The Case of the Christie Conspiracy: A Detection Club Mystery by Kelly Oliver
About The Case of the Christie Conspiracy
The Case of the Christie Conspiracy: A Detection Club Mystery
Historical Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting - London, England
Publisher : Boldwood Books
(February 16, 2025)
Paperback : 264 pages
ISBN-10 : 1836175469
ISBN-13 : 978-1836175469
Digital ASIN : B0DFXWPCFP
Agatha Christie is about to embark on a new, gripping murder case. But this time, she’s not the author – she’s a suspect…1926 – Christie is a darling of the literary circuit and the most desired guest in London’s glittering social scene. She can often be found at meetings of the Detection Club – where mystery writers come together to share ideas, swap secrets and drink copiously. But then a fellow author's initiation ceremony takes a gruesome turn, and one of the group ends up dead. Now, Agatha is no longer just the creator of great mystery plots – she’s a player in one.
And when Agatha disappears the day after the murder, she’s widely assumed to be guilty. Only Eliza Baker, assistant to the Club’s enigmatic secretary, Dorothy Sayers, is interested in investigating the case. But in a world where murder is the ultimate plot device, can Eliza piece together the evidence and find the killer before it’s too late?
About Kelly Oliver
Kelly Oliver is the award-winning and bestselling author of four mystery series: The Jessica James Mysteries (7-book contemporary suspense); The Pet Detective Mysteries (3-book middle grade); The Fiona Figg Mysteries (9-book historical cozies).
The Case of the Christie Conspiracy, the first in her new series The Detection Club Mysteries just came out (February 2025). Kelly is Distinguished Emerita Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. And currently, she is the Immediate Past President of Sisters in Crime. To learn more about Kelly and her books, go to www.kellyoliverbooks.com.INTERVIEW
1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?Good question. When I was in graduate school getting my PhD in philosophy, I realized that writing filled me up. Before I discovered writing, I felt empty. Writing also took me out of myself and put me in touch with something bigger, the power of language. Before long, I wasn’t living to write but writing to live. Writing is a coping mechanism for me. I need to write to live.
2. How long does it take you to write a book?
It depends on several variables, including the type of book. I’ve spent years writing scholarly books. I have an historical mystery that I wrote in four months that I’m still revising and rewriting two years later. But, usually to write a mystery novel takes me around three to four months. But, I’ve developed strong writing habits for decades as a philosophy professor in the “publish or perish” world of academia!!
3. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
My best writing time is in the morning. I try to write every day. And I try not to get involved in anything much before I get some writing done. With social media and so many other distracts it is nearly impossible to do. But I still try. Writing every day I can seems to work!
It's funny. Every time I start a novel, I think how do you write a novel? And, I can’t do this! And then low and behold, three months later, I have a first draft. It’s really a miracle. Every single time.
4. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Hmmm. Not sure I have any quirks that are interesting. I have ways I’ve learned to approach my writing. What has helped me most is to think of writing as layering, which means I don’t put pressure on myself to write a novel from start to finish but rather write what I can and then go back and layer on the rest.
Or, sometimes I say writing is like grooming a high-maintenance Persian cat (I have Persian cats!!): You have to brush and comb, and get the mats out, and brush and comb some more. And then some days, you just have to get out the clippers!
5. How do books get published?
I’ve published with a couple different small publishers. I’ve also self-published. When I was an academic, I published with a lot of university presses. I also have an agent, who is shopping that historical mystery I mentioned. Fingers crossed!!
6. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
Wow. No shortage of ideas! If only I had time to write everything I’d like to write. One priority in all my work has been to highlight strong women. In my historical novels, I feature women who have been forgotten or maligned by history. Call it my feminist reclamation project.
Anything can become an idea for a novel:A snippet of overheard conversation at the grocery store. A story from the newspaper. A bit of history. A painting. A piece of music. You name it. Your imagination can take it and run with it.
7. When did you write your first book and how old were you?
I guess my dissertation was the first book I wrote. I was in my twenties and in graduate school at Northwestern University. After I got my PhD, I started writing scholarly nonfiction books.
I wrote my first novel in 2014. I was fifty-six. So, I got a late start on fiction writing. Now, I’m playing catch-up!!
8. What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Walk in the country or forest. Hike—although these days it must be on a flat easy trail. Play with my cats. X-country ski—one of my very favorite things to do! Watch movies, especially mysteries and sci-fi.
9. What does your family think of your writing?
My parents were pretty worried about my decision to go to grad school in PHILOSOPHY!! How would I support myself?? It turned out alright and I was able to make a great career out of it.
As for the fiction writing, they think it is nice hobby—unless of course, I’m using them for inspiration ;)
10. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
Editing is magical. At first, I would get comments back from an editor and feel overwhelmed and feel baffled at how I could make such a big change (okay, that still happens!). Then, I would realize that one phrase could change the entire world. It’s a miracle, really.
11. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I’ve written sixteen scholarly books and edited another twelve.
I’ve written seven books in the Jessica James Mystery series (contemporary suspense), three books in the Pet Detective Mystery series (middle grade), nine books in the Fiona Figg Mystery series (historical cozy), one and a half books in the Detection Club Mystery series (historical), and another historical stand-alone that hasn’t been published yet. So, that makes a total of twenty-one and a half, so far.
As for my favorite… that’s a tough one. Arsenic at Ascot, A Fiona Figg & Kitty Lane Mystery is one of my favorites. It features some of the first animal rights activists in London. And it’s fun.
12. Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
There are lots of things we can do to become better writers. The most important is to just keep writing. Like everything else “practice makes perfect”—okay, maybe not perfect, but improved.
Also, everyone who wants tips on writing should join Sisters in Crime and watch the webinars in their archives. Lots of great stuff there! And what a fabulous writing community.
13. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I do. I get email messages from readers all the time. I LOVE hearing from readers. They tell me all kinds of things, from what they think my characters should be doing, to how much they love the books, to catching typos.
Sometimes, when something I’ve written hits home, they tell me a story about themselves. I adore hearing stories from readers.
14. Do you like to create books for adults?
I like writing. I like writing for adults and for kids. Most of my writing has been for adults.
15. What do you think makes a good story?
There are lots of ways to make a good story. Characters are important. In mysteries, plot can be important, maybe more important than in other genres. Still characters and some kind of mystery, big or small, that makes you want to turn the page. Beautiful writing is always a plus, too.
16. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to be a teacher or a spy. I was the weird kid walking around the playground talking into their shoe like Get-Smart.
17. What Would you like my readers to know?
If you’re a writer, go to sleep thinking about your characters and they’ll never let you down. My characters have gotten me through a lot of tough times.
If you’re a writer, go to sleep thinking about your characters and they’ll never let you down. My characters have gotten me through a lot of tough times.
Author Links
Website https://www.kellyoliverbooks.com
Instagram @kellyoliverbooks
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February 17 – Jody's Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
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