Dead and Gondola - by Ann Claire (Paperback)

About the Book

"Ellie Christie is thrilled to begin a new chapter. She's recently returned to her tiny Colorado hometown to run her family's historic bookshop with her elder sister Meg and their beloved cat Agatha. Perched in a Swiss-style hamlet accessible by ski gondola and a twisty mountain road, the Book Chalet is a famed bibliophile destination known for its maze of shelves and relaxing reading lounge. At least, until trouble blows in with a wintry whiteout: a man is found dead on the gondola and a rockslide throws the town into lockdown--no one in, no one out"--Publisher marketing.

Book Synopsis

In this series debut, a mysterious bookshop visitor dies under murderous circumstances, compelling the Christie sisters and their cat, Agatha, to call on all they've learned about solving mysteries from their favorite novelist.

"A fair-play plot, vivid characters, fascinating facts about Dame Agatha, and an intelligent and appealing protagonist make this a winner."--Publishers Weekly

Ellie Christie is thrilled to begin a new chapter. She's recently returned to her tiny Colorado hometown to run her family's historic bookshop with her elder sister, Meg, and their beloved cat, Agatha. Perched in a Swiss-style hamlet accessible by ski gondola and a twisty mountain road, the Book Chalet is a famed bibliophile destination known for its maze of shelves and relaxing reading lounge. At least, until trouble blows in with a wintry whiteout. A man is found dead on the gondola, and a rockslide throws the town into lockdown--no one in, no one out.

The victim was a mysterious stranger who'd visited the bookshop. At the time, his only blunders had been disrupting a book club and leaving behind a first-edition Agatha Christie novel, written under a pseudonym. However, once revealed, the man's identity shocks the town. Motives and secrets swirl like the snow, but when the police narrow in on the sisters' close friends, the Christies have to act.

Although the only Agatha in their family tree is their cat, Ellie and Meg know a lot about mysteries and realize they must summon their inner Miss Marple to trek through a blizzard of clues before the killer turns the page to their final chapter.

Review Quotes

"Dead and Gondola is a lighthearted, fast-paced cozy mystery with a cast of likeable characters. . . . Who wouldn't want to ride a glass-domed gondola to a historic bookshop and cozy up by the fire with a good read?"--BookPage

"Dead and Gondola is an irresistible mystery set in a scenic Colorado mountain village, where the aspens quiver and locals shiver as the engaging and intrepid Christie sisters use sleuthing honed in their mystery bookshop to find a killer."--Ellen Byron, Agatha and Lefty Award-
winning author

"Dead and Gondola is a bookish cozy that soars to new heights. Featuring a family of sleuths who channel Agatha Christie, an atmospheric mountain setting, and a flurry of suspects, this series debut is not to be missed!"--Kate Lansing, author of the Colorado Wine mysteries

"An exceptionally charming read! . . . You'll fall in love with the delightful Christie sisters and the fabulous Book Chalet in this wonderful alpine mystery. Dead and Gondola is a lovely cozy full of humor and heart."--Cynthia Kuhn, author of the Agatha Award-winning Lila Maclean Academic mysteries and Starlit Bookshop mysteries

"A snowbound mystery you'll want to enjoy in front of a cozy fire . . . Dead and Gondola is filled with bookish ardor, classic mystery references, and endearing characters."--Jennifer Chow, author of Death by Bubble Tea

"A fair-play plot, vivid characters, fascinating facts about Dame Agatha, and an intelligent and appealing protagonist make this a winner. Cozy fans will chomp at the bit for more."--Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Ann Claire earned degrees in geography, which took her across the world. Now Claire lives with her geographer husband in Colorado, where the mountains beckon from their kitchen windows. When she's not writing, you can find her hiking, gardening, herding housecats, and enjoying a good mystery, especially one by Agatha Christie.