I would like to thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This had a good premise and was enjoyable in the end, it just dragged a little. I did find the solution to the mystery to be clever!

📚The Case of the Christie Conspiracy📚
Kelly Oliver
Genre: historical mystery🔪☠️

💭My thoughts💭:

This novel has several things working in its favour:

+ A backdrop of Britain in the roaring twenties
+ A female lead with a badass backstory
+ A really intriguing premise and setting
+ A cleverly plotted mystery

So why only ⭐⭐⭐?

The problem for me was the main character.
I found Eliza baker somewhat childish and really bad at reading people.
Which is a problem because she is supposed to be a former street urchin AND a former British Intelligence agent- two environments in which you HAVE to be able to read people if you are to survive. My irritation kept pulling me out of the story and affected my overall enjoyment.

Nevertheless, this remains a well-plotted, engrossing historical mystery.

The Case of the Christie Conspiracy sounded promising, yet was ultimately a disappointing cozy mystery. From the title, I knew the general idea of what it would be about. In real life, in 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared in bizarre circumstances (obviously re-appearing), and I was excited to read a cozy novel around that real life mystery. Instead this was a confusing and anti-climactic whodunnit and Christie's disappearance was mostly a side note.

In 1926 Eliza Baker, a failed police officer or something like that- I think, the book was muddled enough I was confused about what her background was supposed to be- lives with her sister, an M15 agent, and while in urgent need of employment answers an ad from Dorothy Sayers (an actual contemporary of Agatha Christie) who is hiring an assistant for her Detection Club (a real club Sayers was in with Christie and other notable mystery authors of the time). She is hired and at one of her first meetings of the club, a member is murdered and shortly after that Christie disappears.

Here is where the plot goes sideways. I was very confused about whether or not this was in the middle of a series or the beginning (it is in fact the beginning) because the way Eliza's past is explained as well as her relationship to her friend Theo Baker, her sidekick throughout whose perspective we occasionally see, is all written like there are prior books explaining all of this and in this book it's just a recap. In addition to the primary characters being explained poorly, I was having trouble following the relationships of all of the other characters which seemed unnecessarily convoluted.

The plot also contains very little action and is mostly just Eliza and Theo travelling to different homes to speak to suspects. One of their trips serves the purpose of exploring whether or not Eliza and Theo have more to their relationship than just friends, however it is written in a way that comes across very forced.

Christie's disappearance, what I thought the mystery would focus on, or at least play a larger role, is essentially just a minor plot point that is treated like no big deal which is extremely confusing.

I rated this book three stars because it wasn't so confusing or muddled that I didn't want to know what happened. It has a solid idea for a plot and themes, I just felt that it could have more action, a clearer idea of who some of these people even were, and a more interesting way of explaining and resolving Christie's disappearance.

Many thanks to Boldwood Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion

Eliza lands a job at the Detection Club as an assistant.
She’s surrounded by mystery writers all a little quirky.
This was a good mystery with several surprises. I liked Eliza and Theo and can tell they’ll make a good team.
I’m looking forward to where the next book in this series goes.

I instantly like Eliza Baker, she was sparky, funny, witty and way ahead of her time. She was acting a chess hustler whilst living in her sisters apartment, she takes up a role as secretary to a detectives club where the hallowed Agatha Christie is a member. She meets Theodore Sharpe at the Gambit and at the detectives club. She’s in awe of him and his skills as he is her. When a murder happens at the club hee previous skills as a detective kick in and she soon finds herself swept along in the hunt for both a murderer and an errand Agatha. This was such a good read and I indulged myself to lose myself in this book. Perfect read. Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

I thought this was an intriguing idea for a mystery novel. But the execution was weak. The premise is that a young woman, Eliza, is working as the secretary for the Detection Club, the real life club of famous 20s mystery writers. A fictional author falls down dead at a meeting and suspicion falls on Agatha Christie who has mysteriously disappeared. That’s a real life event and other real authors such as Dorothy Sayers and G.K. Chesterton show up. Eliza and a friend of hers, Theo, who has a big crush on her, pair up to solve the mystery.

That is where the book falls down. Eliza is a rather irritating heroine. She seems to despise detective novels and the writers that she is working for. I’m not sure why that had to be a necessary characterization. Theo is rather a wuss and doesn’t add much to the book. And Eliza just goes and visits the family and friends of the victim and other witnesses and charges in to ask them intrusive questions that they end up answering. She’s a nobody and all these people talk to her as if she were the police. I guess that has to happen to move the plot along, but it was rather irritating after a while.

And the solution to the novel was also irritating. So I’d give this four stars for the idea and two stars for execution.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

As a longtime fan of Agatha Christie and classic mysteries, I was immediately drawn to The Case of the Christie Conspiracy. This book perfectly blends historical fiction with a compelling whodunit, making for an entertaining and immersive read.

Set in 1926, the story follows Eliza Baker, a former police employee now working for Dorothy L. Sayers, the secretary of the prestigious Detection Club. When Agatha Christie disappears, Eliza and Theo Sharp find themselves caught in a web of secrets and deception. Their dynamic was one of my favorite parts of the book—clever, engaging, and full of sharp dialogue.

The historical details are incredibly well done, bringing 1920s London to life. The mystery itself is packed with red herrings and unexpected twists, keeping me hooked from start to finish. I especially loved the inclusion of real-life literary figures, adding an extra layer of intrigue for mystery lovers.

This book is a must-read for fans of historical mysteries, classic detective fiction, and strong female leads. Kelly Oliver has crafted an intelligent and stylish mystery that kept me guessing until the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Fist time reading this author. The mystery kept me guessing. I liked the setting and the characters. It will be interesting to see who the long term bad guy is. I look forward to more in this series.

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

It was an easy and entertaining novel that I enjoyed, a story that involves two Queens of Mystery and being one my favorite mystery wrier aka Dorothy L Sayers
Si firgot who was ivolved and enjoyed the story as they’re missing L is important and it’s missing
An easy and entertaining read

Golden Age mystery lovers, this one’s for you! As a huge fan of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, I couldn’t resist this ARC, and I’m happy to report—it was everything I hoped for and more. Engaging, cozy, and full of classic English mystery charm.

Bonus: seeing legendary writers I admire from the era come to life on the page was a total treat.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I seem to gravitate towards cozy mysteries set during the Golden Age, the 1920s. And what gravitated me towards this book was the plot device of using Agatha Christie as a suspect in a murder! I know, from other reading, that the Detection Club was a real thing in England at the time, and that Agatha was a member.

I did like the fact that the murder of one of the writers happened, and the next day is the beginning of the time frame when Agatha Christie disappeared. The main character, Eliza, previously worked for the government during WWI, and now she is secretary to Dorothy Sayers, who is also a member of the Detection Club. She immediately begins to investigate the murder, along with her male friend, who also seems to take a fancy to her.

If you like chess and cozy mysteries, you’d love this book, I think, because the characters in the book spend a lot of time playing chess, using chess as a metaphor, using their way of playing chess to critically think about the murder and what the next moves should be in their investigation. I myself do not play chess, so the repeated mentioning of the game were a distraction.

The story was good, and clearly, this book is meant to be the launch of the series based upon how the book ended. I’m not sure if I will continue on with the series because it just didn’t WOW me. Worth a read, but it will quickly be forgotten.

I enjoyed how cozy the book felt; it was like drinking a warm cup of tea on a rainy afternoon.

Overall, I liked the story—it was a cute easy to read mystery.

At first, I felt that Eliza lacked depth as a character, but once I realized there might be a sequel, I had hope that there would be more character development.

My one critique is that the title made it seem like the story would focus more on Agatha Christie's disappearance, but it was only briefly touched upon. The title gave the impression that it would be the focal point, which it wasn’t. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I hadn’t expected something different—it felt a bit misleading, almost like a MacGuffin. I believe a different title would have better reflected the story.

That said, I’m excited (and hoping) to read the follow-up, as I’m invested in Theo and Eliza’s journey!

This was a quick ,easy and fun read and anyone who loves a Christie mystery will enjoy this. The Detection Club and the writers involved are fascinating characters and I loved the author’s note that this was an actual club in the 20’s.
The mystery is engaging but dedicated Christie fans might guess who the culprit is. The story is told from Eliza ( the newly appointed secretary to the club) and Theo, an aspiring writer. Theo was interesting character, but Eliza just seemed to have a large number of skills for a 1920’s woman and was just a little too perfect for me. The book also feels like a sequel with the Eliza’s backstory described previously.
There is an additional subplot featuring espionage that Eliza’s sister is involved in which isn’t explored in any great depth in this book but I imagine this will form the basis of the next book.
Perfect for Fans who
Love historical fiction featuring real life authors

An incredibly enjoyable book about a young would-be detective with a troubled past. In some ways Eliza reminded me of an edgier Enola
Holmes, in a good way. She and her friend Theo share a passion for both chess and solving mysteries.

I didn't mind that Agatha Christie herself played only a small part in the book, and I enjoyed Eliza's interactions with the members of the
Detection Club, especially Dorothy Sayers for whom she worked. The plot kept me guessing while they kept up a fine investigation. The writer
nicely balanced the mystery action with a budding romance. The scenes of rainy, cold London were satisfying.

Eliza's sister Jane is so incidental, but perhaps she will be more instrumental in the follow-on books - which I eagerly await!

I highly recommend this book to lovers of "Golden Age Crime" novels involving female protagonists.

Overall, “The Case of the Christie Conspiracy” offers a lighthearted and entertaining read, especially for fans of historical mysteries and those intrigued by the Golden Age of detective fiction.

The character of Eliza Baker is highlighted as a strong and savvy protagonist, though some find her interrogation methods tactless, adding to her charm. The dynamic between Eliza and Theo introduces a romantic subplot, which has received mixed reactions; while some appreciate the added depth, others feel it detracts from the mystery. The novel concludes with a cliffhanger, suggesting future installments in the series.

Set in 1920s London, Eliza becomes secretary to the secretary to the Detection Club, Dorothy L Sayers. The club is peopled by some of the famous authors of mystery fiction - GK Chesterton, Agatha Christie for example. At the meeting where Eliza’s friend Theo is to be initiated as a member, the ceremony is interrupted by darkness and a gunshot, when the lights are switched back on, Nigel Lively is lying in a pool of blood.
The story follows Eliza and Theo as they investigate the murder which seems to implicate all the members of the Club, including Theo. The clues are numerous and lead them to Harrogate and back to London.
Well written and evocative of the age, with a few twists and an obvious link to a sequel at the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A cosy crime mystery, The Case of The Christie Conspiracy (2025) by Kelly Oliver is based on the actual historical Detection Club. Formed in the 1920s with written rules as a supper club, its members included writers such as Gilbert Chesterton, Dorothy Sayers, and Agatha Christie. Set in 1926 London, Eliza Baker is hired as an assistant to run the Detection Club, when a murder occurs, and Agatha Christie goes missing the next day. Eliza, together with Theodore Sharp from the chess club, wager that they can solve the murder before the other. This is a tantalising historical murder mystery with the promise of further adventures making it an enticing beginning of a detective series, with its four star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Boldwood Books and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

I love anything to do with Agatha Christie, so the title was an instant attraction for me. However, the book itself isn't really about the great writer. She is a minor character and her disappearance is used to add a twist to the plot. I liked this fact immensely because usually when this real-life event is used in fiction, it is a major focus of the book. That it isn't, immediately marks this book out as being a little different, which is always a bonus for me.

The plot itself centres around Eliza and her quest to discover who is guilty of murder. Added into the mix, are Theo, who it is quickly established is in love with Eliza and Eliza's sister Jane. Hints are made about a tragic event in Eliza's past and at a mystery person who is passing on state secrets. Neither of these are fully resolved by the end of the book, which sets things up nicely for the rest of the series and draws the reader in with tantalising hints about what is bubbling beneath the surface of seemingly everyday lives.

As I was reading, I had a feeling that there was something familiar about the spying subplot and then remembered reading something about MI5 investigating Agatha Christie during WW2, fearing she had a spy in Bletchley Park. I like it when authors take real life events and give them a bit of a twist and a shake-up to make something new from it. It's something I do a lot in my own writing and so I love seeing how other writers approach it.

There is clearly still a lot to find out about Eliza and her backstory and Book 2 is definitely one I'll be looking out for.

Ms. Oliver has penned an engaging mystery that encompasses London in the 1920s along with the popular mystery writers of their time who were members of a supper club. The descriptions of Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and G. K. Chesterton made those characters spring to life within the story. Eliza is a complex heroine as she grew up as an orphan on the streets of London. She's a brilliant chess player but closed off emotionally which makes her often appear cold and awkward around others.

The plot is smoothly paced with quite a few skillful twists and turns as Eliza and Theo searched for clues that kept me guessing. The reveal twist was excellent.

1926, famous-author, famous-persons, witty, historical-mystery, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, cozy-mystery, ex-detective, former-agent, Scotland Yard-detective, murder-investigation, murder-witness, situational-humor, banter, pet-dog*****
Eliza Baker has a past that is her job qualifications, (but can't reveal because it was wartime service) and seeks the job of assistant to the Detective Club’s eccentric secretary. The club is comprised of the very most notable mystery writers but things go wrong when one of them is shot and Dame Agatha seems to vanish. Eliza and her frequent chess opponent, Theo Sharp, partner to investigate. One of Eliza's old friends from when she worked at The Yard is the DI on the case and that's a plus. There are many twists in the investigation as well as lies and false information. The story is fun, surprising, and very well done.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected ebook file from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Avail Feb 16, 2025
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