Christietown: A Novel About Vintage Clothing, Romance, Mystery, and Agatha Christie (Cece Caruso Mysteries) (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Agatha Christie, Ian Christie, Miss Marple (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A new suspense-themed housing tract on the edge of the Mojave Desert is about to open, and who better to help promote the Cotswold-cozy development than mystery biographer extraordinaire Cece Caruso? For the grand opening weekend, Cece is staging a play featuring the beloved sleuth Miss Marple. Of course, everything goes wrong, including a leading lady who ends up dead.

All is not well in Christietown; its secrets are as complicated as the truth behind Agatha Christie's real-life disappearance. The developer, an Englishman who claims to be Dame Agatha's descendent, has ruthless investors breathing down his neck. Meanwhile, Cece's got a wedding to plan, a baby shower to give, and an ex-husband who shows up on her doorstep with his fiancée and future mother-in-law. And when another body surfaces, the intrepid amateur sleuth knows she must play the famed detective for real—or suffer the same mysterious fate.

About the Author

Susan Kandel is a former art critic for the Los Angeles Times. She has taught at New York University and UCLA, and served as the editor of the international journal artext. She lives with her family in West Hollywood, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (June 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061452173
• ISBN-13: 978-0061452178
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #81,687 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Disappearances and Poison, July 3, 2007

By	Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Cece Caruso's latest project is a biography of Agatha Christie. Unfortunately, her publisher seems to think it needs more work. Specifically, Cece is told to beef up the section on Agatha Christie's mysterious disappearance during December of 1926. She has a little over a week to rework that section and get it back.

As if Cece doesn't already have enough on her plate. She's supposed to be planning her wedding to Detective Peter Gambino and a baby shower for her daughter. Her ex-husband and his new fiancee are in town for that last event, causing more conflict in Cece's life. Additionally, she's in charge of the opening day festivities for Christietown.

Christietown is a retirement community based around the works of the famed mystery author. The subdivision resembles a small English town complete with Vicarage and Pub.

Unfortunately, the play doesn't go well when the woman set to play Miss Marple disappears only to turn up murdered by poison. Is someone going too far with the Christie theme? Why was the woman murder?

This is another book that will please Cece's many fans. Cece and her family and friends are always fun to spend time around, and this book is no exception. The main mystery seems a bit slow at times due to the various sub-plots, but for those who love the characters, this isn't an issue at all. Along the way, we get snippets that offer one theory on what really happened during Agatha's real life disappearance.

Cece never fails to entertain, and this book is no exception.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Christie Mystery, July 3, 2007

By	Spikewriter (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This book was an impulse buy because the idea of a housing tract up in the hot, dry, parched Antelope Valley area trying to emulate the charming little green villages of Agatha Christie's Cotswalds was too delicious to pass up. And the book is entertaining, but as I consider it, this isn't going to the top of my list.

The plot in brief: Cece Caruso, who makes her living from writing biographies of mystery writers is grappling with a work on Agatha Christie when she's invited to produce a Miss Marple-themed mystery play for the opening of "Christietown." There are clearly problems afoot with the development, including a former circus huckster claiming a dubious familial link to the "Queen of Crime", a contractor who's got more on his mind than tea, and bodies. Several bodies, in fact. Adding to Cece's stress is her upcoming marriage to Detective Peter Gambino and the impending birth of her first grandchild, which means she has to deal with her not-so-friendly ex-husband. Although Peter thinks getting involved in the investigation is a Bad Idea, Cece can't help but chase after the killer, which could not only put her in danger, but add stress to her relationship with Peter.

To be honest, the plot is somewhat slim, but the writing carries day, drawing us in to Cece's problems with both the investigation and her personal life. Susan Kandel also uses the contrasting device of the story of Agatha's Christie's ten-day disappearance in 1926, a part of Christie's biography Cece is personally struggling with and which may have some bearing on the events in Christietown. An enjoyable read, though not one that heads to the top of my list. It was good enough, however, for me to pick up I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason, Kandel's first book in the series. If you're looking for some light entertainment, it's not a bad choice.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars homage to Agatha Christie, June 12, 2007

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Cece Caruso writes biographies of mystery writers. Her backlist includes Erle Stanley Gardner (see I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason), Carole Keene (Not a Girl Detective) and Dashiell Hammett (see Shamus in the Green Room). Her current assignment involves the opening gala of Christietown, a housing development duplicating a Cotswold village where else but in California; her plan is a Miss Marple theater production.

However, Liz "La Duchesse de Danse" Berman, who is playing the starring role, vanishes. Since Cece wears the same dress size she is expected to replace Liz. Instead Cece accompanied by her fiancé Detective Peter Gambino searches for the missing thespian. They find Liz except she will no longer perform on this stage unless a corpse is needed before she is buried; someone murdered her.

The latest homage to the greats of mystery writing, CHRISTIETOWN is a delightful whodunit. Cece is her usual self, stealing the technique of the author she honors; this time being Dame Agatha. However, like in some Christie novels, clues that the reader will immediately know are shams slow down the plot at times. Still with Cece performing as Miss Marple, the audience will appreciate this fine mystery that provides insight into the great Agatha Christie.

Harriet Klausner