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diannel_04's review
3.0
When Alicia Finlay walks out on her pretentious book club (I mean really, who waits until after the discussion to drink the wine?) her sister suggests she start her own. Since she is a lover of Agatha Christie she starts one based on the author. All the members are in their own ways clichés, but I am okay with that. When one members goes missing the rest of them decide to investigate, this is a cozy after all. I had the mystery figured out about half way through but, since that happens regularly to me, it was no big deal. I will read the next one in the series and decide from there.
cherylg's review
3.0
As much as I liked the premise to this book, it was not as enjoyable as I thought it would be. I found the characters hard to connect to, and the writing was just okay, with some spelling and grammar errors as well as some filler words that annoyed me. However, the final twist near the end of the book was a good one! I didn't even suspect that twist. I did, however, know who the killer was almost immediately and that took some of the enjoyment away from the story. Also, the reveal wasn't written in a way that I enjoyed, and was matter of fact and expected. I wish the author had made it more suspenseful or more interesting when the reveal happened. All in all, I gave this book 3 stars because i did enjoy the final twist.
attytheresa's review
4.0
Alicia is bored with her 'literary fiction' book club and it's rules such as no drinking or food until after the book discussion. So she quits dramatically and, at the urging of her sister Lynette, Alicia forms a book club dedicated to her passion: mystery and crime fiction, specifically Agatha Christie. A motley collection of Christie fans responds to her ad, and the first book up is Evil Under the Sun, to be discussed at member Barbara's McMansion in a wealthy Sidney neighborhood. Odd events happen while the group is meeting there, but nothing as odd as what happens at the next book club meeting: Barbara doesn't show up and no one knows where she is or seems to care. Except the Agatha Christie Book Club.
Of course the members start investigating, applying the guidance gleaned from Hercule Poirot in various Christie mysteries to finally solve the mystery of Barbara's disappearance and a few other events. Many Christie works and facts from her biography are interwoven into the plot, to great effect, at least to this Agatha Christie fan. I also thoroughly enjoyed that this is set in Sidney in neighborhoods like Balmoral Beach and Woolloomooloo, and written by an Australian author, thus littered with Aussie slang like 'goss' and 'arvo'. It's a really nice change of pace from the usual British treatment.
I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more in the series.
Of course the members start investigating, applying the guidance gleaned from Hercule Poirot in various Christie mysteries to finally solve the mystery of Barbara's disappearance and a few other events. Many Christie works and facts from her biography are interwoven into the plot, to great effect, at least to this Agatha Christie fan. I also thoroughly enjoyed that this is set in Sidney in neighborhoods like Balmoral Beach and Woolloomooloo, and written by an Australian author, thus littered with Aussie slang like 'goss' and 'arvo'. It's a really nice change of pace from the usual British treatment.
I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more in the series.
cmbohn's review
3.0
This one was fun, but I think my favorite part was not about Agatha Christie, but about the Australian setting. I loved the fact that it felt so familiar, but then there were these unfamiliar words or phrases that gave it a unique flair. The mystery part was pretty slight though. I'll give the next one a try.
betweenpagesandcats's review
5.0
Wow! Honestly this book kept me turning the page. It’s so well written, the mystery and story is easy to follow, but at the same time not quite so easy to solve. Unless you’re an Agatha Christie expert, you can expect to be thrown out by the plot twists. The quotes from the original AC books and the little pieces of AC’s life are so well placed that makes even more enjoyable. So delightful really!
It was such a good hook that I already added the whole saga to my TBR. And her other sagas too!
Can’t wait to start the next one!
It was such a good hook that I already added the whole saga to my TBR. And her other sagas too!
Can’t wait to start the next one!
belinda31's review
3.0
3.5 a cute book especially if you like cozy mysteries and Agatha Christie. I'll continue with the series.
mcampbel's review
2.0
It had a good synopsis and sounded like it would be an enjoyable cozy. What could be better than an Agatha Christie book club! Unfortunately, I just never really got hooked.
beckyene's review
4.0
So. Much. Fun! I loved this book! It's so entertaining and light and full of intricate and yet simple plots!
nefeli's review
I'm DNF-ing at 15% and I'll give you three reasons for it:
Reason number 1 (The mild):
Exposition, anyone? No one talks like that. Seriously, no one.
Reason number 2 (The serious):
Last time I checked, "lifeless" meant "dead" and I don't appreciate being lied to, especially by the omniscient narrator who wants to shock me for a couple of seconds.
Reason number 3 (The dealbreaker):
No.
Reason number 1 (The mild):
"You have a pooch? I love pooches!"
"Yep, that's Max, the hungry beast."
"Max? Really? After Mr Mallowan?"
"You really are an Agatha expert. Yes, we did name him after Agatha Christie's second husband, Max Mallowan."
Exposition, anyone? No one talks like that. Seriously, no one.
Reason number 2 (The serious):
"Perhaps that's why she never noticed the sudden roar of an engine behind her or the yelp of a passerby to 'Watch out!" as a car made its own beeline straight towards her.
Within seconds Missy was lying, twisted and lifeless in an open doorway.
The passer-by, an elderly gentleman with thick white hair and stunned wide eyes, would later tell police that the car accelerated, deliberately steered off the road and up onto the footpath towards the unsuspecting librarian.
Missy, who came to soon after with a raging headache and aching arm, would beg to differ. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time she told the cops."
Last time I checked, "lifeless" meant "dead" and I don't appreciate being lied to, especially by the omniscient narrator who wants to shock me for a couple of seconds.
Reason number 3 (The dealbreaker):
"Missy was shaken but not stirred. '"It was all just a stupid accident,"' she told the police who had arrived soon after, followed by an ambulance.
'No, no, no!' cried the Korean shopkeeper. "Dwiver was out to get you!"'
[...]
"No, no, no P-plate!" said the Korean. "This person mad killer. Twy to kill this woman! Gangster maybe? Mafia? Black car always Mafia!" "
No.
krisrid's review
2.0
I really expected to like this book. It sounded like a perfect fit for my reading taste. I love cozy mysteries and I love Agatha Christie. A book combining the two seemed like a no-brainer. Sadly, I really didn't love this.
First off, these people are across the board not very likable characters. If I were part of this book club, with the way these people behaved, I wouldn't be in the club for very long. Honestly, their behaviour to one another felt a lot like going back to high school - sniping at each other, competing with each other, going behind each other's backs - considering they'd all barely met, who would put up with that? Not me, that's for sure.
And then there was the sleuthing. I am more than willing to cut cozy characters some slack for being buttinskies and sticking their noses where they don't belong, but the stuff Alicia pulled simply beggared belief! The number of times she managed to get people to talk to her and let her in to their homes after she accuses them of murder or other crimes just wasn't believable to me. I feel like people would have slammed their doors in her face at best, and punched her in her face at worst. I just couldn't buy that she would be able to convince people to continue to talk to her after a certain amount of accusing. Maybe it's me and that is normal behaviour that people will actually put up with over and over, but I couldn't buy it.
I give the author points for a clever connection between her story and Christie, which is all I will say to avoid spoilers. However, as annoying as Poirot could be at times, there was still a charm and quirkiness in his behaviour and approach that I always found endearing. That just didn't come across in this book's characters, most especially for me in Alicia. I found her strident, pushy and thoughtless and I just couldn't like or connect with her.
I won't be continuing with this series. Not for me.
First off, these people are across the board not very likable characters. If I were part of this book club, with the way these people behaved, I wouldn't be in the club for very long. Honestly, their behaviour to one another felt a lot like going back to high school - sniping at each other, competing with each other, going behind each other's backs - considering they'd all barely met, who would put up with that? Not me, that's for sure.
And then there was the sleuthing. I am more than willing to cut cozy characters some slack for being buttinskies and sticking their noses where they don't belong, but the stuff Alicia pulled simply beggared belief! The number of times she managed to get people to talk to her and let her in to their homes after she accuses them of murder or other crimes just wasn't believable to me. I feel like people would have slammed their doors in her face at best, and punched her in her face at worst. I just couldn't buy that she would be able to convince people to continue to talk to her after a certain amount of accusing. Maybe it's me and that is normal behaviour that people will actually put up with over and over, but I couldn't buy it.
I give the author points for a clever connection between her story and Christie, which is all I will say to avoid spoilers. However, as annoying as Poirot could be at times, there was still a charm and quirkiness in his behaviour and approach that I always found endearing. That just didn't come across in this book's characters, most especially for me in Alicia. I found her strident, pushy and thoughtless and I just couldn't like or connect with her.
I won't be continuing with this series. Not for me.