Dead and Gondola
A Christie Bookshop Mystery
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4.3 • 10 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
In this series debut, a mysterious bookshop visitor dies under murderous circumstances, compelling the Christie sisters and their cat, Agatha, to call on all they’ve learned about solving mysteries from their favorite novelist.
“A fair-play plot, vivid characters, fascinating facts about Dame Agatha, and an intelligent and appealing protagonist make this a winner.”—Publishers Weekly
Ellie Christie is thrilled to begin a new chapter. She’s recently returned to her tiny Colorado hometown to run her family’s historic bookshop with her elder sister, Meg, and their beloved cat, Agatha. Perched in a Swiss-style hamlet accessible by ski gondola and a twisty mountain road, the Book Chalet is a famed bibliophile destination known for its maze of shelves and relaxing reading lounge. At least, until trouble blows in with a wintry whiteout. A man is found dead on the gondola, and a rockslide throws the town into lockdown—no one in, no one out.
The victim was a mysterious stranger who’d visited the bookshop. At the time, his only blunders had been disrupting a book club and leaving behind a first-edition Agatha Christie novel, written under a pseudonym. However, once revealed, the man’s identity shocks the town. Motives and secrets swirl like the snow, but when the police narrow in on the sisters’ close friends, the Christies have to act.
Although the only Agatha in their family tree is their cat, Ellie and Meg know a lot about mysteries and realize they must summon their inner Miss Marple to trek through a blizzard of clues before the killer turns the page to their final chapter.
Customer Reviews
Chilly & Cozy
“Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Christie returns to her hometown to run the family bookshop with older sister Meg in the absence of their parents. The Book Chalet sits atop the small mountain town of Last Word, Colorado, which is only accessible by ski gondola or one single road full of treacherous twists and turns. The shop’s endless bookshelves and mountain views are famous but play second fiddle to Agatha, resident cat and mascot. Up and down the mountain, all is wintery and quiet . . . until a stranger dies inside a ski gondola! The only two witnesses are Ellie and Meg who were trying to return a first-edition Agatha Christie novel he left at Book Chalet when he disrupted a book club meeting. When the police identify the victim, Last Word residents are shocked to discover the victim isn’t a stranger, and the list of potential suspects skyrockets. A rockslide prevents anyone from leaving town, but no one is talking. As resident booksellers familiar with the townfolk, the Christie sisters go to work, channeling their namesake and her beloved character Miss Marple. Their detective skills are quickly put to the test when the police take a closer look at some of their closest friends. Will the evidence condemn the wrong person, or is the murderer closer to home than first suspected?”
*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Bantam, an imprint of Ballantine & Random House, through NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
If you struggle with winter blues, might I suggest this cozy mystery and a piping hot mug of cocoa? I guarantee you’ll like cold temperatures and snow a little bit more by the final page . . . minus the murder of course! Last Word, Colorado, is a winter wonderland, and the Book Chalet is a reader’s paradise, owned by the Christie family and currently run by sisters Ellie and Meg under the watchful eyes of their cat Agatha. They didn’t choose the detective life, but it definitely found them. Some of the neighbors have affectionately dubbed their efforts as “Marpling,” for obvious reasons.
Their partners in crime-solving are their beloved grandmother and Meg’s daughter Rosie. Rosie is a teenager keeping the adults on their toes with her wit and tech knowledge. Gram is doing her very best to keep up with the times, though she often runs into the formidable foe we all know as “spellcheck.” She has texted “Huzzah is hot in loving” instead of “Lasagna is hot in oven” and “Deep veiled trombones” instead of “Deep vein thrombosis.” Don’t even lie, that gave you a good chuckle! Additionally, there are a number of colorful characters from the town, every single one of them possessing a clear cut personality and unique backstory. Everyone played their part well, and no one stood out for the wrong reasons . . . well, maybe the murderer, but you know what I mean.
It took me a few months to finish “Dead and Gondola”, but the blame falls entirely on my reading slump. In spite of all the false starts and long breaks, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Ann Claire’s first cozy mystery, which is a funny joke if you know she’s written others under different pseudonyms. There’s room for improvement in the sequel so I’m settling on a rating of four stars. However, don’t be surprised if I reread this in the future and bump that number up. I can’t wait for more of the Christie family and the Book Chalet and whatever else Last Word, Colorado, wants to throw at me!
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Content Breakdown: Alcohol, Attempted Murder & Murder, Blood, a Car Accident, a Concussion & Resulting Amnesia, Divorce (brief mention), Drugs & Drugging, Drunk Driving (brief mention), Exotic Dancers (brief mention), a Nightmare (brief mention & description), a Ouija Board, Poison & Poisoning (brief mention), Prison & Parole, Robbery, a Séance, & Suicide (brief mention)
Two briefly sensual moments: A romance book cover is described as a bare-chested duke & lusty duchess. When Meg & Syd hear mysterious moans & she wants to investigate, he suggests it might be a couple who wants to be alone.
An Entertaining Read!
A fun and entertaining read with likable characters and an adventurous story line. I loved all the references to Agatha Christie and Miss Marple.
If you love a good mystery and are fans of Miss Marple and Agatha Christie, then this book is for you!
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