An appropriate set-up to a book with this title--gathering at the huge manor house at the behest of the the patriarch. It does have a "Christie" vibe so scratches that itch, though the ending was a little over the top. Also more sexism than I'd expect from a book written in 2008 but not enough to get in the way of an enjoyable read to pass the time.

Detective Chief Inspector St. Just joins the rolls of dedicated, delightful detectives in this pastiche of golden-era mysteries. The un-lamented victim is a cozy mystery writer himself, and he leaves behind a manor house full of familial suspects. The book skillfully includes almost every cliché of the genre, but does so with great affection and warm humor. Highly recommended for those who love cozy mysteries and have a sense of humor about them.

I started with the first book in her newer series (handsome vicar who is ex-MI5/6). Found that one OK and was willing to try another mystery by her, ending up with Death of a Cozy Writer. In this book her witticisms seemed spot on and I did not guess who the culprit was. The clues were not buried so deep that I was left with the feeling I had not been given enough information.

Wow, this was nominated for a lot of awards. I found it enjoyable but I resented very much that there really weren't any clues as to who the killer was. In the back the book club questions ask if it made sense. No, it didn't. Never mind - it was fun to read, full of all kinds of mystery genre cliches and some pithy comments as well. I plan to read the next St Just and see if Malliet can keep it up....

A good mystery. The plot was extremely interesting and all the characters had great personalities that were unique and intricate. It was really hard to figure out who the murderer was, they all had motives. The ending was very surprising. Overall, a good mystery book.