The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver - Book Review - Blog Tour
Series: The Detection Club #2
Publication Date: 14thJuly 2025
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/CaseBodyOrientExpress
Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227744805-the-case-of-the-body-on-the-orient-express
Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery
3.5 Stars
One Liner: Nice!
Book Blurb:
Paris, 1928: Agatha Christie and fellow writer Dorothy L Sayersboard the Orient Express, bound for Constantinople. Christie in particular islooking forward to a break from recent dispiriting events in both her work andprivate life – the finalisation of her divorce from her philanderous husbandArchie, and the miserly reception of her latest book.
But before the duocan settle in to enjoy the luxuries of their first-class journey, their journeyis derailed when a fellow guest drops dead during the dinner service. And asthe last person to speak to the victim, Dorothy finds herself a prime suspectin his murder.
As the trainhurtles East, Sayers’ resourceful assistant Eliza and her friend Theo mustnavigate a maze of suspects. But with each passing mile, the stakes rise, andwhen another body is discovered, their search to find the killer before theyreach their destination becomes increasingly complicated.
Can Eliza and Theostay one step ahead, crack the mystery and clear Dorothy’s name? Or will thisbe one journey too far for the amateur sleuths?
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My Thoughts:The story comes inthird-person POVs of Eliza and Theo.
This is the second book in thenew series, which has real-life characters and fictional ones. While themystery is standalone, I think reading the previous book would help establishthe base for character interactions.
The book takes a time leap,which I did not expect, especially since the previous one ended on acliffhanger. Moreover, that element seems to have been brushed aside with justa little mention! Maybe it will be taken up in the coming books.
It’s a small book, so I couldfinish it in a single sitting. The mystery is cozy but with some high stakes,as international criminals and MI5 seem to be involved. There are enough twiststo keep you hooked.
Dorothy and Agatha are good atwhat they do, though we must remember that the book belongs to Eliza, who is abit too competent and a one-woman show. While I love competent heroines, I likethem better when they are sensible. Eliza seems to be multitalented, with theonly character flaw being too forceful and an utter lack of ability to see thatTheo loves her when the guy is pretty much holding a banner you could see fromthe moon!
In theory, I like the contrastbetween Eliza and Theo’s characters. He is the softer one, someone who faintsat the sight of blood and is a struggling writer. He has a good brain butspends much time thinking about Eliza. After a point, I wanted him to stop itand focus on himself.
The setting of the OrientExpress and other places is well done. The descriptions are just enough tovisualize the details without slowing down the plot.
Don’t skip the author’s noteat the end. It’s informative. I like how the author was extra careful and addeda large spoiler tag with the note. She discusses a few important events in thebook based on real incidents.
To summarize, The Case of theBody on the Orient Express is a decent continuation of the series and works asa light read between intense works. I’m hopeful it’ll get better, so let’s waitand see what happens next.
Thank you, Rachel’s RandomResources and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary andcontains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley
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About the Author –Kelly Oliver
Kelly Oliver is theaward-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica JamesMysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The FionaFigg Mysteries, set in WW1. She is also the Distinguished Professor ofPhilosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Follow the Author:
Facebook: @KellyOliverAuthor
Twitter: @KellyOliverBook
Instagram: @kellyoliverbooks
Newsletter Sign Up:https://bit.ly/KellyOlivernews
Bookbub profile:@KellyOliverBook
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This has been a stop on the#TheCaseOfTheBodyOnTheOrientExpress blog tour by Rachel's RandomResources (@rararesources). Thanks for stopping by!
