The Agathas (An Agatha's Mystery) by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson
The Agathas
An Agatha's Mystery
Teen, Young Adult, murder mystery, thriller,
Delacorte Press
May 3, 2022
Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover
416
Last summer, Alice Ogilvie’s basketball-star boyfriend Steve dumped her. Then she disappeared for five days. She's not talking, so where she went and what happened to her is the biggest mystery in Castle Cove. Or it was, at least. But now, another one of Steve’s girlfriends has vanished: Brooke Donovan, Alice’s ex–best friend. And it doesn’t look like Brooke will be coming back. . . Enter Iris Adams, Alice’s tutor. Iris has her own reasons for wanting to disappear, though unlike Alice, she doesn’t have the money or the means. That could be changed by the hefty reward Brooke’s grandmother is offering to anyone who can share information about her granddaughter’s whereabouts. The police are convinced Steve is the culprit, but Alice isn’t so sure, and with Iris on her side, she just might be able to prove her theory. In order to get the reward and prove Steve’s innocence, they need to figure out who killed Brooke Donovan. And luckily Alice has exactly what they need—the complete works of Agatha Christie. If there’s anyone that can teach the girls how to solve a mystery it’s the master herself. But the town of Castle Cove holds many secrets, and Alice and Iris have no idea how much danger they're about to walk into.
Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson have created a modern day Nancy Drew murder mystery with The Agatha’s. This first book in An Agatha’s Mystery series introduces us to teens Alice Ogilvie and Iris Adams, two very unlikely sleuthing partners whose worlds don’t even exist in the same orbit. Alice has been a member of the Mains, the high school clique with money and influence, while Iris runs with the kids from the other side of the tracks. A series of unlikely circumstances result in their pairing up for school but when Alice’s former best friend suspiciously dies and the local police charge the easy suspect the girls are compelled to find out what really happened. Luckily for them, Alice has read almost every Agatha Christie mystery and she uses that information for inspiration.
“We have to use what works best for stirring people up,” I tell her. “where do people enjoy giving opinions they know nothing about? Where do they enjoy taking part in a big old conspiracy-driven pile-on?’
Alice laughs. “On the internet, of course!”
I nod. “Exactly,” I say. “We have to hit adults and our esteemed peers where they hang out the most. Adults equal Facebook; our peers are dancing it out and weeping over on TikTok and Instagram.”
The premise of a murder mystery is the backdrop to also address other social issues. On a light note the view of social media and its impact is spot on and brings a quirky twist to an otherwise suspenseful topic. Alice and Iris are also struggling characters, with personal issues they try to hide from the rest of the world, but which color the way they see themselves. The difficult topics of abandonment, domestic violence, and dating violence are not sugar coated but incorporated in an impactful yet age appropriate manner. The budding friendship of two girls, whose lives are polar opposites, is truly the highlight of the book and the source of some witty and comical interactions.
“These blondes, sir, they’re responsible for a lot of trouble.” -Agatha Christie, The Labours of Hercules
The Agatha’s is a high tempo murder mystery that is quite complex and intriguing. With a cast of diverse characters and the beautiful but rugged California coastal town of Castle Cove as its setting, there are ample opportunities for the trail of the murderer to veer off in unexpected directions. Glasgow and Lawson use every opportunity to keep you on your toes as you watch them weave all the elements of a great mystery into this story. The fact that Alice is such a huge Agatha Christie fan, which I am one too, and incorporates her quotes and methods in their sleuthing is also a great touch and salute to one of the all-time great murder mystery writers. While Alice and Iris, as well as the content, was meant for a teen/YA audience the way that this great plotline was written makes for a clean adult story and the start to super new series!
Tanya’s love for books has been a lifelong passion that she likes sharing with others. Reading is also the thing that relaxes her after a day of juggling the many responsibilities that come with being being wife to an amazing man, mother to four great kids spread around the world, business manager, and farm hand on their place in southwest Missouri; home to Akaushi cattle and a menagerie of pygmy goats, horses, chickens, dogs and cats.
