Agatha Christie’s cherished housekeeper, Phyllida Bright, not only keeps the celebrated author’s home running smoothly, but she has also proven herself an accomplished sleuth. So when a murderer brings mayhem to a wedding, in this USA Today bestselling series’ latest installment, she’s on hand to sweep up the mystery…
Phyllida is delighted to receive an invitation to the wedding of her friend Dr. John Bhatt. It’s a chance to get to know his fiancée, Emily Hartparker, and to explore Coatesworth Manor—the grand seaside estate that belongs to Emily’s distant relatives. Coatesworth is now managed by Lady Artemis Coatesworth and offers ample space for a celebration. But it’s soon clear that some of the guests have intentions beyond cheering on the happy couple.
As is often the case when extended family gathers, there is bickering, not to mention an awkward love triangle between Emily’s lovely cousin Lily, her handsome ex-husband Heath, and his new wife, Tibby. Besides that, some of the other cousins—all of whom are there simply to appease Lady Artemis, who has the power to enact a morals clause in her late husband’s will that could impact the heirs’ inheritances—don’t seem to get along. Discomfiting, certainly. Dramatic for sure.
And the drama gets infinitely worse when a wedding guest is discovered dead in the small chapel only hours after the ceremony.
Phyllida immediately agrees to help discover what happened, and brings some of her staff over from Mallowan Hall, Mrs. Christie’s manor house, for cover. But with plenty of dark secrets and ugly family dynamics, it seems the killer could be any one of the Coatesworths—and that killer is dangerously motivated to keep the grisly truth from being revealed .
My Review:
This is one of my favourite cozy mystery series. Love the vintage flare, the Christie influence and especially Phyllida’s pragmatic ‘get the job done as efficiently as possible’ attitude. Part of her charm is that she thinks she’s always right, and she usually is, which should be off-putting but somehow isn’t. She’s a complex character – a little bit prickly but that just hides her compassionate heart and a complicated back story. She’s also an exceptional amateur sleuth. I think of Phyllida as a mix of Poirot’s keen investigative instincts and Miss Marple’s intuitive observational skills, especially where people are concerned.
Only the cat’s among the pigeons in this sixth ‘Phyllida Bright Mystery,’ when Phyllida’s personal life threatens to upend both her common sense and her sleuthing capabilities, which makes for a highly entertaining mystery. And oh my word, if looks could kill in between all those sizzling sparks there would surely have been another murder! Bwahahaha!
So much to love about this novel – witty banter, clever conversations, the inner workings of Phyllida’s strategic mind. Just pure bibliophile delight all the way through.
I listened to the audio edition and narrator Jennifer M. Dixon is the perfect voice to tell Phyllida’s story. She’s been consistent throughout the series which I really appreciate (hate when narrators are switched out mid series!) Dixon captures the subtle humour in Cambridge’s writing especially well and her performance made for a highly entertaining listening experience.
My thanks to RB Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.
