The Christie Curse review

I did enjoy The Christie Curse by Victoria Abbott but it had a few problems.

The main character, Jordan, is quirky, a little odd, well educated but sometimes not too smart about investigating and definitely not suspicious enough to be a detective - unless it's toward cops. She comes from a family of criminals and is the first "to go straight" but she is still very close to her uncles. Those uncles are quite the group of personalities as well and are solid secondary characters.

Jordan's employer is Vera Van Alst whose love of books makes me enjoy her just as much as her crazy, taciturn, old lady personality. She's crotchety and enjoys being mean to everyone. It was quite fun to read Vera's interactions with other people.

My main problem with the book is in its portrayal of cops. Even small town cops are smarter than portrayed here and, while they definitely would take a hard look at whoever found the murdered victim, they also would investigate instead of just giving up after the first suspect is questioned. It felt like Abbott was trying to justify Jordan's investigation by having the police ignore crime completely which just wasn't even remotely realistic.

The second gripe I had was: Why do all cozy mysteries think it's a requirement to have two love interests for the lead? This is not a complaint just for The Christie Curse because it seems like every cozy mystery I read lately has this set up and it's almost never believable.

The Christie Curse was my first book by Victoria Abbott and it was enjoyable enough that I'll read the second in the series when it comes out.

Synopsis

In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared—making headlines across the world—only to show up eleven days later at a spa under an assumed name. During those eleven days, did she have time to write a play?
Jordan Kelly needs a new job and a new place to live. She’s back in Harrison Falls, New York, living with her not so law-abiding uncles, in debt thanks to a credit card–stealing ex and pending grad school loans.

Enter the perfect job, a research position that includes room and board, which will allow her to spend her days hunting down rare mysteries for an avid book collector. There’s just one problem: her employer, Vera Van Alst—the most hated citizen of Harrison Falls.

Jordan’s first assignment is to track down a rumored Agatha Christie play. It seems easy enough, but Jordan soon finds out that her predecessor was killed while looking for it, and there is still someone out there willing to murder to keep the play out of Vera’s hands. Jordan’s new job is good…but is it worth her life?