Mystery
![Ann Claire - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_ann_claire.jpg)
Dead and Gondola: A Christie Bookshop Mystery (The Christie Bookshop Mysteries)
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.
"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.
Editorial Reviews
"A fair-play plot, vivid characters, fascinating facts about Dame Agatha, and an intelligent and appealing protagonist make this a winner. Cozy fans will chomp at the bit for more."-Publishers Weekly
Readers Top Reviews
K. Heslip
Cozy mystery indeed! The Christie Bookshop is just where I would love to be...nestled in a quaint Colorado ski village, full of books and a cat. But when a murder occurs, the Christie sisters believe it is their duty to solve the crime, just as Agatha Christie would have told. Meg and Ellie, and a whole slew of supporting characters are determined to solve the mystery of their missing employee and dead bookshop patron, who has left behind a first edition of an Agatha Christie novel that was penned under a pseudonym. There are so many nods to the famous author, although this was not annoying. It was actually done very cleverly. The characters, although there are many, are all likeable. This made for a perfect read as the weather changes here in the south. It made me long to be in a snow capped area and ready to solve a mystery of my own. I look forward to more installments in this Bookshop Mystery series.
JBJNYGRF
I like cozy mysteries, as well as Agatha Christie, so that caught my attention with this book. I really enjoyed the setting, as well as the bookstore angle. I enjoyed the characters, though there were a bit too many of them introduced at the beginning. The mystery is solid, though I did figure things out before the reveal. Some things did feel a bit too drawn out at times, but it was an enjoyable read overall. Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy, but I wasn't required to leave a positive review.
Paula
Dead and Gondola: A Christie Bookshop Mystery by Ann Claire is a good introduction to this author. This turned out to be a nice cozy story with engaging characters and a nice setting. When a mysterious bookshop visitor dies under murderous circumstances, the Christie sisters and their cat Agatha call on all they’ve learned about solving mysteries from their favorite novelist in this new series debut. The story seemed a bit long, though, and maybe not so many descriptions would have made the story read a bit faster. Overall, a nice cozy mystery and an author I would check out again. I rate this a 3.5 out of 5 (rounded to 4). #DeadandGondola #NetGalley @atrandom
marw
Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire (A Christie Bookshop Mystery #1) The Christie Bookshop is a special place. It has a grumpy cat named Agatha, it's at the end of a gondola ride, it has great book discussions, and it's a hub of gossip for it's little town. Ellie Christie is just back in town to help run the bookshop with her older sister. During a book club meeting a mysterious man hangs around in the store and being more than a little nosy, Ellie and her sister are fascinated by the elusive man as they follow his gondola car down the mountain in a car right behind him. When they see him fall down, dead as dead can be, do they assume he might have had a heart attack or some other natural cause of death? NO! OF COURSE NOT! They assume he was murdered, what very devoted Agatha Christie fan would assume otherwise? They are right, of course. After all, this is a cozy mystery and there is now a murder to solve. The story is charming, with likable characters. The wintery town has a lot of interesting folks and tasty foods are available, at home or at the shops and eateries. Ellie's family is adorable, with her teen niece and grandmother as sharp as tacks. And, what's this? A popular hunk from back in Ellie's high school days is showing interest in Ellie. Oh, and bookshop employee, Ms. Ridge, went missing at the same time that mysterious, now murdered man was in the store. This is a very pleasant story and I look forward to seeing what mysteries can be dug up to solve in the next book. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley for this ARC.
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter 1
A Perfect Day for Murder
I swung open the heavy oak door and blinked at the figure taking shape in the blizzard.
"What a perfect day for murder!" The woman strode into the Book Chalet, glowing like a summer sunbeam and a vision from the past. Feathers trembled atop her flapper-style beret. Pretty pin curls framed her face. Snowflakes swarmed at her sides.
I gaped, not at the greeting-that was perfectly appropriate-but at its giver.
Morgan Marin. The Morgan Marin, Hollywood legend known even to book-dwellers like me. Movies were nice, but they hadn't rendered me tongue-tied. Morgan had reportedly retired (once again) from acting. In its place, she'd turned her superstar dazzle to my beloved medium: books. Her online reading club, Shelf Indulgence, attracted tens of thousands of devoted bibliophiles, myself among them.
I'd been dying to meet her.
And here she stood, in the lobby of my family's bookshop in little Last Word, Colorado.
Morgan stomped faux-fur boots so plush they should have been hibernating. "You must be Ellie." She beamed at me. "The missing Christie, returned to the roost."
I basked in her glow, then remembered my manners and the door, still gaping as wide as my mouth. I switched to a giddy grin and shoved the door shut against suicidal snowflakes. Cowbells dangling from the door latch clonked, buying me time to formulate a sparkling reply.
"Yes," I said.
Hardly scintillating.
"That's me!" I added. "It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Marin."
I cringed. I'd gone too gushy. According to my grandmother, Morgan Marin wished to be treated like any other small-town neighbor. Essentially, she was. Unlike many of the vacation-mansion set who jetted in for weekend getaways in our remote mountain valley, Morgan had settled in Last Word permanently.
Morgan brushed snow from a long emerald coat cut like a cloak. "Please, call me Morgan, and the honor is mine. Your darling grandmother told me all about you. Traveling the world from Torquay to Tokyo on literary jobs? A Christie giving tours of Agatha Christie's hometown?"
I bit back my usual disclaimer. If Morgan had chatted with Gram, then she truly would know all about me. My resume, my favorite books, those wince-worthy cute grandkid tales grandmothers love to overshare. Morgan would also know that, sadly, we Last Word Christies had yet to uncover a genealogical link to our favorite mystery author. That didn't stop us from loving Dame Agatha like family.
"You've returned to run the Chalet with your brilliant sister?" Morgan patted her miraculously immaculate curls and hat feathers. "The era of the Christie sisters, how grand!"
My cheeks flared.
"It's my dream job," I said. Trite but oh so true. I'd had some great gigs since leaving home straight after high school. Like managing a beachside bookshop on a South Pacific resort island and leading tours of Agatha Christie's stomping grounds, Torquay. Most recently (and far less fun), I'd served as a private librarian for a persnickety antiquarian book collector in London.
It was there, feather duster aimed at a leatherbound Sherlock Holmes, that I'd gotten the call. Mom, informing me that she and Dad wanted to retire early and set off on their own book-inspired travels. They hoped to hand over the Book Chalet to a fifth generation of family caretakers: my older sister, Meg, and me.
"Only if you really, truly want," Mom had stressed.
If I really, truly wanted?
After the world's tumultuous years, I was more than ready to come home. I yearned to savor time with Gram and my niece, who'd somehow metamorphosized into a teenager in my absence. Most of all, I really, truly wanted to work with my big sis in my favorite bookshop in the world.
I'd been home for about three weeks now and was still pinching myself silly.
Morgan unbuttoned her voluminous coat. Layers of flapper silk glistened under lasso-length strings of dusky pearls.
"Amazing outfit," I said. Here I'd been feeling pretty put-together in my nice jeans, cable-knit sweater, and on-time arrival via the best commute in town, down the steep stairs from the loft above the shop.
Morgan shimmied, silk and feathers jitterbugging. "Can you guess who I am?"
I could. I'd bet my freshly minted library card that Morgan was the star of the day's book, The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie. "Emily Trefusis."
"Yes! Emily, amateur sleuth, at your service! Now, where is Ms. Ridge? Has she started yet? I brought props."
Ms. Ridge, our indispensable shop assistant, organized Mountains of Mystery. I hadn't been home for a meeting in years, but I knew Ms. Ridge op...
A Perfect Day for Murder
I swung open the heavy oak door and blinked at the figure taking shape in the blizzard.
"What a perfect day for murder!" The woman strode into the Book Chalet, glowing like a summer sunbeam and a vision from the past. Feathers trembled atop her flapper-style beret. Pretty pin curls framed her face. Snowflakes swarmed at her sides.
I gaped, not at the greeting-that was perfectly appropriate-but at its giver.
Morgan Marin. The Morgan Marin, Hollywood legend known even to book-dwellers like me. Movies were nice, but they hadn't rendered me tongue-tied. Morgan had reportedly retired (once again) from acting. In its place, she'd turned her superstar dazzle to my beloved medium: books. Her online reading club, Shelf Indulgence, attracted tens of thousands of devoted bibliophiles, myself among them.
I'd been dying to meet her.
And here she stood, in the lobby of my family's bookshop in little Last Word, Colorado.
Morgan stomped faux-fur boots so plush they should have been hibernating. "You must be Ellie." She beamed at me. "The missing Christie, returned to the roost."
I basked in her glow, then remembered my manners and the door, still gaping as wide as my mouth. I switched to a giddy grin and shoved the door shut against suicidal snowflakes. Cowbells dangling from the door latch clonked, buying me time to formulate a sparkling reply.
"Yes," I said.
Hardly scintillating.
"That's me!" I added. "It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Marin."
I cringed. I'd gone too gushy. According to my grandmother, Morgan Marin wished to be treated like any other small-town neighbor. Essentially, she was. Unlike many of the vacation-mansion set who jetted in for weekend getaways in our remote mountain valley, Morgan had settled in Last Word permanently.
Morgan brushed snow from a long emerald coat cut like a cloak. "Please, call me Morgan, and the honor is mine. Your darling grandmother told me all about you. Traveling the world from Torquay to Tokyo on literary jobs? A Christie giving tours of Agatha Christie's hometown?"
I bit back my usual disclaimer. If Morgan had chatted with Gram, then she truly would know all about me. My resume, my favorite books, those wince-worthy cute grandkid tales grandmothers love to overshare. Morgan would also know that, sadly, we Last Word Christies had yet to uncover a genealogical link to our favorite mystery author. That didn't stop us from loving Dame Agatha like family.
"You've returned to run the Chalet with your brilliant sister?" Morgan patted her miraculously immaculate curls and hat feathers. "The era of the Christie sisters, how grand!"
My cheeks flared.
"It's my dream job," I said. Trite but oh so true. I'd had some great gigs since leaving home straight after high school. Like managing a beachside bookshop on a South Pacific resort island and leading tours of Agatha Christie's stomping grounds, Torquay. Most recently (and far less fun), I'd served as a private librarian for a persnickety antiquarian book collector in London.
It was there, feather duster aimed at a leatherbound Sherlock Holmes, that I'd gotten the call. Mom, informing me that she and Dad wanted to retire early and set off on their own book-inspired travels. They hoped to hand over the Book Chalet to a fifth generation of family caretakers: my older sister, Meg, and me.
"Only if you really, truly want," Mom had stressed.
If I really, truly wanted?
After the world's tumultuous years, I was more than ready to come home. I yearned to savor time with Gram and my niece, who'd somehow metamorphosized into a teenager in my absence. Most of all, I really, truly wanted to work with my big sis in my favorite bookshop in the world.
I'd been home for about three weeks now and was still pinching myself silly.
Morgan unbuttoned her voluminous coat. Layers of flapper silk glistened under lasso-length strings of dusky pearls.
"Amazing outfit," I said. Here I'd been feeling pretty put-together in my nice jeans, cable-knit sweater, and on-time arrival via the best commute in town, down the steep stairs from the loft above the shop.
Morgan shimmied, silk and feathers jitterbugging. "Can you guess who I am?"
I could. I'd bet my freshly minted library card that Morgan was the star of the day's book, The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie. "Emily Trefusis."
"Yes! Emily, amateur sleuth, at your service! Now, where is Ms. Ridge? Has she started yet? I brought props."
Ms. Ridge, our indispensable shop assistant, organized Mountains of Mystery. I hadn't been home for a meeting in years, but I knew Ms. Ridge op...
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