Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge (Book Beginnings & Friday 56)

 

Title: Murder at Mallowan Hall

Author: Colleen Cambridge

Publication: 26 October 2021

Format: Kindle ebook

Amazon Description

The first in an exciting new historical mystery series set in the home of Agatha Christie!

Colleen Cambridge's charming and inventive new historical series introduces an unforgettable heroine in Phyllida Bright, fictional housekeeper for none other than famed mystery novelist Agatha Christie. When a dead body is found during a house party at the home of Agatha Christie and her husband Max Mallowan, it's up to famous author's head of household, Phyllida Bright, to investigate...

Tucked away among Devon's rolling green hills, Mallowan Hall combines the best of English tradition with the modern conveniences of 1930. Housekeeper Phyllida Bright, as efficient as she is personable, manages the large household with an iron fist in her very elegant glove. In one respect, however, Mallowan Hall stands far apart from other picturesque country houses...

The manor is home to archaeologist Max Mallowan and his famous wife, Agatha Christie. Phyllida is both loyal to and protective of the crime writer, who is as much friend as employer. An aficionado of detective fiction, Phyllida has yet to find a gentleman in real life half as fascinating as Mrs. Agatha's Belgian hero, Hercule Poirot. But though accustomed to murder and its methods as frequent topics of conversation, Phyllida is unprepared for the sight of a very real, very dead body on the library floor...

A former Army nurse, Phyllida reacts with practical common sense--and a great deal of curiosity. It soon becomes clear that the victim arrived at Mallowan Hall under false pretenses during a weekend party. Now, Phyllida not only has a houseful of demanding guests on her hands--along with a distracted, anxious staff--but hordes of reporters camping outside. When another dead body is discovered--this time, one of her housemaids -- Phyllida decides to follow in M. Poirot's footsteps to determine which of the Mallowans' guests is the killer. With help from the village's handsome physician, Dr. Bhatt, Mr. Dobble, the butler, along with other household staff, Phyllida assembles the clues. Yet, she is all too aware that the killer must still be close at hand and poised to strike again. And only Phyllida's wits will prevent her own story from coming to an abrupt end...

 

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

You may have figured out by now that I am a huge Agatha Christie fan. Perhaps even moreso than Jane Austen. I don't have any Jane tattoos, after all, but I do have Poirot, Marple, Tommy & Tuppence ... I think that counts as a win for Agatha.

Much in the same way that I spent years avoiding Austen "spin-offs" and "inspired by"s, I was a bit skeptical about Murder at Mallowan Hall. Maybe even more-so because they few that I have attempted so far have largely been complete garbage. This one, however, is so not. It is the story of a fictional murder investigation by the fictional housekeeper at the fictional estate of the definitely not fictional Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller Christie Mallowan and her also not fictional second husband, Max. It has been on my radar since before it was released and now that I have the second in the series waiting on my NetGalley shelf, I figured it was a good time to grab it and see if the second was worth the "Request Now" click.

I was hooked by the end of the first page. By the end of the first chapter I was seriously debating waiting to read the rest until I could have a hardcopy in my greedy little hands. I decided, though, to keep going with the ebook because, well, I didn't want to have to wait even for Prime's two-day shipping. It has been an absolutely crazy week at home and at work and my last attempt at a book was a bust (hence no Tuesday post), so I lost myself at Mallowan Hall whenever I could and, thankfully, had a significant amount of time to do so Thursday. 

I may not be able to wait until October to dive into the next one. 

 

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Friday 56 (share a blurb from the 56th page or 56% mark) is hosted at Freda's Voice 

& Book Beginnings (share the first few sentences) is at Rose City Reader