54 pages • 1 hour read
Anthony HorowitzMagpie Murders
Anthony HorowitzFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2016A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 7-“Agios Nikolaos, Crete”Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 7: “A Secret Never to Be Told”
Part 7, Chapter 1 Summary
Atticus is walking around town, feeling refreshed and reflecting upon the details of the case. He walks to Mary’s grave, where he meets Robin Osborne. He tells Robin he has solved the case and asks him about the photos Mary saw on his desk. Although Robin tries to pretend Atticus doesn’t know what he’s talking about, he’s clearly nervous. Atticus reveals that the Osbornes are nudists and enjoy exploring Dingle Dell without clothes. Atticus promises not to reveal the Osbornes’ secret to anyone else.
Part 7, Chapter 2 Summary
Atticus writes James a farewell letter, in which he confesses to suicide using the poison he took from Clarissa Pye, and requests that his ashes be scattered in Dingle Dell. He writes that it is “a very peaceful place” and “seems right” (369).
Part 7, Chapter 3 Summary
Chubb, Atticus, James, Joy, and Robert gather in the police office. Atticus walks everyone through the crime, tying together all the loose ends. Atticus accuses Robert of drowning his brother and killing his dog. He also suggests that Mary had seen what had happened while sitting in her sewing room, which looked out onto the lake. Atticus explains that Mary knew about her son’s violent inclinations and wrote a letter to Magnus explaining everything to open in the event of her death. She told Robert about the letter to ensure that he would never harm her.
Mary really did die of an accident. Going to answer the telephone call from former husband Matthew while she was vacuuming, she tripped and fell. After the funeral, Robert broke into Pye Hall to find and destroy the letter but was unable to find it. To cover his tracks, he stole the silver and deposited it in the lake. After reading the letter, Magnus summoned Robert to Pye Hall. Robert decided to borrow the vicar’s bicycle to go to Pye Hall. Robert committed the murder and placed the bicycle back at the church with blood on the handles. At the house, Robert decapitated Magnus and burned the letter, but burned the wrong envelope with it. Robert confesses to the murder and says he did it out of love.
Part 7, Chapter 4 Summary
There is a newspaper excerpt about Atticus’s death written by James, writing that he was “the kindest and wisest man” he ever knew (383). The letter indicates that Atticus committed suicide to avoid further suffering due to his inoperable tumor, and that his ashes were scattered in Dingle Dell.
“Agios Nikolaos, Crete” Summary
Susan explains that Cloverleaf Books went out of business, and that she moved to Crete with Andreas, to whom she is now married. They run a hotel together and are happy. Alan’s last book was eventually published, and the circumstances surrounding his death only increased his popularity.
Part 7-“Agios Nikolaos, Crete” Analysis
In the final chapters of the book, both mysteries come to satisfying conclusions. Atticus reveals the real story behind the deaths of Mary and Magnus. Robert Blakiston was a killer who drowned his brother and posed a danger to others. In these passages, the novel illustrates the depth to which some secrets can run. Even though Robert tried to make a new life for himself and start over with Joy, he was never able to escape the dark events of his past. Even more, he never confesses his true crimes—even to the people he loved most. Instead, he suffered in silence, and acted in desperation in order to protect himself and his dreams for the future.
Like any good detective, Atticus brings everything to place and narrates a satisfying story for the benefit of the reader. Atticus neatly ties up many of the loose ends, including the Osbornes' strange behavior and the role Matthew played in his wife’s death. Ultimately, the conclusion of the story emphasizes the way in which many characters cannot escape tragedy no matter how they try. From the moment they moved to Pye Hall, the Blakiston family found themselves in a tragic and inevitable trajectory that ultimately led to Robert’s confession at the police station.
In these chapters, the novel also perpetuates the theme of crushed dreams. Cloverleaf Books goes out of business and Charles Clover goes to prison, which was exactly the outcome he was trying to prevent when he murdered Alan. Susan never gets to head Cloverleaf Books, and she ultimately isn’t even able to work in publishing anymore. Nevertheless, however, she is able to make a new life for herself out of the wreckage left behind by Alan’s murder and the ways in which it upended her life. She starts over with Andreas in Greece, and although they have common everyday worries in their lives, they lead a surprisingly happy existence running a small island hotel. The twists and turns of the parallel storylines come to their ends, and the future is left wide open for new adventures and mysteries to come.
Unlock all 54 pages of this Study GuidePlus, gain access to 8,800+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
Related Titles
By Anthony Horowitz
