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gillijp's review against another edition
3.0
I’m so mixed about this series, I love the plots, the settings, but man I find Phyllida rather annoying instead of smart. I find her rather smug and am assuming that’s the joke?
The covers are super cool too
The covers are super cool too
inkwitchery's review
2.0
A TRACE OF POISON by Colleen Cambridge
Often times when reading fiction the reader has to suspend their beliefs in order for the plot to work. However, it’s difficult to imagine famed author Agatha Christie enlisting her good friend and housemaid, Phyllida Bright, to investigate serious crimes. It’s even more unbelievable when Phyllida inserts herself in an investigation and conducts her own search for clues (literally snooping through people’s homes!).
I didn’t care for Phyllida Bright at all. She’s pretentious, pushy and just annoying. She acts as if she has authority over all the servants and knows more/better than everyone else, even the police. She really should be charged with leading witnesses, tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice.
Overall, I didn’t enjoy this. It’s a shame because it had potential to be really good. Also? What is up with the endless descriptions of “quivering” moustaches? That so weird and unnecessary.
[ Note: My review is based on not having read the previous book in this series, MURDER AT MALLOWAN HALL. ]
**ARC courtesy of @NetGalley & Kensington Books
Rating: 2/5 ⭐️
Release Date: 10.25.22
Often times when reading fiction the reader has to suspend their beliefs in order for the plot to work. However, it’s difficult to imagine famed author Agatha Christie enlisting her good friend and housemaid, Phyllida Bright, to investigate serious crimes. It’s even more unbelievable when Phyllida inserts herself in an investigation and conducts her own search for clues (literally snooping through people’s homes!).
I didn’t care for Phyllida Bright at all. She’s pretentious, pushy and just annoying. She acts as if she has authority over all the servants and knows more/better than everyone else, even the police. She really should be charged with leading witnesses, tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice.
Overall, I didn’t enjoy this. It’s a shame because it had potential to be really good. Also? What is up with the endless descriptions of “quivering” moustaches? That so weird and unnecessary.
[ Note: My review is based on not having read the previous book in this series, MURDER AT MALLOWAN HALL. ]
**ARC courtesy of @NetGalley & Kensington Books
Rating: 2/5 ⭐️
Release Date: 10.25.22
sams84's review
3.0
This is a intriguing and entertaining cozy style mystery set in a village whose residents include Agatha Christie and that is in the middling of hosting a Murder Fete to celebrate the famous authors that make up the Detection Club. Along side this is the amateur Murder Club, a group of crime writers that are working on making a name for themselves. Against this somewhat unusual backdrop, a killer is at large at it is down to Phyllida Bright, Agatha trusted friend and housekeeper, to keep the police on track as well as the Murder Fete running smoothly as only an experienced and diligent housekeeper can. Packed full of twists and turns and with the feel of Midsomer Murders, this was a lovely read and I did like Phyllida as a character as she didn't suffer fools at all. I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for this series in future.
carly276's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I enjoyed this series, even though it is fraught with historical inaccuracies. The characters are somehow compelling, and their likability does keep you reading from book to book. The historical inaccuracies did get me so angry, but the plot and characters were interesting enough to keep me reading these from my library.
jenny_bean_reads's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I did not see the plot twist coming! I enjoyed this one more than the first, glad I kept reading!
sophiarose1816's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
A famous writers’ Detection Club comes to a local village to raise funds to repair and orphanage and judge the local Murder Club short story contest only for everyone to be faced with a real murder in need of solution. The second Phyllida Bright mystery builds on the strength of the first one with the engaging characters, wonderful tribute to the real life mystery writers and the historical back drop while showcasing a cunning new murder mystery to solve.
A Trace of Poison is the second book in the series and would work out of order or standalone, but there are introductions to the primary characters and backdrop from book one that made it a good idea to read in order.
I thought it was great fun to see the redoubtable and confident housekeeper right back at it nosing out the answers ahead of the police while famous – and favorite mystery writers- were present. Phyllida was still full of herself to a certain degree and, again, it was fun to see the household chauffeur Bradford get under her skill and show her that she was not the only clever person around.
She was pretty clever compared to the stolid constable and visiting detective inspector and at times, she let sleuthing supersede self-preservation particularly when she created that big scene near the end only because she insisted she was perfectly fine alone and could take care of herself- incidentally, she was not.
This is very much a cozy in tone and pace, but the historical aspect and the Christie element were perfectly balanced and present. Phyllida is something of an enigma- as is Bradford, for that matter- and I was hoping the second book would open up a bit about their individual pasts, but it doesn’t. Maybe next time.
All in all, it was a good second entry in the series with a solid mystery. Historical cozy fans should put it on the list. I’m off to nose out book three.
ugreta's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
karenmishler's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
whit_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced