Murder by Invitation Only (A Phyllida Bright Mystery)
The third book in the Phyllida Bright series, Murder by Invitation Only is a historical mystery set in one of those English country houses that always seem to attract ‘orrible murders, or at least Downton Abbey-style interpersonal drama. Judging by subtle clues, such as a reference to Daphne du Maurier being a “newcomer,” the tale takes place sometime in the early 1930s. The book opens with an amusing kerfuffle between two maids who work for our sleuth, Phyllida, the (fictional) friend and housekeeper to Agatha Christie herself. This scene does a solid job of establishing Phyllida’s no-nonsense attitude.
Our story really begins a few pages in, with the delivery of a letter announcing that a murder shall take place at the nearby Beecham House. Christie is unwilling to attend, so she sends Phyllida. This “murder” turns out to be a murder mystery party, hosted by the cape-swishing Clifton Wokesley and his glamorous wife, Beatrice.
Of course, as the genre demands, Mr. Wokesley – who’d played the corpse – actually dies during the game. Phyllida then steps in to solve the case. Drama aplenty follows, from an ill-timed storm to an adder (yes, a snake) in the larder. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that the reveal at the end truly surprised me without feeling implausible.
I found the prose style utterly charming, not to mention quite suited to the genre. There is a kind of quaint, dryly humorous Englishness to it that pleasantly evokes Christie and other writers of the period. Cambridge also does an excellent job of creating a cast of suitably quirky suspects and side-characters. Many of Phyllida and Christie’s conversations provide a delightful touch of metatextuality, which should amuse fans of the real Christie.
