The Case of the Christie Curse by Kelly Oliver is an amateur detective mystery. Mesopotamia 1930. Agatha Christie is at an archaeology dig at Ur when she sends an urgent letter to her fellow Detective Club members. Something is wrong. The locals call it a curve. Her ask: send Eliza Baker, Theo Sharp, and Dorothy L. Sayers, if she’s done correcting Scotland Yard.
Bottom line: The Case of the Christie Curse is for you if you like dig site mysteries in that classical Christie style.
In this third book in the series, Eliza Baker and Theo Sharp take center stage as our amateur sleuths. Eliza has settled into her position as secretary to the secretary of the Detective Club where she can occasionally use the extraordinary skills from her brief stint with Scotland Yard. She is smart and courageous, which are sometimes at odds as she will charge into situations less than fully prepared.
Theo Sharp is the son of an earl, trying to decide what his life will be. He is the newest member of the Detective Club, has his own areas of expertise, and has been in love with Eliza since his school days. Theo balances Eliza, thoughtful where she is rash.
The case is a classic mystery. Picture an archaeological site where the tomb of a queen has been found. Political and ideological differences rage, workmen are getting sick, artifacts are supposedly missing, and local fear a curse is behind all the bad luck. And then there is a death. Cut off from civilization, it falls to Eliza and Theo to investigate.
True to a Christie mystery, this one is complicated. Standing at the end and looking back, I have a few questions that I am certain would be answered with a second reading. The characters were all distinct and the story led to a very satisfying ending. This is the third book in the Detection Club Mystery. With being located away from England, this one can be read independently. I would recommend starting at the beginning to get the most out of these wonderful characters.
TG Wolff 