Series: The Detection Club #2
Publication Date: 14th
July 2025
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/CaseBodyOrientExpress
Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227744805-the-case-of-the-body-on-the-orient-express
Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery
3.5 Stars
One Liner: Nice!
Book Blurb:
Paris, 1928: Agatha Christie and fellow writer Dorothy L Sayers
board the Orient Express, bound for Constantinople. Christie in particular is
looking forward to a break from recent dispiriting events in both her work and
private life – the finalisation of her divorce from her philanderous husband
Archie, and the miserly reception of her latest book.
But before the duo
can settle in to enjoy the luxuries of their first-class journey, their journey
is derailed when a fellow guest drops dead during the dinner service. And as
the last person to speak to the victim, Dorothy finds herself a prime suspect
in his murder.
As the train
hurtles East, Sayers’ resourceful assistant Eliza and her friend Theo must
navigate a maze of suspects. But with each passing mile, the stakes rise, and
when another body is discovered, their search to find the killer before they
reach their destination becomes increasingly complicated.
Can Eliza and Theo
stay one step ahead, crack the mystery and clear Dorothy’s name? Or will this
be one journey too far for the amateur sleuths?
***
My Thoughts:
The story comes in third-person POVs of Eliza and Theo.
This is the second book in the new series, which has real-life characters and fictional ones. While the mystery is standalone, I think reading the previous book would help establish the base for character interactions.
The book takes a time leap,
which I did not expect, especially since the previous one ended on a
cliffhanger. Moreover, that element seems to have been brushed aside with just
a little mention! Maybe it will be taken up in the coming books.
It’s a small book, so I could
finish it in a single sitting. The mystery is cozy but with some high stakes,
as international criminals and MI5 seem to be involved. There are enough twists
to keep you hooked.
Dorothy and Agatha are good at
what they do, though we must remember that the book belongs to Eliza, who is a
bit too competent and a one-woman show. While I love competent heroines, I like
them better when they are sensible. Eliza seems to be multitalented, with the
only character flaw being too forceful and an utter lack of ability to see that
Theo loves her when the guy is pretty much holding a banner you could see from
the moon!
In theory, I like the contrast
between Eliza and Theo’s characters. He is the softer one, someone who faints
at the sight of blood and is a struggling writer. He has a good brain but
spends much time thinking about Eliza. After a point, I wanted him to stop it
and focus on himself.
The setting of the Orient
Express and other places is well done. The descriptions are just enough to
visualize the details without slowing down the plot.
Don’t skip the author’s note
at the end. It’s informative. I like how the author was extra careful and added
a large spoiler tag with the note. She discusses a few important events in the
book based on real incidents.
To summarize, The Case of the
Body on the Orient Express is a decent continuation of the series and works as
a light read between intense works. I’m hopeful it’ll get better, so let’s wait
and see what happens next.
Thank you, Rachel’s Random
Resources and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and
contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley
***
About the Author – Kelly Oliver
Kelly Oliver is the
award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica James
Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The Fiona
Figg Mysteries, set in WW1. She is also the Distinguished Professor of
Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Follow the Author:
Facebook: @KellyOliverAuthor
Twitter: @KellyOliverBook
Instagram: @kellyoliverbooks
Newsletter Sign Up:
https://bit.ly/KellyOlivernews
Bookbub profile:
@KellyOliverBook
***
This has been a stop on the
#TheCaseOfTheBodyOnTheOrientExpress blog tour by Rachel's Random
Resources (@rararesources). Thanks for stopping by!
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