The Detection Club: Book 3
Publication Date: February 21, 2026
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?
When an archaeologist is found dead on a dig in Mesopotamia in 1930, Agatha Christie and her fellow sleuthing detectives begin to suss out the murderer in Author Kelly Oliver’s The Case of the Christie Curse, the third book in The Detection Club series.
I love how Oliver is able to create story based on a real character, the indomitable Ms. Agatha Christie. While I usually stick to certain genres, Oliver has piqued my interest in reading Christie now. Her attention to detail and adherence to facts regarding Christie are phenomenal.
The writing is superb, the plot flows, and the characters are exceptionally intelligent and not afraid to show it. The characters draw the readers in and make you want to become part of their club, even without the requisite skills.
The witty and clever assistant, Eliza, is independent, smart, and able to match wits with the other members of the Detection Club, and she outsmarts the villains in the story.
The mystery unfurls smoothly and comes to a satisfying conclusion, leaving this reader eager for the next book in the series.
If you love a solid mystery with plenty of intrigue, humor, and action, The Case of the Christie Curse has all this and more!
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.
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