Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire is a cute, Christmas themed book that appears to be the most recent in the Christie Bookshop Mystery series. The family-owned bookstore in sky country is the center of the story. A death on the local ski lift begins the mystery this time. The story unfolds as expected so I skimmed the last 3/4 of the book. Enjoyable and predictable. You will like it.

I love Cozy Mystery books. So, I am happy to add this book and author to my collection of favorite Cozy Mysteries. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, I loved all the characters that make up the town. Thank you NetGalley and Bantam Books for allowing me to have a glimpse of this first installment of the Christie Bookshop mystery series. I most certainly will continue reading this series and recommend it to others that enjoy cozy mysteries. The murder/mystery was creative, kept my interest, and balances nicely with the introduction of the characters, town, and setting up the overall theme and feel of the series.

Dead and Gondola takes place in a town called Last Word Colorado. Ellie Christie is the main character along with her sister, Meg. They are the co-owners of their family book store called The Book Chalet. I adored all the literary references thrown into story. For instance the bookstore owners last name is Christie but no official relation proven to the Queen of Crime, the cat named Agatha and the many parallels and quotes sprinkled in. The story begins with book club gathering for a book discussion and a séance led by a retired hollywood star, who has a thing for the dramatics. A stranger walks in maybe lost but defiantly looking for something or someone. The stranger leaves the shop but has left his sachel behind. The owners cleaning up after the book club find it. They see the stranger getting into a gondola car. They get into the next car hoping they can catch up with the man to let him know about his satchel and book. When they get to he bottom station they notice that the man did not get out of the car. The base-station gondolier finds him dead and calls the police. Once we find out who the stranger really is the town is surprised. The Christie sisters spring into action to find out why the stranger is dead, where the missing book and sachel went, and why did their assistant disappear when the stranger showed up?

I can't wait to see what happens next in this series. Thanks again NetGalley and Bantam Book.

The title Dead and Gondola caught my eye before anything else. Once I learned it was the first in a new cozy mystery series I was sold. Elle and Meg run their family's bookshop the Book Chalet a three-generation bookshop set in a ski town. This book is filled with personality and lots of red hearings. Can't wait to see more!

Ellie Christie lives above her family books store with her cat Agatha. When a murder happens in their small mountain town, the Christie sisters feel the need to solve the crime like their favorite author. This book had a lot of Agatha Christie feels to it, and it was a fun read, but I felt that the characters kept getting confused due to the abundance of characters. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC. 3.5 stars

I love a mystery set in a bookstore, and this was no exception. The Christie sisters are running their family's historic bookshop, The Book Chalet, when a stranger wanders in acting, well, strangely. Later, this same stranger is found dead on the gondola, and the town is blocked in by a rockslide, meaning all the suspects must stay in place.

This was a fun read. I love the Agatha Christie references, and the workings of the bookstore itself. The Christie sisters are fun, engaging main characters, surrounded by a good supporting cast. The ending was really shocking, and I was really impressed the author went there as opposed to where I think some cozy mysteries might have played it out. I'm excited for the rest of this series.

Dead and Gondola by Anne Claire (A Christie Bookshop Mystery #1) 3 stars

The first book in the series about the Christie sisters that own a historic bookshop called the Book Chalet. The only way to access the Book Chalet is through a ski gondola and things start to go south when a recent visitor to their bookshop is found dead on the gondola. What follows is an entertaining first entry into the cozy mystery genre. Although a bit slow at times, the story had the necessary twists and turns to make it interesting. With fun references to Dame Agatha, I look forward to next book in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine for this ARC.

Sisters Meg and Ellie Christie are co-owners of The Book Chalet in tiny Last Word, Colorado. When a man accidentally disrupts a book club meeting and leaves a book behind, the sisters don’t think too much about it - that is, until he is found dead a few hours later in a ski gondola, the one right in front of the one the sisters are in. With the aid of the book club members, family and Agatha, the bookstore cat, the sisters use their detecting skills learned from years of reading mysteries to uncover the murderer.

Okay, this all sounds a tad, well, more than a tad, hard to swallow but that’s the thing about cozies isn’t it? Their purpose is to offer the reader a puzzle while entertaining them and Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire does this very well. The sisters are very likeable and there are suspects galore to keep you guessing throughout, If you enjoy cozies set in book stores with quirky characters, an interesting puzzle, and likeable and smart female protagonists, this may be just what you’re looking for.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review <i/>

Ski resort, family ties, bookstore, Agatha Christie. Well, Agatha Christie influence & appreciation. Agatha Christie trivia. A punny title. And a cat named, you guessed it, Agatha.

This is the first book of a new series that promises to be interesting and entertaining. Set in a mountain town in Colorado, it features the Christie sisters (no relation to Dame Agatha). They have recently taken over from their parents the management of the family bookstore, Book Chalet.

The sisters, Ellie and Meg, take a gondola to travel between the bookstore and their homes. The mystery begins when a body is found in the gondola next to theirs. Naturally, these mystery-loving sisters decide to investigate!

As the story progresses, someone breaks into the bookstore, a mysterious stranger appears in the bookstore during the book club seance (!), and one of the characters disappears.

This is a locked-room mystery in a way, because the only way in or out is to travel a twisty road down the mountain. Then a rockslide closes the road, leaving the community effectively sealed with a murderer in their midst.

The characters, which include the sisters, their grumpy cat Agatha, their grandmother and her baking, Meg’s teenage daughter, and Ms. Ridge, a longtime bookstore employee,are likeable. The story is charming and humorous, and, being a cozy mystery, not gruesome.

The strengths of this book are its appealing characters and its delightful setting. Agatha Christie references abound, including an Agatha trivia contest and the discovery of a book written by Christie under her pseudonym, Mary Westmacott. The story will make you feel all warm and bookishly fuzzy.

The plot drags a bit and could be tightened up. The mystery is not that difficult to figure out. But, all in all, I enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading the sequel when it comes out. Available now, ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ 1/2

My thanks to author Ann Claire, Random House, and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book. #netgalley #deadandgondola

What a quirky and fun mystery novel set in a ski town bookshop! This series definitely has the potential to be in the "cozy mystery" genre but it was so well written that it is a step above many cozy mysteries. I loved the connection that this new series has to Agatha Christie, but it is also wholly original. The mystery itself was not super dark and deep, but it was creative, intriguing, and not (super) predictable. I loved the setting of Last Word, Colorado and the fun dynamics of the Christie family. I can't wait to read future books and maybe get to know Ellie and Meg's parents a little more. A great winter read!

Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

DEAD AND GONDOLA has a super cute premise: Two sisters own a bookstore in the Colorado snow. They also just happen to have the last name of Christie, a cat named Agatha and a murder on the gondola. This is a story most Agatha Christie fans will love. It's a nice cozy mystery.

For me the whodunit was obvious and the plot fell flat. Interesting, yet boring.

Ellie and her sister, Meg, are fun, quiet characters, but something was missing. I think they needed more conflict in their lives - maybe even with each other. Of course, the argument could be made that most sibling relationships are full of conflict and DEAD AND GONDOLA'S sister duo's love for each other is refreshing.

A lot of cozy mystery readers will devour this book. The Agatha Christie references were fun. I LOVED the bookstore setting.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me an e-copy of DEAD AND GONDOLA to read.

I rate DEAD AND GONDOLA three out of five stars.

Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire is the first book in a new mystery series, and it is a lot of fun. The Christie sisters and their cat Agatha run a bookstore called the Book Chalet in their hometown in Colorado. Then one of their bookshop visitors dies under mysterious circumstances, and they decide to try to solve the case. This is a great cozy read, and I highly recommend it for mystery lovers, especially those who would appreciate the Agatha Christie references. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are mine.

I enjoyed this cozy, mildly entertaining mystery. I found the mystery to be rather guessable but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of it. Maybe I wasn't in quite the right mindset when I was reading, because I found it all a little silly, to be honest, and pretty skippable. But I did enjoy the atmosphere, a couple of the characters, and the descriptions of all the yummy baked goods. 3.5 stars

I am not a regular reader of cozy mysteries, however occasionally I get in the mood to read one.

Dead and Gondola is book one in what I assume is going to be a series of the Christie Bookshop Mysteries.

It was everything I was in the mood for. It takes place in a small ski resort town that you have to take a gondola to get to. Two sisters Meg and Ellie, with the very appropriate last name of Christie are taking over the family bookstore. Of course, there is a resident sassy cat named Agatha C. Christie.

Charming town, bookstore, finicky feline - everything I want in a cozy. The mystery was good, plenty of twists and turns. The perfect cozy winter read.

A lovely, enjoyable read. I received an ARC of the book.

The Christie sisters manage the family bookstore in a tiny Colorado town. A stranger stops by their bookstore during a book group meeting, and later he is found dead a the mountain transport gondola. Unfortunately, the sisters happen to be in the gondola behind his when his body is discovered. The sisters become involved in working with local law enforcement to sift through clues and help solve the mysterious death. Suspects abound, and suspicions shift as the investigation progresses. Aided by family members, Agatha the bookshop cat, and friends and clients, the sisters use their knowledge of books and mysteries to assume the role of Miss Marple and find the killer.

I read a lot of mysteries, and this one really threw me a curveball! I never guesses the perpetrator, which to me is a mark of a well-written mystery novel. The sisters and their friends are delightfully portrayed, and the wintry mountain setting adds an air of mystery to the story. I hope this is just the first in a series featuring the Christie sisters and their bookstore, which I would love to visit! The idea of the gondola transport up and down the mountain also added a delicious air of creepiness. Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries with cute animals and quirky characters will love this addition to their reading lists.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

When her parents decide it’s time to retire, Ellie Christie returns to the small town of her youth, Last Word, Colorado to help her sister, Meg, run the Family bookstore. The Book Chalet is located at the foot of a gondola and caters to Agatha Christie fans. When a newcomer to the bookstore turns up dead the eclectic group of crime solvers have a mystery on their hands. With a quirky set of characters, a charming bookstore and a cozy mystery to solve, this was a fun read. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

A little bookshop (with a cat!) in a small, snowy town that is suddenly filled with mysteries and murder??? Sign. Me. Up. I loved the sisterly dynamic of Ellie and Meg, the townspeople, and of course, Agatha the cat. This was a great cozy mystery without being too cozy.

I did not enjoy this book. I don't if it's the writing style or the characters or the mystery but I found myself not wanting to finish this book. I'm sure that it will appeal to others.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Ellie Christie is back home after traveling the world. She came back home to Last Word Colorado living above their book store - Book Chalet. Their little town is a Swiss-style village where you need to take a gondola up and down the mountain to get to each part.

During their book club, a stranger comes in and starts off a chain of events that include murder, a break in, and outdoor adventures.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and look forward to more books in this series.

There are two things that never fail to cause a book to grab my attention and get added to my TBR-- a punny title and a bookish setting and/or character. Dead and Gondola had them both, and so naturally I couldn't wait to read it. This book had all the makings of an enjoyable cozy mystery--- likeable amateur sleuths (the Christie sisters), a charming setting (a book store in a Colorado ski town), a cat and of course, a murder. Fans of Agatha Christie will definitely appreciate all the references as well. The mystery itself was perhaps a little bit slow moving for me personally, but it was an enjoyable read nonetheless. This is the first book in a new series, and a great introduction to it... I cannot wait to read more. If you're looking for your next cozy read, be sure to check this one out.

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Ellie Christie and her sister, Meg, run her family's bookshop called Book Chalet, in a mountainous and snowy tourist town in Colorado. Ellie is a huge Agatha Christie fan and traveled extensively after she left school working jobs in the book arena.

Ellie loves being back in the book shop. She enjoys the clientele and especially the book club with a group of locals. She lives in a loft above the shop with the family’s grumpy, long-haired siamese cat, Agatha C - for cat.

When a strange man stops in the shop and leaves behind his bag along with a special Agatha Christie book, Ellie and her sister see him getting on a gondola and they jump on the one behind him hoping to remind him he left his bag. When his gondola stops, he falls over dead. The sisters are shocked and the police step in to try and find out how he died.

I found this book to be too slow. The mystery itself is full of layers. This was an OK concept but, quite frankly, it made the book a bit boring. The characters are good and clean. I would love to live next door to Gram and sample some of her delicious-sounding food. Of course, my favorite character is Agatha C, the cat.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.