Ellie and her sister Meg are the latest managers of their family-owned bookstore. When an employee disappears and a mysterious visitor ends up dead in a gondola, the Christies find themselves entangled in the mystery.
My losing streak had apparently ended, because I adored this book! It had all the best traits of a cozy mystery – quirky characters, a small town feel, adorable animals – without going overboard, which is a real hazard in this genre.
The Christies are a fun, close-knit family, bookstore owners and voracious readers, and they have a long history with the town of Last Word. I really enjoyed getting a peek into their lives. The mystery was also a twisty one – I called some of the plot twists, while others I never anticipated. I also liked that the police force was sensible, and that Ellie didn’t engage in that standby of the cozy mystery genre – a romance with a police officer.
I also loved all the literary references. With bookstore owners called Christie (no relation proven), you cannot escape the Queen of Crime, from the cat Agatha to the many parallels and quotes from the books. It was especially fun for me that Absent in the Spring was such a plot point, as it’s one of my favorite of her books.
In short, I would love to revisit the town of Last Word, and I cannot wait for the next in the series!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.