Sisters Meg and Ellie Christie are co-owners of The Book Chalet in tiny Last Word, Colorado. When a man accidentally disrupts a book club meeting and leaves a book behind, the sisters don’t think too much about it - that is, until he is found dead a few hours later in a ski gondola, the one right in front of the one the sisters are in. With the aid of the book club members, family and Agatha, the bookstore cat, the sisters use their detecting skills learned from years of reading mysteries to uncover the murderer.

Okay, this all sounds a tad, well, more than a tad, hard to swallow but that’s the thing about cozies isn’t it? Their purpose is to offer the reader a puzzle while entertaining them and Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire does this very well. The sisters are very likeable and there are suspects galore to keep you guessing throughout, If you enjoy cozies set in book stores with quirky characters, an interesting puzzle, and likeable and smart female protagonists, this may be just what you’re looking for.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review <i/>

Ski resort, family ties, bookstore, Agatha Christie. Well, Agatha Christie influence & appreciation. Agatha Christie trivia. A punny title. And a cat named, you guessed it, Agatha.

This is the first book of a new series that promises to be interesting and entertaining. Set in a mountain town in Colorado, it features the Christie sisters (no relation to Dame Agatha). They have recently taken over from their parents the management of the family bookstore, Book Chalet.

The sisters, Ellie and Meg, take a gondola to travel between the bookstore and their homes. The mystery begins when a body is found in the gondola next to theirs. Naturally, these mystery-loving sisters decide to investigate!

As the story progresses, someone breaks into the bookstore, a mysterious stranger appears in the bookstore during the book club seance (!), and one of the characters disappears.

This is a locked-room mystery in a way, because the only way in or out is to travel a twisty road down the mountain. Then a rockslide closes the road, leaving the community effectively sealed with a murderer in their midst.

The characters, which include the sisters, their grumpy cat Agatha, their grandmother and her baking, Meg’s teenage daughter, and Ms. Ridge, a longtime bookstore employee,are likeable. The story is charming and humorous, and, being a cozy mystery, not gruesome.

The strengths of this book are its appealing characters and its delightful setting. Agatha Christie references abound, including an Agatha trivia contest and the discovery of a book written by Christie under her pseudonym, Mary Westmacott. The story will make you feel all warm and bookishly fuzzy.

The plot drags a bit and could be tightened up. The mystery is not that difficult to figure out. But, all in all, I enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading the sequel when it comes out. Available now, ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ 1/2

My thanks to author Ann Claire, Random House, and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book. #netgalley #deadandgondola

What a quirky and fun mystery novel set in a ski town bookshop! This series definitely has the potential to be in the "cozy mystery" genre but it was so well written that it is a step above many cozy mysteries. I loved the connection that this new series has to Agatha Christie, but it is also wholly original. The mystery itself was not super dark and deep, but it was creative, intriguing, and not (super) predictable. I loved the setting of Last Word, Colorado and the fun dynamics of the Christie family. I can't wait to read future books and maybe get to know Ellie and Meg's parents a little more. A great winter read!

Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

DEAD AND GONDOLA has a super cute premise: Two sisters own a bookstore in the Colorado snow. They also just happen to have the last name of Christie, a cat named Agatha and a murder on the gondola. This is a story most Agatha Christie fans will love. It's a nice cozy mystery.

For me the whodunit was obvious and the plot fell flat. Interesting, yet boring.

Ellie and her sister, Meg, are fun, quiet characters, but something was missing. I think they needed more conflict in their lives - maybe even with each other. Of course, the argument could be made that most sibling relationships are full of conflict and DEAD AND GONDOLA'S sister duo's love for each other is refreshing.

A lot of cozy mystery readers will devour this book. The Agatha Christie references were fun. I LOVED the bookstore setting.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me an e-copy of DEAD AND GONDOLA to read.

I rate DEAD AND GONDOLA three out of five stars.

Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire is the first book in a new mystery series, and it is a lot of fun. The Christie sisters and their cat Agatha run a bookstore called the Book Chalet in their hometown in Colorado. Then one of their bookshop visitors dies under mysterious circumstances, and they decide to try to solve the case. This is a great cozy read, and I highly recommend it for mystery lovers, especially those who would appreciate the Agatha Christie references. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are mine.

I enjoyed this cozy, mildly entertaining mystery. I found the mystery to be rather guessable but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of it. Maybe I wasn't in quite the right mindset when I was reading, because I found it all a little silly, to be honest, and pretty skippable. But I did enjoy the atmosphere, a couple of the characters, and the descriptions of all the yummy baked goods. 3.5 stars

I am not a regular reader of cozy mysteries, however occasionally I get in the mood to read one.

Dead and Gondola is book one in what I assume is going to be a series of the Christie Bookshop Mysteries.

It was everything I was in the mood for. It takes place in a small ski resort town that you have to take a gondola to get to. Two sisters Meg and Ellie, with the very appropriate last name of Christie are taking over the family bookstore. Of course, there is a resident sassy cat named Agatha C. Christie.

Charming town, bookstore, finicky feline - everything I want in a cozy. The mystery was good, plenty of twists and turns. The perfect cozy winter read.

A lovely, enjoyable read. I received an ARC of the book.

The Christie sisters manage the family bookstore in a tiny Colorado town. A stranger stops by their bookstore during a book group meeting, and later he is found dead a the mountain transport gondola. Unfortunately, the sisters happen to be in the gondola behind his when his body is discovered. The sisters become involved in working with local law enforcement to sift through clues and help solve the mysterious death. Suspects abound, and suspicions shift as the investigation progresses. Aided by family members, Agatha the bookshop cat, and friends and clients, the sisters use their knowledge of books and mysteries to assume the role of Miss Marple and find the killer.

I read a lot of mysteries, and this one really threw me a curveball! I never guesses the perpetrator, which to me is a mark of a well-written mystery novel. The sisters and their friends are delightfully portrayed, and the wintry mountain setting adds an air of mystery to the story. I hope this is just the first in a series featuring the Christie sisters and their bookstore, which I would love to visit! The idea of the gondola transport up and down the mountain also added a delicious air of creepiness. Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries with cute animals and quirky characters will love this addition to their reading lists.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

When her parents decide it’s time to retire, Ellie Christie returns to the small town of her youth, Last Word, Colorado to help her sister, Meg, run the Family bookstore. The Book Chalet is located at the foot of a gondola and caters to Agatha Christie fans. When a newcomer to the bookstore turns up dead the eclectic group of crime solvers have a mystery on their hands. With a quirky set of characters, a charming bookstore and a cozy mystery to solve, this was a fun read. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

A little bookshop (with a cat!) in a small, snowy town that is suddenly filled with mysteries and murder??? Sign. Me. Up. I loved the sisterly dynamic of Ellie and Meg, the townspeople, and of course, Agatha the cat. This was a great cozy mystery without being too cozy.

I did not enjoy this book. I don't if it's the writing style or the characters or the mystery but I found myself not wanting to finish this book. I'm sure that it will appeal to others.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Ellie Christie is back home after traveling the world. She came back home to Last Word Colorado living above their book store - Book Chalet. Their little town is a Swiss-style village where you need to take a gondola up and down the mountain to get to each part.

During their book club, a stranger comes in and starts off a chain of events that include murder, a break in, and outdoor adventures.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and look forward to more books in this series.

There are two things that never fail to cause a book to grab my attention and get added to my TBR-- a punny title and a bookish setting and/or character. Dead and Gondola had them both, and so naturally I couldn't wait to read it. This book had all the makings of an enjoyable cozy mystery--- likeable amateur sleuths (the Christie sisters), a charming setting (a book store in a Colorado ski town), a cat and of course, a murder. Fans of Agatha Christie will definitely appreciate all the references as well. The mystery itself was perhaps a little bit slow moving for me personally, but it was an enjoyable read nonetheless. This is the first book in a new series, and a great introduction to it... I cannot wait to read more. If you're looking for your next cozy read, be sure to check this one out.

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Ellie Christie and her sister, Meg, run her family's bookshop called Book Chalet, in a mountainous and snowy tourist town in Colorado. Ellie is a huge Agatha Christie fan and traveled extensively after she left school working jobs in the book arena.

Ellie loves being back in the book shop. She enjoys the clientele and especially the book club with a group of locals. She lives in a loft above the shop with the family’s grumpy, long-haired siamese cat, Agatha C - for cat.

When a strange man stops in the shop and leaves behind his bag along with a special Agatha Christie book, Ellie and her sister see him getting on a gondola and they jump on the one behind him hoping to remind him he left his bag. When his gondola stops, he falls over dead. The sisters are shocked and the police step in to try and find out how he died.

I found this book to be too slow. The mystery itself is full of layers. This was an OK concept but, quite frankly, it made the book a bit boring. The characters are good and clean. I would love to live next door to Gram and sample some of her delicious-sounding food. Of course, my favorite character is Agatha C, the cat.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A book about a sibling ran Agatha Christie book store with a sassy cat and grandma? Sign me up and throw in a murder!

Set in a Colorado resort town, this murder mystery is the first in a new series. Ellie, with her sister Meg, work at the family bookstore, a centerpiece for the town. When a murder occurs, the Christie sisters are involved first as possible witnesses, then trying to solve the crime. There are many red herrings, twists and turns. Old friends and community members are introduced. A good start to a cozy mystery series.

In terms of a cozy mystery, this has all the makings of a solid read. The small town bookstore, eclectic group, snowy landscape, and even the cat set the scene. What’s missing here, is the action. For a book with murder, it was rather boring. I didn’t think the writing flowed very well. And I also wasn’t particularly drawn to any of the characters. I would likely skip the next ones if this were to become a series.

Dead and Gondola is so charmingly set in a bookstore in a little town nestled on a mountain accessible by gondola. The setting is so artfully described by the author that you truly feel like you're transported to this cozy bookstore, surrounded by book shelves and petting Agatha the cat. The town is filled with a colorful cast of characters surrounding the Christie family.

The mystery was a treat to try and puzzle out alongside Ellie and her sister Meg. Sleuthing out clues in the style of their favorite mystery writer. This was the perfect cozy mystery to curl up with on a snowy winter day. I can't wait to revisit Last Word for another.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one was a DNF for me. I will not be posting a review of it but thank you for sending I think people would like this one it just wasn't for me. Thank you again for the copy.

I received an ARC of this book. An interesting cozy mystery, set in a bookstore. An intriguing story that kept me reading!