by Sarah E. Burr

This week we have a review of the latest Phyllida Bright Mystery by Colleen Cambridge, along with an interesting interview with Colleen. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

Murder by Invitation Only by Colleen Cambridge
Review by Sarah E. Burr

When a game goes awry at a country estate, Phyllida Bright aims to outplay a cunning killer. Colleen Cambridge’s Murder by Invitation Only is exactly what you want in a historical mystery. Clever and delightful until the very last page.

Murder by Invitation Only finds Dame Agatha Christie’s fictional housekeeper, Phyllida Bright, eagerly awaiting the delivery of a vacuum for Mallowan Hall. Yet, instead of a new appliance, an invitation to attend a “murder game” arrives, hosted by the new occupants of Beecham House, the Wokesleys. Dame Agatha implores Phyllida to attend in her stead, hoping that Phyllida might gather inspiration for a new manuscript.

Reluctantly, Phyllida sets off for Beecham House, and what promises to be a fun night quickly turns deadly when host Clifton Wokesley is found murdered. The scene reminds Phyllida of Dame Agatha’s famous locked room mysteries, and she quickly takes it upon herself to narrow down a potential list of suspects. With Inspector Cork delayed and a town constable who’s more than willing to let Phyllida take the lead, Phyllida pounces on the chance to solve a perplexing whodunit.

As her surname suggests, Phyllida is a bright, capable amateur sleuth who deftly guides the reader through a twisting web of household intrigue. Colleen Cambridge’s writing style is effortlessly engaging, leaving just enough breadcrumbs for the reader to follow breathlessly as Phyllida races to unmask the killer. This was my first time meeting Phyllida, but it certainly won’t be the last. I loved my visit to Mallowan Hall and Beecham House, and I plan to return as soon as possible.

Murder by Invitation Only is a true love letter to the real Dame Agatha and her famous detective, Hercule Poirot. With a clever mystery, a gorgeous historical setting, and a standout cast of supporting characters—the chauffeur Bradford, in particular—this latest Phyllida Bright Mystery will captivate readers. My little grey cells are already itching for more of Cambridge’s work!

Sarah E. Burr is the author of several mystery series, including the Trending Topic Mysteries and the upcoming Book Blogger Mysteries. She is also the co-host and producer of The Bookish Hour, a web series featuring author interviews. Learn more about Sara’s writing world at saraheburr.com.

Interview with Colleen Cambridge:

KRL: How long have you been writing?

Colleen: I’ve been writing since middle school!

KRL: When did your first novel come out, what was it called, and would you tell us a little about it?

Colleen: The Rest Falls Away was my first published novel. It came out in 2007 under the name Colleen Gleason. It’s about a woman who lives during the time of Jane Austen and learns she is a vampire hunter. Kind of like Buffy meets Bridgerton.

KRL: How fun! What brought you to choose the setting and characters in your latest book/series? I assume you are a big Agatha Christie fan?

Colleen: I am a big Agatha Christie fan; I grew up reading her books. It was suggested to me by my editor that I might want to try writing a book about Agatha Christie’s housekeeper solving mysteries, and so I did!

Colleen Cambridge

KRL: What is your favorite Agatha Christie book?

Colleen: It’s impossible to pick a favorite, but some of my favorites are Death on the Nile, And Then There Were None, A Murder is Announced, The ABC Murders and all of the Mr. Quin stories.

KRL: What kind of research did you have to do to set your series in the world of Agatha Christie?

Colleen: Well, I got to read/re-read her novels, which was excellent research for time period and societal norms. I also did a lot of research about servants at large estates.

KRL: Do you write to entertain or is there something more you want the readers to experience from your work?

Colleen: I hope that people are entertained by reading my books, but of course I hope they come away with something more—whether it might be a lesson in loyalty or staying true to one’s self, or partnership, respect, or justice being served.

KRL: Do you outline? If not, do you have some other interesting way that you keep track of what’s going on, or what needs to happen in your book when you are writing it?

Colleen: I do not outline at all. I have no idea what’s going to happen until I write it!

KRL: Did you find it difficult to get published in the beginning?

Colleen: Yes. I wrote eight books before my ninth book was sold to a large publisher in 2005.

KRL: Most interesting book signing story-in a bookstore or other venue?

Colleen: In 2010, I was flown to Italy to appear as the guest of honor at a cultural event in the town of Ravenna. The theme that year was vampires and the undead, and my Gardella Vampire Hunter series (first book was The Rest Falls Away) had been published very successfully in Italy. It was amazing walking into a room of 200 screaming fans—there to see me!

KRL: What are your future writing goals?

Colleen: Continue to write about three books a year in series that I love.

KRL: Who are your writing heroes?

Colleen: Elizabeth Peters and Nora Roberts

KRL: What do you like to read?

Colleen: Historical mystery, some contemporary mystery, historical non fiction

KRL: What are your favorite TV shows or movies?

Colleen: Anything on BritBox or ACORN TV!

KRL: I am with you on that one! Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?

Colleen: Sit in the chair and write. You just have to do it!

KRL: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

Colleen: I’ve written in almost every genre of fiction except horror.

KRL: Do you have any pets?

Colleen: Two dogs—a German Shepherd named Adele and a Papillon named Fiona, who is my “Author Supervisor”

KRL: Website? Twitter? Facebook? Instagram?

Colleen: ColleenCambridge.com
facebook.com/colleencambridge.author

To enter to win a copy of Murder by Invitation Only, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “invitation” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen October 21, 2023. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. A new episode went up this week.

You can use this link to purchase the book. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the Amazon link. You can also click here to purchase the book.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.