Mostly Murders

“If I waited for permission, we’d never solve anything.”
“Yes, he said darkly, “but we might live longer.”

Book 4 in The Detection Club series. Many thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this ARC, publication date Jun 24, 2026.

Agatha Christie is getting married. To avoid publicity and scandal, she is having her bans read on the Isle of Skye with a couple of members of the Detection Club keeping her company, as well as her daughter Rosalind. But the peace is broken by the arrival of an unexpected hunting party, and the quiet getaway is turned into a chilling mystery as resentments grow and old secrets are threatened to be exposed.

A historical cozy mystery on the serious side. The atmosphere is much like the surroundings of Skye, heavy and tense, and clearly building up to a dramatic crescendo. The main character, Eliza, is a brilliant and extremely competent sleuth, but also emotionally scarred and haunted by the ghosts of the past. Theo, her detective sidekick and love interest, is struggling to come to terms with his father’s demands and disappointment, and both of them are pining for each other but scared to let go and give in to their feelings.

If you’re looking for a cute, light-hearted, low-stakes cozy mystery, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for an atmospheric, Golden Age historical mystery with dark brooding, introspection and passionate but fragile romance, offset somewhat by an adorable beagle and humorous scenes with the famous authors Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, set in a rugged, rough climate inhabited by mysterious characters who all have something to hide, you might want to give this one a try.

Cozy mystery – Golden Age mystery