Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library (Mrs. Christie Series) by Amanda Chapman. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!

Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library (Mrs. Christie Series)

by Amanda Chapman

Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library

Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Greenwich Village in New York City (primarily near Washington Square)
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 26, 2025
Print length ‏ : ‎ 368 pages

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.

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.”

Character Guest Post: A Day In My Life — Tory Van Dyne by Amanda Chapman

“Do you know, when I was a child, it was the lavatory to which I retired for quiet meditation.” 

I froze. The voice behind me, British and unmistakably posh, had come out of nowhere. But this was impossible. There had been no one in the Mystery Guild Library when I’d locked up. And there’d been no one upstairs in the Agatha Christie Room when I’d hurried in and thrown myself on the nice cozy couch for a little me time. 

 “I would close the heavy, mahogany, shelf-like cover and sit on it,” the voice — high and fluting, slightly breathless — continued, “giving myself up to reflection.” 

When this remarkable statement had concluded, I carefully turned my head toward the speaker. It was a woman. A woman sitting in the alcove of the Christie Room, entirely at home on its gold velvet-upholstered armchair. A woman of late middle age in well-polished brogues, sensible tweeds, five strands of big, fat pearls and a hat like a deflated soufflé. A woman with what might be best described as an interesting face, with a mouth that looked quick to smile and a long nose below heavy-lidded eyes that sparked with humor. But also a woman who was making herself at home in the Christie Room after hours.

“I’m sorry,” I said, “but the library is closed, Mrs…?” 

“Mallowan,” the woman replied. “Mrs. Max Mallowan.”

I froze again. Mrs. Max Mallowan. 

“Although you probably know me as Agatha Christie.”

*****

My name is Tory Van Dyne. I am a book conservator at New York’s Mystery Guild Library, and until that late September evening when a woman claiming to be the Queen of Crime on holiday from the Great Beyond first materialized in the library’s Christie Room, I’d been working very hard at living a safe, sane, sensible life. Now looking back, I wonder if I somehow knew then that my safe, sane, sensible life was as dead as a body with a knife in its back in one of Dame Agatha’s own mysteries.

Later, when I’d had a chance to process our little encounter, I realized it made a kind of weird sense that if my guest was indeed Agatha Christie (which I did not believe for a minute) and if she had indeed decided to visit New York City some fifty years after she’d been airlifted to the Eternity (which I also did not believe for a minute), she might indeed choose the Mystery Guild Library as a home base. Even in the After Life, she would surely have heard about the library’s Christie Room, an exact replica of British mystery novelist Agatha Christie’s personal library in Greenway House, her holiday home in Devon, England. 

*****

“Excuse me if this seems rude, Mrs., um, Christie,” I said, “but why are you here?” 

 “Not at rude at all, my dear,” Mrs. So-Called Christie said graciously. “I’m here, of course, to help you solve a mystery.” 

I took a deep, calming breath.  Which totally did not help. I had to ask. “What kind of mystery, Mrs. Christie?”

She didn’t miss a beat. “Why, my dear Miss Van Dyne, a murder mystery, of course.”

“But I don’t have a murder mystery for you to solve.” 

I very carefully did not say “help me solve.” If she wanted to solve a murder mystery, fine. But leave me out of it.

“Oh, but you will,” Mrs. So-Called Christie returned. “That much I do know. You most certainly will.”

About Amanda Chapman

Amanda Chapman (aka Amy Pershing) is a lifelong mystery lover and wordsmith. Under the name Amy Pershing, she is also the author of the Cape Cod Foodie mysteries. 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.

Author Links

Website www.amandachapmanauthor.com

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Purchase Links
PenguinRandomHouse  – Amazon – B&N – Bookshop.org – Kobo

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Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library TOUR PARTICIPANTS

August 18 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

August 18 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

August 18 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

August 19 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 19 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 20 – Salty Inspirations – COCKTAIL RECIPE

August 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

August 22 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 22 – Hall Ways Blog – SPOTLIGHT

August 23 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

August 24 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

August 25 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 25 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

August 26 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 27 – Storybook Lady – REVIEW

August 28 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 29 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 29 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

August 30 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

August 31 – From the TBR Pile – REVIEW

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