Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library - Hardcover

by Amanda Chapman (Author)

"Fans of classic detective fiction are in for a treat." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Book conservator Tory Van Dyne and a woman claiming to be Agatha Christie on holiday from the Great Beyond join forces to catch a killer in this spirited mystery from Amanda Chapman.

A 2026 Edgars Lillian Jackson Braun Award Nominee

Tory Van Dyne is the most down-to-earth member of a decidedly eccentric old-money New York family. For one thing, as book conservator at Manhattan's Mystery Guild Library, she actually has a job. Plus, she's left up-town society behind for a quiet life downtown. So she's not thrilled when she discovers a woman in the library's Christie Room who calmly introduces herself as Agatha Christie, politely requests a cocktail, and announces she's there to help solve a murder-- that has not yet happened.

But as soon as Tory determines that this is just a fairly nutty Christie fangirl, her socialite/actress cousin Nicola gets caught up in the suspicious death of her less-than-lovable talent agent. Nic, as always, looks to Tory for help. Tory, in turn, looks to Mrs. Christie. The woman, whoever or whatever she is, clearly knows her stuff when it comes to crime.

Aided by an unlikely band of fellow sleuths --including a snarky librarian, an eleven-year-old computer whiz, and an NYPD detective with terrible taste in suits--Tory and the woman claiming to be her very much deceased literary idol begin to unravel the twists and turns of a murderer's devious mind. Because, in the immortal words of Miss Jane Marple, "murder is never simple."

Author Biography

Amanda Chapman is a lifelong mystery lover and wordsmith. An enthusiastic fan of traditional mysteries and of New York City she found herself wondering, "What if someone recreated Agatha Christie's personal library -- even to the furnishings and architecture -- in New York City? What would happen in that space?" And thus MRS. CHRISTIE AT THE MYSTERY GUILD LIBRARY, the first in a new series, was born.