Close to Death

What literary devices are used in Close to Death? How does Horowitz use point of view, metafiction, the locked-room mystery, and other devices to convey the novel’s themes?

Riverview Close is a typical suburban setting, but each of the residents has secrets. Choose a few characters from Riverview Close and analyze the ways that their secrets manifest in the novel and affect the dynamic of the neighborhood.

How do Horowitz’s abilities as a detective evolve throughout the novel? How does his self-perception change?

Why do the residents of Riverview Close dislike Giles Kenworthy? Discuss how the neighborhood social contract is portrayed and what happens when someone like Giles refuses to accede to it.

How does Horowitz use mystery subgenres like cozy crime, noir, and the locked-room mystery in Close to Death? How does he manipulate or subvert these subgenres to amplify the meaning of the novel?

Discuss how Close to Death fits into the Hawthorne and Horowitz series. How is it similar to and different from the novels that came before? In addition, discuss how this novel contributes to the long story arc of the series: the relationship between Hawthorne and Horowitz.

Discuss Horowitz’s representation of himself in the novel and the ways in which he uses his real life to amplify the character of the writer Horowitz.

How do the characters of May and Phyllis complicate the idea of murder?