Set in 1920s London, Eliza becomes secretary to the secretary to the Detection Club, Dorothy L Sayers. The club is peopled by some of the famous authors of mystery fiction - GK Chesterton, Agatha Christie for example. At the meeting where Eliza’s friend Theo is to be initiated as a member, the ceremony is interrupted by darkness and a gunshot, when the lights are switched back on, Nigel Lively is lying in a pool of blood.
The story follows Eliza and Theo as they investigate the murder which seems to implicate all the members of the Club, including Theo. The clues are numerous and lead them to Harrogate and back to London.
Well written and evocative of the age, with a few twists and an obvious link to a sequel at the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A cosy crime mystery, The Case of The Christie Conspiracy (2025) by Kelly Oliver is based on the actual historical Detection Club. Formed in the 1920s with written rules as a supper club, its members included writers such as Gilbert Chesterton, Dorothy Sayers, and Agatha Christie. Set in 1926 London, Eliza Baker is hired as an assistant to run the Detection Club, when a murder occurs, and Agatha Christie goes missing the next day. Eliza, together with Theodore Sharp from the chess club, wager that they can solve the murder before the other. This is a tantalising historical murder mystery with the promise of further adventures making it an enticing beginning of a detective series, with its four star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Boldwood Books and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

I love anything to do with Agatha Christie, so the title was an instant attraction for me. However, the book itself isn't really about the great writer. She is a minor character and her disappearance is used to add a twist to the plot. I liked this fact immensely because usually when this real-life event is used in fiction, it is a major focus of the book. That it isn't, immediately marks this book out as being a little different, which is always a bonus for me.

The plot itself centres around Eliza and her quest to discover who is guilty of murder. Added into the mix, are Theo, who it is quickly established is in love with Eliza and Eliza's sister Jane. Hints are made about a tragic event in Eliza's past and at a mystery person who is passing on state secrets. Neither of these are fully resolved by the end of the book, which sets things up nicely for the rest of the series and draws the reader in with tantalising hints about what is bubbling beneath the surface of seemingly everyday lives.

As I was reading, I had a feeling that there was something familiar about the spying subplot and then remembered reading something about MI5 investigating Agatha Christie during WW2, fearing she had a spy in Bletchley Park. I like it when authors take real life events and give them a bit of a twist and a shake-up to make something new from it. It's something I do a lot in my own writing and so I love seeing how other writers approach it.

There is clearly still a lot to find out about Eliza and her backstory and Book 2 is definitely one I'll be looking out for.

Ms. Oliver has penned an engaging mystery that encompasses London in the 1920s along with the popular mystery writers of their time who were members of a supper club. The descriptions of Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and G. K. Chesterton made those characters spring to life within the story. Eliza is a complex heroine as she grew up as an orphan on the streets of London. She's a brilliant chess player but closed off emotionally which makes her often appear cold and awkward around others.

The plot is smoothly paced with quite a few skillful twists and turns as Eliza and Theo searched for clues that kept me guessing. The reveal twist was excellent.

1926, famous-author, famous-persons, witty, historical-mystery, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, cozy-mystery, ex-detective, former-agent, Scotland Yard-detective, murder-investigation, murder-witness, situational-humor, banter, pet-dog*****
Eliza Baker has a past that is her job qualifications, (but can't reveal because it was wartime service) and seeks the job of assistant to the Detective Club’s eccentric secretary. The club is comprised of the very most notable mystery writers but things go wrong when one of them is shot and Dame Agatha seems to vanish. Eliza and her frequent chess opponent, Theo Sharp, partner to investigate. One of Eliza's old friends from when she worked at The Yard is the DI on the case and that's a plus. There are many twists in the investigation as well as lies and false information. The story is fun, surprising, and very well done.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected ebook file from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Avail Feb 16, 2025
#TheCaseoftheChristieConspiracy by @Kellyoliverbooks #LondonDetectionClubBk1 @boldwoodbooksnl @BoldwoodBookClub #chessClubs #BritishCozyMystery #NetGalley @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial #barnesandnoble ***** Review #booksamillion #bookshop_org #chessMoves #bookshop_org_uk #kobo #Waterstones #BritishDetective #MurderInvestigations #AgatheChristie

Thoroughly enjoyed this crime thriller written about a detection club who's infamous member Christie get's caught up in a fellow members murder. The twists and turns, and the romance blooming under the surface is a beautiful way to honour Christie as an author and becomes a page turner as each member get's a turn at being accused.

'The Case of the Christie Conspiracy' combines multiple beloved tropes into a fast-paced mystery with slow burn romance! The 27-year-old lead, Eliza, has a complex past and way of viewing the world that I would love to learn more about. She has experience investigating crimes but is currently aimless in life. Her sister works at MI5 and implores her to take a secretary job for Dorothy L. Sayers as a part of the infamous Detection Club.

Many characters' teasing of Agatha Christie's fantastical puzzles is comical considering this story isn't super realistic, but I was still quite entertained! Though there are historical elements to the story, Kelly Oliver takes some creative liberties that might bother a more serious reader. I would have loved to have unearthed the main characters' backstories a bit more or added a layer of complexity in the murder mystery to elevate this book to a five-star read. If you enjoy reading Golden Age cozy mysteries, then I recommend this book to you! I am eager to read more about this sleuthing duo!

Special thanks to the Publisher, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a fun story this book takes us into the Detection Club where we meet Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie. Eliza applies to be the assistant to Dorothy and while attending a Dinner Mystery one of the writers is shot. Then Agatha disappears and she looks like a suspect since she had an argument with him. I enjoyed this look into the past and enjoyed trying to solve the mystery. This was a page turner and I recommend it.

Rated 4.5/5

The writing was light and engaging. The language used took me back to the past, which was an enjoyable layer to the story. I was kept entertained from the beginning right through to the end, with the story ending on a cliffhanger.

The chapters were long and sometimes split. They each had a title so you had an idea of what you were about to read about. The length of the chapter meant that you got a good chunk of the story before moving on. You could get involved in all the little things that kept cropping up before moving on to the next bit. There was a good flow between all the chapters and you moved through the story well.

There were a lot of different options as to who committed the murder and it was enjoyable going through all the evidence before finally finding out how it was done.

The characters were excellent. I liked how they were based on real people and real events. The blend of fact and fiction was enjoyable to read about.

All the characters were suspicious and all had reasons to commit the murder. I liked how there were a couple of different points of view from two of the main characters.
This gave the romance storyline running alongside the murder storyline a more rounded feel and made me root for the characters to get together.

Lastly the settings. I loved travelling around 1920s London and Harrogate. The descriptions were light as it was a character focused story, but what there was grounded the story well and took you to the 1920s.

Overall an enjoyable story.

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This book had an interesting concept, but it didn’t fully live up to its promise. While it revolves around a murder in the famous Detection Club, the connection to Agatha Christie and her mysterious 11-day disappearance feels more like a passing reference than a central element. The story’s setup hinted at a deeper exploration of Christie’s enigma, but it ultimately didn’t deliver on that front.

The protagonist had potential, but her portrayal didn’t resonate with me. She seemed overly perfect, with a laundry list of skills that weren’t fully explained. This made it hard to connect with her on a human level. The romance subplot also felt unnecessary, overshadowing the murder mystery at times.

I did appreciate some of the twists in the plot, and there were moments where the mystery kept me guessing. However, the pacing felt uneven, and certain aspects of the historical setting didn’t feel authentic to the time period, which took away from the immersion.

While the book wasn’t a complete miss, it didn’t grip me as much as I’d hoped. Fans of classic mysteries might find some enjoyment, but for me, it lacked the charm and depth that make a mystery truly memorable. That's why I'm giving it 1 ⭐.

I finished book the same day, it’s got everything! Murder, humour, intrigue and Agatha Christie! Granted she’s not in it a lot, it’s fun to have her into and of you know your Christie history, there’s an explanation for THAT disappearance too (although quite a well known one). This is an interesting mix of fact, fiction, history, and mystery....The central character is Eliza Baker, secretary/assistant to mystery author Dorothy Sayers. While the plot centres around the happenings at the Sayers' created Detective Club of mystery authors, including Christie. It’s Eliza who is our heroine. So who did kill Nigel and why? Is Theo in love with Eliza or is there more to him as suspected by Jane? My only disappointment was the sequel wasn’t there to be read.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for the copy. What a gorgeous book! The author has a great gift for characterisation - nuanced, interesting, believable people. This book has so many gigantic twists in every chapter. And once again I just Loved reading it. I suppose all you need to know is that it’s a cracking action-packed story with a highly satisfactory ending – I really do recommend it.

An interesting mix of fact, fiction, history, and mystery....with a dash of romance. Don't let the title confuse you. Although Agatha Christie does make an appearance, she's hardly the central character. That spot falls to Eliza Baker, secretary/assistant to mystery author Dorothy Sayers. While the plot centers about happenings at the Sayers' created Detective Club of mystery authors, including Christie. Eliza is there simply as Sayers' secretary. In fact, she's not even a fan of the genre though you'd never know it when she does turn sleuth.Theo Sharpe, an aspiring mystery writer who has an obvious crush on Eliza, becomes her sleuthing partner/competitor. It really does seem at times like they're more in competition than cooperating, to be honest. In addition to their sleuthing skills, both play a mean game of chess although Theo refuses to play Eliza for reasons that slowly emerge.

While I won't detail the plot, it's wicked clever. It even centers about the Detective Club and its members, including Sayers and Christie. In fact, the inevitable murder occurs during the initiation of Theo into the organization. Who killed jokester and mystery writer Neville Lively? Christie? I mean, almost the last word from Neville's mouth was "Agatha". Other clues emerge, many pointing to Agatha, others in other directions. It was interesting and almost surprising to see Eliza switch gears from the seemingly bored assistant to sleuth in the blink of an eye (gunshot?). Seeing how evidence was collected and evaluated in 1926 was also interesting, even if readers may be uncertain as to where she gained her skills at this point. At best we know she once worked for Scotland Yard but quit after her partner was killed, an event she blames herself for. To be honest, if the book blurb itself hadn't stated this was a new series, I'd have been sure I'd missed a first book.

The characters involved, both real and fictional, were an interesting lot. Sayers stands out but it's Theo that drew most of my attention. He's SO besotted with Eliza. While he comes from a titled family with money, he's turned his back on all that to write. Unlike Eliza, who believes life is about living it, not writing about it, he's more feelings based. Eliza tends to be procedural and fact driven while he has great respect for hunches. Eliza's sister Jane remains a bit of an enigma, perhaps because she works for British intelligence, something sure to provide plenty of interesting situations for Eliza to become involved in as the series progresses. As for the other characters, largely mystery writers and their family and/or friends, while not fully fleshed out, they seemed likable enough and were easy to differentiate. The author did manage to work in a reference to Christie having enjoyed surfing in Hawaii, I noted, a fun, humanizing aspect. I've always enjoyed Oliver's ability to weave history into her plot but be sure to read her Author's Note at the end to find out who was real and who wasn't if you're unsure.

While I was a bit put off by the frequency the wannabe romance between Eliza and Theo took center stage, it was interesting to get both points of view at times. It was also a bit disconcerting to see Eliza's sudden, abrupt shift from no real interest in mysteries to being this talented, direct sleuth, even to the point of being almost cruel, when questioning suspects. Had to wonder why they simply answered her questions instead of showing her to the door. Grin. Hopefully that will get better, of course, and there will be less focus on the romance, at least less intensity, although to each their own.

Bottom line, despite my minor quibbles an excellent start to a new series, even if somewhat bewildering at times. The characters and story drew me in and kept my attention. I've always enjoyed author Oliver's ability to somehow weave together a sensible plot that involves real life character in fictional situations, something that definitely attracts this history buff. Thanks #BoldwoodBooks for this early intro and peek into the lives of Eliza, Theo, and the rest, including Eliza's dog Queenie. I'm already looking forward to the next book to see how Oliver continues the idea of the Detective Club and what members may become recurring characters. Sayers, surely, especially as Eliza's employer.

1926 and Agatha Christie has just published The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. She is also a member of The Detection Club, a group of literary writers who all write detective fiction. Eliza Baker gets a job as assistant to Dorothy L. Sayers who runs the Club, but in her spare time she plays chess at a chess club for money where she meets Theodore ‘Theo’ Sharp. The book uses the famous 11-day disappearance of Agatha Christie to good effect in this story.

Briefly, at a meeting of The Detection Club a member is murdered and the finger is pointed at Agatha. In distress she leaves before the police arrive and when they go to question her she is missing. Eliza and Theo decide to try to solve the crime before the police, who are focused on the missing Agatha, and have a side bet about which of them will solve it first.

Told mainly from Eliza’s perspective, but also a little from Theo’s, this is a good cosy mystery with a splash of romance. First impressions - Eliza is a difficult character to like, she can be very blunt which comes across as uncaring and even cruel. Whereas Theo is a kind and gentle man and a bit of a mouse, he needs to man up a bit. That said they were both growing on me as the book progressed. A good mystery with some red herrings that caught me out and I liked the use of chess play to help solve the crime. An entertaining read.

Engaging storyline that kept my interest from beginning to end

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.2 Stars
One Liner: A decent start to a new series

1926
Eliza Baker has previously worked with the police. However, now she is forced to get a job as an assistant to Dorothy Sayers, the secretary of the Detection Club. Christie is a popular and regular attendee of the Detection Club, a place where mystery writers share ideas, swap notes, and enjoy their drinks. However, a writer falls dead during a meeting, and Christie disappears the next day. With too many clues and suspects, Eliza decides to solve the case and find the killer.
The story comes in the third-person POVs of Eliza and Theo.

My Thoughts:
Well, Christie’s eleven-day disappearance has been a thing of fascination for writers, readers, and the general public. There have been quite a few books based on this, and quite many conspiracy theories.
This book too uses the same event but tries to make it a part of the central plot. While using Christie’s name in the title and blurb is a good marketing strategy, the book, as such belongs to the main character, Eliza Baker.
There are various real-life persons in this one to the point where I decided not to bother cross-checking the details. Use them the way you want. I won’t complain for now.
I like and dislike the FMC. The positives are that she is not a silly fan wanting attention from her favorite author(s). In fact, she dislikes mystery novels and thinks the writers are annoying. The not-so-positive part is the so-called lack of social cues. It’s a wonder people actually answer her questions considering how she interrogates them as if they are hardcore criminals. It is supposed to be a part of her arc, which means it is a deliberate choice. I can only hope, she finds a balance at some point soon.
The mystery is pretty decent or as much as it can be with OTT suspects. However, I don’t think people would be so eager to answer the questions. Eliza only has to ask, and they tell her. Maybe make her work a little more.
Chess is another major element in the book. Eliza and Theo are both great chess players. It’s not necessary to know the game to enjoy the book. While there’s some talk about pawns and strategic moves, it is limited to what’s necessary for the plot.
The social conditions are also touched upon. We get a brief peek into the backstories of both main characters. There will be a love track too as it often happens in a cozy mystery series. The foundation has been laid with a good dose of suspicion, so the next book should be interesting.
While it hasn’t been promoted as a series yet, the way it ends makes the intentions clear. The cover does say A Detection Club Mystery at the bottom (in red), something I saw after writing this point.
The author’s note is informative and talks about the real-life events and people used in the book.

To summarize, The Case of the Christie Conspiracy is a decent new cozy mystery set between the World Wars. It’s a fast read and works as a palate cleanser. Nothing great but not boring either.
Thank you, NetGalley, and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I was hooked from the first page and enjoyed getting to read this, it had that cozy mystery element that I was hoping for and enjoyed the historical element going on. Kelly Oliver has a strong writing style and thought the characters were everything that I was hoping for. I'm excited to read more in this series and from Kelly Oliver.

Eliza is looking for a new job and is interviewed by Dorothy L Sayers to be a secretary and general dogsbody for the Detection Club, a group where famous and some not so famous mystery writers meet.

A murder occurs at one of the meetings, which coincides with the disappearance of Agatha Christie, is she behind the crime?

A cosy mystery, enjoyable but so annoying that it ended on a huge cliff hangar!

I received this advanced reader copy from NetGalley and Boldwood Books to read for an honest review.
When Eliza Baker discovers that her sister Jane will be leaving, she is forced to follow up with a job offer to become an assistant for The Detection Club so she can afford her own flat. The Detection Club is a club made up of famous authors from the 1920’s. An author friend, Theo Sharp has recommended her.
At her first event, one of the members dies, unnaturally. Each of the members has their own reasons for being suspects, including Agatha Christie. It seems questionable when Christie disappears soon after the event. Could Christie have been a killer?
Eliza and Theo Sharp, a fellow member of the club, work together to solve the murder. The two interview and follow each clue until they catch the killer. At the same time, they get to know each other better with a promise that there may be a romance in the future.
This book is well written. The plot is plausible, I loved the characters, perfect pacing, and unique premise.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves cozy mysteries, especially those who read Christie and Dorothy L. Sayer.
I look forward to the next one in this series.

There’s a lot of Agatha Christie-related stories going around lately, and this one was super well-done.

Kelly Oliver perfectly wove together historical events with fiction. I hadn’t heard of the Detection Club, which was such a fun addition (and what a group of writers!). The characters were really brought to life and so true to their real life personalities. Eliza and Theo made for a fun duo to follow as well - the balance between empirical evidence and theorizing was enjoyable as was their slow romance. The story line was clever and fit perfectly with the theme of Golden Age Mystery!

I’m looking forward to the next installment following this cast of fictional and historical characters!

Thank you to #BoldwoodBooks and #NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.