Dead and Gondola is the first in the Christie Bookshop series. Ellie Christy has recently returned to her family home in Last Word, Colorado, where she and her sister, Meg, run the family’s history bookshop, the Book Chalet. They are the fifth generation in the book business. They’re joined by Agatha C. (as in Cat) Christy, a cranky long-haired Siamese whose Instagram followers number higher than that of the two women. Last Word is a skiers’ paradise, being bought up by wealthy people and pricing out the old-time residents, creating a melange of movie stars, real estate entrepreneurs, skiing enthusiasts, and grumpy old-timers—and their ensuing conflicts.
A mysterious stranger enters the shop as a book club holds a seance re-enacting an Agatha Christy book, The Sittaford Mystery. He leaves suddenly and is later found murdered on a ski gondola. While in the shop, he leaves behind a rare copy of a Mary Westmacott, an Agatha Christie written under a pseudonym.
This is a cute book. Ellie is an appealing protagonist, and her family and friends feel lifelike, fun, and committed to each other and the town of Last Word. Agatha Christie books are a common denominator, and the conclusion even wraps up like most Christie books do with the suspects gathered together as El tries to get them to reveal their guilt. The ending has a twist that brings everything to an exciting climax. Dead and Gondola is the perfect book for a gloomy day or when you need a light fluffy read.
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Dead and Gondola (Bantam, November 1, 2022) is available through:
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