Murder Takes the Stage - (A Phyllida Bright Mystery) by Colleen Cambridge (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In this delightful historical mystery, Phyllida Bright--amateur sleuth and Agatha Christie's esteemed housekeeper--discovers a killer stalking the stages of London's illustrious theaters.

Housekeeper Phyllida Bright is quite in her element at Mallowan Hall, the charming English manor that she keeps in tip-top shape. By contrast, the bustling metropolis of London, where her famed employer Agatha Christie has temporarily relocated, leaves Phyllida a bit out of her depth. Not only must she grapple with a limited staff, but Phyllida also has to rein in a temperamental French cook who has the looks of Hercule Poirot, but none of the charm.

When a man named Archibald Allston is found dead in an armchair onstage at the Adelphi Theater, first impressions are that he died of natural causes. But the very next day, the unlucky actor playing Benvolio at the Belmont Theater is found with his head bashed in. And when a third victim turns up, this time with double-C initials, the fatal pattern is impossible to ignore.

With panic erupting among theater folk--a superstitious bunch at the best of times--Phyllida steps up to help with the investigation. The murderer's MO may be easy to read, but can Phyllida uncover the killer's identity before the final curtain falls on another victim?

Review Quotes

Praise for Colleen Cambridge's Phyllida Bright Mysteries

"Imagine a real-life version of the board game Clue, orchestrated in the manner of Agatha Christie and set in the English countryside...the redoubtable Phyllida grows more confident and skilled with each installment. Murder by Invitation Only straddles the line between historical fiction and intricate, Christie-esque suspense quite well, without the cloying cutesiness that can sometimes plague mysteries on the cozier side of things. And Phyllida Bright is simply a gem." --BookPage

"Utterly charming...Cambridge also does an excellent job of creating a cast of suitably quirky suspects and side-characters. Many of Phyllida and Christie's conversations provide a delightful touch of metatextuality, which should amuse fans of the real Christie." --Historical Novel Society on Murder by Invitation Only

"Hardcore Christie fans will relish this solid...closed-circle mystery." --Publishers Weekly on Murder by Invitation Only

"Cambridge weaves in just the right amount of historical detail and references to classic Christie novels while placing Phyllida and her intelligent sleuthing skills front and center...Fans of traditional mysteries will appreciate the author's sometimes tongue-in-cheek adherence to the conventions of the genre, particularly the denouement where all is revealed. Dame Agatha would be proud." --Publishers Weekly on A Trace of Poison

"Cambridge balances Downton Abbey-style period charm with a tight plot that twists and turns right until the end, with utter believability...The real-life historical players make only brief cameos, but Cambridge creates such a compelling cast of fictional characters that they are hardly missed. Reminiscent of Jessica Ellicott's 'Beryl & Edwina' series, this novel will please readers with itshistorical world and a plot that would satisfy Poirot." --Library Journal on A Trace of Poison

"Cambridge takes inspiration from several of Christie's most celebrated novels in devising her agreeably intricate plot." --Kirkus Reviews on A Trace of Poison

"Charmingly told, with a full upstairs-downstairs cast of guests and servants, Murder at Mallowan Hall is a wonderful mystery by Colleen Cambridge...Fans of Agatha Christie, historical fiction and fierce female leads are all sure to enjoy Murder at Mallowan Hall." --Shelf Awareness on Murder at Mallowan Hall

"It's obvious Cambridge had a blast writing the book, set in 1930s Devonshire, and her fun is infectious. Phyllida is a confident first-time detective, modeling herself on her hero, Christie's Hercule Poirot, who outshines all suitors who have come her way. Phyllida's smarts and assurance don't save her from making mistakes, some of which delay solving the case. Paced at a gallop, it's an entertaining read. Recommended." --Historical Novel Society on Murder at Mallowan Hall

"Two words describe this book: absolutely delicious...Murder at Mallowan Hall is a near-perfect traditional mystery." --First Clue

"[A] solid series launch from Cambridge...Readers will want to see more of the clever Phyllida." --Publishers Weekly on Murder at Mallowan Hall

"An entertaining whodunnit." --Toronto.com on Murder at Mallowan Hall

"Colleen Cambridge has done her homework on English society and provides us with a clear picture of her characters, where they live, and how they act. She does well at capturing the era with all the right language and dialects. It's a good cozy to read with a cup of tea on the patio." --New York Journal of Books on Murder at Mallowan Hall

"A delicious combination of Downton Abbey and a meta-play on a Christie novel (obviously, The Body in the Library). The Downton Abbey bit is Cambridge's attention to 1920's domestic detail and the way Mrs. Bright runs the household...Agatha Christie the character plays a very peripheral part in the proceedings, but Agatha Christie the writer haunts every page of this delightful book that both pays homage to the Queen of Crime, but also embroiders on her work with a fresh character and a fresh look at a part of her life. This is a wonderful series debut." --Mystery Scene Magazine on Murder at Mallowan Hall

"What if Agatha Christie's housekeeper was the best detective of all? In this delightful book, she is! You will love watching Phyllida spot the clues the authorities miss when a dead body shows up in Agatha's library. An outstanding start to what promises to be a winning new series." --Victoria Thompson, USA Today Bestselling Author of Murder on Wall Street on Murder at Mallowan Hall

"Cambridge pens a thoroughly intriguing mystery, told in a unique manner from the perspective of the staff belowstairs rather than the upper class above, in this splendid first installment in a new series. Her heroine, Phyllida Bright, is the confident, shrewd, and eminently capable housekeeper for none other than the grand dame of mystery herself--Agatha Christie--and a great admirer of Christie's fictional detective Poirot, whose methods she seeks to emulate. Fans of Tessa Arlen and Jennifer Ashley will be delighted." --Anna Lee Huber, bestselling author of the Verity Kent Mysteries on Murder at Mallowan Hall

"Agatha Christie's indomitable and mysterious housekeeper Phyllida Bright takes on a killer in this exciting new series from Colleen Cambridge. Fans of historical mysteries--and Christie herself--will love this well-imagined homage, and the clever twists and numerous suspects will keep readers on their toes. I'm already looking forward to Phyllida's next adventure!" --Erica Ruth Neubauer, author of the Jane Wunderly Mysteries on Murder at Mallowan Hall

"Amazing period details, clever clues, and plot twists abound. Colleen Cambridge has fashioned a delightful mystery from beginning to end for Agatha Christie fans." --D.E. Ireland, author of the Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins Mysteries on Murder at Mallowan Hall

"[A] solid series launch...Readers will want to see more of the clever Phyllida." --Publishers Weekly on Murder at Mallowan Hall

About the Author

Colleen Cambridge is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the American in Paris Mysteries and the Phyllida Bright Mysteries, the first of which, Murder at Mallowan Hall, was an Agatha Award finalist and an Indie Next Pick. The first American in Paris Mystery, Mastering the Art of French Murder, was an Indie Next Pick, LibraryReads selection, and Publishers Marketplace 2023 Buzz Books selection. An accomplished historian whose meticulously researched novels appeal to fans of historical fiction and mysteries alike, she also writes under the pennames C.M. Gleason and Colleen Gleason. She lives in the Midwest and can be found online at ColleenCambridge.com.