My rating: 4 stars

I loved Dead and Gondola and was so excited to continue the series. The vibes of this book really put the cozy in cozy mystery. I want to take the gondola to the Book Chalet and snuggle with the infamous Agatha C. Christie.

Ellie and Meg find themselves in the middle of anther murder mystery in the mountain town of Last Word. After being set up on blind dates, Meg is the last known person to see the deceased. The next day Ellie discovers the body, launching Last Word into another whirlwind of crime solving. Ellie and Meg set out to prove Meg’s innocence and find the real killer.

The setting and characters are the highlights of this book. Ellie and Meg make great amateur sleuths and Gram and Rosie add the perfect amount of chaos and baked goods.

Thank you to Ann Claire, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Such an amazing reason! I.absolutely loved the characters and the wonderful story. Strong characters and a well written story. Five stars!

This is a wintery, bookish cozy mystery, the second in the Christie Bookshop series. Ellie and Meg Christie, are sisters and co-owners of their family’s bookshop, The Book Chalet, located in a quaint, small, mountainside town in Colorado.

The sisters joke about their terrible dating luck so when a cousin starts a literary dating service, they both join. Ellie’s date is as awful as she expected but surprisingly, Meg hits it off with her date. Unfortunately, when the too-good-to-be-true date turns up murdered, Meg is a suspect. It’s up to her and Ellie to find the real killer.

This contemporary cozy has such a fantastic sense of place - the town and the bookshop- I want to visit! I envy Ellie’s job running the bookshop, caring for the shop’s cat, Agatha C. Christie, and living in an apartment above the shop - perfect when you need a late-night book.

Even though this is book 2, and I haven’t read book 1 yet, I had no trouble following the story or characters. I loved Meg and Ellie’s Gram - her spunkiness and those delicious-sounding baked goods!

This is a love letter to Agatha Christie and her mysteries so definitely read if you’re a fan of fair play, intricately plotted cozies full of likable characters with richly detailed writing.

Last Word to the Wise
By Ann Claire
Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
Bantam
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
* Cozy mystery
This is the second book in the Christie Bookshop Mystery series, a new cozy mystery series. This one continues in the same lively, light-hearted theme, though I ended up liking it less than the first one.
A couple of things kept me from liking it as much as the first one:
1. Characters- some were irritating and annoying. I’ll let you decide which ones.
2. Murderer’s motive was a weak one.
3. Actions maddeningly illogical.
I liked:
1, last word is a charming bookish place. I would love to visit their bookshop.

3 star

I did not realize that this book would basically be a love letter to Agatha Christie. If there is one author that I cannot stand for being a horrible person, it is her. I did end up DNFing this book because I just couldn't bring myself to read anything further.

I'm sorry this one was such a miss for me as I do love a nice cozy mystery.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this e=arc in exchange for an honest review.

I will not be posting reviews outside of netgalley as this was a DNF.

Another cute mystery with the crew from Last Word. The bibliophile dating service was a bit cringy but in a good way! It definitely fit with the story and theme. I liked the way two new characters were introduced (the dad and the detective) and I hope we see more of Sam!

Last Word to the Wise is a cute, bookish cozy mystery novel; it is only book 2 in the Christie Book Shop Mystery series, so we are still getting to know all of the characters that make up Last Word, CO. Ellie and Meg reluctantly agree to participate in their cousin's new matchmaking business and wind up on a double date based on books. While Ellie's date is less than stellar, Meg is enamored of hers. Unfortunately, Meg's date is soon found dead at the bottom of a cliff. With Meg as a prime suspect, Ellie is determined to solve this case.

This series is still finding itself. It has a lot of potential to be a great cozy mystery series: a charming setting in the Colorado mountains, a set of likable and quirky characters, and an adorable feline; however, certain aspects just need to be ironed out more. For example, there is a LOT of repetition of Agatha Chrisite. I understand that this is the CHRISTIE Book Shop mystery series and Agatha Christie is their favorite author, but the continued honing in on that was a bit much for me. I also found some of the dialogue to be forced. Again, I think this will be a great series, and I will definitely be reading more.

I was fortunate enough to receive this book as an ARC from NetGalley!

The Christie sisters have dates with death.

Last Word to the Wise is about the bookshop owners, the Christie sisters, who get roped into a matchmaking service that matches you based on your book taste by their cousin. Meg and Ellie don’t have the best dating history but, Meg actually hits it off with her blind date. But this love story won’t end with happily ever after like the books. When Meg’s date is found murdered, Meg becomes the main suspect! Will the Christie sisters with their knowledge of Agatha Christie be able to solve this mystery and save Meg?

In my personal opinion, this book was a great mystery! I have read the first book in the Christie Bookshop Mystery and absolutely fell in love with these characters. So I was very excited to read the second book and it did not disappoint! I am a really big Agatha Christie fan and I loved all the references! This mystery is very easy to follow but still has good plot twists!

I would recommend this to those who love a great cozy mystery and are fans of Agatha Christie! Also, this would be a beginner mystery if you are just starting out!

Thank you to @netgalley and @PenguinRandomHouseBallatine for this ARC. Book 2 of this Christie Book Shop Mystery series. Lorna and Marigold rope the sisters into a double blind date to boost their new dating concept. Meg has a wonderful time and they plan to meet again in the morning for brunch. When Mr. Darcy is a no show, they investigate only to find he had been pushed off the balcony of the rental where he was staying. More unfortunate accidents start adding up, the sisters want to find the culprit before anyone else gets hurt. Another cute book in this series! #LastWordToTheWise #AChristieBookshopMystery #AnnClaire #Oct2023 #PenguinRandomHouseBallatine

Thank you so much Netgalley for approving me to read this arc in exchange for a review.
This was such a cute and fun read! Absolutely devoured this book.

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This series is as cozy as it gets! I thought the first book was an excellent start to the series, and I am not disappointing by the sequel!

It's still winter in Last Word, CO, the Mountains of Mysteries club is still going strong, and the Christies are still a magnet for puzzles & enigmas. Manu old faces show up, and we meet new ones too.

I loved the first entry in this series so I was excited for this one, and it did not disappoint. What a fabulous premise! It really drew me in to have Meg be considered a suspect. It was a treat to be in this story world again. The author does a wonderful job at creating a cozy atmosphere with lively characters and an engaging mystery at the center.
With a mystery, it's important to have a satisfying conclusion, and Claire pulls this one off with flying colors. Now I will be looking forward to book #3 in this delightful series.

Ellie and Meg Christie, sisters and co-owners of the Book Chalet, have been winkled into testing out their cousin's new matchmaking service. Ellie's date is odious, but Meg hits it off with hers - until it seems like he's stood her up for brunch the next day. Except it turns out that Joe Darcy is actually dead, and Meg is at the top of the suspect list.

This is the second book in the Christie Bookshop Mystery series, a new cozy mystery series. I read the first book, Dead and Gondola, a while back and really enjoyed it. This one continues in the same lively, light-hearted theme, though I ended up liking it a little less than its prequel.

I firmly believe that the small-town setting can make or break a cozy mystery series. We run into so many of the same characters repeatedly that it can wear if you don't like them. Luckily, Last Word is a charmingly bookish place, and I continued to enjoy reading about its residents. The central Christie family is close-knit and funny, and I would love to visit their bookshop. I even enjoyed the obligatory budding romance with the local police officer Sam!

However, a couple of things kept me from enjoying this book as much as I did the first. I thought a couple of characters, namely Lorna and Dr. Waldon, tipped sadly over the line dividing amusingly eccentric and truly irritating, which was annoying because they do surface rather often throughout the story. I liked the twists and turns of the mystery and how we were led up to the conclusion, but after all was said and done I found the murderer's motive to be a really weak one - and their actions therefore maddeningly illogical.

My Goodreads review from the first book:

“Oh gosh, I didn’t know I needed this book! It was a perfect, cozy mystery that had me wanting to be curled up on the couch in a blizzard reading — or living in a loft above a bookstore.
Ellie Christie and her sister Meg are running their family bookstore now that their parents have decided to travel. Ellie is back and living in the loft above the Book Chalet. She’s starting to get in the swing of things when someone is murdered on the gondola in front of her.
Ellie, her sister, niece and grandma insert themselves into the case to try to figure out what happened.
A lovely, cozy read”
That should give you a a little insight into how excited I was to read this book. The first book in the series kicked me off on my cozy mystery marathon last winter that I am just starting to come out of. The second book did not let me down. It’s been 90 degrees her in Minnesota, but this book had me wanted to be curled up with a hot drink at a cozy book shop, reading a Poirot mystery.

The Christie sisters are back at the wrong place at the wrong time, contaminating crime scenes and looking like suspects. Like most cozies, you have to suspend reality a little bit, but the writing in this cozy is adorable and the setting in snowy, mountainous Colorado is perfect.

There were enough characters to throw off who the killer might be, but also enough for it to come together in the end. I also enjoyed how many fun facts about Agatha Christie got sprinkled in and the nod to The Thursday Murder Club. I sure hope there is a third book in this series! Go read the first book before this one is released!

Cozy mysteries are my beach reads. I don’t read them often, but when I do they are as cleansing as a summer storm. Last year I stumbled across a fantastic read called “Death and Gondola”. Book two in the series releases this year, and it is even better than the first.

Our bookselling sisters, Meg and Ellie Christie, go on blind dates to support their cousin Lorna’s matchmaking business. The general idea is similar readers make great life mates. Meg’s date is Mr. Joseph Darcy, who seems a perfect match (as many people have claimed he would be). Following their perfect date, Meg gets stood up. Ellie and Lorna investigate, only to find Joe’s lifeless body.

I love the idea of being both inside the joke of the many literary references while still not knowing the final culprit. It takes a deft hand to pull this off, and Clare has that in spades. The supporting cast from the first novel return, with a few additions - including a new detective who may or may not be a possible future love interest. (Hoping the will-they-won’t-they will be part of Book Three.)

The only downside of the book is the introduction of a ghost from Meg’s past. (No spoilers, sweetie!) This character’s introduction was over-the-top and a bit obvious. Then again, considering I didn’t guess the killer, I guess I get half credit for seeing this part coming. Not all plot devices work.

I eagerly await book three and can’t wait to see what the Christie sisters get into next. Thank to NetGalley for access to the ARC. All opinions presented are mine and mine alone.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This is a great little cozy mystery. The story and progression of events were done well.

Release Date: October 3, 2023

📖📖📖📖

Sisters Ellie and Meg Christie share a love of books, reading, and their new roles as co-caretakers of the Book Chalet, their family’s historic bookshop tucked midway up a scenic Colorado mountain. But romance? That’s another story. Meg’s blind date is a book-loving romantic straight out of classic literature. Meg is excited for a second date—until she’s stood up without a word. However, her date had a good reason for ghosting her: He’s dead. Murdered, the police later confirm and as the last known person to see the victim alive, Meg becomes a prime suspect. To sleuth out the truth, the sisters must sift through secrets deeper than the February snowfall. Clues accumulate, but so do suspects, crimes, and betrayals. Ellie and Meg can’t afford to leave any page unturned. After all there’s a murderer trying to write the final chapter of the sisters.

This is the second in the #christiebookshopmystery mystery series. I really liked the sisters, who have a hilarious banter between them. This book is even better than the first and I really liked the first one! I can’t wait to see what the sisters (and Agatha) get up to next!

#lastwordtothewise #christiebookshopmystery #annclaire
#randomhousepublishing #ballantinebooks #bantam #cozymystery #bookreview #bookstagram #booklover #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #booktok #bookrecommendations #bibliophile #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookblogger #igreads #goodreads #bookclub #bookreviews #bookblog

Thank you Netgally and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This was a delightful cozy mystery book. With cozy fantasy on the rise, I personally feel that people have forgotten about the cozy mystery genre. This book is your perfect cozy mystery and second in the series. Both the sisters and the cat were adorable and I love the town they are in, especially with how bookish they are.

Fun exciting cozy! This is the second book in the Christie Bookshop mystery series. Love the cat! Ellie and Meg use a dating service that their cousin has started. When Men's date is found dead the next day, she becomes the main suspect but there are several more including Megs ex. Witty dialogue between characters. Story moves smoothly. Can you figure out whodonit? Thanks #Netgalley and #RandomHousePublishing, #Ballantine for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

I was granted a wish via NetGalley and was gifted the honor of reading Last Word to the Wise by Ann Claire.
Before I'd finished page one, I was already clicking my way to Amazon to purchase Dead and Gondola, the first book in the series.
Ellie and Meg Christie are sisters who are owners of The Book Chalet, a shop I'd love to visit.
Meg is a single mom, who's ex husband seeks out their child, and Meg becomes furious with him.
Ellie is mom to Agatha C. Christie, her cheeky four legged feline, who reminds me of our own cat.
Lorna, a cousin to the sisters, seems to believe she can make true love connections with a mutual love of books.
The only catch? She needs to use the sisters as guinea pigs, which sets the scene for murder, lies, cheating and deceit.
I was hooked on this book from the very beginning, snow storms, an evening walk to the library, a meet and greet with a deadly ending, and so much more fills the pages of this fantastic book.
Its not often that a book grabs my attention like this one did. The style of writing, the characters and their unique personalities, the humor, and the mystery itself sparked my interest from the beginning, and soon I was in Last Word, searching for clues while trying to put the story together.
I'm delighted to discover a new to me author, and I'm looking forward to reading the first book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my wish to read an advanced copy of Last Word to the Wise.
I look forward to recommending it to other readers.