Dead and Gondola: A Christie Bookshop Mystery by Ann Claire is a good introduction to this author. This turned out to be a nice cozy story with engaging characters and a nice setting.

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

The story seemed a bit long, though, and maybe not so many descriptions would have made the story read a bit faster.

Overall, a nice cozy mystery and an author I would check out again.

I rate this a 3.5 out of 5 (rounded to 4).

#DeadandGondola #NetGalley @atrandom

Cozy mystery that checks all the boxes -- likable, bubbly sleuth; cast of townspeople all "characters"; loving family with a Gram that bakes and cooks mouth-watering dishes; budding romance; set in a quaint ski village (complete with gondola as centerpiece; and of course a well-stocked bookstore in a chalet. Many silly nods to the GOAT, Agatha Christie.
Reviewed from an ARC.

What a fun “cozy” murder mystery! I’m still smitten over the name choices. I’m not very familiar with this genre, but Ann Claire may just change that.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to receive an arc in exchange for my honest review!

This was a cute cosy mystery that kept me guessing who done it until the end. The setting of a tourist ski resort town with a gondola to reach the village added to the charm. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book that I am voluntarily reviewing

I love a book that transports me with its world building and this one did not disappoint. I wish I could go visit the Christie sisters’ bookshop and explore their cute little town. This cozy mystery was a delight to read and I can’t wait for the next book in the series

Colorado, bookseller, snow-season, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, new-series, cozy-mystery, small-business, small-town, missing-persons, family-business, family, friendship, closed-circle-mystery, amateur-sleuth, witty*****

How does a man die of a stab wound a time after he entered a mountain gondola (seated, not a T-bar) alone? A man who is basically unknown (and without wallet and phone) yet was recently seen in the specialty bookstore? The resort hamlet is called Last Word, the family bookstore (The Book Chalet) is owned by the Christie family (no known relative), the new sheriff is a transplant from a no snow big city, and the wonderful bookstore assistant has gone missing. There are plenty of interesting characters, a twisty mystery, and lots of references to the great mystery authors of an earlier age. I loved this initial book in a new series (Christie Bookshop Mysteries)!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from the Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine/Bantam via NetGalley. Thank you!

A cute cozy mystery and the perfect way to escape the heat.

This is the first in a new series and I can't wait to read more!

This was a neat mystery. I loved the setting. In the dead of a July heatwave, I was offered a nice snowy mystery and I couldn't pass that up.

The Christie sisters (no relation that they've detected to Dame A) are owners of a chalet bookshop in Last Word, Colorado. All the cuteness evoked on the cover is inside. A mountain town, cute shops, a boutique hotel and a murdered guy on the funicular (for those The Labours of Hercules vibes. A storm cuts off the mountain town and so that whole sequestered group including the killer was just my kind of story to read.

For the most part, the mystery was well done of who killed the mysterious and pretty rude man on the gondola. The mystery of his identity and who and how he was connected to the people of the town was well done. Still, this did feel a bit overlong and sometimes overwrought. As cozies go, this one is a long one and honestly, there's no discernable reason except that descriptions tend to go on more than they need to. This could likely be edited down a good fifty pages and still give a good read. There are many twists and I enjoyed the characters in the town for the most part (except for Meg, she needs more patina as a character, she was a bit blank in comparison to others). I had a couple of annoyances with regard to the sisters as business owners when it was such a chore to find out the full name and date of birth of their employee who goes missing. Seriously how were they doing payroll without her legal name and date of birth? I know these little business foibles plague cozies but they drive me right up the wall and kill a bit of sleuth credibility for me. Anyway, I'm chalking this up to first book quirks and hope they're smoothed out for subsequent books. I liked all the puns and Christie book references but I have to admit it was slathered on thick. YMMV.

I'd read another in this series. Recommended,

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the Advance Reader Copy.

The first in a new cozy mystery series. Ellie Christie has returned to her family’s bookshop in Colorado. Soon after, a man ends up dead. She and her sister investigate to clear the name of their beloved shop clerk.

I liked parts of this mystery but there were times when it was slow. I think maybe future books will be better once the author finds her footing! I liked the overall idea though of an Agatha Christie twist.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a cute and warm diversion from dark suspense thrillers. I looked up cozy mysteries in Wikipedia and this seems to fit the bill – and not just because the plot takes place in a small socially intimate community and all the characters involve themselves in amateur sleuthing, but also because everything about this book is cozy – from the bookstore where a crime takes place to a gondola where a different crime takes place. Okay, I thought gondolas were uniquely Venetian, but now that I’ve read this book, and having popped over to Wiki, I now know that it is also a little transport bubble lift traveling up and down a slope on a cable. (I so absolutely contribute generously every year whenever that huge message comes on the wiki screen!)

It's like 100 degrees outside, so, I read this book about a crime committed in the little snowed-in Colorado resort town, Last Word, while curled up under my duvet with the air-conditioning blasting.

Ellie Christie has just come back to her hometown to manage the family bookstore, The Book Chalet, together with her sister, Meg. They are aided by her Gram (over there snoozing in the corner) and the faithful Mrs. Ridge, Meg’s daughter, Rosie, when she’s not at school or baking chocolate chip muffins with Gram, and their cat, Agatha. The Christie seniors have retired and gone off to travel the world, leaving their two daughters in charge of the Book Chalet. The Book Chalet boasts cozy nooks tucked in between twisty aisles of bookshelves stacked up the ceiling and overstuffed chairs to sink into and read. There is a glassed-in porch overlooking the snowy landscape and a snack bar of sorts. Once a week Book Chalet hosts a Book Club meeting, comprised of quirky Last Word locals including the town gossip columnist, a poet cowboy, and Morgan Maren, an insatiable reader who also happens to be a retired, bigger than life, stage and film star.

The mystery begins when Morgan breezes into the weekly book club meeting, bearing a Ouija board and announcing that the week’s meeting will include a séance, much to the consternation Mrs. Ridge. This spontaneous disruption of Mrs. Ridge’s organized plans has her clearly flustered. During the séance, Mrs. Ridge goes off to the kitchenette to make coffee. When the bell above the shop door tinkles. Ellie goes to see who is joining, but the intruder eludes her, slipping into the maze of shelves, then disappearing. Mrs. Ridge, too, has vanished.

The next day the intruder returns and this time is not only visible but has questions. He leaves his satchel behind where he was sitting and the girls, who have no idea how to find him, end up rifling through his bag. Although they discover no ID they do find a lot of scribbled post-it notes AND a first edition of an Agatha Christie novel written under a pseudonym – very valuable. The sleuthing begins, but before the investigation gets off the ground - they do, climbing up the side of the mountain slope in a gondola bubble (no raspberries, please) in a chase after their mystery man who they have spied climbing into a gondola bubble. Ellie and Meg race to catch the gondola behind him, hoping to catch him at the top of the slope. As they near the landing dock at the top of the hill the bubble suddenly stops and they are left to swing mid-air (you’ll never get me into one of those things) for ? – a very long time. When the gondola finally continues up toward the landing dock our amateur sleuths disembark their bubble to find a commotion waiting for them. It turns out that when their mystery man’s bubble docked, he was found murdered (stabbed in the back) – but how? No one was in the bubble with him. And, where is Mrs. Ridge?

So as not to give too much away, I’ll just say that there is a lot of baking and snooping and a little star-crossed romance. Our amateur sleuths are constantly stepping on the toes of the new chief of police (of course). Our famous actress has an annoying gold-digging brother. The dead guy turns out to be someone that could have many enemies in the town (what a surprise), there are a lot of suspects, another attempted murder, and even more shenanigans, before winding up with (what other than) another Ouija Board séance.

So much cute. So much fun. Thank you Corina Diez and NetGalley for inviting me to read this. I loved it!

Snow-covered mountains, expert ski runs and breath-taking views surround a bookstore, specializing in mysteries, tucked away into a Colorado hamlet. Add a seance or two, a mysterious visitor, a missing employee and a murder in a ski gondola and you have the elements of a good mystery. Add to this, cozy fireplaces, hot chocolate, and piles of books and you have a perfect cozy mystery. Ann Claire introduces the owners of the bookstore, the Christies, who investigate with skills learned from their namesake favorite author to solve both crimes. With clues and red herrings sprinkled throughout, the reader joins them in their quest. The wintry setting, an array of local characters and a love for books, along with a cat named Agatha, provide a delightful experience. I look forward to the next installment.

Dead and Gondola
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Picture this: it’s snowing outside, and you’re cuddled up next to a crackling fire. That’s exactly how I wished I was able to read this book, but I was very lucky to be able to read it before it’s release date in November.

Dead and Gondola is a cozy mystery that’s filled with the ambience of snowy days, cozy fireplaces, and bookstores and libraries filled with books.

Was this book cheesy at times? Of course! Was the reveal of who commuted the murder not very surprising? Absolutely! However, isn’t that what we love most about cozy murder mysteries?! This book was not my all time favorite, but it was still fun to read. I can see this being even more enjoyable on a day when you’re snowed in. Plus, here’s a few other notes on what made this an enjoyable read:

🐈we have a cat named Agatha Christie, and she is definitely main character energy
🐈you are able to learn some cool facts about the author Agatha Christie
🐈this book is filled with book lovers and bookstores and a library to die for!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Cozy winter themed murder mystery with nods to murder mystery queen Agatha Christie.

Ellie Christie, no relation sadly to Miss Agatha, has returned to her picturesque mountain hometown to run the family book store with her sister. Things quickly heat up when a mysterious out of towner winds up murdered after a book store's book club meeting complete with a séance. The Christie sisters, grandma, and other townspeople channel their inner Agatha Christie detectives to solve the case.

Very easy and cute read with a little bit of murder. Can definitely call several of the plot points while reading, but don't mind on a more lighthearted read. Did find the main characters' consistently referencing their love and channeling of Agatha Christie a bit redundant.

Ann Claire's DEAD AND GONDOLA was a fun, bookish cozy. For fans of bookstores, snowy days stuck inside reading, and stories that thrive on people's secrets and lies, this is the book for you. El and her sister, Meg, and her grandmother and niece--the Christies--make for a wonderful crime-solving team, and when they went "Marpling" I just loved it. Such a fun read, and I can't wait for the next book in the series!

(And as an aside, I'm probably supposed to *want* to shake Piper Tuttle, and that was very effective. I did want to shake her. Or push her down in the snow.)

This is the first book in a new series, and the author did a good job of setting it up. Ms. Claire has a way with words, and her descriptions of the area surrounding the bookstore is real enough that I could picture it in my mind easily. The mountains, the snow, and the cold are all visible in her words. It’s packed full of colorful characters. It was a fun, enjoyable cozy mystery. Just enough suspense to keep you reading.

Ann Claire's debut cozy mystery DEAD AND GONDOLA is set in fictional Last Word, Colorado, where literary references abound. Ellie and Meg Christie are the latest generation to manage their family's bookstore, the Book Chalet, having recently assumed the mantle from their parents now reading their way around the world. Although not related to author Agatha, the Christie sisters' lives are nevertheless shaped by the author's life and work. Christie fans will enjoy the Agatha-related trivia throughout the book.

Readers will get a better sense of the mountain skiing hamlet setting than the main characters, Character development of the sisters themselves, their family members, and local villagers, wasn't a strength of this debut, but there is room for that in future outings. Although there are suspects aplenty, avid mystery readers are likely to figure out whodunit long before the book ends. The bookstore setting was charming and provides a good foundation and foil for gatherings and creating intersections between the main characters, local residents, and tourists. The Christie Bookshop series has great potential, but this freshman outing didn't quite live up to the twist and turn writings of its namesake.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book! #netgalley #deadandgondola

So much fun! If you like cozy mysteries this is a series to follow. This debut was a delight; bookshop - cat - cute cover - fun writing - super characters to entice the reader - loved it!!!!!

I do love finding a new cozy mystery. They make a refreshing change from the heavier stuff I tend to read a lot of. When I see a cozy that's the first in a new series, and it's playing around with a funny, punny title, I just can't resist grabbing it! I'm happy I chose Dead and Gondola, as it managed to push so many of my 'cozy-buttons'. How many, you might ask? Let me count the ways:

~ A punny book title.
~ The Book Chalet, a bookshop in the snowbound mountain village of Last Word, Colorado.
~ The Book Chalet has an unusual origin story and long history.
~ The Book Chalet is home to Agatha, a loveable, clever cat named Agatha.
~ The Book Chalet's owner lives in a cozy loft.
~ The cozy loft is upstairs in the Book Chalet!
~ Agatha the cat loves to snuggle in bed in the loft over the Book Chalet.
~ Two sisters who get along and take care of each other. Surname? Christie!
~ A kindhearted, clever, extremely lucid grandmother who frequently bakes muffins.
~ A teenager who reads, bakes, doesn't angst much, is not having romance woes, and interacts gracefully with adults.
~ Neighbors who genuinely like each other, to the point of friendly competitions over who will be the first to shovel the snow off each other's walkways.

Another bonus for me - the storyline reeled in plenty of red herrings. I love trying to figure out everyone's angle on the murder, and I enjoy being challenged on that. Bring on the scarlet fish, I say!

The actual murder is in keeping with the light, gentle tone of the story. I like that the light and fluffy little village of Last Page is kept from simply floating away on its own niceness by two anchors - a hotel run by a secretive, put-offish owners, and an off-limits celebrity mansion that everyone craves exploring.

While I really loved the book, I do have one small criticism. The author indulged in some repetitive conversations, as info passed from one character to another. These conversations could just have been mentioned as having happened without going into details the readers have already heard before. Hopefully this tendency will be tightened up as the series progresses. I would like to stick with the good folk of Last Word, as I like them and their village, and I do love the Book Chalet!

My thanks to the author, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

This was...fine!

In recent years, I've found it difficult to consume a lot of cozy mysteries, as most often seem to sacrifice a good mystery or likeable characters for silliness and overdone attempts at humor. I was first drawn to Dead and Gondola becauses of the nice, wintry setting - a ski chalet turned bookstore in a small mountain town in Colorado, home to resident cat Agatha and the two Christie sisters who run it? Sign me up.

The setting was both unique and familiar, as anyone who's read Carolyn Hart's popular Death on Demand series will recognize some parallels in setup, if not geographically. There are lots of references to Agatha Christie throughout, in addition to the character homages.

This book sets up a series well, and that's great because otherwise the dump of characters might have been overwhelming! The writing is good, the protagonist never too silly or stupid; at one point she uses the verb "Marpling" and I had to chuckle. Her millennial struggles and sardonic humor are entertaining, as are the colorful regulars who frequent the shop, and of course the doted-upon cat Agatha.

I did find myself dragging my feet through the book. I think like many cozies, it was lacking anything to hook me besides a nice winter ambience and the usual cozy vibes; the mystery was not difficult to solve, and that often puts me off too. Three stars.

I didn’t like this book. I’m sorry, but it was just not for me. I had no motivation to read or pick up the book.
I’m just not a “cozy mystery” reader. Mystery, yes. But ‘cozy’ is synonymous with ‘cheesy’ in my mind. It was a quick read, but definitely not a favorite.
The mystery was lackluster and it seemed the whole book was just clever ways to reference Agatha Christie. I wasn’t impressed.