Murder by Invitation Only
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4.5 • 33 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Agatha Christie’s ever-capable housekeeper, Phyllida Bright, not only keeps the celebrated author’s English country home in tip-top shape, she excels as an amateur sleuth. But when a murder-themed game goes awry, can she outfox the guilty party?
“A murder will occur tonight at Beecham House . . .” Who could resist such a compelling invitation? Of course, the murder in question purports to be a party game, and Phyllida looks forward to using some of the deductive skills she has acquired thanks to her employer, Mrs. Agatha, who is unable to attend in person.
The hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Wokesley, are new to the area, and Phyllida gladly offers their own overwhelmed housekeeper some guidance while events get underway. Family friends have been enlisted to play the suspects, and Mr. Wokesley excels in his role of dead body. Unfortunately, when the game’s solution is about to be unveiled, the participants discover that life has imitated art. Mr. Wokesley really is dead!
In the absence of Inspector Cork, Phyllida takes temporary charge of the investigation, guiding the local constable through interviews with the Murder Game actors. At first, there seems no motive to want Mr. Wokesley dead . . . but then Phyllida begins to connect each of the suspects with the roles they played and the motives assigned to them. It soon becomes clear that everyone had a reason to murder their host—both in the game and in real life. Before long, Phyllida is embroiled in a fiendishly puzzling case, with a killer who refuses to play by the rules . . .
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cambridge's fun-enough third whodunit featuring Agatha Christie's fictional housekeeper (after 2022's A Trace of Poison) is an entertaining homage to Christie's own works. Phyllida Bright is more than a servant to the bestselling author—their relationship is "one of mutual regard, much less employee and employer and more of friends assisting and supporting each other." So when Christie becomes occupied in London, she asks Phyllida to accept a social invitation on her behalf. She'll be summoned to Beecham House as a guest of the Wokesleys to participate in a staged murder mystery party, playing the part of suspect in the fictional slaying of Clifton Wokesley. Shortly after she arrives, however, Clifton is actually stabbed to death, and Phyllida once again finds herself thrust into the position of amateur sleuth. With the help of research Christie conducts in London, the housekeeper sets out to find Clifton's killer, turning up motives from the assembled guests including hopes for an inheritance and anger over a failed business venture. Bolstered by Phyllida's charm and pluck, the lively investigation arrives at a conclusion that's well-clued but hardly surprising. Hardcore Christie fans will relish this solid, if unspectacular, closed-circle mystery.
