Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for The Case of the Christie Curse: (A Detection Club Mystery) by Kelly Oliver. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
The Case of the Christie Curse: (A Detection Club Mystery) by Kelly Oliver
The Case of the Christie Curse: (A Detection Club Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Mesopotamia
Publication date : February 21, 2026
Publisher : Boldwood Books
Digital
Print length : 288 pages
Mesopotamia, 1930: When Agatha Christie invites fellow members of the Detection Club to witness the famous excavations at the ruins of Ur, Dorothy L. Sayers, her quick-witted assistant Eliza Baker, and Theo Sharp expect ancient wonders – not fresh corpses.
But when an archaeologist is found dead in the sand, whispers of a deadly curse sweep through the camp. Eliza suspects something far more dangerous than superstition. Amid glittering artifacts and fragile alliances, every guest harbors secrets: the Woolleys, whose marriage is shadowed by tragedy; a journalist hungry for scandal; even academic Max Mallowan, whose loyalties are not what they seem.
As theft, forgery, and coded messages surface, the line between archaeology and espionage blurs. And when Eliza and Theo find themselves in danger, they must face not only the truth about the murder – but also the truths they’ve long denied about each other. Can they uncover the killer before the desert claims another victim? Or will this dig unearth secrets too dangerous to survive?
Interview with Author Kelly Oliver
Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m Kelly Oliver, former philosophy professor and current mystery writer. I write four mystery series, The Jessica James Mysteries (contemporary suspense), The Pet Detective Mysteries (middle grade), The Fiona Figg Mysteries (historical cozy), and The Detection Club Mysteries (historical). I live in Nashville with three demanding felines and only slightly less feline spouse.
How long have you been writing?
As a professor, I wrote hundreds of scholarly articles and dozens of nonfiction books in the publish-or-perish environmental of a research institution. I started writing fiction about ten years ago and loved it so much, I retired early from Vanderbilt to write mysteries full time.
Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?
Once I discovered writing, it became a survival mechanism for me. I need to write to live. It gives my life meaning. I discovered cozy mysteries when at my local library I picked up one of Elizabeth Peters’s Amelia Peabody Mysteries read by Barbara Rosenblatt. Listening to the Amelia Peabody series made me want to write mysteries, particularly cozies.
Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?
I read widely, including cozies and historical mysteries, but also literary fiction and some thrillers and some romance. I love mysteries by Louise Penny, Sujatta Massey, Mariah Fredreicks, Rhys Bowen, Deanna Raybourne, and Mia Manansala, among others. Some of my favorite authors are Julia Alavrez, Isabella Allende, Amy Tan, and lately Amor Towles. Right now, I rereading Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials after watching the new series… and it figures into the plot of the new Detection Club Mystery that I currently writing.
Do you have a favorite place to write?
I used to write my scholarly work sitting at a desk. But either because of my aging body or a more creative form of writing, now I sit in a recliner with a lap desk and write, usually facing a window with lots of trees outside.
What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?
Always a cup of tea and several pairs of glasses, along with notecards, notepads, and several pens.
What is the first book you remember reading as a child? What was one of your favorite books you read as a child?
I liked Nancy Drew and Scooby Do. But I also grew up in a working-class household without many books. So, I didn’t really start reading for pleasure until I was in graduate school.
Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?
I love audiobooks if they have a great narrator. I already mention Barbara Rosenblatt reading the Amelia Peabody series. I especially love audiobooks for road trips and for evenings when my eyes are tired from reading and writing all day.
I went through a phase of reading on my kindle because it was so easy and portable. But I found that I could remember what I was reading—not seeing the book cover every time I read, I would forget the titles and authors of what I was reading. I didn’t like that.
So now, I’m back to reading only physical books.
If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?
That’s a tough question! One of my favorite places is Banff in Alberta Canada. I love the mountains. A mystery set in Banff would be fun, too. I also love Manhattan and visit every chance I get. And lots of great mysteries are set in Manhattan…. So many possibilities.
What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?
Lots of philosophers have influenced my thinking, which influences my fiction. But, as I mention, it was Elizabeth Peters’s Peabody that made me want to write mysteries.
Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing? Do you belong to any writing groups?
Yes, some writer friends and I have a critique group. It’s great. I always learn so much talking to other writers.
Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?
I’ve just started writing The Detection Club Mystery book five. Book four is in production now. It is set in Scotland and has a gothic sort of vibe, which was fun to write. It follows Agatha Christie to the Isle of Skye where she actually went to wait for her banns to be read before her secret wedding to Max Mallowan in Edinburgh. The book I’ve just started writing now, is set on her honeymoon, which ends with a cruise up the Nile. This is the book also inspired by Christie’s The Seven Dials. In fact, I’m about to drop the first body today! At least that’s my plan.
Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions!
About Kelly Oliver
Kelly Oliver is the award-winning and bestselling author of four mystery series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, The Fiona Figg Mysteries, and The Detection Club Mysteries.
Kelly is the Past President of Sisters in Crime National, current Education Coordinator for SinC Guppies, and a Distinguished Emerita Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University.
To learn more about Kelly and her books, go to kellyoliverbooks.com.
Author Links
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kelly-oliver
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Kelly-Oliver/e/B001HN3HCM/
INSTAGRAM @kellyoliverbooks
Pinterest Kelly Oliver Books https://www.pinterest.com.au/oliver743
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kellyoliverauthor/
Pinterest Kelly Oliver Books https://www.pinterest.com.au/oliver7431/
Purchase Links: Amazon Amazon CA Amazon UK Amazon AU Amazon IN
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The Case of the Christie Curse TOUR PARTICIPANTS
February 18 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
February 18 – @bibliophile_foodie – REVIEW
February 19 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
February 19 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
February 20 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT
February 20 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
February 21 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST
February 23 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
February 24 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
February 25 – Salty Inspirations – AUTHOR GUEST POST
February 25 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
February 26 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
February 27 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
February 28 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR GUEST POST
February 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 1 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 2 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
March 3 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
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