This was such a fun, enjoyable cozy mystery. Phyllida Bright is Agatha Christie’s prim housekeeper and friend at Mallowan Hall. Agatha and her famous mystery writer friends, the Detection Club, are throwing a Murder Fete featuring a short story competition for local amateur writers. On the opening day of the party, the vicar is murdered by nicotine poisoning. Other deaths soon follow. Who is responsible, and what is their motivation? Phyllida investigates in her own formidable fashion. There is a real “golden age mystery” feel to this story, not just because it features Agatha Christie and other real-life mystery writers of the early 20th century. It has twists and clues and even a method of murder (nicotine poisoning) that harken back to novels by Agatha Christie herself.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this novel.

This story takes place just a few months after the first book. A group of famous writers have gathered for a Murder Fete, and local writers have been included. The amateur writer with the best story will be awarded with the prize of being published in America as well as in Britain. At a garden party, the local priest collapses and his drink is found to be poisoned with nicotine. The next day, his cat is found dead, poisoned with arsenic from a cake. Phyllida guesses that the priest also ate some cake so had been doubly poisoned. The score sheets for the amateur stories have gone missing.

After a lot more investigating and snooping, the group and some servants are brought together and Phyllida runs through the clues and who the killer is.

I found Phyllida to be quite annoying in this book - she's always short with people and sticking her nose up in the air. The chauffeur tries to help her and she snubs him because he's not wearing a hat and gloves and has a rambunctious puppy. I think that eventually she'll fall for him.

I love how so many things happened in the book. I could not keep myself from the book because it was so good

I loved this book! I read the first book in this series and enjoyed it and I believe this one is even better. The main character, Phyllida is the housekeeper of Agatha Christie and is a true sleuth. The author cleverly weaves in information relating to Agatha Christie’s novels and her real life, Phyllida and her staff reminded me of the staff at Downton Abbey although the Mallowan estate is not as grand. The plot of an amateur writers club writing contest being judged by famous writers of the day ( Agatha Christie, G. K. Chesterton and Dorothy Sayers) and a mystery writers fete made the book so English. This mystery is very well written as you will be kept guessing who done it! I look forward to the next book in the series.

A fun period cozy mystery. I enjoy the characters and the setting, but I get tired of the author telling us about Phyllida and describing her rather than letting her actions give insight into her character. As with Christie's books, plot twists and clues are more important than people. Not great literature, but a series I'm happy to keep following.

Agatha Christie has a most interesting housekeeper - she runs a tight ship and solves murders. In this second of the series Mrs. Bright is tasked with finding who is attempting murder at a Mystery Writers fete (and sometimes succeeding).

I really enjoyed Book one in this series and Book 2 did not disappoint. This series is a lot of fun. The Detection Club is hosting a fete and a short story competition. The winning author will receive a publication contract and the competition is fierce. During the cocktail party a guest is poisoned. Phyllida Bright sets out to solve the murder with some help from the famous mystery writers. I really enjoy the setting and the characters in this series. The mystery was good and the solution made sense. I am looking for word to Book 3. Enjoy

1930s, England, sly-humor, cosy-mystery, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, poisons, situational-humor, relationships, domestic-staff*****

The cast of characters is award-winning all by itself! The finest of the first line mystery writers of the 20th century!
A "detection club" involving the elite of mystery writers are staying at Mallowan Hall (home of Agatha Christie). The entire staff of the Hall are involved, especially when the first death is a poisoning of the local vicar. By the third murder, Phyllida is at her wits end with all the suspects, red herrings, and plot twists. The characters certainly are, and the setting is classic of the time.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely read any others as they come along!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. While the second book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. Love this book! Agatha Christie fans should all enjoy this fresh take on that time and place. Agatha’s friend and housekeeper, Phyllida Bright, serves as both confidant, friend and home manager for Agatha and Max. She’s an amazing heroine and I love the settings. I can’t wait for more in this cozy series!

We are back with Phyllida Bright, Agatha Christie's friend and housekeeper. There is a Murder Fete being held in town with a story contest judged by the famous authors of the Detection club. At the opening cocktail party someone is murdered, and "accidents" continue to happen. Of course, Mrs. Bright is on the case! This was a delightful follow up to the debut and I am excited to continue in this series. It's a great callback to those classic murder mystery stories.

What a delightful installment f a clever series, and great to have Phyillda, back on the case. Charming, entertaining and suspenseful the story is vibrant an homage to the whodunnit. I’m talking up this title

“Father Veritas has become my favourite detective - after Mr. Poirot, of course”
“One would never know there’s murder in the hearts of everyone here”
Omg this book was AMAZING !!
Couldn’t put it down, not for one second!! The combination of real life mystery authors and fictional ones, all together for the “Murder fête luncheon / turned weekend” was something I expected would have interested me but not this much !!!!
The scenes, the plot, the mystery, the investigation and especially the character of this housekeeper, Agatha Christie’s best friend, Phyllida, being the only one who can actually solve it all … I am obsessed !!!
Despite this story being the second one in this series of mystery book I didn’t find any trouble in reading this one without the first experience but I honestly wanna check the first out too!!
I had such fun going through the story and the idea of it being in Agatha Christie’s house … yes please !!
“A dead body had been found in Agatha Christie’s library”
It was funny, entertaining and thrilling and getting all the clues together is honestly an hobby I love !!
The plot was of course very similar to one of Mr Poirot greatest adventures and I adored it !!! The mention of the original novels (The Murder of Roger Acroyd) and the original characters made me feel like I was back into those books and it felt like home !!!
I’m so glad I had the chance to read this book and I honestly hope for this series to develop and catch the attention of every historical fiction, mystery reader !!!
“Everyone knew that truth was stranger than fiction”
“We are dealing with murder writers, Bradford. Their plots are meant to be complicated”

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Books for my copy of A Trace of Posion for an exchange for an honest review.
Although I did not read the first book in the series. I was still able to follow along with the charaters perfectly. With a big thanks to the character relationships and dynamics being very established. I loved all the interactions between the characters and their own individual little plot lines. I will very much pick up the first book in the series soon and would love to continue the series.
We follow Phyllida Bright housekeeper to one of the greatest mystery writers of all time Agatha Christie try to solve the case of a murder mystery of a person who just happened to drop dead during a muder festival.I had a fantastic time reading this and loved trying to figure out who done it. It kept me guessing the whole way through.

This was an easy to read and enjoyable cosy murder suggestive of Agatha Christie’s best mysteries.
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
Reading this book felt like slipping on a comfy jumper. Warm and familiar- with the expected twisty murder, a range of eccentric suspects, everyone has a motive, lots of red herrings and a detective that doesn’t give up.
The mystery was complex, and I did not guess who the murderer was and the motive was ingenious.
Phyllida herself was an interesting Detective- unbending in her desire to help her employer even if it places her in danger, efficient and perhaps a touch unlikeable.
I liked how the author added diversity to the book without it being out of place for 1920s England.
I do have one very slight criticism- the use of the word cookie instead of biscuit (though I could be wrong and indeed they were eating cookies and not biscuits in the English sense).
Perfect for Fans of
Cosy crime

Such a wonderful setting for a murder mystery with a lively set of characters. Reminds me of an Agatha Christie novel.

A bit humorous at times and a mystery that will have you suspecting everyone at one point or another. Isn't that what an exciting mystery novel should do?

Loved it!

Recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for granting me a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

This is the second in the series starring Agatha Christie's housekeeper Phyllida Bright. Phyllida is Agatha's prim and proper housekeeper and friend who keeps finding herself involved in murder. This time the murder involves the whole household, a detection club comprised of mystery writers staying at Mallowan Hall, in town for a murder fete' and ametuer mystery writers coming to the fete' hoping to win a writing contest that will get their work published in England and America.
First a priest is poisoned while at the fete's cocktail party on the opening day, it looks as if he was not the intended victim. Then a car whose brake lines were cut hits a tree killing the brother of the suspected intended victim. And a third murder inside a church raises the already high stakes and adds more questions. Can hyllida help the bumbling detectives and solve this mystery before more bodies pile up?
This book has everything you would want in a historical who-dunnut, twists, turns, everyone is a suspect, and plenty of red-herrings to keep us guessing. I really enjoyed this second installment as well as I did the first and am eagerly awaiting number three! A fast easy read that will hold your interest, full of quirky characters whose interactions with each other are also very entertaining and somewhat comical. I recommend to all historical and cozy mystery fans.
Thank you to the publishers at Kensington Books and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

Deliciously Diabolical....
A deliciously diabolical plot in the second in this joyous new series featuring the eminently capable Phyllida Bright, sometime amateur sleuth and the housekeeper at Mallowan Hall home to, none other than the Queen of Mystery herself, Agatha Christie and her household. This time a Murder Fete attended by members of The Detection Club brings other renowned authors of Golden Age Crime into the mix, along with Christie herself, and a writing competition with an esteemed prize brings conflict and ultimately murder most real. Slipping easily into Phyllida’s atmospheric world the reader delves into a well crafted whodunit and a wholly entertaining plot populated with a well drawn, colourful and eccentric cast of supporting characters and told with both elegance and wit. So enjoyable that the reader will not want to leave and will eagerly be awaiting the next in the series. Christie fans will be sure to be utterly charmed

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Kensington Books and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Was the victim the intended or was another meant to be the true to be poisoned? What a whirlwind of a tale. Suspense, twists and a story to behold.