Series: A Detection Club Mystery
Publication Date: 16th Feb 2025
Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery
3.2 Stars
One Liner: A decent start to a new series
1926
Eliza Baker has previously worked with the police. However, now she is forced to get a job as an assistant to Dorothy Sayers, the secretary of the Detection Club. Christie is a popular and regular attendee of the Detection Club, a place where mystery writers share ideas, swap notes, and enjoy their drinks. However, a writer falls dead during a meeting, and Christie disappears the next day. With too many clues and suspects, Eliza decides to solve the case and find the killer.
The story comes in the third-person POVs of Eliza and Theo.
My Thoughts:
Well, Christie’s eleven-day disappearance has been a thing of fascination for writers, readers, and the general public. There have been quite a few books based on this, and quite many conspiracy theories.
This book too uses the same event but tries to make it a part of the central plot. While using Christie’s name in the title and blurb is a good marketing strategy, the book, as such belongs to the main character, Eliza Baker.
There are various real-life persons in this one to the point where I decided not to bother cross-checking the details. Use them the way you want. I won’t complain for now.
I like and dislike the FMC. The positives are that she is not a silly fan wanting attention from her favorite author(s). In fact, she dislikes mystery novels and thinks the writers are annoying. The not-so-positive part is the so-called lack of social cues. It’s a wonder people actually answer her questions considering how she interrogates them as if they are hardcore criminals. It is supposed to be a part of her arc, which means it is a deliberate choice. I can only hope, she finds a balance at some point soon.
The mystery is pretty decent or as much as it can be with OTT suspects. However, I don’t think people would be so eager to answer the questions. Eliza only has to ask, and they tell her. Maybe make her work a little more.
Chess is another major element in the book. Eliza and Theo are both great chess players. It’s not necessary to know the game to enjoy the book. While there’s some talk about pawns and strategic moves, it is limited to what’s necessary for the plot.
The social conditions are also touched upon. We get a brief peek into the backstories of both main characters. There will be a love track too as it often happens in a cozy mystery series. The foundation has been laid with a good dose of suspicion, so the next book should be interesting.
While it hasn’t been promoted as a series yet, the way it ends makes the intentions clear. The cover does say A Detection Club Mystery at the bottom (in red), something I saw after writing this point.
The author’s note is informative and talks about the real-life events and people used in the book.
To summarize, The Case of the Christie Conspiracy is a decent new cozy mystery set between the World Wars. It’s a fast read and works as a palate cleanser. Nothing great but not boring either.
Thank you, NetGalley, and Boldwood Books, for eARC.
#NetGalley #TheCaseOfTheChristieConspiracy
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