My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Cosy Mystery, Mystery, Contemporary Mystery, Books about Books
Gore Level: Low violence
Difficulty to Solve: High

I'm enjoying this series!

Most loved items:
A gondola
Agatha the cat
Sisters' relationship
Grandma
Niece is fun and feisty
Western United States vibes
Lots of book references—especially Agatha Christie
Funny blind dates
A hot cop!

This is not a mystery that was easy to solve. The Christie sisters are sleuthing again because Meg is a suspect, and Ellie just knows she couldn't have done it. But she sure had a motive! And opportunity.

Jump on the gondola and visit the Christie's bookshop and hunt down the murderer. This is the second in the Christie Bookshop mysteries, but you can read it as a standalone.

I highly recommend this book!

Happy (sleuthing) reading!

So great! If you love cozy mysteries and Agatha Christie, this is the series for you! There’s a wonderful bookstore, snowy weather, and nosy sisters. I’ve never read any Agatha Christie books, but you could still follow everything that happens. However, if you love Agatha, this is your series! There are so many mentions of her, her books, and her characters. Probably things I didn’t even notice. I did not read the first book, but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment of this book. It definitely makes me want to go back and read that one!

Ellie and Meg find themselves with a twisty mystery when they agree to be test cases for cousin Lorna's new dating service. Joe seems like the perfect guy for Meg, a single mom, but then he stands her up and ghosts her because, well, he's now potentially a ghost! Who murdered him and why? Ellie takes time from running the family bookstore (but not from her cat Agatha) to sort this out. Fans of Agatha Christie likely will recognize several themes throughout but don't worry- this is fine without any prior Christie knowledge. The sisters and their family are terrific, the setting delightful, and the mystery just right. And there's a handsome detective, I did find it a little twee that the names of various characters echo the names of characters from classic novels (here's to you Mr. Darcy) but hey, that's just me. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Last Word to the Wise by Ann Claire is the second book in A Christie Bookshop Mystery series and will be released on October 3, 2023.

Sisters Ellie and Meg Christie share a love of books, reading, and all things Agatha Christie. They run the Book Chalet - their family's historic bookshop tucked midway up a scenic Colorado mountain. Mystery lovers- yes, but romance- no!

That is until their cousin signs them up for her newest business venture - matchmaking based on bookish tastes. Dreading their double blind date, the sisters have low expectations for success. Ellie’s match is a bore, but Meg's match is handsome, charismatic, and best of all- a mystery book lover, which is a charming surprise…until he is found murdered the next morning. Meg becomes a prime suspect in his death as the last known person to see him alive. The sisters work to clear Meg’s name and uncover more secrets than Miss Marple in their investigation.

A perfect cozy winter read, this mystery series is perfect for Agatha Christie fans. Not only are there tons of references to her work, but there’s also some Christie trivia, as well. The author careful curates her mysteries. One of the things I find most often in cozy mysteries is that both the victim and the killer tend to be characters that aren’t well liked. In this series, there are a number of suspects, and the amateur sleuths have their work cut out to uncover the true killer.

I’d love to visit the Book Chalet, a town called Last Word, and meet the famous Agatha C. Christie- C. for cat, of course. Even the Bibliophiles Find Love sounds like a fun matchmaking concept! Overall a very fun read and I can’t wait to see what the Christies get up to next in the series.

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 stars/ 5 stars- rounded up)

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Last Word to the Wise is the second book in the Christie Bookshop Series by Ann Claire.
I really enjoyed the first book in the series, [book:Dead and Gondola|60372420].

I love Ellie and Meg who own the Book Chalet.

The sisters find another body and unfortunately it is the body of Meg's blind date.
The sisters are on the case, even though the police aren't too happy about it.

The characters are so well written and fun. I love the setting in Colorado where the Gondola is the means of travel and the town ooozes of small-town charm.

The mystery was fantastic, kept me guessing until the very end.

I cannot wait for the next book in this great series.

A solid and entertaining mystery. I enjoyed visiting the Christie sisters again and following along on their investigation.after Meg’s date turns up dead.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

amateur-sleuth, bookseller, matchmaking, witty, family, family-business, friendship, small-business, small-town, cozy-mystery, colorado, relatives, verbal-humor, local-law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, situational-humor

The characters made me laugh my sox off! Interesting cozy mystery with a lot of implausible situations that worked well to make a totally enjoyable escapist read. The murder investigation is well done and the twists are remarkable.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from the Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine/Bantam via NetGalley. Thank you!

A cozy murder mystery book for book lovers, especially Agatha Christie lovers!

The Christie sisters (sadly no relation to Agatha) found another body, this time it belongs to older sister Meg's blind date. Ellie and Meg are on the case much to chagrin of the local police. These book loving sleuthing sisters can't be stopped though especially since they are made suspects.

Thoroughly enjoyed this low stakes mystery. Easy read and great follow up to the first book. I wish the Book Chalet was real, could totally spend my day reading and chatting with the Christie sisters and the beloved bookstore cat.

3.5 stars, rounded up

Ellie and Meg, the Christie sisters, run their family’s historic bookshop in the mountains of Colorado. They are drafted into signing up for their cousin’s new business – matchmaking based on book-ish tastes, just in time for Valentine’s Day – and when one of their dates turns up dead the next day, Meg becomes the prime suspect.

This is the second book in this series, and I still wouldn’t like to live in a place that’s only accessible by ski gondola for so much of the year. The mountains would be gorgeous at any time of year, but I would feel trapped without an easier way out, especially in the winter. I like the relationship between the sisters, who have a good network of friends to rely on, something crucial to living in such an inaccessible area.

The murder victim in this story appears to be a newcomer to town, but as we learn more about him and his life, it becomes apparent that he has a history in the area. There were several viable suspects, and I started to suspect one character relatively early in the book. That guess was wrong, but I got it right on the second try :)

I look forward to returning to Colorado and another visit to the Book Chalet.

****Publishing October 3, 2023****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Last Word to the Wise is the second in the series, but could easily be read as a stand alone.

Ellie and Meg are sisters who run their family bookstore. When their cousin, Lorna, opens a match-making business called Bibliophiles Find Love, she wanted Ellie and Meg to be the first clients to test out her match-making skills before she officially opened on Valentine’s Day. With both their lack of success in dating, will Lorna find them “Mr Perfect”. What could possibly go wrong?

Ellie and Meg always end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. It all started with Lorna’s match-making business ending up with a dead client, Joe, Meg’s date.

Ellie and Meg go to Joe’s house to confront him about why he stood Meg up. When they arrive, they find that he is dead, so they are questioned by the police. With being Agatha Christie and Miss Marple fans, its hard for Ellie and Meg not to do their own investigation. Will they be able to solve this murder before the police? Will Meg become a suspect? What will become of Lorna’s business?

I loved all the bookish references, including Agatha Christie and Miss Marple. The characters, storyline and unexpected twists and turns in this book are what makes this book so entertaining. A fun and entertaining read that requires a hot cup of tea as you read it! If you love cozy mysteries, then this book and series is for you!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine (Bantam), I was provided an ARC of Last Word to the Wise by Ann Claire via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely adore this series and this second book did not disappoint. I may have even enjoyed it more than the first!

The characters in this series are both funny and lovable. I really enjoy following the relationships between all the Christie family members - particularly the sassiest cat Agatha C. Christie.

The plot line was entertaining and fast paced. I thought I knew who the culprit was only to be surprised at the end, which was really fun.

Thanks To #Netgalley and #Randomhousepublishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

5/5 stars: Claire’s back with a new entry in the Christie Bookshop series, a Literary Cozy Mystery set in snowy Colorado. Claire’s not only written a cast of incredibly likable characters but I love the descriptions of the Swiss-style hamlet and its charming gondola. Oh and I very much enjoy all the Agatha Christie and literary nods Claire slips in. And speaking of that, Agatha, the shop cat's adorable. Not to be forgotten, the mystery's a perfect balance of clues, red herrings and suspects that will leave you guessing until the final reveal. This is the second book in the series, pick up Dead and Gondola to get to know the Christies from the beginning.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Ellie Christie is in her element running her family's mystery-themed bookshop in the ski resort town of Last Word, Colorado. She lives above the bookstore with her cat, Agatha C. (Cat) Christie. Her sister Meg, who also helps run the bookshop, lives "down in the village" with her teenaged daughter and their grandmother. When their cousin Lorna comes up with her latest "can't miss" business proposal, the sisters are roped in to be among the first to participate. The first blind date meeting of Bibliophiles Find Love is set for the library after closing time. Ellie is not thrilled to find out her date is a pompous English professor who looks down on the works of Agatha Christie while not being able to shut up about his own literary hero, Samuel Beckett. Meg, on the other hand, is paired with the extremely dashing Joe Darcy and seems to be oblivious to Ellie's increasingly frantic signals that they cut short the evening. When Meg's new love interest is found dead, it's up to the sisters to untangle his messy past and find out just who would want to kill such a seemingly charming man. They know it wasn't Meg, but the local police force (including the handsome Detective Sam Ibarra) doesn't seem inclined to take their word for it.

I enjoyed reading about the charming bookshop and of course all of the busy commerce taking place there. Agatha the cat seems to be the star of the show, as it should be. I was a bit confused about the whole town set-up. Apparently to get to the bookstore and some resorts there is a "gondola" which seems to run 24/7, but it wasn't clear how -- is it manned? Is there enough traffic for it to keep going all day long? It was another mystery for the book. Also, the story was positively festooned with exclamation points!!!! It slowed down a bit further along in the book, but at the beginning it was very annoying. Still, the story was enjoyable and the characters and their problems were interesting.

Another fun adventure of the Christie sisters and their adorable bookshop! A great read for cozy-mystery lovers looking for an escape to the mountains.

3.5 stars

Second in the Christie Bookshop series. Sisters Meg and Ellie run the family bookstore in a Colorado mountain town. Their pesky cousin strongarms them into participating in a book-themed date night. Meg falls for her evening date -- only to have him turn up dead later that night. And then there is the discovery that he already had not one but two fiancees.

Ellie has to investigate to clear the air. Her niece's absentee father is in town and that helps muddy the waters not to mention the women that the murder victim duped.

The sisters are fun characters with a nice supporting cast and an interesting setting, including bookstore cat Agatha C. Christie. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed this one in different ways than the first one. In this book, Meg is a murder suspect and Ellie goes crazy doing stuid things and making poor decisions in order to clear her sister. I find that when immediate family members or the main character are the murder suspect in cozy mysteries, they tend to make very rash and poor decisions that either hamper the investigation or just make themselves look worse by not cooperating with the authorities.

Meg's blind date turns up dead the morning after their date. She was set up by the girls' cousin Lorna via her new matchmaking service for booklovers. Ellie and Lorna find Joe knocked off his balcony in the snow, dead. This is the second time Ellie has found a dead body and the police tell her to back off, but she doesn't. She and Meg run around being super sleuthy and trying to clear Meg, but she keeps making herself sound more suspicious by not sharing everything each time she gets questioned by the police. To make things worse, the girls are at the location each time someone else gets attacked and have no good explanations for anything they see or experience.

I did not like Lorna at all. She was very pushy, self-centered, and shut down the girls when they disagreed with her. She needed a severe reality check and Marigold was a pushover. The matchmaking took too much attention away from the overall plot at times, but I understand why it was involved as much as it was. Meg's creepy "date" Dr. Waldon was an insufferable ass who probably should have some police reports made against him.

The overall mystery and identity of the murderer felt convoluted to me and lost within the chaos of the story bouncing all over. Meg's ex coming back to town, Ellie's blind date turned stalker/obsessor, Lornas's matchmaking service, and Joe's real identity all made for confusing plots when mashed together the way they were. The conclusion was satisfying I suppose, because it did make some sense in the end.

I absolutely loved Dead and Gondola… the first in the Christie Bookshop series and was beyond excited to get approved for an advanced copy of book 2 Last Word To the Wise

Sister duo Elle and Meg are back and you are quickly immersed into scenic Colorado Mountains where they run their historic family owned bookshop the Book Chalet. With a new matchmaking service… a new character named Joe Darcy and another murder that the sisters stumble upon this was a great book 2 to continue the series!

With a great small town vibe, great characters to revisit… and bookish themes throughout. I recommend this to any cozy book lover!

Thank you to the publisher for this gifted advanced copy!

3.5 rounded up
I read the Last Word to the Wise, which is the second book in the Christie’s Bookshop series by Ann Claire, which is a cozy mystery. One of my favorite parts of this series is the bookstore setting in a small secluded town, the cozy atmosphere, and a very close community, with everything having a bookish theme and I love it. The writing was pretty good, I wish there were more filler parts or everyday things going on, just to break up some of the big reveals or clues happening in the story. I did like the added love interest in this second book, but he was kind of just thrown in and it was an instant connection. I thought the actual mystery, twist, and plot were interesting. The ending was an excellent surprise that I didn't see coming and the way it was wrapped up was great. Overall, I think this book was very entertaining, easy to read, and would recommend it.
I received this advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

I liked the first one when I read it and was excited to be approved to read this second book. I really enjoy all the characters in it and the premise of location. It’s awesome for a cozy mystery and there is a cat. I liked the little bit of romance in this book and I hope it continues to bloom. Up until the ending, I thought the mystery was interesting but when the killer was reveled the reason why seemed lacking to me. I rated this book a 3.5. I do not like Agatha Christie, I haven’t read her book so I can’t speak to anything about references to her other than what is very obvious. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC In exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to review Last Word to the Wise. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so excited to see this book on NetGalley and immediately put in a request for an advanced copy of this book. I read Dead and Gondola in February and fell in love with the Book Chalet and the characters. Especially Agatha C. Christie, the Instagram famous cat that resides in the Book Chalet. It was a fun, cozy mystery perfect for winter and book 2 is no different.

When their cousin signs the Christie sisters to be part of her new matchmaking service, Bibliophiles Find Love, each sister is dreading their blind date. However, while Ellie’s date is only obsessed with himself, Meg is captivated by the handsome Joe Darcy. When they schedule a second date, Meg finds herself stood up but for good reason. Joe is found murdered at his home. Now Meg is suspect number one. Ellie and Meg must find out who the the killer is and what secret Joe was hiding before it is too late.

I found myself enjoying the sequel more than book one. The characters are still highly entertaining and the new characters add to the story but I felt there was more depth to the Christie sisters. Not only are the Christie sisters finding Joe Darcy’s murder but there might be chemistry brewing between Ellie and the new detective. Meg’s past also brings a new light to her character. I devoured this story and the ending did not disappoint. I am anxiously waiting for book three. The only downside about reading an advanced copy, is waiting longer for the next book to come out in the series.