Dead and Gondola

A Christie Bookshop Mystery

By: Ann Claire

Narrated by: Morgan Dalla Betta

Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

In this series debut, a mysterious bookshop visitor dies under murderous circumstances, compelling the Christie sisters and their cat, Agatha, to call on all they’ve learned about solving mysteries from their favorite novelist.

“A fair-play plot, vivid characters, fascinating facts about Dame Agatha, and an intelligent and appealing protagonist make this a winner.”—Publishers Weekly

Ellie Christie is thrilled to begin a new chapter. She’s recently returned to her tiny Colorado hometown to run her family’s historic bookshop with her elder sister, Meg, and their beloved cat, Agatha. Perched in a Swiss-style hamlet accessible by ski gondola and a twisty mountain road, the Book Chalet is a famed bibliophile destination known for its maze of shelves and relaxing reading lounge. At least, until trouble blows in with a wintry whiteout. A man is found dead on the gondola, and a rockslide throws the town into lockdown—no one in, no one out.

The victim was a mysterious stranger who’d visited the bookshop. At the time, his only blunders had been disrupting a book club and leaving behind a first-edition Agatha Christie novel, written under a pseudonym. However, once revealed, the man’s identity shocks the town. Motives and secrets swirl like the snow, but when the police narrow in on the sisters’ close friends, the Christies have to act.

Although the only Agatha in their family tree is their cat, Ellie and Meg know a lot about mysteries and realize they must summon their inner Miss Marple to trek through a blizzard of clues before the killer turns the page to their final chapter.

©2022 Ann Claire (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Dead and Gondola is a lighthearted, fast-paced cozy mystery with a cast of likeable characters. . . . Who wouldn’t want to ride a glass-domed gondola to a historic bookshop and cozy up by the fire with a good read?”—BookPage

“Dead and Gondola is an irresistible mystery set in a scenic Colorado mountain village, where the aspens quiver and locals shiver as the engaging and intrepid Christie sisters use sleuthing honed in their mystery bookshop to find a killer.”—Ellen Byron, Agatha and Lefty Award-winning author

“Dead and Gondola is a bookish cozy that soars to new heights. Featuring a family of sleuths who channel Agatha Christie, an atmospheric mountain setting, and a flurry of suspects, this series debut is not to be missed!”—Kate Lansing, author of the Colorado Wine mysteries

Great setting, blah read

Loved the idea of this book and the setting is dreamy, but it fell flat enough that I was never invested in characters or plot. Sure, it’s a cozy so no one is expecting a whooole lot of depth, but the characters are seriously caricatures (this is not helped by the narrator’s dramatic style). while I didn’t actually figure out whodunnit until the end, the why was still pretty flimsy after dun dun DUN (yes that phrase is overused in this book) The Big Reveal. I’ll happily keep the scenery and read a book with Glynis as the protagonist next time!

A snowy adventure for Christie fans

(Disclosure: I know Morgan Dalla Betta personally and bought the book because I love her voice) This was a great listen for doing projects. I’m a huge Agatha Christie fan so I enjoyed all the references to her books. The narration was warm and cozy - perfect for this book.

Great book!

Love this book! Great story and characters! Like the setting of a warm, cozy bookstore.

Excellent Road Trip Fare ✨️

I listened to most of this while on a road trip through the Colorado mountains, which is also the location for this cozy ski town mystery. The story is like a good snack food on a snowy day, and the narration is ::chef's kiss:: Already pre-ordered the next one!

Loved It!!

Yay! A new series to enjoy! I loved the Christie Family, especially Ms. Agatha herself! Great narrator, great story, well developed, really likable characters, good red herrings, great mentions of real mysteries written by Agatha and other famous authors, great setting. Even liked the police chief. Overall a great first book. I am getting book two next. 😊

Not for me

I realize that cozy mysteries are light hearted. However, the characters in this book are silly and are treating murder like it's a game. I just didn't like it.