Introduction

Discover the delightfully gripping new historical mystery series that's perfect for fans of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright and T E Kinsey.

'If you thought the Golden Age of crime was dead, think again!' Verity Bright

Agatha Christie is about to embark on a new, gripping murder case. But this time, she’s not the author – she’s a suspect…

1926 – Christie is a darling of the literary circuit and the most desired guest in London’s glittering social scene. She can often be found at meetings of the Detection Club – where mystery writers come together to share ideas, swap secrets and drink copiously. But then a fellow author's initiation ceremony takes a gruesome turn, and one of the group ends up dead. Now, Agatha is no longer just the creator of great mystery plots – she’s a player in one.

And when Agatha disappears the day after the murder, she’s widely assumed to be guilty. Only Eliza Baker, assistant to the Club’s enigmatic secretary, Dorothy Sayers, is interested in investigating the case. But in a world where murder is the ultimate plot device, can Eliza piece together the evidence and find the killer before it’s too late?

This novel is inspired by actual events surrounding the formation of London’s Detection Club, whose founding members include Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayer, and Gilbert Chesterton. After the publication of Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, some members of the club thought she hadn’t “played fair” with the reader and wanted to expel her from the club. That is the inciting incident for this story.

“Sharp, witty and full of surprises"—Clara McKenna “Skillful twists and turns that kept me guessing. The reveal twist was excellent.” —Reader Review "Wicked clever final twist!" —Reader Review

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Discussion Questions

From the author:

1. Do you agree with the early Detection Club rules that authors should “play fair” with the reader? Do you think those who wanted to expel Christie after the publication of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd were warranted? Are you a fan of unreliable narrators?

2. Of the Detection Club members featured in the story, who was your favorite character? Did you learn anything new about them?

3. Did you think the chess subplot and chess metaphors enhanced the story?

4. Were you surprised by the final twist? Who did you think killed Neville Lively?

5. What did you think of the romance between Eliza and Theo? Did it add to the story or detract from the mystery?

6. In 1926 Agatha Christie disappeared for eleven days. Did you enjoy how her disappearance was incorporated into the story? From what you’ve read here and elsewhere, what’s your speculation on what happened and why she ended up at a spa in Harrogate under an assumed name (not coincidentally the name of her husband’s mistress!)?

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