Dead and Gondola

Meet the Christies: Ellie and older sister Meg, who’ve recently taken over operating the Book Chalet mountain bookstore in idyllic Last Word, Colorado. Though they wish they were related to their beloved Agatha - they aren’t, but like her, they do love a good mystery! They’d prefer to be reading them, of course, but when a peculiar gentleman interrupts their book club’s re-enacted fictional séance looking for “Cece” and later winds up dead one gondola over from them, what started as the stuff of fiction becomes a real-life murder mystery for them to solve! 

With the loving support of their beloved Gram and Rosie, Meg’s wise-for-her-age 14-year-old, Ellie and Meg will consider the guilt or innocence of a host of Last Word’s bookstore patrons, friends and town visitors.  Ellie’s adorably grumpy Siamese cat, Agatha C. Christie, might even deign to offer a couple clues with the right amount of fishy treats and cuddles! 

Along the way we meet Morgan Marin, retired famous actress and her aloof assistant, Renée-Claude, professional gossip, Piper Tuttle, cowboy poet, Emmet Jackson, dependable shop assistant and bastion of knowledge, Ms. Ridge, her nosy neighbor, Glynis Goodman, gondola operator and mystery buff, Rusty Zeller and his outdoor adventure loving son, Syd, and Morgan’s half brother, Simon Trent. They all add a lot of personality to the goings-on!

Who did it and why? I recommend you try this charming debut, the first in a new mystery series, Christie Bookshop, to find out! It’s definitely a cozy, so no thrills or chills here, but you will find a very likeable pair of MC’s and an entertaining and eclectic supporting cast to enjoy. You’ll also find one of the most enticingly described bookstores EVER. Seriously, I want to go there! Grab your cup of hot cocoa, cuddle your cat or dog if you have one, and lose yourself for a few hours in snowy, beautiful Last Word!

★★★★ 

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam, NetGalley and author Ann Claire for the opportunity to honestly review this ARC. It’s now available.