The local Detective Club is attending a benefit for the town's orphanage. One of the members of this club is none other than Agatha Christie. The benefit is also having a writing contest. The winner of the contest will be awarded a publishing contract. A victim is found murder during this event and everyone suddenly becomes a suspect. Agatha Christie's housekeeper Phyllida is ready to take on the task of who killed the victim. Throughout her search she finds out that the drink was supposed to go Alastair Whittlesby that supposedly killed the victim. He just happens to be the president of the local writer's club and who is thought to be the winner of the publishing contract. Phyllida is trying to narrow down the suspects. An exciting plot, well written characters and well thought out story.

Disclaimer: Thank yiou NetGalley and Kensington Books for the review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoy this series. I liked the other mystery writers being brought into the plot. The mystery kept me guessing and I like the characters.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In "A Trace of Poison," Agatha Christie's Mallowan Hall becomes the backdrop for murder discussions, with housekeeper Phyllida Bright at the center. The neighboring village hosts a Murder Fête, but when a deadly cocktail targets a pompous writer, chaos ensues. This cozy mystery blends humor and suspense, paying homage to the genre's greats and keeping readers guessing with each page turn. A must-read for fans of classic whodunits and Agatha Christie's style.

Cute, clever, enjoyable!

A few too many characters which made it a little confusing, but overall very cozy and cute. Sometimes it got a tad bit convoluted, but still liked it! The tension building between our main character and the guy is interesting and feels a little shoehorned, but again, still liked it.

Ending was kind of complex!

One of the things that drew me to this series in the first place was the mention of Agatha Christie. I loved the interesting premise of the series – Christie is part of the supporting characters, but not really a main part of the action. The first book in the series was fantastic and this sequel raises the stakes by including not just Christie, but a slew of other famous, real-life mystery authors: the famous collective known as The Detection Club. They’re only seen in minor roles, but it was interesting to get a fictional taste of their different personalities and what set their books apart.

The murder focuses a lot on poisons, a weapon that Christie herself employed in many of her books and it was fun to see the gathered authors and mystery lovers debate on the different poison (everyone’s an expert, right?)

It was a great idea to set a murder amongst a crowd of mystery writers and readers – everyone has an opinion, and everyone things they can solve the crime. The mystery itself is very well done and I liked that there were clues and red herrings throughout the story. It’s a really fun read and I zipped through it, not wanting the story to end. I love this fictional version of Christie and feel like we get the perfect glimpse into her private life without her taking over the story too much.

As with the first book, there are a large number of characters. Along with the household staff, there are the attending authors, the townsfolk and festival goers as well. There is a list of characters at the start to help readers keep track, and I did find myself referring to the list more than once, but most of the time it was fairly easy to keep track of who everyone was.

I really like the way the character Phyllida Bright is developing, and I found that many of the characters that we were introduced to in the first book (especially the household staff) are further developed in this book as well. It’s like getting to know a small community. There is still intrigue surrounding Phyllida’s background, but she is as competent and efficient as ever. I liked her better in this book than in the last and honestly can’t wait to get to know her better in future stories.

I previously said the series was like “Agatha Christie meets Gosford Park” and the feeling still holds – it will be most enjoyable to fans of either, plus those that love classic, traditional mysteries in general.

*** Thank you to the publisher, Kensington Books, for providing me with an e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

In this second Phyllida Bright mystery, a writing festival put on by Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and other (historically real) mystery writers takes a deadly turn.

The style of these books is definitely a throwback to Golden Age crime fiction. I had guessed at the twist but still appreciated the reveal in the “denouement speech” at the book’s climax. I love seeing a fictional representation of Agatha Christie and I am enjoying most of the characters, though there were an awful lot to keep track of in this installment!.

I confess I’m having trouble finding Mrs. bright likeable. She’s certainly capable and intelligent, but I’d love to see her show some growth or a bit of vulnerability. (Without giving anything away, the book’s last scene perhaps showed promise in this direction.) I’d also like to hear more of the backstory of some of these characters, particularly Mrs. Bright and Bradford. It seems small snippets of that are sometimes included and perhaps the author is working toward that later in the series.

Awarding this 3.5 stars and rounding up. Looking forward to the next book and hoping for more insight into our formidable protagonist!

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington for the complimentary digital review copy of this title.

I have to begin this review by mentioning how much I do not like Phyllida. After this second installment, I am beginning to think that we are not meant to like her. She is the kind of lead protagonist that I do not encounter very often, one who has prejudices that determine her actions, and she does not relax her stance too often. It is like an extreme and ruder version of her favourite Poirot.
That said, the plot in this book was fun, and I will definitely be reading the next in the series. I have it queued up already.
The town is holding a Murder Fête organized to benefit a local orphanage where members of the Detection Club will be taking part by signing copies of their books and judging a short story competition. It is a big event, and Agatha Christie is hosting the club members, being the closest person to the town. Phyllida can hear the goings on from the town and also have a finger on the pulse of the club members who fancy that they can actually come to the right conclusion when the judge for the competition is found dead.
The difference in this story is the question that the death caught the right target or if it was meant for someone else, someone much more hated. Or if it was made to seem that way, it almost works like the chicken and egg problem as readers are taken in a loop as to which makes more sense.
The investigation happens in almost a straightforward manner, as Phyllida wants to ensure smooth sailing for the Fête as well as prove (not so) subtly that she has the capability to catch the criminal with all the evidence required.
There are a lot of investigators in this story since everyone has an idea. The entire book focuses on the clues and gives us a little more information on the more permanent characters in the series. I recommend this series to fans of historical cozy mysteries with real people used in made-up situations.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Book 2 in the Phyllida Bright series reads just as well as book 1.

This series is such a lovely homage to Dame Agatha Christie. Agatha is not as involved in this story, however it works well for this book's plot.

I love how the author has created an excellent cast of well defined characters and an excellent plot will several red herrings.

Phyllida is an excellent protagonist, slightly stiff with a heart of gold and a lovely friendship with Agatha. I love how the author manages to imbue the feel of the Golden Age of Mystery to her books.

I look forward to the next book in the series.

Colleen Cambridge finds A Trace of Poison in one of the murder short story contestants at Mallowan Hall, the home of Agatha Christie. Phyllida Bright, the housekeeper at Mallowan, and friend of Agatha, steps up to follow the evidence. Bodies keep dropping and no one knows the results of the contest. Read this romp of a mystery.

Phylida Bright is her no-nonsense self as head housekeeper at Mallowan Hall, home to old friend, the famed Agatha Christie. Other golden age authors are descending to help fundraise and assist the local detection club in their writing contest. A local vicar keels over after drinking a poisoned cocktail meant for the head of the local writers' group. The publishing prize seems to bring out the worst in someone. There is a bit less of the upstairs/downstairs vibe, since so much of the action takes place out of the Hall, but Phylida, butler Mr. Dobble and chauffeur Bradford have plenty of time to sigh and spar.

I really enjoyed Murder at Mallowen Hall. Therefore, I was excited for this novel. However, I have to say that I did not enjoy this novel as much as I did the first book. This is because the murder mystery was quite simple and easy to figure out. Unlike the last novel which focused solely on the mystery, this was rarely the focus. While I love the characters from the first novels and was glad to reunite with them again, I was not really fond of the mystery. Still, I recommend this for fans of Agatha Christie!

Rating : 4 out of 5
Blurbs : In this captivating English murder mystery from an acclaimed author, Agatha Christie’s housekeeper must uncover the killer amongst a throng of crime writers.

In England’s stately manor houses, murder is not generally a topic for polite conversation. Mallowan Hall, home to Agatha Christie and her husband, Max, is the exception. And housekeeper Phyllida Bright delights in discussing gory plot details with her friend and employer . . .

The neighboring village of Listleigh has also become a hub of grisly goings-on, thanks to a Murder Fête organized to benefit a local orphanage. Members of The Detection Club—a group of celebrated authors such as G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Agatha herself—will congregate for charitable events, including a writing contest for aspiring authors. The winner gets an international publishing contract, and entrants have gathered for a cocktail party—managed by the inimitable Phyllida—when murder strikes too close even for her comfort.

It seems the victim imbibed a poisoned cocktail intended for Alastair Whittlesby, president of the local writers’ club. The insufferable Whittlesby is thought to be a shoo-in for the prize, and ambition is certainly a worthy motive. But narrowing down these suspects could leave even Phyllida’s favorite fictional detective, M. Poirot, twirling his mustache in frustration.

It’s a mystery too intriguing for Phyllida to resist, but one fraught with duplicity and danger, for every guest is an expert in murder—and how to get away with it . . .

Thoughts : Even Agatha Christie's housekeeper has to solve a murder...It's a very unique and quirky murder mystery thriller book that I've read. I like the plot and the characters. The ending is a bit weird but again that thing happened in every single mystery thriller book that I've read in the past. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the early ARC.

What a premise, what a promise and what a failure in execution.
I was intrigued by the description and the cover, by all the names and places. But... I found A Trace of Poison to be a very 'busy' read, choc-a-block full of big names of golden era crime fiction and their interactions. This read felt a bit more like society pages with minute descriptions of who's who and has done what than a crime story.
Mrs Christie's housekeeper and a sleuth Phyllida Bright solves the mystery, demonstrates her dislike of dogs and Mrs Christie's butler and her knowledge of all things upstairs and downstairs.
I felt cheated and a bit exhausted by this read.

This was such a wonderful book and reading about Agatha Christie's "girl" solving another mystery when you think it would have been Ms. Christie leading the search for evidence of who the killer was. A great story with wonderful new characters.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Wonderful cover on this book!

<b>A Trace of Poison by Colleen Cambridge</b> is the second book in the <b>Phyllida Bright Mystery series</b> and I enjoyed it just as much as the first. The writing remains top notch. I loved the setting and the backdrop of a Murder Fête. It was well paced. The plot was full of twists and turns and red herrings that kept me guessing until the end. The characters remain likable. I love the cleverness of having Agatha Christie be a side character and have her maid be the main "detective". Just a really enjoyable read and I look forward to see what these characters get up to in book 3!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

This series is so fun. Bradford and Myrtle are great and I'm so intrigued by all the back stories that'll come further along in the series

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this.

I read this book, unaware it was the second book in the Phyllida Bright Mystery series.

To be honest, I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book. There were some parts that I found interesting, and others I skimmed through. I think for me to get into the story, I will need to read the first book.

Despite my mixed feelings for the book, I did find the end interesting, enough for me to want to try and read more in the series.

Another well written mystery in the Phyllida Bright series with a tremendous sense of place.

These books are a lovely nod to the tradition of Agatha Christie, from setting to intricate plot. Agatha herself is less involved in the story this time around, but this worked just fine for the plot at hand.

Cambridge expertly nails the tone and pacing for the book as well, and I love all the intricacies of the plot that come together in the end to forge a satisfying resolution.

Phyllida is a bit sour for my taste as a heroine, and Cambridge doesn’t quite pull off the same charming, imperious misanthropy that Christie did with Mrs. Marple, but I continue to be impressed by these books in terms of setting, structure, and homage to the Queen of Golden Age Mysteries.

Phyllida Bright is the head housekeeper at Mallowan Hall, the home of Agatha Christie and her second husband Max. In this book, a Murder Fete is being held in town and Agatha and other famous mystery authors will be in attendance. Many amateur writers will be in attendance as there is a short story contest to win a publishing contract. When one of the contestants is almost poisoned and a murder occurs, Phyllida starts investigating at the urging of Agatha to try to save the Fete from being cancelled. She is a clever amateur sleuth and rallies her staff and other domestic servants to help her gather clues to figure out the identity of the killer. There were many suspects and I was kept guessing until late in the story. I love how she lays out the crimes and the solution at the end of the book with all of the suspects in the room. Another great book in this new series.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This second book in the fabulous Phyllida Bright Mystery series was even better than the first! A must read for Agatha Christie and also other authors of the Detective Club in which she was a member! So many suspects, so little time, but Phyllida uncovers the killer's diabolical plans!
I'm looking forward to more books in this series.