Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Solving an Agatha Christie Mystery with Celeste Connally

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I was lucky enough to read my pal Celeste Connally's ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A LORD in manuscript last year, and I've been so excited for this book's debut. I knew it was going to be a smash and, indeed, the accolades have been glowing! Kirkus calls this Regency mystery "Effervescent...A delightful period adventure with pitch-perfect banter."  Publisher's Weekly says "Delightful...Petra is marvelously drawn―an easy-to-love, instantly memorable heroine―and Connally equips her with a brisk, page-turning adventure. This is catnip for historical suspense fans," and I couldn't agree more. Mystery fans will be enchanted with Petra and her adventures, but today Celeste has a different mystery to share with us.



Solving a Mystery in Agatha Christie’s Greenway House

By CelesteConnally

So, what was an author like me to do in October of 2022 when I happened to be in England for a research trip and I discovered my publisher termed my then-upcoming Regency-era mystery, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord, as “Agatha Christie meets Bridgerton?” Well, I felt that it was only right that I should visit Greenway, Agatha Christie’s famed holiday home in Devon, England.

 


Okay, so I’d already planned to visit Greenway with my fellow author friend, Hannah Dennison—who lives in a lovely village in Devon full time—but this delightful tagline made me feel as if it wasn’t just a fun excursion, but also legitimate extra research. Because what mystery author (or mystery reader, for that matter, for I will always be both) wouldn’t feel inspired by being in the beloved getaway of the grand master of the British mystery?

And inspiring Greenway is. A beautiful, white, three-story Georgian house set on a hill above the banks of the River Dart, it is immediately obvious why it was so loved by Mrs. Mallowan—as Agatha Christie was known in her private life, having married Max Mallowan in 1930 after meeting him on an architectural dig. Greenway is large, but truly cozy, and it retains the air of a house that was beloved by the famous writer and her family.


In fact, I almost felt as if I might be greeted by Dame Agatha at every corner I turned as I went through the house and listened to the knowledgeable tour guides. That she might show off her lovely collection of pocket watches and postage-stamp boxes, her framed needlework scenes of fox hunts and horseraces (a particular favorite of mine), or take me into her invitingly open kitchen for tea.





For in my mind, Agatha Christie would just as easily sit in the kitchen and have tea as in the light-filled drawing room where she was known to read her manuscripts out to her family to see if they could figure out “whodunit” before she revealed the killer. I may be wrong on that, but that’s what I’m going to imagine.


And another place she loved on her property was the Boathouse. It’s situated on the gorgeous, curving River Dart, where sailboats float by and the banks on both sides are amassed with trees. It was in this boathouse where a part of Christie’s Dead Man’s Folly takes place, and visitors there can sit in the very chair Agatha Christie liked to relax in when she entertained friends by the water. As you can see in the photo, I absolutely took the chance to sit in her chair, holding a copy of Dead Man’s Folly in tribute!


 


But, of course, one of my favorite rooms in Greenway was the library. Boasting some five thousand books, which include subjects like gardening, poetry, travel, and a book I noted titled Famous Stories of Code and Cipher, it was a delight to see what Agatha Christie herself liked to read. Yet on the wall, where it meets the ceiling, is where I saw a bit of Texas that has been in Greenway since World War II. And that is where I helped solve a little mystery…even if it might only have been for one tour guide and my fellow admirers that day of Christie and Greenway House.

While Greenway was used early on in the war to house children evacuated from London, from 1944 to 1945 it was also requisitioned by the U.S. Coast Guard. During that time, Lieutenant Marshall Lee, who was also an artist, painted a frieze on the uppermost part of the wall depicting the journey of his Coast Guard flotilla. On a painted ribbon that undulates beneath depictions of the flotilla’s journey, you can read the towns and ports where Lee and his fellow Coast Guardsmen spent time, including Houston and Galveston, Texas; Norfolk, Virginia; Bermuda; Morocco; Algeria; Tunisia; Sicily and Salerno, Italy; Gibraltar; and Falmouth in Cornwall, England, and Dartmouth in Devon, England.


 






But at the very beginning of the ribbon of port names was the word Orange, and our lovely tour guide—who had been giving tours for many a year—told us she’d never known the significance. That is when I held up my hand and explained that Orange is a small town in Texas, right on the border with Louisiana.

Our tour guide was happy to finally know this, and through the power of the internet, I later discovered that Orange, Texas—which is located along the Sabine River that flows down to the Gulf of Mexico—served as a shipbuilding base where naval destroyers were built for the war effort. And thus, that was where Lieutenant Lee’s flotilla truly began their journey. The journey that took them, and all the Coast Guardsmen on each boat, all the way from a small town in Texas, through the horrors of WWII, to Devon, England, and Agatha Christie’s beautiful house.

 

I have no doubt that Dame Agatha discovered this about Orange, Texas, when Greenway once more became the Mallowan’s treasured family holiday home after the war. She certainly liked the frieze enough to allow it to stay on her library walls and delight guests to this day! But I also enjoy imagining that she would have approved that I, a mystery writer from Texas (who writes about England), helped solve a little mystery—even if it was only for one otherwise extremely knowledgeable tour guide—while I was visiting and being inspired by the house she routinely called “the loveliest in the world.”

DEBS: This is so fascinating! Greenway has been on my bucket list for ages (so jealous!) and I've read about it, but I did not know about the frieze! I love the Texas connection--who'd have thought it? I love that Dame Agatha loved it.


Celeste Connally is an Agatha Award nominee, and a former freelance writer and editor. A lifelong devotee of historical novels and adaptations fueled by her passion for history—plus weekly doses of PBS Masterpiece—Celeste loves reading and writing about women from the past who didn’t always do as they were told. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook at @celesteconnallyauthor and at celesteconnally.com.



Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie in Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord,a dazzling first entry in a captivating new Regency-era mystery series with a feminist spin from Celeste Connally.

London, 1815
. Lady Petra Forsyth, daughter of the Earl of Holbrook, has made a shocking proclamation. After losing her beloved fiancΓ© in an accident three years earlier, she announces in front of London’s loosest lips that she will never marry. A woman of independent means―and rather independent ways―Petra sees no reason to cede her wealth and freedom to any man now that the love of her life is gone. Instead, she plans to continue enjoying the best of society without any expectations.

But when ballroom gossip suggests that a longtime friend has died of a fit due to her “melancholia” while in the care of a questionable physician, Petra vows to use her status to dig deeper―uncovering a private asylum where men pay to have their wives and daughters locked away, or worse. Just as Petra has reason to believe her friend is alive, a shocking murder proves more danger is afoot than she thought. And the more determined Lady Petra becomes in uncovering the truth, the more her own headstrong actions and desire for independence are used against her, putting her own freedom―and possibly her life―in jeopardy.

DEBS: Who has visited Greenway--or has it on their wish list? I do love that drawing room. I could spend many an hour just imagining myself having a cuppa or a glass of sherry!





70 comments:

  1. What an amazing story, Celeste . . . I did not know that Greenway was requisitioned by the Coast Guard during the war. And, congratulations on your new book . . . I'm looking forward to meeting Lady Petra.

    Visiting Greenway is definitely on my wish list, Debs . . . .

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    1. Thank you so much, Joan! It was such fun piece of history to discover in her beautiful house. And I hope you'll enjoy the book!

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  2. What an interesting piece of history you've given us, Celeste. The frieze is fascinating, and that you were able to supply a missing connection must have felt so thrilling. And, thanks for all the great pictures of the frieze. I love the title of your book, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord. It is sure to be a success.

    Greenway is so on my wish list, Debs. I have excellent reasons for visiting Devon. My ancestors are from there (Daniel Boone's grandparents), and one set of grandparents in buried in the church graveyard in or near Stock Cannon, which is right outside of Exeter. So, I go see the family and then zip down to see Agatha.

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    1. Thanks so much! It was very thrilling! I enjoyed every second of being there, but this was an extra little bonus. ~ Celeste

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  3. That's a great little tidbit, Celeste. Thank you. Greenway is completely on my bucket list should I get to England again. Congratulations on the new historical!

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    1. Thanks so much, Edith! I know you'll love it when you do! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  4. I love the image you've given us, Celeste--Dame Agatha is finally able to return to her beloved holiday home, happy to resume her old life and forget the war, and she finds a frieze painted in her library that depicts scenes of the war. What were her thoughts? What kept her from painting over it? Here's another mystery! I'll stick with the one Lady Petra is solving in your new book, however.

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    1. Yes! I agree; I would love to know exactly what she thought of it when she returned to Greenway after the war! And thank you so much! I hope you'll enjoy meeting Lady Petra! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  5. Celeste, welcome to JRW! It was wonderful meeting you at Bouchercon. I read your Ancestry Detective series and now the Lady Petra mystery and loves the books.

    What a wonderful surprise for your tour guide to learn about the frieze documenting the journey from America to England. I think Agatha Christie was half American. Her American father was living in England when he met and married her English mother.

    Diana

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    1. Hi, Diana! Yes, I'm so glad we got to meet at Bouchercon! And the frieze was wonderful. I was fascinated by every panel! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  6. CELESTE: Thanks for sharing this fun story about the frieze at Greenway!
    Yes, Greenway is on my bucket list for my next trip to England. I looked up how to get there...the boat docking right at Greenway Quay looks the easiest way for me since I don't drive & the nearest train station is several km away.

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    1. Hi, Grace! Before my friend Hannah took me, I was going to do the boat too. It looked kind of fun! Let me know how you like it if you do! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  7. I add my thanks ... plan a trip to England, and look forward to your book.

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    1. Thank you so much, Maren! I hope you'll enjoy it! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  8. Celeste, thank you for sharing the photos and the story of your visit to Greenway. The frieze is fascinating. Truly, that there was such a talented artist among the Americans using Christie's home and that he was permitted to paint it, and had the time to paint it...unbelievable! And she left it there. Whew. Orange, Texas! That is a story!

    Like Diana, I was a big fan of your Ancestry series and look forward to reading your new book.

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    1. Thank you so much, Judy! I truly hope you'll enjoy Petra as much as you did Lucy. And I agree completely -- the frieze and the story behind it were completely fascinating! I loved every second of it! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  9. Welcome Celeste--fascinating blog! and now we are all desperate to go to Greenway...

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    1. Thank you so much! I always love being on JRW, and this was a blast to write! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  10. Celeste, what an interesting story! I feel bad that when we were in Devon we didn't (I don't remember the reason why now) get to visit Agatha Christie's home. So thanks for this wonderful summary of your trip.

    For Debs: Yesterday you wrote about Advent Calendars and I wanted to let you know that there is an interesting article on NPR this morning. You can google Advent Calendars by Rachel Treisman 12/12/23, if you'd like to read it.

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    1. Thanks so much! Looking it up now.

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    2. Thank you so much! It was a dream come true to see Greenway, no doubt! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  11. Gorgeous photos! I haven't visited Greenway but I'd love to. aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com

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    1. It's a wonderful place and I highly recommend going if you can! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  12. Clearly, I need to spend more time in England! Devon itself has always sounded lovely, but the added pull of Agatha's home is compelling. Congratulations on solving the mystery, too!

    Celeste, I love that you write about independent women! My favorite main characters in fiction--as in real life.

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    1. Independent, feisty female characters are such fun to write, so thank you for reading them! And Devon is truly beautiful -- with excellent fish and chips! -- so I highly recommend a visit if you can! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  13. Thank you for taking us along on your trip.I'm sure lots of us now have a new travel goal!

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    1. Thanks so much, Triss! It certainly is an inspiring place to visit -- especially for mystery writers like us! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  14. I've never been there but I'd sure as heck love to go! Sounds irresistible. Those murals are fascinating... remind me of the friezes we saw in China. Stories in pictures and words. And "Agatha Christie meets Bridgerton" - also irresistible! Sounds like the work of a great publicist.

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    1. Thanks, Hallie! And wow, I'd love to see the friezes in China! No doubt they were truly fascinating! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  15. Congratulations on the book, Celeste. What a great story. I haven't been to Greenway, but I would love to.

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    1. Thank you so much, Liz! It's such a beautiful area and home; I hope you'll get to visit! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  16. From Celia: what a wonderful story Celeste. Congratulations on providing the solution and on your new series. Reading the comments made me realize how fortunate that it is possible now to visit authors homes and imagine their lives and writings. My parents retired to Cornwall and when I visited we would sail over to Helford and I would imagine Daphene du Maurier’s The Kings General, set there, or to Fowey and think of Manderley and her other stories. Taking the bus to work down Piccadilly had me craning my neck to identify Lord Peter Whimsey’s flat. But there was no way of visiting back then.

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    1. Celia, on my first trip to London, the top of my must-see list was Lord Peter Wimsey's flat on Piccadilly. I still look for the address whenever I go by on the bus.:-)

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    2. Thanks, Celia! You still had some amazing adventures, it sounds like! I long to go to Cornwall. I'm hoping to on my next trip! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  17. I love this! As a fellow Texan (now in CT) and big Agatha fan. Looking forward to reading Act Like a Lady!

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    1. Thanks so much, Kelle! It was a fun, proud-to-be-Texan moment for sure! I very much hope you'll enjoy the read! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  18. Celeste, congratulations on your new series--sounds like a winner! And thanks for the trip to Devon and Greenway this morning. A lovely way to start the day! For anyone who might be interested, Agatha Christie wrote a book about her travels and work with her husband, Max Mallowan, titled Come, Tell Me How You Live: An Archaeological Memoir. It's a fascinating picture of her life.

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    1. I read that, Flora, years ago, but I still remember how much I enjoyed it. One of my favorite Christie's is a non-series book, They Came to Bagdad, because she captures that part of the world so well.

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    2. Deborah, I've read They Came to Bagdad as well. I agree, it's a great read!

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    3. Thank you so much, Flora! I'm so glad you liked the post, too. And thanks for the book recommendation! I would love to read her memoir! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  19. Congratulations, Celeste. I love the stories and the pictures. I too would like to visit Greenway and to read your book. On my last trip to the UK, I was staying at a B and B in Leeds and kept thinking that the photo of the lighthouse on the landing looked familiar. I finally stopped and discovered that it was a photo of Yaquina Head lighthouse in my home state of Oregon.

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    1. Thank you so much, Gillian! And how fun that there was a photo of a famous Oregon lighthouse at your Leeds B&B! I'd like to think it was a sign that you were meant to be there. :) ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  20. Congratulations, Celeste! What a wonderful research trip. I am so jealous! I love the TX connection. I have Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord on my nightstand and can't wait to start reading it.

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    1. Thank you so much, Jenn! I love your books, so I hope you'll get a kick out of mine, too! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  21. Thanks so much for the pictorial tour! There are so many places in England and the UK I want to go. Does anyone know of books set in Newcastle Upon Tyne? That’s where my ancestors are from.

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    1. Others may know more specifics about the famous writers from Newcastle, but if you are there you might want to also consider driving west (about 90 miles) to the Lake District. There are a number of famous writers and poets homes that are open to the public that we thoroughly enjoyed seeing such as the homes of Beatrix Potter, and several of the English poets such as Wordsworth.

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    2. Thanks, Brenda! And I have some ancestors in the Newcastle area as well, but I don't know of any books offhand that are set there. I need to look that up...! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  22. I know Bridgerton is more current, but I'd have described Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord as Agatha Christie meets Georgette Heyer!

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    1. Debs, I love that description! xx ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  23. Here's the link to today's NPR story on Advent calendars. I guess I was in the zeitgeist yesterday. https://www.tpr.org/religion/2022-12-11/advent-calendars-explained-where-they-came-from-and-why-theyre-everywhere-now
    Also, for you fellow ink lovers, there are YouTube videos of people unveiling each day's Inkvent ink. Here's an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v-h4j0FGNE

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    1. Debs I am glad you posted the YouTube video as I couldn't picture what you meant by ink calendars! It is really fascinating.

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    2. It just occurred to me last night that people would be posting on YouTube. There are a lot of ink and pen nuts out there!

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  24. What a Christie delightful story! I'm looking forward to reading ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A LORD. I have long suspected that there were a subset of British Regency ladies who did exactly that! As for Greenway, someday - fingers crossed.

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    1. Thanks so much, Kait! In my research, I found that there were a lot of women who were ahead of their time, and just as clever and headstrong as my character, and that made it even more fun to write about. Jane Austen was one of them. If you read her letters, you see it very clearly. It's no wonder she and her books are still as popular as ever! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  25. Celeste is having some trouble commenting, but we will get it sorted out!

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  26. Congratulations to Celeste on both her novel and it's reception. And what a wonderful visit to Agatha Christie's beloved home. I was knocked out by Lieutenant Lee's frieze. It's fabulous. Do you know what media he used? Oils? Did they have acrylics then? I'm wondering how it was kept so vibrant all these years.

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    1. Thanks so much, Elizabeth! I don't know the medium Lt. Lee used, but I do know -- and I neglected to mention in my post! -- that it has been touched up over the years to keep it vibrant. ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  27. I'd never really thought about visiting, but now I really want to. Thanks for the virtual tour and congrats on the book!

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    1. Thanks so much, Mark! It's truly a wonderful place to visit. ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  28. Golly, I felt like I was reading a historical novel while reading your account about Greenway! I would love to get there someday. There are so many literary and historical sites in Great Britain that I wish I could visit!

    I’ll be looking for your books! Thank you for coming to JRW today,

    DebRo

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    1. Thanks so much, Deb! And I agree -- Great Britain is filled with so many great literary and historical sites. It's a feast for anyone who reads and loves history! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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    2. not to forget the greatest (imho) bard of all. We visited his home in Straford-Upon-Avon and over the years have seen so many of his plays at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre there. Nothing compares - after all they starred some of the greatest Shakespearean actors there too.

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  29. I've long wanted to visit Greenway, and now I'm dying to go there! I had no idea about the beautiful Coast Guard mural - what an amazing remembrance of a signal moment in the house's history. Has any organization gotten up a tour of all Christie's homes? That would be a trip worth taking.

    Also, I'm excited to pick up ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A LORD, because Regency romances are my jam, so a regency-set mystery is *chef's kiss* for me!

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    1. Thank you so much, Julia! I haven't heard of an all-Christie home tour (yet), but how fun would that be? I'd be up for it. And I love Regency romances, too! They're a favorite and I tried to pay some homage to them, so I hope you'll enjoy it! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  30. I read an ARC of your book, Celeste, and really enjoyed it. I've not been to Greenway, but I've been to Orange, Texas! My favorite aunt moved there when she retired.

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    1. Thank you so much, Pat! I'm really so happy you enjoyed it! And I love it that you know where Orange, TX, is! I haven't been, but I know it's the home of former Houston Astros pitcher, Nolan Ryan. I figured this would mean nothing to our very kind Greenway tour guide, so I didn't mention it when I explained what the word "Orange" meant in the frieze. :) Thanks again! ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  31. Thank you all so much for your comments! This was so much fun, and I loved reading all your replies! Thanks again for having me, Reds, and especially Debs! xx ~ Celeste πŸ’—

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  32. This was so interesting and I had never heard about the frieze. It's stunning!

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  33. So incredibly late today… But this is fascinating bedtime reading! Thank you for the wonderful tour, and for the fabulous inside information… The frieze is incredible! And now I want one :-) in our house. Wouldn’t that be hilarious? Cannot wait to read this book… It sounds amazing!

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