Rating: Very Good
Source: NetGalley
Description: Little Person author Zoe Zola believes that one of the unluckiest things in life is to receive an invitation—in the form of a letter edged in black—to an Agatha Christie symposium at an old Upper Peninsula hunting lodge. Her reluctance dissipates when she learns that the organizer is named Emily Brent—the name of a character poisoned by cyanide in Christie’s And Then There Were None.
As a dreary rain soaks the U.P., Zoe and nine other Christie scholars—each of whom bears a vague resemblance to one of the classic mystery novel’s characters—arrive at the lodge. At the opening night dinner, arguments flare over the experts’ discordant theories about Christie. Next morning, the guests find one particularly odious man has gone—whereabouts and reasons unknown. Such a coincidental resemblance to a work of fiction is surely impossible; therefore, it appears to be possible.
As the guests disappear, one by one, Zoe resolves to beat a hasty retreat—but her car won't start. She calls her friend, amateur sleuth/little librarian Jenny Weston, but Jenny will have to wait out a storm off Lake Superior before she can come to the rescue. If Zoe’s to stay alive to greet Jenny when she eventually arrives, she’ll have to draw on everything she knows about Agatha Christie’s devilish plots in Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli’s fourth tantalizing Little Library mystery.
Genre: Mystery - Cozy
Why I Picked This Book: How could I resist a cozy about an author writing a biography of Agatha Christe AND a retelling of one of my favorite Christie books?
My Impression: This is the third book I've read in this series and I really think that it's going stronger. The characters are a bit different from the norm - Zoe is an author that focuses on biographies of different authors. She loves her fairy gardens and there always seemed something a little dark hiding in her past. Jenny is a bit of a hand wringer and while she's very smart she tends to make rather terrible personal decisions. Jenny's mother Dora is frequently the voice of reason though she doesn't feature quite as much in this book as she has in the past.
This is the first book that has really taken place outside of Bear Falls and between the isolated location and the constant rain there's an oppressing eerie feel that runs through the book. While this series has never been a lightweight cozy the themes here seem a bit darker. We do get Zoe's backstory and wow is a backstory! I loved the Agatha Christie themes but think this would be enjoyable even if you're not a big Christie fan - though it probably is a bit more fun if you're familiar with And Then There Were None. This was a quick read and a compelling one at that. I enjoyed that other characters found Jenny's indecisiveness annoying at times and had no problem speaking their mind. I also really loved seeing Zoe more up front and center. She's a bit of an odd ball character and isn't always likable but I always find her interesting.
This is a unique series that is a bit quirky and a bit dark and one I always enjoy.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! I've missed a book in the series and I'm looking forward to catching up. I'll also be looking forward to anything new.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozies then I definitely think you should give this series a try.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
