Name: Death in a Desert Land
ISBN: 9781004000166

Andrew Wilson

In Baghdad, 1928 - Agatha Christie sets off on a mission, determined to investigate the unresolved mystery of the explorer and writer, Gertrude Bell. Believed to have taken her own life, an unearthed letter now reveals that Gertrude was afraid someone was out to kill her. As Agatha begins to look into the untimely death of Gertrude Bell, she soon is put to the test against a killer who is determined to stay hidden beneath the desert sands.

Death in a Desert Land

'Fiendishly well-plotted, hugely entertaining – one feels Agatha Christie would have been delighted' – LUCY FOLEY, bestselling author of The Hunting Party I’m Mrs Christie. I think you are expecting me… Baghdad, 1928. Agatha leaves England for the far-flung destination, determined to investigate an unresolved mystery: two year ago, the explorer and the writer Gertrude Bell died there from a drugs overdose. At the time, the authorities believed that Bell had taken her own life, but a letter now unearthed reveals she was afraid someone wants to kill her... In her letter, Bell suggests that if she were to die the best place to look for her murderer would be Ur, the archaeological site in ancient Mesopotamia famous for its Great Death Pit. But as Agatha stealthily begins to look into the death of Gertrude Bell, she soon discovers the mission is not without its risks. And she has to use all her skills to try and outwit a killer who is determined to stay hidden among the desert sands... 'A heart of darkness beats within this sparkling series. Fizzy with charm yet edge with menace, Andrew Wilson's Christie novels do Dame Agatha proud' A. J. FINN, bestselling author of The Woman in the Window 'Beautifully written. Both lyrical and compelling. I felt as though I was walking by Agatha Christie's side' JANE CORRY 'An affectionate homage to Agatha Christie’s desert dramas with a cheeky nod to Paul Bowles’ The Sheltering Sky. A superior blend of fact and fiction, it’s a hugely entertaining riot of red herrings, poisonous plots and boiling passions under the white hot desert sun. A must for connoisseurs of Golden Age crime fiction’ SEAN O'CONNOR 'There is no reason why this excellent series shouldn’t run till the sun don’t shine' EVENING STANDARD 'While Wilson tempts providence by inviting comparison with the real Agatha Christie, on the evidence of this book he succeeds admirably' DAILY MAIL 'He shares with the great Dame the gift of sheer readability' S MAGAZINE 'Five stars . . . Brilliantly plotted, stylishly written. A treat!' AMANDA CRAIG

nuha ✨️

it was a pretty decent read. the characters were a bit too dramatic at times, and i didn't like the motivation of the culprit. the whole book was pretty slow-paced - which is not a bad thing, but the ending felt kind of rushed. 
but i have to give it to the author for so cleverly interweaving fact and fiction.

“A heart of darkness beats within this sparkling series. Fizzy with charm yet edged with menace, Andrew Wilson’s Christie novels do Dame Agatha proud. Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Jacqueline Winspear.” —A.J. Finn, internationally bestselling author of The Woman in the Window Queen of Crime Agatha Christie returns to star in another stylish mystery, as she travels to the excavation of the ancient city of Ur where she must solve a crime with motives that may be as old as civilization itself. Fresh from solving the gruesome murder of a British agent in the Canary Islands, mystery writer Agatha Christie receives a letter from a family who believe their late daughter met with foul play. Before Gertrude Bell overdosed on sleeping medication, she was a prominent archaeologist, recovering ancient treasures in the Middle East. Found near her body was a letter claiming that Bell was being followed. To complicate things further, Bell was competing with another archeologist, Mrs. Woolley, for the rights to artifacts of immense value. Christie travels to far-off Persia, where she meets the enigmatic Mrs. Woolley as she is working on a big and potentially valuable discovery. Temperamental but brilliant, Mrs. Woolley quickly charms Christie but when she does not hide her disdain for the recently deceased Miss Bell, Christie doesn’t know whether to trust her—or if Bell’s killer is just clever enough to hide in plain sight. With Wilson’s signature “strong characters, shrewd plotting and a skillful blending of fact and fiction” (Shelf Awareness, starred review on A Talent for Murder), this is a thrilling adventure based on real events in Christie's life and set amidst the cursed ruins of an ancient land.