Magpie Murders

In this opening, Horowitz sets the stage for the story to come. In the first few pages, he already provides the conceit of the story within a story, including biographical information about the fictional author Alan Conway and details about his work. Additionally, Susan Ryeland breaks the fourth wall by directly addressing the readers and warning them of what has happened to her because of the book. These passages set up the framing device of the novel, which explores both the events of Alan Conway’s fictional manuscript, as well as Susan’s experience during and after she reads it.

These initial chapters are also explicitly referential, drawing the readers’ attention to the process of reading in and of itself, and encouraging them to think about what it means to immerse in a novel. The chapters explore the power that literature can have over lives, even when the events described are purely fictional. They also poke fun at traditional fictional tropes, including dark and stormy nights and premonitions of things to come. The novel describes the events taking place but also introduces a self-aware, almost playful atmosphere encouraging readers to come along for the ride and see where the story takes them.