PK the Bookeemonster: As engaged as I wanna be

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

As engaged as I wanna be

Tuesday.

I'm also starting to read a new release A TRACE OF POISON by Colleen Cambridge. 2nd of 2 in Phyllida Bright series, housekeeper to Agatha Christie.

In England’s stately manor houses, murder is not generally a topic for polite conversation. Mallowan Hall, home to Agatha Christie and her husband, Max, is the exception. And housekeeper Phyllida Bright delights in discussing gory plot details with her friend and employer . . . The neighboring village of Listleigh has also become a hub of grisly goings-on, thanks to a Murder Fête organized to benefit a local orphanage. Members of The Detection Club—a group of celebrated authors such as G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Agatha herself—will congregate for charitable events, including a writing contest for aspiring authors. The winner gets an international publishing contract, and entrants have gathered for a cocktail party—managed by the inimitable Phyllida—when murder strikes too close even for her comfort. It seems the victim imbibed a poisoned cocktail intended for Alastair Whittlesby, president of the local writers’ club. The insufferable Whittlesby is thought to be a shoo-in for the prize, and ambition is certainly a worthy motive. But narrowing down these suspects could leave even Phyllida’s favorite fictional detective, M. Poirot, twirling his mustache in frustration. It’s a mystery too intriguing for Phyllida to resist, but one fraught with duplicity and danger, for every guest is an expert in murder—and how to get away with it . . .

Published 2022; 299 pages.

And I think I'll be listening to this audiobook this afternoon while I work on invoices:

EAT PRAY DIE by Chelsea Field. 1st of 6 in series.

Being an undercover poison taster for the rich and famous might sound glamorous, but for Isobel Avery it means stomaching bad clients and even worse coffee. The one side of the job that lives up to expectations is the money. Which is just as well for Izzy, since she needs an awful lot of it. Who knew when she made a lifelong commitment to a man that it would be one year living with him and the rest of her life paying for it? But even her scoundrel ex-husband doesn't look so bad compared to her new client. He's competent, condescending, and annoyingly attractive, and Izzy doesn't know whether to sleep with him or poison him herself. Throw in a loan shark, a clever killer, and a co-worker's life hanging in the balance, and Izzy will have her work cut out for her. Can Izzy and her annoyingly attractive client put aside their differences to hunt down the bad guy? Or will Izzy fail to survive her job's probation period?

Published 2016; 344 pages/ 7 hours 33 minutes. Interestingly, the audio reader/performer has an Australian accent.