c”), but the intent is clear – a tip of the hat to the queen of crime.
Confirmed facts
- Horowitz has written three James Bond novels – Penguin Books
- Alex Rider series has 12 main books – Fantastic Fiction
- He created Foyle’s War – IMDb
- He has written two Sherlock Holmes novels – Penguin Books
What’s unclear
- Whether additional James Bond novels are planned.
- The exact number of future Hawthorne books.
- New Alex Rider TV adaptations beyond the Amazon series.
Quotes from the author and his publishers
“I never set out to write children’s books — I set out to write stories that I wanted to read. If they. If they happen to appeal to young adults, that’s a bonus.”
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