Death and the Courtesan

Historical mystery readers fond of arch and ribald takes on the genre will best appreciate Christie’s debut, the first in a Regency series. Early on, Arabella Beaumont and her sister and fellow courtesan, Belinda, commiserate about oral sex. (One chapter is titled “Reader, I F****d Him.”) But even those who applaud such asterisk-laden explicitness may lose patience with a silly plot and an off-putting heroine. Arabella, the preeminent courtesan in England, finds her life in jeopardy after she’s framed for murder. One of her monogrammed knives was stolen and used to kill Euphemia Ramsey, a former friend. Fans of Restoration comedy will appreciate such farcical names as Lady Ribbonhat, though it’s difficult to engage with the characters or feel much concern about the story’s predictable outcome (reader, Arabella survives the book). Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. (June)