The Case of the Christie Conspiracy by Kelly Oliver ~ Spotlight

Posted February 27, 2025 by karenbaron in Blog Tour, Contest - Giveaway, Spotlight / 1 Comment

The Case of the Christie Conspiracy

Series: Detection Club Mystery #1

Author: Kelly Oliver

Genre: Cozy Historical Mystery

Setting: 1926 London, England

Release Date: February 16, 2025, by Boldwood Books

Pages: 264

Summary:

Discover the delightfully gripping new historical mystery series that’s perfect for fans of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright and T E Kinsey.

Agatha Christie is about to embark on a new, gripping murder case. But this time, she’s not the author – she’s a suspect…

1926 – Christie is a darling of the literary circuit and the most desired guest in London’s glittering social scene. She can often be found at meetings of the Detection Club – where mystery writers come together to share ideas, swap secrets and drink copiously. But then a fellow author’s initiation ceremony takes a gruesome turn, and one of the group ends up dead. Now, Agatha is no longer just the creator of great mystery plots – she’s a player in one.

And when Agatha disappears the day after the murder, she’s widely assumed to be guilty. Only Eliza Baker, assistant to the Club’s enigmatic secretary, Dorothy Sayers, is interested in investigating the case. But in a world where murder is the ultimate plot device, can Eliza piece together the evidence and find the killer before it’s too late?

Excerpt

Eliza Baker tossed the book into the bin. She was no expert on detective fiction, but she knew the author was expected to “play fair” with the reader. And Mrs. Agatha Christie was not playing fair.

Standing at the stove, with one finger she tapped the side of the coffee percolator. Still warm. She lifted the pot and gently swirled. Not much left. She’d pour herself half a cup and save the rest for her sister. Afterall, Jane had made the coffee, not to mention, it was Jane’s percolator on Jane’s stove in Jane’s house. And although her sister insisted it was a “pleasure” to have Eliza living with her, Eliza couldn’t help but feel like a burden. She was the older sister. She should be providing for Jane and not the other way around, which was why she absolutely had to get this job. Hustling chess at the Gambit was not exactly a steady income.

On her way back from the kitchen, Eliza turned on the radio hoping to hear the news. Real news with real crimes. Not Mrs. Christie’s far-fetched, made-up crimes. Eliza didn’t enjoyed hearing about embezzling bankers or the latest natural disasters or starving orphans begging for bread—Not so long ago she’d been one of those starving children. But that was the past. The Great War had ended eight years ago and, in three years, she would be thirty and able to vote. She had an obligation to keep informed, not bury her head in some made-up story. There was enough murder and mayhem in the world. Why did those mystery authors have to go inventing more?

A man’s voice announced, “I’m broadcasting from outside the barricades at Trafalgar Square where thousands of protesters are demonstrating.”

A chilly draft blew in through the cracked windowsill.

About the Author

Kelly Oliver is the award-winning and bestselling author of four mystery series: The Jessica James Mysteries (7-book contemporary suspense); The Pet Detective Mysteries (3-book middle grade); The Fiona Figg Mysteries (9-book historical cozies).

The Case of the Christie Conspiracy, the first in her new series The Detection Club Mysteries just came out (February 2025).

Kelly is Distinguished Emerita Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. And currently, she is the Immediate Past President of Sisters in Crime. To learn more about Kelly and her books, go to her website.

Giveaway

Prize: A prize package/gift basket that includes my books and treats related to the books. This gift is US only.

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