"Last Word to the Wise" by Ann Claire is a delightful cozy mystery that plunges readers into the charming world of the Christie sisters and their quaint bookshop, the Book Chalet, nestled in the picturesque Colorado mountains.

Ellie and Meg Christie, while passionate about books, are less enthusiastic about their romantic lives, which seem to teeter between disastrous and nonexistent. However, when they reluctantly agree to participate in a bookish matchmaking endeavor, their sisterly banter takes a sinister turn as Meg's promising date ends in a chilling murder.

Suddenly thrust into the heart of a police investigation, Meg finds herself as the prime suspect in the mysterious death. As secrets unravel and suspicions multiply, Ellie and Meg embark on a thrilling journey to clear Meg's name. With their sharp wit and keen intellect, the Christie sisters navigate through a web of deceit, uncovering clues buried beneath the snow-covered landscape.

The novel is a blend of romance, suspense, and clever sleuthing. The intricate plot keeps readers guessing until the final pages, with unexpected twists and a plethora of suspects. As the sisters delve deeper into the mystery, the stakes rise, and the danger escalates, making for a riveting and immersive read.

"Last Word to the Wise" is a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries, offering a captivating narrative filled with engaging characters, an atmospheric setting, and a compelling whodunit plot. Ann Claire crafts a story that keeps readers guessing while delivering a satisfying and surprising resolution.

I just reviewed Last Word to the Wise by Ann Claire. #LastWordtotheWise #NetGalley

This series is checking all the boxes I need for a great cozy series. Great characters in a charming community, check. Main character owns a bookstore, bonus check. Clever storytelling and a solid mystery, check and check. Very enjoyable, and I love seeing the ways this town and character are evolving so far.

This is book two on the Christie Bookshop series, and the Christie sisters are embroiled in another murder mystery. I have really enjoyed this series! It might just be my current favorite cozy mystery series.

The setting is phenomenal! I love how idyllic the little mountain town with a gondola to reach the upper hamlet is. The characters are great. Elle and Meg are both very likable, and Agatha, the cat, is the star of the book, in my opinion. I can't wait to solve more mysteries with the Christies.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I am now officially invested in this new series! I enjoy the bookshop setting and the family/community interaction.

This was a charming cozy mystery, and I loved the bookish vibe throughout. While a couple of the characters were a bit over the top for me, all in all, I found it to be an endearing and enjoyable read.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

The Christies return with a new mystery. In this installment, the sisters are trying their best to avoid their cousin Lorna’s new matchmaking business, and Meg is worried about something going on with her daughter. Unfortunately, Lorna’s new business soon becomes associated with murder and accidents, with one of the Christie sisters as the prime suspect. Luckily, this provides Ellie with an excuse to spend more time with sexy detective Ibarra. Unluckily for her, another attack happens much closer to home. I wasn’t sure they were ever going to solve this mystery!

Like the first, parts of this book felt a little too “cozy” for me at times. I love the town of Last Word, and many inhabitants return in this sequel. I appreciate the lack of recap of events from the first book–Last Word to the Wise picks right up with a new story. Also, reading the first book isn’t necessary to enjoy this one.

I’m not sure I completely buy into the ending. Or really any of it, actually, but it was still a welcome break from some of the darker books I’ve been reading lately.

Last Word to the Wise is the second book in the Christie Bookshop Mystery series featuring the sisters Ellie and Meg Christie who own The Book Chalet bookstore in the Colorado ski town, Last Word. The novel is a very solid addition to the series, and the author does a great job fleshing out the characters first introduced in Dead and Gondola. The main character, Ellie Christie, in particular has a wicked sense of humor well worth the price of admission. Reading the first novel is helpful for background information, but not necessary. Last Word to the Wise begins in late January, and is the perfect mystery for Valentines Day, given that its focus is finding true love. The sisters have volunteered to be guinea pigs for their cousin Lorna’s latest venture, a dating service based on people’s reading interests. Meg is matched with the handsome and successful Joseph Darcy, while Meg is paired with a curmudgeonly English professor who reads nothing but books and articles by or about Samuel Beckett. The next morning after their dates, Joseph Darcy is a no-show for brunch with Meg. He is later found dead in the ravine below his rented home and Meg becomes the prime suspect. The book has a nice pace, and holds your interest, and my only real criticism is the fact that I didn’t find the mystery solvable with the clues we are provided. Nonetheless, it is still a fun read and I look forward to the next book in the series. 4,0 out of 5.0 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary advanced copy of this book.

Ellie and Meg Christie own a bookshop in a small Colorado town. When their cousin Lorna hosts a matchmaking date night at the store, things seem to be going well for Meg. Unfortunately, the next day the man she clicked with is found dead. There are many possible suspects as Ellie tries to investigate and get the attention off of Meg. A cozy mystery with heart and plenty of mystery book references, recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I adore this cozy mystery series. The historic bookshop in a wintry chalet is the perfect setting for winter mysteries. While this is book 2 in the series, readers can read this book as a stand alone! The Christie series are the bookshop owners who agree to attend a blind dating event; when one of the sister’s date goes surprisingly well but then he ends up being murdered that night, she becomes the prime suspect. I adore the amateur sleuth trope, and author Ann Claire does a fantastic job blending fun likely secondary characters, just enough suspense, and surprising twists to keep you engaged in the plot and unable to set it aside until you reach the ending! I actually preferred this plot more than Dead and Gondola and I hope the series continues!

The Christie sisters are one heck of a dynamic crime-solving duo that have a job that most of us can only dream about. Proprietors of the family owned bookstore, The Book Chalet, in what can only be described as the most picturesque of mountain towns, their inventory caters to all mystery fans, but they hold a special place in their heart for the queen of crime, Agatha Christie. As avid book lovers, they get roped into their cousin Lorna's latest career venture of bookish matchmaking that quickly turns into a date with death. When one of them turns into the police's prime suspect, the sisters must delve into an avalanche's worth of secrets to discover the killer.

Last Word to the Wise was such a fun, engaging mystery and pays respectful homage to the great Agatha Christie. The characters feel authentic and the witty banter abounds. Cozy up with this second installment to the series and you won't be disappointed.

I thoroughly enjoyed my second visit to Last Word! I love the strong female leads, cozy winter setting and the bookstore aspects of these novels. A couple of characters in this one were a bit grating (looking at you Dr. Waldon and Lorna), but overall I enjoyed this read and look forward to #3!

This second entry in Ann Claire’s charming Christie Bookshop series is going to appeal to those who are in the mood for a good cozy mystery with strong female leads - in this case sisters Ellie and Meg Christie (no relation to the real Agatha, though their cranky but lovable cat Agatha C. Christie is a fine substitute!)

This time around, Ellie and Meg’s pushy cousin Lorna has set the two up on dates through her latest business venture - a book lovers matchmaking service. Though hesitant, Meg ends up smitten with her bookish date, Mr. Joe Darcy, while unlucky-in-love Ellie politely listens to her date pompously ramble on about his adoration of author Samuel Beckett. Unfortunately, Meg’s love match is short-lived when Mr. Darcy is found murdered the next day, leaving her - the last person to see him alive - as the prime suspect.

As in last year’s Dead and Gondola, the Christie family: Ellie, Meg, Gran and Meg’s daughter Rosie, spring into action to investigate - this time to clear Meg’s name. Complicating things are some unexpected discoveries about the ‘good’ Mr. Darcy and the return of Meg’s ex and Rosie’s dad, Cameron. With a nice mix of new and old characters, there are plenty of potential culprits for those who love to armchair sleuth. My biggest issue with the story is simply that I couldn’t buy into the motivation for the murder. It was too big a stretch for me, but not so unbelievable that it would bother others.

This time around I read while listening on audio, which was nicely narrated by Morgan Dalla Betta. I think this is a series that would be equally enjoyable in either format.

It’s an admirable sophomore effort for a fun series that I would recommend to those who love a good cozy mystery. I didn't love it as much as the last book, but I'll still be in line for the next!

Love this second in the series! Really, it's the setting that makes me adore The Christie Bookshop Mystery series by Ann Claire. The little mountainside town with a gondola to reach the upper hamlet is just idyllic and a great spot for a few murders!! Once again, cannot wait for the next one to solve more mysteries with Ellie and Meg and hangout in their bookstore again.

Last Word to the Wise is OUT NOW! Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for my e-arc.

Things you need to know before reading the review:

Last Word to the Wise is the second book in the Christie Bookshop series. Last Word to the Wise can be read as a stand-alone book. But I suggest reading the previous book to understand the characters and their backstories.

Last Word to the Wise is a medium to fast-paced book. The pacing of the book suited it. The author was able to speed up and slow down the plotline without losing my attention or creating too much lag. There was some lag towards the middle of the book. But, it wasn’t enough to distract me or make me lose any enjoyment in reading the book.

There are no trigger warnings in Last Word to the Wise.

Sexual Content: There is no on-page sexual content in Last Word to the Wise.

Language: There is no graphic or offensive language in Last Word to the Wise.

Setting: Last Word to the Wise occurs entirely in the fictional city of Last Word, Colorado.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Ellie and Meg Christie are doing great as co-caretakers of their family’s bookstore in Last Word, Colorado. But, in the romance department, they could be doing better. Ellie hasn’t been in a relationship since before she moved back to Last Word, and Meg, well, she hasn’t been in one since she was stood up at the altar by her daughter’s father fourteen years previously. So, they reluctantly agree when their cousin asks them to test the water of her new business, matching people together due to their reading habits and tastes.

For Ellie, her date was a disaster, but she had been expecting that. But Meg, on the other hand, her date was excellent and a perfect match. But, when her date doesn’t show up for brunch like he promised, Meg figures he either forgot or ditched her. Well, as it turns out, it was neither. Her date had been murdered. Since Meg was the last person to see him alive, she is the prime suspect.

Determined to prove her sister’s innocence, Ellie digs into the victim’s background. What she uncovers shocks her and gives her a list of scorned lovers. Can Ellie prove her sister’s innocence? Can she figure out not only who killed the victim but why?

Main Characters:

Ellie Christie: I liked Ellie and how she supported Meg, even when all the evidence was pointing to her. Ellie was the main person who chased down leads. She was a great sister, aunt, and granddaughter. Ellie is also the main person who puts everything together (well, with the help of her cat at the end of the book). She did bumble through most of the investigation, but she also made some surprising connections between Joe’s murder and other townspeople.

Meg Christie: I like Meg. But man, did she have it coming from all sides. First, with Joe’s murder, then being told she was a prime suspect, and her ex (her daughter’s father) showed up. I was shocked that she didn’t have a breakdown. I also felt terrible that the first date she went on in years ended like it did.

Joe Darcy: While Joe was only alive for the first chapter or so of the book, his murder had a vast (and negative) impact on the Christie sisters’ lives. He was not a good guy. That’s all I can say about him without giving away major spoilers.

Secondary Characters: As with other books, the secondary characters supported and enriched the storyline. The characters that stood out the most to me were Lorna, Dr. Waldon, Rosie, Gram, Detective Sam Iberra, Sheriff Sunny, and Cameron.

Review

I enjoyed reading Last Word to the Wise. I enjoy reading cozy mysteries and have been drawn to them in the past year. There is something about reading a book about a closed-room mystery and figuring out who did it and why. And Last Word to the Wise pushed those buttons for me.

The main storyline is centered around Meg, Ellie, Joe Darcy’s murder, the police investigation, and Ellie’s investigation/quest to clear her sister’s name. It was well-written and easy to track, even when Ellie’s investigation went haywire. I was very surprised by who the murderer was, but I wasn’t surprised once I read that person’s confession. I was a little sad, to be honest.

The mystery angle was well-written and kept me on my toes while reading it. I went to the end of the book thinking it was one person and was surprised when it was another. It is challenging to get one over on me, mysterywise, and Last Word to the Wise did that. As I said above, I was surprised and then sad by who the murderer ended up being.

The end of Last Word to the Wise was interesting. The author wrapped up the main storyline in a way that I liked. She also left enough there for me to hope for another book.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam, NetGalley, and Ann Claire for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Last Word to the Wise. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

This second book in the series is easily read as a standalone but I predict you’ll want to read the first book as well. It’s a delightful return of sisters, Ellie and Meg Christie, the co-managers of their family’s amazing bookstore, The Book Chalet. Set in the Colorado mountains, Ellie and Meg get embroiled in their cousin’s latest business venture of matchmaking based on mutual love of books. The books have humor, homages to Agatha Christie, interesting characters, and a delightful premise. I look forward to the next in this series.

What a gem.

Both books in this series have been such a delight to read, this one being the better of two good offerings.

These are terrifically fun, light mysteries with excellent setting and great characters. They are significantly better plotted than most in this subgenre, making for a better story than we usually get out of these types of cozy-adjacent mysteries.

I also enjoyed the subtle humor and clever details, particularly those pertaining to the quirky bookshop that the sisters run. If only it were a real place one could visit!

The author has done really well making these into a tribute to Agatha Christie without trying to copy Christie, and she’s also done an exceptional job of putting together a terrific sense of place in a modern setting-driven mystery, which is difficult to do successfully.

The Christie sisters, Meg and Ellie, are coerced, cajoled, and heavily persuaded by their cousin, Lorna, to sign up for Lorna’s newest business venture – Bibliophiles Find Love matchmaking service. Both sisters dread a blind date but it’s for family. Ellie’s mystery date turns out to be mind-numbing bore while Meg is swept off her feet by charming, handsome, and successful entrepreneur/philanthropist, Joe Darcy . It all seems too good to be true and it is. The next day, when Joe doesn’t appear for a second date, the sisters find him dead at the house he is renting. Since Meg was the last one to see him alive (except for the murderer of course), she becomes the prime suspect.

Last Word to the Wise is a charming cozy that has a variety of characters, an almost magical setting, and a good mystery as well. But, I found the references to Agatha Christie a bit tiring, the behavior and personality of cousin Lorna (and a few others) irritating, and the entire premise a little over the top. But, it’s a cozy mystery and, in general, this type of book has characters and plots that aren’t always very realistic or even understandable. So, as long as the reader realizes that this book is a little unbelievable, then it will be an enjoyable read. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for the ARC!

“The Christie sisters and their bookshop cat, Agatha, flirt with coldhearted crime when bookish matchmaking turns into a date with death.”

Such a fun, cozy mystery. Love the nods to the great Agatha Christie!

When sisters Ellie and Meg Christie agree to be guinea pigs for their cousin Lorna’s new matchmaking service for bibliophiles, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Ellie’s date was a long-winded professor who spoke almost entirely of Samuel Beckett and dismissed Agatha Christie, Ellie’s favorite author. But Meg, matched with Joe Darcy, had a magical evening. Their dinner in the library was a night to remember, and after they had strolled off together, they made plans for brunch the next day. Meg was smitten.

But the next day when the time of the date arrived but Mr. Darcy hadn’t, Meg angrily swore off her quick attachment. Lorna was surprised that he hadn’t shown up and went to his house to find out why. Once there, she noticed things out of place and called Ellie to join her. Ellie agreed that the spilled wine from tipped glasses was unusual, and the fireplace tools scattered on the floor was troubling. But it wasn’t until Ellie looked over the back balcony that she saw the man’s body down toward the canyon that she got worried.

Ellie went down into the canyon to try to find out if the man was still alive, slipping a little on the way. Thankfully it didn’t take too long before detective Sam Ibarra showed up to help her back up to the house, confirming that the man was dead. As the police investigation heats up, Meg looks more and more guilty. After their dinner, Meg had gone with Joe back to his house. They’d built a fire and had wine, talking for a while longer before Meg headed home. At one point, she had broken a glass and he’d cut himself on the glass cleaning it up. That got his blood on her sweater. He had even shown her the view from his back balcony, so her fingerprints were out there as well.

Ellie knows that her sister would never have hurt this man, but who would have? He had seemed like the perfect man, a financier with a non-profit that encouraged kids to read. But was that really who he was? Or were there secrets in his past that could have caused someone to want him dead? Ellie knows that she has to look into the murder, but she won’t be able to put all the pieces together alone. It will take the help of her grandmother, the town gossip, a florist, a realtor, Ellie’s cat Agatha C. Christie, and the beloved books of Ms. Christie herself to figure out who the murderer is. But will she be able to let Sam know who the killer is before they come after her?

Last Word to the Wise is the second book in the Christie Bookshop mystery series, and I think this series is utterly charming in every way. The setting is fun, a fifth-generation family bookshop in a small Colorado mountain town. The characters are familiar but fresh, with family ties that make you wish for an invitation to Gram’s for dinner. And the mysteries have hints of Agatha Christie but offer lots of suspects and red herrings to keep you guessing until the end.

As soon as I saw that author Ann Claire had written another mystery set at the Christie sisters’ bookshop, I knew I wanted to read it. I loved the first book and wanted to spend more time in Last Word with these characters. This mystery threw me, thinking I knew who the murderer was until nearly the end, and I was wrong. It was a lovely surprise, although the clues were there for me to see had I been paying better attention. I am loving this series, and I hope Agatha Christie brings me more mysteries to read (that’s Agatha, the cat, obviously).

Egalleys for Last Word to the Wise were provided by Bantam through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I am obsesed with cozy mystery books and this series is no different. I love the setting being in a small town, bookish place with quirky townies.

We follow the Christine's as they find themselves in the middle of another murder mystery. I enjoyed the development of the romance with Sam.

Overall super enjoyable read to just relax and unwind at the end of a busy day.