Last Word to the Wise: A Christie Bookshop Mystery

Claire’s appealing second mystery featuring sisters Ellie and Meg Christie (after 2022’s Dead and Gondola) sees them enter the dating pool, with deadly results. Ellie and Meg co-own and operate the Book Chalet, a bookstore tucked away in the mountain village of Last Word, Colo., that specializes in mysteries—particularly those by their idol, Agatha Christie. When the sisters’ cousin, Lorna, starts a dating service for bookish people, she talks Ellie and Meg into signing up as guinea pigs. Ellie’s date is a disaster, but Meg is immediately smitten with her match, the charming Joe Darcy. They make a date for the next day, but Joe stands Meg up, and a concerned Lorna heads to his ski house to find out why. Joe, it turns out, has a good excuse—he’s lying dead at the bottom of a ravine below his balcony. Bolstered by their familiarity with mystery tropes, Ellie and Meg set out to crack the case. Claire throws plenty of clever red herrings into the mix, but the murderer’s motive is wildly unbelievable. Still, quirky characters and toasty fireside atmosphere make this a no-brainer for cozy lovers. (Oct.)