What a delightful take on a mystery by the Queen of Crime that includes her in it! Amanda Chapman's novel includes "locked doors", poison and evil deeds along with quotes from Christie's writings. The other characters were perfect for carrying the story along, making it a fun weekend read.

I loved the quirky cast of characters in this murder mystery presided over by the ghost of the Queen of Crime herself. Agatha Christie appears in New York's Mystery Guild Library, shocking its book conservator and resident recluse, Tory van Dyne. Mrs. Christie insists there is a murder to be solved, and she turns out to be correct. Enter more librarians, a precocious Irish tween (and her dog), and a dishy NYPD detective, and the game is afoot! The mystery is nicely twisty and the characters are fun and memorable. I do hope for more from Mrs. Christie and friends.

Pros: I probably would not have selected this book if it were not for the Agatha Christie inclusion. All of the characters contribute to the story and are likeable. Chapman's descriptions of Tory's place, the Christie room, and the New York Public Library were excellent. I enjoyed the final twist on the murders. The book is a fast, easy read.

Cons: As much as I like the idea of adding Agatha Christie to the mystery, it felt forced. For the first few chapters, Tory refers to Ms. Christie as "the So-Called Ms. Christie." This irritated me for a reason I can't explain. I was glad when it was finally dropped. Throughout, Ms. Christie quotes from her books and each time, either Tory or Adrian point it out in a way that I found tedious.

Overall, the book is worth the read. It is definitely for cozy mystery readers.

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tory, a book restorer, residing in the top two levels of a family mansion that houses a private library discovers someone appears to be Agatha Christie in the library room that duplicates Christie's real library in England. Mrs. Christie claims to be bored in the hereafter and needs the stimulation of a good mystery. When Tory's cousin, Nic, a successful stage actress is traumatized when her agent is pushed onto the tracks of an incoming subway train shows up, the game is afoot. The ensemble cast includes a gorgeous detective, an 11 year old girl, library director Adrian, and a dog with the same name and look at the historical Agatha Christie's pub. Excellent mystery! I makes me want to go back read more Christie.

I actually found this book to be quite charming. I loved the characters and as an Agatha Christie fangirl enjoyed Mrs. Agatha inclusion in the story.

Oh dear, I now know how the murder victim on the Orient Express felt. First, the good. The Christie nuggets throughout and other mystery novel mentions are wonderful. Agatha’s character could have been a huge miss and is also wonderful…..
But, the first person is painful, the MC is painful, and the constant mentions of “my/our” family is/was so rich we can/did/do behave badly, absurdly, whatever is so out of step with the current world that it just reads as ghastly.

Thanks to NetGalley and the pub for an early peek.

Loved it! A fun homage to Agatha Christie. Tory is a reclusive book conservator at a mystery library in NYC who encounters a mysterious woman in the Christie room one evening at closing who has a strong resemblance to the Agatha Christie. And while it doesn't seem possible that a ghost has come to haunt the place, she is verry well-informed about poisons, motives and murders! This kept me turning pages and looks to be the start of a promising new series.

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.

This is definitely one of my absolute favorite books of 2025 and it is only March!