In this homage to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, Faith Fairchild is asked to cater a very small, very private college reunion on an isolated New England island—an event that could be her dream job. But when she discovers the true reason for the get-together, not even the spectacular ocean views can keep it from turning into a nightmare. Thirty years ago, bestselling suspense writer Barbara Bailey Bishop lost her twin sister in a tower fall deemed a suicide. But Barbara is convinced that Hélène did not die by her own hand, and she's trapped Hélène's former classmates—her prime suspects—at her home with no phone lines, no cell reception, and no means of escape.
One by one, the alumnae fall prey to a madwoman. A disturbed sister's revenge . . . or a former coed's coverup? Faith must quickly unlock the secrets of Hélène's last night if she wants to leave the island alive.
Katherine Hall Page is the author of twenty-five previous Faith Fairchild mysteries, the first of which received the Agatha Award for best first mystery. The Body in the Snowdrift was honored with the Agatha Award for best novel of 2006. Page also won an Agatha for her short story “The Would-Be Widower.” The recipient of the Malice Domestic Award for Lifetime Achievement, she has been nominated for the Edgar, the Mary Higgins Clark, the Maine Literary, and the Macavity Awards. She lives in Massachusetts and Maine with her husband.
Not a spoiler: Author Katherine Hall Page reveals in the second chapter that the all-Pelham College graduate reunion isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. But most readers will realize before the revelation that the internationally famous mystery writer — think Elizabeth Peters, Kate Atkinson, Laurie R. King, Ruth Rendel or Mary Stewart — with the pseudonym of Barbara Bailey Bishop has some nefarious intent when she invites nine women to her isolated island home. Will this turn into Ten Little Indians? Or something else?
The novel opens with the death of a senior at Pelham College, a not-very-thinly disguised Wellesley College, in 1970. It will come as no surprise that nine of the women at the island were classmates of the dead girl, Hélène “Prin” Prince; the remaining woman is caterer and minister’s wife Faith Fairchild, who was invited to cook, bringing the total to 10. Yes, just like in Ten Little Indians.
Clearly, there’s nothing more I can reveal without spoiling this 16th novel in the Faith Fairchild cozy series, probably the most suspenseful yet. Five Nouvelle Cuisine stars for the caterer with an excellent taste for sleuthing.
Incidentally, Pelham, Massachusetts, is a real place, one sharing a ZIP Code with Amherst.
I love this series. This one features Faith away from her family cooking for a bunch of middle aged women on a lonely Island with no way off, then the first woman is found dead.
This is my first read in the Faith Fairchild series. I loved this book and felt that it was clever, witty and well written.
I enjoyed the plotline and found the references to "and then there were none" to be a nice touch. There were enough to make me smile and yet the story remained original. The characters were well written and thought out as well as relatable for the most part (I hated Prin though)
The reason that this book is notn five stars is down to the fact that I felt that the reveal was a bit rushed and I enjoy books that give a good amount of build up to the final denouement. However this is purely personal preference. I also didn't think that this book was particularly solvable as there were too many motives flying around and there was not much chance to figure out opportunity, although reading the murders taking place was something I found interesting. This may be down to the fact that I am not used to the writing style of Katherine Page and the ways in which she presents her clues to her audience. Looking back through the book I did notice all of the clues were presented however and this meant that I was not left with gaps in my knowledge that had to be filled with needles exposition at the end.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and will be trying more in this series. Many thanks to Sara Eames for recommending this book.
When I picked this book up while I was looking for something to read, I was excited. Not only was it a mystery, but it was a mystery written in the same form of Agatha Chrisie's And Then There Were None.
As I began the book, I enjoyed how it took us between the past and the present, showed us the present women, and the past girls. The similarities between Agatha Christie novel and this book were there, though I thought not very well done.
The mystery, I thought, fell short of anything truly gripping. There was no satisfaction of finding out 'whodunnit' and the 'Ah-ha!' moment was barely existent, more of an, 'Oh, really?'.
Also, the petty differences that had sprung up between these girls during college seemed to still exist between them as women. This is probably how it would happen in 'real life' but in the book it seemed plastically portrayed and not very enjoyable.
My favourite part of the book was the end, where there were several mouth watering recipes. Those I'm grateful for. ^^
I'm glad I read the book, but definitely won't be going back for a second helping.
I was disappointed with the ending of this mystery. There were no clues or particular reasons why the murderer was more likely to have committed the crime than any of the other possible suspects.
I wasn't certain I was going to enjoy this because the book had an odd start with many different points of view being presented and flashbacks that were long and involved. It turned out to be fascinating. Faith Fairchild was offered an obscene amount of money to cater a college reunion weekend on a private island hosted by a reclusive author. There would be 10 people. Everyone invited was provided a different incentive to come. It turned out not be that simple. With the exception of Faith, who was brought there to cater (among other things), everyone else was brought there under false pretenses. Because 40 years ago, right before graduation, something happened, and it is time the truth was know. The characters turned out to be well drawn, the mystery very interesting, and the denouement well done. I had read the early books in this series and liked them. I would definitely read others.
There is a category of female mystery writer, it seems, who idolizes Agatha Christie and who for some ungodly reason decides they need to make their own version of "And Then There Were None/ Ten Little Indians." It's amazing how many mediocre take-offs of this book there are out there, and it's sad that I keep reading them. This author falls into the aforementioned category by virtue of this book. This was a fun read initially. Ignoring the fact that the characters are all heading again to Indian Island, I enjoyed the detailed setup and background of the island's guests. The problem was that after all the background and character development, the climax came and went. In fact, climax might be too strong a word. The reveal (who dunnit?) was, I suppose a surprise because I wasn't sure which of the suspects had done it... but I didn't really care. I was disappointed that there wasn't some grand twist of the type that made And Then There Were None such a success. There were so many exciting ways the author could have gone with it, but didn't. Instead, I thought, "yep, it sure was one of them," and went on with my day. Such great setup, so lacking in execution. I'd hope that the other books in her Faith Fairchild series are more worthwhile.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The author attempts an homage to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" in the construction of this mystery, one in a series starring caterer Faith Fairchild. I have not read any other books by this author, but the setup/homage intrigued me. Faith is invited to cater an event on a private island owned by a famous but reclusive author. The guests, all lured under false pretenses, turn out to be classmates from a women's college where one girl fell from a tower to her death shortly before graduation. Obviously someone wants to find out what really happened. College flashbacks alternate with the present day situation, where of course dead bodies start turning up. The flashbacks are interesting, but ultimately they are abruptly cut off when Faith solves the mystery without much explanation as to how she arrived at the right conclusion. There are lots of unnecessary diversionary descriptions of food, and even some recipies in the back which confirm for me that I prefer my mysteries mysterious, not gourmet. I doubt I would read this author again.
Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book as much as some of the others in the series. I started out interested in the setting and premise, but didn't really connect with any of the suspects, and as I approached the end I was losing interest in finding out "who done it," with "it" being the original murder. Everyone had a motive, but I didn't feel it was clear why the murderer was more motivated to kill than any of the other suspects. I was confused by the scene on the rooftop when the victim fell to her death and had to re-read it after I finished the book. Because there was no mention of anyone pushing her, I thought her death had been an accident after all. Finally, who was killing the people on the island? The sister or the original murderer? I figure it had to be the sister, because of the list of names under her blotter. But how could she know in advance the order in which she would kill everyone? The timing of some of the murders on the island were dependent on circumstances that couldn't be known in advance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I am always on the hunt for new authors to read and this was the first book I have read by Page. The mystery fits into the "contemporary cozy" category and only took me two days to finish. The writing itself was pretty good and I liked the plot, which is derived from Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" (one of my favorite mysteries of all time!). But it was a little bit thin and there was absolutely no development of the main character, Faith. She wasn't completely likable and I actually enjoyed the periphery character's flashbacks to the 1960's better than the actual present day plot. Overall it was a good who dunnit type mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I will probably read this author again, but only during those times when I run out of books that I REALLY want to read.
What a fun read! This book is a murder mystery set around a group of friends from Wellesley written by a Wellesley alumna - full of all kinds of neat references to Wellesley and its traditions! Recommended as a light summer read.
Katherine Hall Page acknowledges that The Body in the Ivy, the 16th Faith Fairchild mystery, draws inspiration from Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. While Christie’s novel remains superior, this book earns a solid three stars for its engaging plot.
Barbara Bishop, a reclusive bestselling author, resides on an isolated island off the Massachusetts coast, accessible only by water. The setting evokes Edward D. Hoch’s locked-room mysteries featuring Dr. Sam Hawthorne, though this story confines its suspense to a single inescapable location rather than a traditional locked room.
Faith Fairchild seizes the chance to spend a week cooking for a group of women who attended an all-female college in the 1960s. Bishop invites them to her island to reconnect and reminisce—or so she claims. Her true motive unfolds with darker intent.
Bishop’s sister, Hélène (Prin) Prince, died on graduation day after falling from a campus tower. Authorities deemed it suicide, but Barbara—whose real name is Elaine—believes someone murdered her twin. She gathers these women to uncover the killer and their motive.
Page reveals each woman’s college years through vivid flashbacks, exposing their struggles at the school. Only one thrived, aspiring to become the college president—and she did. The flashbacks also unveil Hélène’s manipulative cruelty, which left nearly every woman’s life scarred.
As Faith observes, someone begins murdering the women one by one. Ten vases, each holding a single rose, dwindle in number with each death. A ferocious storm and dense fog trap everyone on the island, heightening the dread. The sole man capable of guiding them to safety lies among the dead.
Page masterfully builds tension as the women vanish and their bodies surface. Faith’s longing for her husband and children feels raw and urgent. At one point, her own survival hangs in the balance.
In the end, isolated islands and their lavish estates lose their allure. Picture me instead in a cozy chair beside Edward D. Hoch’s Dr. Sam Hawthorne. He pours me a Coke Zero and himself a “libation” of choice. Faith Fairchild joins us, her picnic sandwiches, fruit, cheese, and crackers in tow. Her kids play nearby as we sink into one of Dr. Sam’s captivating locked-room mystery tales. Despite Faith’s knack for sleuthing, I bet she’d fall under Dr. Sam’s spell, joining me to unravel another of his puzzling stories from decades past.
Faith Fairchild has taken a job catering at a house on an island. The owner is a famous writer, Elaine, and she has gotten a group of women she had gone to college with together on the island under false pretenses. Her twin sister, Prin, died right before graduation and even though it was ruled an accident she believes it was murder. She wants to find out which of the women murdered her sister and is hoping Faith will help. The house is on an isolated island with no communication with the mainland (or anyone else) and a storm blows in adding to the moody setting. Two other of the women are murdered during the course of the story and everyone is nervous. The story goes back and forth between the present and the past describing the women when they were at college. Each woman has a story and it is told in these flashbacks. Prin had control over the group by finding something incriminating on each one that she could hold over them to get her way. None are sorry to see her die including her sister but she also wants to know who did it. The college years described are from a time when rules for young women were a lot stricter and things were just starting to loosen up. I did find it hard to believe that the one girl was more or less forced into an abortion. It was a bit unbelievable how it happened. Faith does some investigating and she is the one who finds the bodies. Some good recipes included also.
Many years ago two twins, Elaine and Helene (Prin) Prince attended the prestigious women’s Pelham College. Just prior to graduation from the institution, Helene fell to her death from a tower on the campus. In the current day, Faith Fairchild has been called upon by the well known author, Barbara Bailey Bishop, to cater for a small group of Pelham College alumni on her impressive estate, which is located on an isolated island. Faith commits to the task and is present as the women gather. A sense of tension builds from the moment the first visitors arrive, as it becomes apparent that the guests have not been in contact with each other since they graduated. Suddenly one of the women in the group is dead, further setting the others on edge followed by the arrival of an epic storm that serves to cut off any contact with the outside world for days.
Similar to Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians this read will make you feel like you are on scene and watching it all take place. I enjoyed Katherine Hall Page’s in depth description of the setting and felt like I knew each of the characters well by the end. It certainly was an unexpected ending.
An enjoyable book, I just wasn’t convinced that the murder would have been physically able to move the body of one of her victims and also felt that she lacked a motive for her actions.
This book was a little slow getting started for me since it started out by telling about the various characters each being summoned to an island retreat, a la "And Then There Were None." I was a little intimidated by all those early details, but then quickly learned that the flashbacks used in the story helped to identify and flesh out each person's history with the girl, Helene Prince, who had died back in 1970. I won't rehash the story since the description does a nice job of that.
I'm glad I stuck with it because it was really well-written and a good mystery. I had some early suspicions about whodunit, but I really wasn't too sure. The showdown was fairly abrupt, but effective. At least the killer was caught and everyone was able to get off the island, as well as someone going to get the bodies that had been left by the killer. I liked how the remaining women's stories were wrapped up and given some closure.
Even though it was different from what I'm used to reading in a cozy mystery, I wouldn't be opposed at all to reading more in the series, especially after reading some other reviews and seeing how much others like this author and books in this series.
The Faith Fairchild mystery series never disappoints. The series takes Faith from a young woman to having grown children. I pick them up at random and am never bothered by not having the continuity.
Faith is a caterer, married to a minister, and they live in a small town called Aleford. In this book, Faith is hired to cook for a house party on an inaccessible island where communication with the outside world is almost nil. The party is being hosted by a famous mystery writer. Slowly the reader learns her purpose: her guests all went to the private women's college with her but no one has been in contact for many years. One of their group fell from the top of a tower to her death the night before graduation and the hostess is sure that she was murdered by one of the guests. As you read about the dead girl, there are many suspects. She was quite horrible.
And then one by one the guests start dying. And there's a terrible storm that keeps them completely isolated on the island. This book is reminiscent to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None".
If you've been reading my reviews you already know that I enjoy Katherine Hall Page's Faith Fairchild mysteries so this will be my last review o them, although I will post the remainder of the series as I finish. The Body in the Ivy is the best of all the ones I have read. First of all, I love the strangers in an isolated sport during a storm being picked off by an unknown killer genre. Yes, it was Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" masterpiece which began the trend and many writers have used the method. I have enjoyed almost all of the spin offs I have read. In this rendition, the visitors aren't exactly strangers with the exception of Faith who has been hired as the caterer, but old college friends who have not been in touch with one another in over 20 years. I will confess that I did not know the murderer until the end.
#16 is one of the best so far. Faith Fairchild yields to her Pelham Grad sister Hope’s pleas that she agree to cater author Barbara Bailey Bishop’s week long college reunion on remote Indian/ Bishop’s Island. With constant homage to Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians/ And Then There Were None, Page introduces the ten characters/murder suspects one by one, and intermixed incidents of the four years at their very exclusive all women’s college. Only two of the ten people couldn’t have killed BBB/ Emily Prince’s twin sister Hélène/Prin the night before their graduation, Faith and BBB’s island handyman. So which one is the murderer, then and now?
Page is always a fun, relaxing read. The book had overtones of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (originally Ten Little Indians) which she quickly acknowledged. I did have a slightly difficult time keeping the characters straight, but that could partially be because I read the book while waiting for appointments (until this morning when I wanted to finish it) which made it difficult to keep all the characters straight. Would recommend book for sometimes when you want a quick book "binge" to help keep everyone straight.
This is the first Faith Fairchild book that I've read. I picked it up because an interview with the author mentioned that this was one of the most popular in the series. I had a hard time keeping all the characters straight and often went back to reread their introductions. It was an intriguing story, but I was disappointed with the ending. It felt rushed and I wasn't really clear how Faith solved the mystery.
2.5 This was a reunion of Pelham graduates. Very slow getting to the point. Graduates were summoned to the palacious home on an isolated island of writer Barbara Bishop. Faith was supposedly asked to come as caterer. Barbara turns out to be one of their own whose twin sister fell from the tower at the college way back when. Did she really just fall? was it suicide? or something else? One by one the women are found dead. Too many flashbacks to keep it moving along.
I haven't read a book in this series in years. I enjoyed reading about Faith and her latest catering adventure. The book centered around a group of former college "friends". And the mystery surrounded the death of one member of the group. It turns out that the victim was hated by all.
The back stories were embedded throughout the book which I found confusing. I also had a hard time remembering who was who going back and forth through time.
Enjoyable 16th installment in this very unique mystery series by a master writer. Who pulls you in for the very first sentence. What could be more fun then catering a house party on an island full of former members of a college who were all roommates. The island so becomes cut off from everything by an approaching storm. There are several murders and definitely red herring along the way.
The Body in the Ivy by Katherine Hall Page. This who done it needed a spreadsheet to keep track of who did what and why they might have been Prins murderer. A very good mystery reminiscent of Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. College friends all invited to a reunion weekend on an island by the twin sister of the dead twin. What could go wrong?
My first book in this series was an enjoyable one, especially with the throw back to Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians. Good writing that made you hungry. The author layered in the different character POVs to keep you guessing on who did it. I would pick up another title when on sale.
I enjoyed this book but there were a lot of characters! Fortunately, all were listed in the first chapter so it was easy to go back and refresh my memory!!! College days are fun but not when you have a spoiler in the group!!