Praise for Colleen Cambridge
“It’s Child’s ebullient personality that is the heart of the book. Part historical fiction, part mystery, Mastering the Art of French Murder is totally delectable entertainment for fans of lighthearted detective fiction.” —The Washington Post
“Enchanting…Cambridge captures Child’s distinct voice and energy so perfectly. Expect to leave this vacation hoping for a return trip.” —Publishers Weekly on Mastering the Art of French Murder
“A first-rate traditional mystery with strong characterization that is certain to appeal to a broad readership, especially fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Rhys Bowen, and Cambridge’s own Phyllida Bright series.” —First Clue, STARRED REVIEW for Mastering the Art of French Murder
“Colleen Cambridge has a knack for creating lively, atmospheric historical mysteries featuring fictional heroines on the periphery of the lives of actual historical figures. Mastering the Art of French Murder is a lively, entertaining mystery in the classic cozy style. Highly recommended! “ —Carol Schneck Varner, Schuler Books (Grand Rapids, MI)
“Charmingly told, with a full upstairs-downstairs cast of guests and servants…Fans of Agatha Christie, historical fiction and fierce female leads are all sure to enjoy Murder at Mallowan Hall.” —Shelf Awareness
“It’s obvious Cambridge had a blast writing the book, set in 1930s Devonshire, and her fun is infectious. Phyllida is a confident first-time detective, modeling herself on her hero, Christie’s Hercule Poirot, who outshines all suitors who have come her way. Phyllida’s smarts and assurance don’t save her from making mistakes, some of which delay solving the case. Paced at a gallop, it’s an entertaining read. Recommended.” —Historical Novel Society on Murder at Mallowan Hall
“Two words describe this book: absolutely delicious…Murder at Mallowan Hall is a near-perfect traditional mystery.” —First Clue
“[A] solid series launch from Cambridge…Readers will want to see more of the clever Phyllida.” —Publishers Weekly on Murder at Mallowan Hall
“Colleen Cambridge has done her homework on English society and provides us with a clear picture of her characters, where they live, and how they act. She does well at capturing the era with all the right language and dialects. It’s a good cozy to read with a cup of tea on the patio.” —New York Journal of Books on Murder at Mallowan Hall
“A delicious combination of Downton Abbey and a meta-play on a Christie novel (obviously, The Body in the Library). The Downton Abbey bit is Cambridge’s attention to 1920's domestic detail and the way Mrs. Bright runs the household...Agatha Christie the character plays a very peripheral part in the proceedings, but Agatha Christie the writer haunts every page of this delightful book that both pays homage to the Queen of Crime, but also embroiders on her work with a fresh character and a fresh look at a part of her life. This is a wonderful series debut.” —Mystery Scene on Murder at Mallowan Hall
“The premise of a crime-solving housekeeper to the one and only Agatha Christie is full of promise and portent. It’s such a pleasure when the first book in a new mystery series is well-crafted and I look forward to reading more of Phyllida Bright’s adventures in detection.” —Criminal Element on Murder at Mallowan Hall
"What if Agatha Christie’s housekeeper was the best detective of all? In this delightful book, she is! You will love watching Phyllida spot the clues the authorities miss when a dead body shows up in Agatha’s library. An outstanding start to what promises to be a winning new series." —Victoria Thompson, USA Today Bestselling Author of Murder on Wall Street on Murder at Mallowan Hall
“Cambridge pens a thoroughly intriguing mystery, told in a unique manner from the perspective of the staff belowstairs rather than the upper class above, in this splendid first installment in a new series. Fans of Tessa Arlen and Jennifer Ashley will be delighted.” —Anna Lee Huber, bestselling author of the Verity Kent Mysteries on Murder at Mallowan Hall
“Readers of traditional mysteries will love Murder at Mallowan Hall. Phyllida Bright, Agatha Christie's housekeeper, is a superb detective who overcomes the interruptions of her typical workday to best the local investigators in solving a murder in Ms. Christie's library.” —Denise Phillips, Gathering Volumes (Perrysburg, OH)
“If you stay up to finish Agatha Christie books or watch the Miss Marple or Poirot series, you will love this new series based in Miss Christie’s world. When a mystery man is murdered in Agatha Christie’s personal library, her head housekeeper, Phyllida Bright, is determined to solve the case and return the house to normal. This is the coziest of mysteries and a lovely tribute to the queen of mysteries herself.” —Tina Green-Bevington, Bay Books (Suttons Bay, MI) on Murder at Mallowan Hall
“Murder at Mallowan Hall is a well-plotted, often humorous, entertaining country house murder mystery in the classic style, with the twist being that it is set in the country home of detective novelist Agatha Christie. The main character is the no-nonsense housekeeper, Phyllida Bright, who discovers the body of an uninvited guest in the hall's library and sets out to solve the mystery.” —Carol Schneck Varner, Schuler Books (Okemos, MI)
“Think of all that you could want from an English countryside manor murder mystery, and this novel is it. From a cast of gentrified dinner party guests to the charming servants and staff below stairs, the questionably competent local law enforcement to the mysterious dead man in the library, Murder at Mallowan Hall has it all. Then consider it is set at the home of the great Agatha Christie herself! Mrs. Bright is my new favorite amateur detective and I cannot wait for the next installment in this engrossing historical mystery series!” —Lori-Jo Scott, Island Bookstore (Kitty Hawk, NC)
"Great cozy mystery for fans of Agatha Christie and Downton Abbey. Wonderful first mystery with a great detective in Agatha Christie's maid. I hope there is more to come, we need to learn Phyllida Bright's backstory, and where she learned to be such a badass.” —Vikki Bell, Broad Bay Café (Waldoboro, ME)
“A delightful murder mystery! Murder at Mallowan Hall felt like a combination of Clue, Upstairs Downstairs, and of course Agatha Christie. I look forward to seeing what sleuthing Phyllida takes on next!” —Stefanie Lynn, The Kennett Bookhouse (Kennett Square, PA)
“Fantastically written and just spooky enough for my timid soul, I loved reading Murder at Mallowan Hall!” —Hannah Oxley, Mystery to Me (Madison, WI)
“Happy news for cozy mystery lovers—a truly interesting new amateur detective has arrived. Phyllida Bright, housekeeper for none other than Agatha Christie herself, quickly gets enmeshed in solving not one but two murders. With sly asides to Christie's own novels, this series starter holds its own as an engaging and well-crafted story. I'm looking forward to her next adventure.” —Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books (Davidson, NC) on Murder at Mallowan Hall
“Wonderful premise of the upstairs/downstairs workings in the country home of Agatha Christie. Her housekeeper is devoted to her as they served together during the war. When a dead body appears during a weekend house party, Mrs. Bright takes charge of the situation and mirrors the skills of her other hero, Hercule Poirot.” —Kathy Judge, Bound2please Books (Orange, VA) on Murder at Mallowan Hall
"Agatha Christie’s indomitable and mysterious housekeeper Phyllida Bright takes on a killer in this exciting new series from Colleen Cambridge. Fans of historical mysteries—and Christie herself—will love this well-imagined homage, and the clever twists and numerous suspects will keep readers on their toes. I’m already looking forward to Phyllida’s next adventure!" —Erica Ruth Neubauer, author of the Jane Wunderly Mysteries
"Amazing period details, clever clues, and plot twists abound. Colleen Cambridge has fashioned a delightful mystery from beginning to end for Agatha Christie fans." —D.E. Ireland, author of the Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins Mysteries on Murder at Mallowan Hall
“[A] solid series launch…Readers will want to see more of the clever Phyllida.” —Publishers Weekly on Murder at Mallowan Hall
12/01/2022
Thanks to Tabitha Knight's grand-père and uncle, she has a free place to stay in the best city in the world, Paris. Even better, her best friend, Julia Child, lives across the street. Thank heavens, because Julia is teaching her how to cook the most basic of dishes, much to the relief of her messieurs. After a beautiful morning spent gossiping and shopping at the market, Julia and Tabitha walk into Julia's apartment building and hear Mathilde, one of the other tenants, scream. Quick to investigate, Tabitha is determined to discover who has killed Therese Lognon, before Inspector Etienne Merveille, pins the murder on her best friend. It doesn't help that the weapon was one of Julia's prized knives or that Tabitha rode in the elevator to the lobby with Therese at 2 a.m. Even worse, the party was in Julia's apartment, so one of the attendees must be the murderer. Much to the inspector's consternation, Tabitha gathers clues until another murder occurs. VERDICT Agatha Christie meets cozy mystery in this fun tale from Cambridge ("Phyllida Bright" mysteries). Historical fiction readers and fans of cozy suspense will want to add this mystery to their to-be-read pile.—Jane Blue
2023-01-25
Murder complicates the lives of future cookbook writer Julia Child’s friends in 1949 Paris.
Julia has a mayonnaise problem. Although her cuisine runs rings around that of her half-French friend Tabitha Knight, who’s left her work at an American bomber plant to give French lessons to relocated fellow citizens, her mayonnaise remains stubbornly on-again, off-again. She and Tabitha are distracted from this existential dilemma by the discovery of a corpse stabbed to death in their building’s cellar. To her considerable discomfort, Tabitha recognizes the body as that of Thérèse Lognon, an attendee at a party given the night before by Julia’s younger sister, Dorothy, for her colleagues in the American Club Theater, whose current production of And Then There Were None at the Théâtre Monceau featured Thérèse checking garments in the cloakroom. The leading suspects all have more prominent roles in the production: Thad Whiting as sound and lighting designer, Johnny Cantrell as stage manager and set designer, and Neil Kingsley as ill-fated character Philip Lombard. Tabitha’s informal but highly irregular investigations, which motivate a near-fatal collision between her bicycle and a car that speeds away, bring her up so often against Inspecteur Étienne Merveille that it’s a wonder she’s still walking around free when the killer claims a second victim. Though she’s no great shakes as a detective, Tabitha is miles ahead of Merveille in tying the two deaths to a timely but unconvincing Russian spy ring. Throughout it all, Child remains as serenely marginal and undeveloped a character as Agatha Christie was in Cambridge’s A Trace of Poison (2022), though she does eventually solve that mayonnaise problem.
A subdued period piece that never lives up to its promising title.
