"Book conservator Tory Van Dyne and a woman claiming to be Agatha Christie on holiday from the Great Beyond join forces to catch a killer in this spirited mystery from Amanda Chapman.

Tory Van Dyne is the most down-to-earth member of a decidedly eccentric old-money New York family. For one thing, as book conservator at Manhattan's Mystery Guild Library, she actually has a job. Plus, she's left up-town society behind for a quiet life downtown. So she's not thrilled when she discovers a woman in the library's Christie Room who calmly introduces herself as Agatha Christie, politely requests a cocktail, and announces she's there to help solve a murder - that has not yet happened.

But as soon as Tory determines that this is just a fairly nutty Christie fangirl, her socialite/actress cousin Nicola gets caught up in the suspicious death of her less-than-lovable talent agent. Nic, as always, looks to Tory for help. Tory, in turn, looks to Mrs. Christie. The woman, whoever or whatever she is, clearly knows her stuff when it comes to crime.

Aided by an unlikely band of fellow sleuths - including a snarky librarian, an eleven-year-old computer whiz, and an NYPD detective with terrible taste in suits - Tory and the woman claiming to be her very much deceased literary idol begin to unravel the twists and turns of a murderer's devious mind. Because, in the immortal words of Miss Jane Marple, "murder is never simple.""

I think Mrs. Christie would warn Tory off a detective with terrible taste in suits.

Agatha Christie takes a field trip from the afterlife to help book conservator Tory Van Dyne solve a couple of murders.

Tory works at the Mystery Guild Library in New York City. The library was started by her grandmother who left the top two floors to Tory as her apartment and the basement as the workshop where she repairs old books. Tory suffered a trauma that has made her reclusive, but she is gradually coming to terms with the trauma.

One of the features of the library is a room set up as a duplicate of Christie's library in England. When her cousin Nic comes to her in distress after her agent was pushed in front of a subway train, Tory agrees to help her cousin, and she is aided by the appearance of a woman who introduces herself as Agatha Christie and who appears in the room set up as her library.

But Tory isn't alone in her investigations. The librarian who is a good friend of hers and who doesn't believe in ghosts is drawn in. So is an eleven-year-old neighbor who is lonely after the death of her mother. And so is police detective Sebastian Mendez-Cruz.

And it is a good thing they have teamed up because the agent is only the first death.

I really enjoyed the frequent quotes from Agatha Christie's works which make up a big part of the Christie character's vocabulary as well as beginning each chapter. I loved Tory's point of view. She has a really quirky sense of humor and a wonderful turn of phrase.

This fun mystery appears to be the first in a new series in which Agatha Christie helps modern day characters solve a crime. Tory Van Dyne is a member of a wealthy but off beat New York family. Tory, unlike her cousin Nicola, doesn't live in the family mansion but in the building left to her by her grandmother, that houses the Mystery Guild Library. Tory is an introvert who has still recovering from a trauma . She works in the library as a book conservator. One room in the Guild building is a recreation of Agatha Christies' library in her holiday home.
When her cousin Nic appears at her front door in tears. Tory's quiet predictable life is upended. It seems Nic's theatrical agent was pushed off the subway platform onto the path of an approaching train while Nic was with him. Accident? Nic doesn't think so. When another theatre person dies under suspicious circumstances and yet another almost dies, Tory begins to see connections.
Who better to help find the killer than Agatha Christie who Tory finds in the Christie Library room one evening. Agatha has taken a leave of absence from Eternity to lend her deductive skills to Tory and her small detective group _ one of whom is a real detective with NYPD.
This is a promising start to a new series. The characters are great and the plot, while convoluted in it's solution, is well paced. There's also a budding romance . The Christie connection will appeal to her fans as quotes from her mysteries are liberally sprinkled throughout.
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC.

The start of a new series of mysteries and thrillers, starring none other than Mrs. Christie herself. Except Mrs. Christie is a ghost in this book. Bored with her existence in the hereafter, she wafts into a library which is an exact replica of the one she used to have in real life. This one is in the Van Dyne mansion in New York City. Tory Van Dyne, yes, she's the daughter of the owners, works at the Mystery Guild Library, housed in said Van Dyne mansion. As the story progresses, there will be a murder (which may or may not have taken place yet) and in all her wafting about, Mrs. Christie did not come to the library with the clues to this murder. A rather strange group of people gather to solve two homicides. Tory's sister Nic, the Guild librarian Adrian, the Irish housemaid who feels the spirits, and the eleven-year-old computer wiz all come together to work out whodunit. Oh, yes, there is a detective and the family chauffeur also working to solve the mysteries.

MRS. CHRISTIE AT THE MUSEUM GUILD LIBRARY kicks off a delightful new mystery series by Amanda Chapman — and what a treat it is! If you’re a fan of classic Agatha Christie whodunits, this book is a clever, affectionate tribute to the Queen of Crime herself, complete with a ghostly Agatha lending a hand in the investigation.

The story follows Tory Van Dyne, a book conservator at New York’s Mystery Guild Library, who finds herself caught up in a murder case — with none other than the ghost of Agatha Christie guiding her through the twists and turns. The dialogue sparkles, the banter is sharp, and the cast of characters is absolutely charming. Each supporting player adds their own unique flavor to the mystery as Tory assembles a quirky little team of sleuths.

There’s a satisfying locked-room setup, a dash of poison (naturally), and plenty of clever red herrings to keep you guessing. It’s light, witty, and thoroughly entertaining — a cozy mystery with a supernatural twist that works beautifully.

I’m already looking forward to the next installment to see what puzzles this amateur sleuth squad takes on next!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book!

If you love Agatha Christie, I think you’ll love this book. Agatha is one of the main characters - very well written - and interesting to follow.

I found myself in a reading trance and could not put this book down! It was just the right about of humour and mystery solving for a lighthearted and easy read.

The Thursday Murder Club is at it again. All the usual charcters and their idiosyncracies. Elizabeth is grieving Stephen, but getting stronger. Joyce's daughter Joanna is getting married-the best man, Nick Silver vomits during his speech and with a clean shirt, seeks help from Elizabeth. He his found a bomb under his car and wants to know who the culprit is. Bitcoins, secret compounds and laughs and exciitement. Can't wait for #6!!

Those who enjoy cozy mysteries, are fans of Agatha Christie, are willing to suspend disbelief, enjoy lots of book references, enjoy accurate NYC locations, a murder and a good, fun plot will rush to buy Chapman's novel. I very much enjoyed it.

I loved the setting. Chapman has created a special library that features a replica of Christie's own library at Greenway. I wanted to go to this (imaginary) library set on Washington Square and spend the day. Glad I could do so virtually.

Protagonist, Tory has inherited the running of the library from her grandmother. She also is a book restorer. Tory has eccentric relatives, including her cousin Nic. Nic leads to Tory right into suspicious events and murder(s).

Speaking of eccentricity, how is it that Mrs. Mallowan (you should know who she is) is found sitting in the library? She very much wants to be involved in the events of this story.

Some suspension of disbelief is required but do this and there is much to enjoy here. I look forward to what comes next for this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

4.5/5 rounded up to a 5.

Con: It takes 8 or so chapters for Agatha's character to not be called the So-Called Ms. Christie. So I was ecstatic when that was finally dropped.

On to the positives, I enjoyed what is cited to be the first in a series. An interesting cast of characters from the main character Tory a book restorer to ultimately Dame Christie from the beyond. The book feels like a love letter to Christie's mysteries and the city of New York.

This is a solid start to a new cozy mystery series inspired by Dame Agatha Christie. Tory Van Dyne is a book conservator and comes from an extremely wealthy, influential New York City family. When a woman claiming to be Agatha Christie appears at Tory's place of work, she initially writes the woman off. However, when someone in Tory's orbit is killed, Tory and her friends lean on the mystery woman's knowledge of crime and poisons to solve the crime.
It features several charming characters, and the developing romance between Tory and Detective Mendez-Cruz is a high point of the book.

Tory Van Dyne has life all sorted. She lives and works at the Mystery Guild Library, a three story house in Greenwich Village left to her by her grandmother. She has no need for adventures or romance but wishes to be left alone with the psychological wounds of a past trauma. But, one day, in the Christie Reading room, a woman appears who claims to BE Agatha Christie and insists she will help Tory solve a mysterious murder. When her actress cousin’s agent is killed, Tory suddenly finds herself in a whole new realm of clues and suspects, guided by the mysterious “Mrs. Christie” and of course, a handsome police detective. Fun, humorous and clever enough to intrigue Christie fans and romantic mystery fans alike.

MRS. CHRISTIE AT THE MUSEUM GUILD LIBRARY is the first book in the brand-new Mrs. Christie Mystery series by Amanda Chapman. Oh goodness, what a fun read this was! If you enjoy Agatha Christie mysteries, this was a wonderful shout-out to the Queen of Crime novels and a chance to experience her as a ghost come back to help solve a crime. The dialog is witty, the repartee snappy, and the characters charming. Protagonist Tory Van Dyne is a book conservator at New York’s Mystery Guild Library. As Agatha helps her navigate investigating a murder, several supporting characters join Tory, each adding a delightful nuance to the story. There are twists along the way, a closed room crime, and poison, of course. I can’t wait for the next book in the series to see what happens next to the band of amateur sleuths!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First, an admission. I clicked to review this thinking it was a follow-up to another book I'd recently read where Agatha Christie was a very alive character set in her time frame. Imagine my surprise to discover that Christie, who actually plays a much larger role in this book then the one I'd read, is a, well, ghost. Oops. My mistake. One I'm glad I made. I found myself much more caught up in this story than I'd imagined I'd be and enjoyed it a great deal. Ghost Christie is still on top of her sleuthing game, not to mention remembers all her poisons well. She's someone I wouldn't mind knowing, even if I had to settle for the ghostly version.

I won't delve deeply into the plot. It's in that book blurb I neglected to read. It involves a ghost showing up in Tory Van Dyne's beloved Mystery Guild Library and saying she's bored in the great beyond and is there to help Tory solve a murder, one that hasn't happened yet. Unfortunately, whatever knowledge of the murder she may have had in the great beyond doesn't follow along to the library's dedicated Christie room. Of course, there's a murder. Next thing you know Tory and Christie are being joined by one of the most unlikely sleuthing groups you could imagine. There's Tory, of course, her quirky, self-absorbed socialite/actress sister Nic, Tory's snarky librarian friend, a poorly dressed (in Tory's opinion) NYPD detective, and, no lie, an eleven-year old computer wiz with a father who not only isn't fazed by his daughter's new friends but looks like Colin Farrell. There's even a romance brewing, albeit it's set on slow burn given Tory's own demons. As for the spirited Christie, who is visible to all and quite physically there, she's both listener and sharer of info, not to mention quotes from her books.

That's all I'm saying other than, no surprise, there's another murder. Nic seems to be a likely target and, surprisingly, shows a side of her that hasn't really been visible until near the end. I liked these quirky, less than perfect characters. Heck, even the wealthy Van Dyne family's chauffeur is personable,. As for Agatha Christie, let's face it, while unsure of who she is, all the others find her quite comforting with her ability to listen and offer concern. The setting was fun, both the library room created to mirror Christie's real-life office, and the New York setting added fun as we tackle how to get around in one of the most crowed cities in the world. You'll even get to meet library "cats" Patience and Fortitude. If you don't know about them, you will when you finish. Thanks to #BerkleyPublishingGroup for giving me this unexpectedly delightful early look. Hoping this is the start of a series. Well done!

The following review was posted on Goodreads on 06.04.25:

I've really been digging funny, lighthearted mysteries lately. MRS. CHRISTIE AT THE MYSTERY GUILD LIBRARY is just such a novel. It's fun, entertaining, and enjoyable. Not only is the book's premise delightful, but the main characters are interesting and appealing; the plot is complex and twisty; and the prose is upbeat and clever. Add to all that a delicious bookishness that speaks right to my nerdy, mystery-loving heart and, well, you can see why I found this novel so pleasing.

My one complaint with MRS. CHRISTIE AT THE MYSTERY GUILD LIBRARY is that there are A LOT of characters to keep track of as well as quite a bit of extraneous details. This made the tale a tad confusing for me at first. It also makes the novel lengthier than it needs to be at 368 pages. In spite of this, I was never bored with the book. I wouldn't exactly call it a page turner, but it's definitely engrossing and engaging. A little word snipping would have served it well, though. Even still, I really enjoyed this one. I look forward to the next adventure with the enigmatic Mrs. Christie and her NYC sleuthing pals.

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), violence, and depictions of illegal drug use

A book conservator from a socialite family, her aspiring actress cousin, a precocious 11 year old, a NYPD detective, a very exacting librarian, and the ghost of Agatha Christie team up to solve a murder, which is quickly followed by another, and a couple attempts at murder. Chock full of references to both haute couture and Christie novels, this is a fun ride (even if the reader picks up on some of the things our sleuths miss).

I absolutely loved this magical cozy mystery with Agatha Christie as a main character. I loved the setting of Washington Square, and given the magical realism element to the plot, it made the setting seem quite magical as well. As a huge Christie fan, I appreciated how the author wove the quotes and elements from books and stories into this novel. The mystery itself was intriguing and well-plotted. I thought this book was brilliant, and I would love to see a sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and what a treat for fans of Agatha Christie! A great cast of characters including Broadway actresses, eccentric relatives, New York ladies who lunch, and sociopaths. Fingers crossed it will be the start of a new series.

I absolutely fell in love with this book. I do hope it starts a series. I am a big Agatha Christie fan, but not as much as some. I loved the whole Library and Mrs Christie, the mystery, the characters. But I have to say my absolute favorite character is Mairead!!!

“Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library” by Amanda Chapman is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Ms. Chapman did a wonderful job of blending mystery and paranormal. Hopefully there will be more meetings of Agatha, Inc. and we can tag along with Tory and company.

Once I got past the rather pedantic beginning, I thought it was a pretty good mystery with the twist of making a long-dead favored author a very active character. It just didn't make it to the top of my list the way I had expected, even though it is set in NYC.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected digital proof from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. Pub Date Aug 26, 2025 #debutnovel #cozymystery
#MrsChristieattheMysteryGuildLibrary by @amandachapmanauthor #MrsChristieBk1 #NetGalley @berkleypub #berkleybookstagram #dameAgatha #librarymuseum #ghost #nyc #sleuthing