What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedMagpie Murders
Anthony Horowitz · Series · 2022
If you loved Magpie Murders, start with Magpie Murders (Anthony Horowitz, 2017) — a book from the same story. Below: 1 book, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to Magpie Murders across media.
If you loved Magpie Murders, you will appreciate these stories that masterfully blend clever literary puzzles with the dark secrets of quiet communities.
Start with the source
Books on the same thread
A Deadly Episode
Anthony Horowitz · Book · 2026
Explores: film industry satire, story-within-a-story, detective tropes.
Like Magpie Murders, this story uses a meta-fictional approach to deconstruct detective tropes, pulling you into a layered mystery that mirrors the complexity of a book within a book.
Films on the same thread
Hot Fuzz
Edgar Wright · Film · 2007
Shares a thread with Magpie Murders: Small Town Secrets.
You will recognize the unsettling juxtaposition of a seemingly quiet town and its hidden, grisly motives, a central tension that defined the atmospheric charm of Magpie Murders.
Knives Out
Rian Johnson · Film · 2019
Explores: Family Secrets, Wealth and Privilege, Inheritance.
This story shares the sharp wit and intricate puzzle-solving found in Magpie Murders, focusing on the hidden motives of a wealthy, dysfunctional cast during a high-stakes murder investigation.
Crooked House
Film · 2017
Explores: Family secrets, Inheritance, Greed.
If the classic whodunit structure of Magpie Murders captured your imagination, you will enjoy this investigation into a wealthy family’s web of greed, deception, and long-held secrets.
The Trouble with Harry
Alfred Hitchcock · Film · 1955
Shares a thread with Magpie Murders: Small Town Secrets.
This film mirrors the dark, comedic tone and the fascination with small town secrets seen in Magpie Murders, exploring how a single corpse disrupts a quiet community's facade.
Podcasts on the same thread
Small Town Murder
James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman · Podcast · 2026
Explores: provincial life, tragic irony, forensic breakdown.
Much like the literary world of Magpie Murders, this podcast examines the sociological underpinnings of small town life, dissecting the dark reality behind a singular, tragic crime.
This Much is True Crime
Podcast
Explores: Serial Killers, Criminal Psychology, Motives for Crime.
This show builds on the interest in criminal psychology and hidden motives that drove the narrative of Magpie Murders, offering an analytical look at the impulses behind evil.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Magpie Murders based on a book?
Yes, the 2022 television series Magpie Murders is an adaptation of the 2017 novel of the same name written by Anthony Horowitz. The story follows an editor who becomes involved in a murder mystery after receiving an unfinished manuscript.
Should I read the book Magpie Murders before watching the show?
You can watch the television adaptation of Magpie Murders without reading the 2017 book first. Both versions follow the same central premise involving an editor and a mysterious unfinished manuscript, allowing you to choose either format to experience the story.
What is the premise of Magpie Murders?
Magpie Murders centers on an editor who is drawn into a web of intrigue and murder. The plot is set in motion when she receives an unfinished manuscript, leading her to investigate the events surrounding the text.
Is Magpie Murders a standalone story?
Magpie Murders is a self-contained narrative presented as both a 2017 book and a 2022 television series. The story concludes with the resolution of the mystery surrounding the unfinished manuscript received by the editor.