Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Perfectly Plotted.....
The third book from Andrew Wilson in the Agatha Christie mysteries. Perfectly plotted, cleverly written and thoroughly engaging. Agatha leaves for Baghdad with a view to investigating an unsolved mystery. Packed with atmosphere, characters that leap from the page and an engrossing plot - this is a definite page turner for Agatha Christie aficionados and lovers of well written mysteries alike. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this book. It was great being from Agatha Christie's point of view and was very true to her style and you could see that Wilson had clearly done his research.

The plot was enjoyable and the authors description of the landscape was great. There was enough subplots to keep the story going, some were more predictable than others but overall it had good flow.

Unfortunately the poor grammar and spelling was really off putting but I'm sure this will get sorted before it's officially released.

Thank you for netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

This series just goes from strength to strength. Agatha Christie again agrees to help out with trying to solve a suspicious death. Whilst I understand this is a work of fiction I do need to give the author many congratulations on setting a scene that becomes believable in the way that had this train of events happened Agatha may have taken parts of the settings to write her future Poirot books. I truly cannot wait for the next installment.

I do love Andrew Wilson's series of historical novels that has as its protagonist none other than the Queen of Crime Agatha Christie. DEATH IN A DESERT LAND is the third book in this fabulous series in which she takes the place of her creations and becomes a detective herself. After her mysterious disappearance and a case in Tenerife in the first two books, now Agatha travels to Iran to investigate the suspect suicide of an explorer on behalf of the British Secret Intelligence Service. She infiltrates herself in a team of archaeologists digging in Ur (former Mesopotamia), but soon her investigation is complicated by the tension between the members of the group and an unexpected murder.

The author craftily mixes real-life characters and events with fictional ones to create a gripping and twisty story. In true Agatha Christie's style, the plot is multi-layered and intricate with suspicious deaths, murders, and a long list of suspects all with their own motives (I almost expected Hercule Poirot to make an appearance). The detailed descriptions of the evocative and claustrophobic setting of the desert and the archaeological site, the history of the place, the treasures, the local people, make the story feel more authentic and intriguing.

I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie and her novels and, as such, I put her on a pedestal, imagining her invincible, but Andrew Wilson portrays her not only as resolute, smart, and creative, but he also describes her insecurities, her fears, and her shyness making her more realistic and relatable. She is surrounded by a cast of characters that are well-developed and intriguing, all excellently playing an important part in the story.

DEATH IN A DESERT LAND is a must for all fans of Agatha Christie out there. The novel will take the reader in a fantastic journey of mystery and twists.

This is my first taste of Andrew Wilson's historical crime fiction series set in the 1920s featuring the Queen of Crime as a a undercover sleuth working for the British intelligence officer, Davison, after solving the murder of a British agent in Tenerife previously. This is a well told novel that shows detailed research of Agatha Christie's real life, people she really knew, with Wilson skilfully and seamlessly blending fact with fiction. Wilson's Christie is modest, shrewd, anxious and vulnerable, and still not quite over her first husband leaving her. She travels to Baghdad and the ancient city of Ur to look into the death of Gertrude Bell, the famous Arabist and adventurer, after unsent letters are uncovered which suggest she was murdered by someone working at the Ur archaeological site. Christie's visit was to be the source of the well known crime novel Murder in Mesopotamia, and in time was to culminate in her second marriage to the archaeologist, Max Mallowan, who gets a brief mention here.

At Ur, the dig is run by Leonard Woolley, a man who had a tense relationship with Bell, often disagreeing with her. He is married to the larger than life Katherine, an outspoken woman, whose first husband, a military man who worked for British intelligence, committed suicide. She has a reputation for not liking other woman on the site but has made an exception for Christie whose crime fiction she admires. Katharine is not a well liked woman, volatile, afflicted with fits of mania, loves a cat named Tom that is loathed by everyone else, and experiencing strange hallucinations. Others on the site include Lawrence McRae, and his troubled nephew, Cecil, whose parents are tragically dead, Father Burrows, and the site administrator, Cynthia Jones, an extremely capable and well organised woman. Present are the Americans, the charming dig photographer, Harry Miller, and the very wealthy Archer family, Hubert, his wife, Ruth and daughter, Sarah.

When a murder takes place, the chief and obvious suspect is Katherine, but is she guilty? Christie investigates, only to find nothing is as it seems. Wilson does not shy away from portraying the attitudes and norms of this period of history, the overt racism, a colonial power party to spiriting away ancient Middle Eastern treasures, the locals all looking alike and doing all the actual heavy work on the dig, whilst the British and Americans live in their own little exclusive bubble. All of this adds a sense of authenticity to the storytelling, not to mention the accurate portrayal of the real Christie's visits to the Middle East. This is an engaging mystery, one that I think many fans of Agatha Christie are likely to enjoy reading. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.

The imagined character of Agatha Christie is asked to investigate the death of Gertrude Bell after the emergence of new evidencr suggesting she feared for her life. Christie visits a camp of archaeologists at Ur, and becomes involved in a strangely toxic environment. The lead archaeologist's wife is behaving very oddly, and then there is a death. I like Wilson's books, but I found this one to be so close to the actual original novel (complete with period attitudes to the indigenous people doing the digging) that I wasn't too sure of the point of this revisit.

I was overjoyed to receive this early reading copy as I found the previous books in this series to be tremendous. This 3rd installment didn't disappoint. The writing was engaging & dramatic with nods to Christie's novels & real life delightfully sprinkled through the mystery. The relationship that is evolving between Davison & Christie is compelling and I hope their friendship continues to be developed.

I also love the eye-catching cover design which is perfect for the novel.

This is an excellent series of intriguing mysteries based on facts and events in the life of Agatha Christie. In this edition she is in Iraq investigating events around the camp of the Woolleys, a couple who led significant digs in the 1920s and 30s in the Middle East. I particularly enjoy the mix of fact and embellished fiction that the author achieves in synthesising an excellent and engaging storyline. The characters are drawn in some depth and you feel that Christie's character is especially well drawn. If you enjoy a historic setting and a characterful complex mystery then you'll love this book.

Intriguing murder mystery tale featuring Agatga Christie as the detective. This is the third book in the series but the first I had read, not being familiar with the previous stories did not affect my enjoyment of this one though, and I'll definitely be looking to read those too.