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A Cocktail Recipe Straight from MRS. CHRISTIE AT THE MYSTERY GUILD LIBRARY🍸
What do you do when a woman claiming to be Agatha Christie herself shows up at your library? If you’re Tory Van Dyne, book conservator at the Mystery Guild Library, you mix her a cocktail!
Amanda Chapman shares this delightful excerpt from MRS. CHRISTIE AT THE MYSTERY GUILD LIBRARY, featuring a recipe for a whimsical and surprisingly pep-filled drink called the Satan’s Whisker.
Satan’s Whisker Cocktail
Equal parts brandy and crème de menthe
A shake of ground red pepper (the secret ingredient!)
Serve over ice in a highball glass
“Perhaps,” she said, “you’d be so kind as to mix me a cocktail.”
I found myself moving obediently toward the bar cart. The truth was, by that point I needed a good stiff drink myself. “What can I get you?” I asked.
“Perhaps a Satan’s Whisker?”
I stared at her blankly. A Satan’s Whisker? Why did that sound familiar?
My guest took pity on me. “It’s quite simple to make. It’s merely equal parts of brandy and crème de menthe, but you mustn’t forget a shake of red pepper. That’s most important. It’s absolutely super, and guaranteed to put some pep into you.”
I dutifully went to get ice from my grandmother’s one concession to modernity in the Christie Room, a small kitchenette hidden behind a door cleverly disguised as a bookshelf. I dumped a tray of ice into a silver ice bucket and took it out to the library. I mixed our drinks in the silver cocktail shaker then poured them into highball glasses piled high with ice, dutifully adding a shake of ground red pepper to each. I handed one to my guest and raised my glass to her. Then I took a slug of my first-ever Satan’s Whisker.
“Whew,” I said when I’d recovered. “You’re right. It certainly does have pep.”
A special thank you to Amanda Chapman for sharing this delightful excerpt and cocktail recipe with us!
Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library(Mrs. Christie Series)by Amanda Chapman
About Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library
Mystery1st in SeriesSetting – Greenwich Village in New York City (primarily near Washington Square)Publisher : BerkleyPublication date : August 26, 2025Print length : 368 pagesISBN-10 : 0593818814ISBN-13 : 978-0593818817Digital ISBN-13 : 978-0593818831ASIN : B0DP3R1Q9GAudiobook ASIN B0DPJK5BPS
Book conservator Tory Van Dyne and a woman claiming to be Agatha Christie on holiday from the Great Beyond join forces to catch a killer in this spirited mystery from Amanda Chapman.
Tory Van Dyne is the most down-to-earth member of a decidedly eccentric old-money New York family. For one thing, as book conservator at Manhattan’s Mystery Guild Library, she actually has a job. Plus, she’s left up-town society behind for a quiet life downtown. So she’s not thrilled when she discovers a woman in the library’s Christie Room who calmly introduces herself as Agatha Christie, politely requests a cocktail, and announces she’s there to help solve a murder— that has not yet happened.
But as soon as Tory determines that this is just a fairly nutty Christie fangirl, her socialite/actress cousin Nicola gets caught up in the suspicious death of her less-than-lovable talent agent. Nic, as always, looks to Tory for help. Tory, in turn, looks to Mrs. Christie. The woman, whoever or whatever she is, clearly knows her stuff when it comes to crime.
Aided by an unlikely band of fellow sleuths —including a snarky librarian, an eleven-year-old computer whiz, and an NYPD detective with terrible taste in suits—Tory and the woman claiming to be her very much deceased literary idol begin to unravel the twists and turns of a murderer’s devious mind. Because, in the immortal words of Miss Jane Marple, “murder is never simple.”
About Amanda Chapman
Amanda Chapman (aka Amy Pershing) is a lifelong mystery lover and wordsmith. Under the name Amy Pershing, she is also the author of the Cape Cod Foodie mysteries. An enthusiastic fan of traditional mysteries and of New York City, she found herself wondering, “What if someone recreated Agatha Christie’s personal library -– even to the furnishings and architecture — in New York City? What would happen in that space?” And thus MRS. CHRISTIE AT THE MYSTERY GUILD LIBRARY — the first in a new series — was born.
Looking for more cozy mysteries and fresh reads to add to your fall TBR pile? Be sure to explore our other featured books, sign up for my newsletter for exclusive updates and freebies, and check out my own titles for fun, lighthearted mysteries that are perfect for autumn reading.
I’ll definitely be trying the Satan’s Whisker myself. Brandy neat was my late grandfather’s favorite, and since I love an Old Fashioned, this one sounds right up my alley! Happy sleuthing and happy sipping! 🍂📚🍸
As always, thanks for stopping by for some Salty Inspirations!
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Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library
(Mrs. Christie Series)
by Amanda Chapman
Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Greenwich Village in New York City (primarily near Washington Square)
Publisher : Berkley
Publication date : August 26, 2025
Print length : 368 pages
ISBN-10 : 0593818814
ISBN-13 : 978-0593818817
Digital ISBN-13 : 978-0593818831
ASIN : B0DP3R1Q9G
Audiobook ASIN B0DPJK5BPS
