Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire

Dead and Gondola

by Ann Claire

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.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

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I've been craving another cozy mystery series for ages (I'm going to blame Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series for getting me back in the cozy mystery mood). So when I saw Dead and Gondola, I knew I had to try it. This is the first novel in the Christie Bookshop series, written by Ann Claire. Brownie points for the punny title, naturally.

Ellie Christie has finally made her way back home only to find that things are not as calm and quiet as she had remembered. Or perhaps that's the recent murder making everything feel much more chaotic.

Ellie and her family run a sweet little bookshop named the Book Chalet. It even has a bookstore cat named Agatha. But when a customer is suddenly murdered, it will take Ellie, her sisters, and Agatha combined to solve the case.

“An active imagination was an occupational hazard of a life with books.”

You can't promise me a cozy mystery involving a crime-solving cat and not expect me to dive in with everything I have! But seriously, I've been looking forward to finding a new series such as this, so I was excited to give Dead and Gondola a try.

There is so much charm in this book that it may sometimes feel a bit stifling. Likewise, there are many delightful cozy mystery tropes, from the family that loves murder mysteries to the bookshop cat. It's all quite idyllic if you're willing to overlook the body.

I'll confess that the humor (okay, and the cat) enchanted me here. It was so refreshing to sit down and laugh while reading. Clearly, I've been reading too many dark books lately (is there such a thing?).

Let us not forget all of the Agatha Christie references – in case the description alone didn't make that obvious! You'll find plenty of little references, hat tips, and easter eggs here, so if that is your jam, you're in luck!

Admittedly, the pacing for Dead and Gondola wasn't perfect. Some scenes could have been cut out, making the novel shorter and with a more rapid pace. But all things said and done, it was still a fun mystery to read.

Thanks to Bantam and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 21 October, 2022: Finished reading
  • 21 October, 2022: Reviewed