| Title | : | Murder Mystery Book Club (Florida Keys Bed \u0026 Breakfast Cozy Mystery, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 180 |
| Publication | : | First published May 8, 2012 |
Originally published as The Agatha Christie Book Club by C.A. Larmer
Murder Mystery Book Club (Florida Keys Bed \u0026 Breakfast Cozy Mystery, #1) Reviews
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3.5 Cozy Stars/ Book #1
Entertaining, light cozy mystery!
The B&B setting was very appealing and the owner, Eva loves to read murder mysteries! She heads up a book club that meets at her bed and breakfast every Friday evening.
The book club is currently reading Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. She has a parrot named Poirot, that is a bit of a show-off!
Eva and her book club besties are soon on the trail of a real life killer when a dead body is found near the B&B. They need to investigate this because Detective Makos doesn't have a clue!!!!!! Which is a classic "cozy" component. Enter the book club sleuths.
As with most cozies, it is more about the charaters and community than the mystery. Read and listened via Hoopla! -
3+ out of 5 stars to
The Agatha Christie Book Club, the first in a mystery series published in 2017 and written by
C.A. Larmer. In this series debut novel, you'll find some of the charm in the traditional English cozy mystery novel mixed with modern day tools and techniques; a fine balance of the two with the potential to grow into a stronger series.
Why This Book
That's an easy question: I love cozy mysteries. I adore Agatha Christie. I won it on a Goodreads Giveaway. As I packed for vacation last month, this book arrived in the mail the day before the flight. I took it as a sign to read it on the trip, but devoured it before the plane even landed.
Plot, Characters & Setting
Alicia, bored with her book club, assembles an interesting cast of characters to fit the theme of a new book club in her small Australian hometown. She follows familiar Christie methods to locate the members and holds a traditional English tea party to kick it off. By the second meeting, one of the members fails to show. Alicia decides to investigate more about the missing member, quickly learning nothing is at it appears to be. Add in her attractive and single chef sister and six other quirky book club members, you've got various caricatures of Christie characters, all who seem to have a few hidden secrets. The missing woman's family doesn't seem concerned at her disappearance, but there are many conflicting stories about whether the woman truly was a kind housewife or a mean-spirited diva. One by one, Alicia eliminates her suspects until she determines who was behind it all from the very beginning, of course, in traditional Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple manner...
Approach & Style
I read the paperback version, a 270 page edition, in 3 hours at an airport and on a plane trip from NYC to North Carolina. There are about 30 chapters with each one relatively short at around 8 to 9 pages. It is written in third person point of view in modern times, focused almost entirely on the perspective of the main character, Alicia Finlay. There are a few small sections from the culprit's perspective, but only to help stir up some drama and remind us of a Christie story.
Strengths
The cast of characters is diverse, clear and consistent. I kept changing which one I thought was behind the disappearance, ultimately settling on the proper solution. The author has built in lots of Christie authenticity and connections, which helps you become immersed in the story. I like the setting, and it seems like a good starting point for a book series. Writing was simple and easy to follow -- no issues with voice, dialogue, description or narratives.
Concerns
The plot was a tad too simple for my tastes, but I know it was meant to incorporate a lot of Christie's characters and books as themes and reminders. It could have used a bit more substance and/or individuality to help it stand apart from other cozy mystery books and Christie-formula novels. I also felt it lacked enough typical setting descriptions to help readers feel as if we were there in Australia.
Author & Final Thoughts
This is the first book I've read from this author, but she has at least one another series about Ghostwriting mysteries. I will take a look at the descriptions to see if it is of interest. I'd read more from her as it was a good book to curl up with by a fire or on a plane for a few hours. Not a thriller or suspense mystery. More a cozy read covering interesting facts and plots about characters, authors and books that readers love to digest in quick sessions.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at
https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators. -
I have recently read and enjoyed this author's Posthumous Mystery series, but since there are only two books in that one so far I thought I would try another of her series. As an
Agatha Christie fan the title of this book sounded intriguing.
The story describes the experiences of the members of the Agatha Christie Book Club when crimes start to happen to them in real life and not just on the pages of the books they read. There is a disappearance, a hit and run, and finally an actual murder. Of course they feel obliged to help the police solve the crimes.
There are lots of references to Christie's many books throughout the text as well as links to her real life. The characters are fun and of course, as in all the best cosies, there is a romance and lots of food is prepared and eaten.
A fun book and I will certainly be looking out for book two very soon. -
Alicia Finlay was over the staid, rules orientated book club she belonged to; her decision to walk out left her feeling quite accomplished. Her next decision with the help of her sister Lynette was to create her own book club – The Agatha Christie Book Club – and she was quite excited about it. After all, bringing a group of like-minded crime buffs together could only be good.
Once her vetting of letters was done, Alicia had eight members (including herself and her sister) and was looking forward to the introductory get together where each person could meet one another and decide on the choice of AC mystery to read. But after only two meets, one of the members failed to arrive. So began a period of wondering where Barbara was, worrying that she had been kidnapped and worse. Alicia and her team started searching for clues; meeting with Barbara’s family and friends and generally channelling the famous Hercule Poirot…
When Barbara’s husband Arthur, who had proved to be a nasty piece of work, was found murdered, the plot thickened. What was happening? Where was Barbara? Had the worst happened to her as well? And who murdered Arthur? Would Alicia and her team of ACBC members solve the mysteries?
The Agatha Christie Book Club is a delightful cosy mystery by Aussie author C.A. Larmer and the first in her new series. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the book club members finding help in the works of the great crime writer, and turning into Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot themselves. A great, fun cosy which I have no hesitation in recommending. Book #2 here I come! -
From the moment Alicia Finlay walked out of her old boring book club and decided to start her own one concentrating on books she enjoys, it was clear this novel was going to be a lot of fun. Enlisting her sister, budding chef Lynette she soon finds six other interesting members who answer her ad to join the Agatha Christie Book Club. When one of the members disappears after their first book discussion, they suddenly find themselves asking what would Poirot do to find a missing person?
This was a very enjoyable cosy crime with lots of references to Christie's books and life with quite a few red herrings and clues to solve along the way. Apart from the sisters, Alicia and Lynette, the other characters felt a bit underdeveloped, but hopefully they will will start to fill out more as they appear in subsequent installments of this series. 3.5★ -
Eva Stewart, owner of the Keys B&B, was shocked at news of a dead body in the alley way between her B&B and the cottage she lived in. The police, led by a new city Detective, were all over, questioning her guests, herself and the staff. But Eva thought they were moving in the wrong direction. Her decision to involve her book club members – named the Murder Mystery Book Club – was a good one. After all, they read lots of mysteries so reckoned they knew all the ins and outs of investigating. And Eva’s uncle was a PI, so that gave her inside knowledge. But could Eva and her club, along with Poirot the parrot, find the killer?
Murder Mystery Book Club is the 1st in the Florida Keys Bed & Breakfast Cozy Mystery series by Danielle Collins and I quite enjoyed it. Light, entertaining with lots of fun – and a loud mouthed, mischievous parrot – I laughed aloud a number of times. I’ll definitely look at #2 in the series and recommend this one without hesitation. -
I'm DNF-ing at 15% and I'll give you three reasons for it:
Reason number 1 (The mild):"You have a pooch? I love pooches!"
"Yep, that's Max, the hungry beast."
"Max? Really? After Mr Mallowan?"
"You really are an Agatha expert. Yes, we did name him after Agatha Christie's second husband, Max Mallowan."
Exposition, anyone? No one talks like that. Seriously, no one.
Reason number 2 (The serious):"Perhaps that's why she never noticed the sudden roar of an engine behind her or the yelp of a passerby to 'Watch out!" as a car made its own beeline straight towards her.
Within seconds Missy was lying, twisted and lifeless in an open doorway.
The passer-by, an elderly gentleman with thick white hair and stunned wide eyes, would later tell police that the car accelerated, deliberately steered off the road and up onto the footpath towards the unsuspecting librarian.
Missy, who came to soon after with a raging headache and aching arm, would beg to differ. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time she told the cops."
Last time I checked, "lifeless" meant "dead" and I don't appreciate being lied to, especially by the omniscient narrator who wants to shock me for a couple of seconds.
Reason number 3 (The dealbreaker):"Missy was shaken but not stirred. '"It was all just a stupid accident,"' she told the police who had arrived soon after, followed by an ambulance.
'No, no, no!' cried the Korean shopkeeper. "Dwiver was out to get you!"'
[...]
"No, no, no P-plate!" said the Korean. "This person mad killer. Twy to kill this woman! Gangster maybe? Mafia? Black car always Mafia!" "
No. -
An interesting, light cozy mystery. I enjoyed the amateur sleuthing of the book club members.
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Yet another book that I have had for a long time and finally got to reading it. I wasn't sure what to expect as I had read mixed reviews, but I did enjoy it.
The storyline and characters seemed a little clunky, and I was annoyed by the outcome, but I think that was the intention all along (cannot say more without spoilers).
Alicia forms her own book club after a dismal taste of a 'literature' book club which she despises. Thrilled that she finds others who share her interest in Agatha Christie, they form an eclectic but enthusiastic ensemble. However, when after a second meeting one of the members mysteriously disappears, the group set out to solve the mystery.
I would give this 3.5 stars, and am interested enough to seek out the second book.
Also now published as
The Murder Mystery Book Club -
A fun, light, predictable book. Probably not for people who are not AC fans - do they exist? Lots of references to Christie books and some slightly strange characters. The food references made me salivate, but, alas, no recipes.
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Book 1 This book is set in Key west. Eva has a bed and breakfast she owned for 6 years. Her maids Elena and Benita were life savers. She even started a Mystery Book Club. There was a strange man a British Oliver that was a guest there. He was rude but there was a man that had got killed at the inn. She thought it might be Oliver but it was not. Another man was smoking a cig on the corner following Oliver. The Murder Mystery Book Club Cordelia, Eva, Willard Kay and her husband Pete were trying to look into the murder. Vicky a examiner doctor befriended Eva and became member of Book Club. Detective Jerome was new to Key West and did not want Eva help. there is a cute parrot that Eva owns Poirot. This book was ok. Likethe fact it was set in Miami
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Not really bad, but not very good either. The plot is quite implausible, but, as a cosy, I could have forgiven it for that.
But the characters are quite plain, the dialogues predictable and Claire's romantic interest in Anders is... frankly, quite vapid and superficial. And has as much spark as a lump of coal.
Not sure I'll be reading more by this author, tbh. -
Needed a little bit of editing here and there (a sudden change of POV was a bit startling, for example), but otherwise a quick and easy read. Loved all the tidbits about Agatha Christie, both her life and her books. Also loved how her life and writing was used in the plot.
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I'm rather partial to the cozy whodunnit and I've been a lifelong Agatha Christie fan. This tale, while not written by the great Dame herself, lends itself to her methodology of crime-solving and thus makes for a very interesting read with twists and turns that led to the truth in a roundabout way. It is also most unusual that it is set in Australia which I found quite novel.
Alicia forms the Agatha Christie Book Club with the intention of getting like-minded folk together to discuss Christie's works. Of course it's not that simple. One of the new members sudddenly goes missing amid indications that her 'cruel' husband may have done away with her, and the other club members decide to go above and beyond their call of duty to try and find her. It all looks pretty cut and dried, that is, until someone else is found murdered, then all bets are off. And of course some of the club members aren't who they say they are, and a couple even harbour secrets that might prove harmful if the truth were discovered.
I won't reveal more of this excellent story suffice to say that you will be pleased to get your teeth into this intriguing yarn and have fun trying to guess who the real culprit is as many come under scutiny as evidence - some real and some false -gets stacked against them. I think you will be pleased that C A Larmer successfully captures the spirit of an Agatha Christie whodunnit with aplomb. I will certainly be checking out more from this astounding author. -
Cozy, yes...Lifetime movie...yes...for me...not at all! I'm in the minority here, but it was overly done! At least the audio was!!!
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I really expected to like this book. It sounded like a perfect fit for my reading taste. I love cozy mysteries and I love Agatha Christie. A book combining the two seemed like a no-brainer. Sadly, I really didn't love this.
First off, these people are across the board not very likable characters. If I were part of this book club, with the way these people behaved, I wouldn't be in the club for very long. Honestly, their behaviour to one another felt a lot like going back to high school - sniping at each other, competing with each other, going behind each other's backs - considering they'd all barely met, who would put up with that? Not me, that's for sure.
And then there was the sleuthing. I am more than willing to cut cozy characters some slack for being buttinskies and sticking their noses where they don't belong, but the stuff Alicia pulled simply beggared belief! The number of times she managed to get people to talk to her and let her in to their homes after she accuses them of murder or other crimes just wasn't believable to me. I feel like people would have slammed their doors in her face at best, and punched her in her face at worst. I just couldn't buy that she would be able to convince people to continue to talk to her after a certain amount of accusing. Maybe it's me and that is normal behaviour that people will actually put up with over and over, but I couldn't buy it.
I give the author points for a clever connection between her story and Christie, which is all I will say to avoid spoilers. However, as annoying as Poirot could be at times, there was still a charm and quirkiness in his behaviour and approach that I always found endearing. That just didn't come across in this book's characters, most especially for me in Alicia. I found her strident, pushy and thoughtless and I just couldn't like or connect with her.
I won't be continuing with this series. Not for me. -
Not bad. Sue and the book club are acceptable though the book club itself didn’t do a whole lot of sleuthing together. Eva is a hoot😂😂 I think she’s the best character so far. Don’t like the love triangleish developing and hope it goes away. The mystery was pretty straight forward, nothing complicated and the resolution was pretty much the same. So a pretty light, uncomplicated read
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A cozy mystery that takes place in the Florida Keys. Cute, short read, but very superficial. It was still enjoyable however.
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Short read with lovable characters. Key West is my home away from home and reading this made me feel like I was there! Will definitely be reading the rest of the series
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This is a nice easy read with a plot that has a few twists and turns. If you are looking for a nice easy read, I recommend this one!
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I quite enjoyed this book but I found it a bit predictable, so for that reason only gave it two stars. Being an Agatha Christie fan the title of this book attracted me, so I downloaded it to my Kindle.
I felt a little disappointed at the anti-climax of Alicia's meeting with the missing lady she had been looking for. I could see what was happening long before the amateur detectives of the Agatha Christie Book Club. For someone who is an avowed Agatha fan, and who should have known something of the background of the author, I am surprised that Alicia Finlay didn't cotton on before she did about Barbara's disappearance. It didn't need a Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot or even a Tuppence Beresford to work out where she had gone and why. The clues were staring her, and us, in the face. It was obvious that the hydro referred to in the story was a spa and not a hydro-electric station. I hope by this review I haven't given the plot away too much but frankly, there isn't much to give away.
Real-life Agatha fans will nod knowingly early on in the plot and question the competence of Alicia's little grey cells. The subplots could have done with being beefed up, too. These criticisms aside, I really did enjoy the book but if there is a sequel, the author should make the clues harder, the characters more rounded and less like cardboard cutouts, and add some atmosphere. Just because it is set in modern day Australia rather than the England of the 1920s and 30s, it doesn't mean that it can't be atmospheric. The real Agatha Christie novels had all these ingredients in abundance, whether setting them in a country estate, a seaside boarding house, a nursing home, an archaeological dig or a London hotel. -
Alicia is bored with her 'literary fiction' book club and it's rules such as no drinking or food until after the book discussion. So she quits dramatically and, at the urging of her sister Lynette, Alicia forms a book club dedicated to her passion: mystery and crime fiction, specifically Agatha Christie. A motley collection of Christie fans responds to her ad, and the first book up is Evil Under the Sun, to be discussed at member Barbara's McMansion in a wealthy Sidney neighborhood. Odd events happen while the group is meeting there, but nothing as odd as what happens at the next book club meeting: Barbara doesn't show up and no one knows where she is or seems to care. Except the Agatha Christie Book Club.
Of course the members start investigating, applying the guidance gleaned from Hercule Poirot in various Christie mysteries to finally solve the mystery of Barbara's disappearance and a few other events. Many Christie works and facts from her biography are interwoven into the plot, to great effect, at least to this Agatha Christie fan. I also thoroughly enjoyed that this is set in Sidney in neighborhoods like Balmoral Beach and Woolloomooloo, and written by an Australian author, thus littered with Aussie slang like 'goss' and 'arvo'. It's a really nice change of pace from the usual British treatment.
I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more in the series. -
rather 3.5/5 - what a fun little cozy mystery - not a great suspense for me, I got the plot almost from the start of the club's inquest, however I did not find the culprit of the murdered husband -
the whole story was quite entertaining, each member of the book club has a story of its own, and it all fits nicely - they are all nice people (well almost all) - look forward to reading rhe next books in the series -
it's really a series for agatha christie's buffs
one tiny reproach = once in a while ms. larmer puts an australian slang word in a sentence, makes me think of andrea camillieri and his scilian idioms - that's why i'm only give it 3.5/5 stars intead of 4 - -
I am a sucker for a solid cozy murder mystery!! I went to the beach over the weekend and I really wanted to read something that would give me all the welcoming & restful beach vibes. I liked that this book was not too long, and it was just the perfect vacation getaway story.
I also admittedly found myself searching for Airbnb’s in the Florida Keys 😂🌴 I am excited for the second book! -
Eva is fairly wealthy, and she owns a B&B as something to do. Her favorite projects are refinishing guest rooms (which are known by the color), and the mystery book club that meets at the B&B once a week...until there's a murder in the alley next door.
Maybe it's just my perception. The crime happens right next to her building--I thought--but during the rest of the book, it "seems" to have happened farther away. Eva certainly isn't concerned for her guests. A really big fence? It doesn't say. Anyway, the murder is "exciting" for the mystery club, who are convinced that discussing a book over the course of several weeks (and their past reading) makes them crime-solving experts. Who are we to judge?
The side story involves Eva's somewhat vivid imagination and assumptions combined with cluelessness.
Ruben is Eva's long-time friend and carpenter; her redecorating partner. They have shared meals etc., over plans; no big deal. But Ruben asks her to dinner to a place she has wanted to go, and her reaction--in her head--is a bit over the top.
Eva's inner dialogue reminds me of a hysterical old woman who imagines detailed scenarios of terrible things that will happen to her. "I just know that a ruggedly handsome highwayman in a hooded cape, on a sleek brown horse, is going to stop here late one night and carry me away to his dark lair..." It makes me fear for her stability, honestly, and I like her less.
Then there are the times she "bites her tongue," knowing it's best not to say anything--such as to Joy--about her thieving proclivities. Really? It takes effort to not comment? It makes her sound snooty and condescending. Because although she shows compassion for Joy, Eva wants to correct her behavior by informing her it's wrong to steal. As if Joy doesn't know that.
Every time I started to like Eva, she did or thought something "off." She even wondered why the policeman asked "only her" to verify a photo, when she was the only person to have spoken to the subject. It must mean something!
Perhaps Eva is just a fantasy character. One with no current cares, but a (distantly) troubled past. A romantic figure stuck in modern Florida, when her soul belongs in another era? That makes more sense.
The mystery was fine, the story was okay, and I liked the medical examiner. As a cozy mystery, I give this...
3/5 Stars -
My usual and normal method of reading is not to read the reviews prior beginning a new novel and especially a new, to me, author. Saying this I did break my routine and noted several 'Goodreads' reviews. The word that sprung out at me was 'predictable.' Yes, it was, but, in my opinion it was more of a verbal guide to an incident that most readers today are not even aware of happening...
Eleven Missing Days in the true life of Agatha Christie. I knew vaguely of that occurrence, not any details. Being in ignorance, I began this novel.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I did have a bit of 'thinking' to do regarding the Australian slang words, unknown to me, but I substituted American words and was off to the races. I found myself liking the main characters, Alicia Finley, and her sister, Lynette. I was intrigued by the mixed group of fellow book club members found through the old method of 'mail.' The crimes that took place were easy to follow, but, taught me about a period of time I did not know.
People that know me, know that my Grandmother/Grandfather hosted The Christies during a filming of her book "Evil Under The Sun" in the British West Indies. My Grandmother took an instant 'dislike' of her. Thought she was 'above herself.' My Grandmother finally told me more but I'll save that for another review.
This novel was entertaining for me. I had no inclination to hold it up against the Queen of Mystery's novels. It was not written to be compared with her books. I suggest readers keep an open mind and approach this book with the intention of reading a good, humorous mystery that happens to be set around Agatha Christie's books. Enjoy! -
I am an Agatha Christie fan, which is why this book intrigued me when I bought it months ago. I recently got around to reading it because I was in the mood for a good mystery and it seemed it would fit the bill.
The premise of this book was promising and it did start off that way as well. However, early on, it became very jumbled. Part of this was due to the multiple ‘mysteries’ introduced. Another factor was the constant changes in the points of views. This was not a seamless change, sometimes occurring in the very same paragraph. So in some spots it was hard to keep up. The writing style also seemed to change in the middle of the book, to the point of almost being corny or juvenile. These were all adults but after about 25%, it read like it was for a younger reading age.
There were also red herrings galore, which is to be expected in a mystery. But even Christie didn’t have as many as this novel did in any of her novels. While I know this was done to make the mysteries more intriguing it came across as annoying after a while. The characters were all stereotypical archetypes. This made it hard to get to know or really like them. What few pieces of insight into their character that were shown seemed out of place when they were revealed and came across as trying to be filler. I am not inclined to read the rest of the series to see if these get further developed.
I’ve read far worse mysteries, but consequently I’ve read better. This was also a bit of a "meh" book for me. The big reveal at the end wasn’t that surprising all things considered especially with all the indicators throughout the novel. This is a book that I likely will not read again.
