Book Review: The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver

It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Kelly Oliver back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, The Case of the Body on the Orient Express.

Paris, 1928: Agatha Christie and fellow writer Dorothy L Sayers board the Orient Express, bound for Constantinople. Christie in particular is looking forward to a break from recent dispiriting events in both her work and private life – the finalisation of her divorce from her philanderous husband Archie, and the miserly reception of her latest book.

But before the duo can settle in to enjoy the luxuries of their first-class journey, their journey is derailed when a fellow guest drops dead during the dinner service. And as the last person to speak to the victim, Dorothy finds herself a prime suspect in his murder.

As the train hurtles East, Sayers’ resourceful assistant Eliza and her friend Theo must navigate a maze of suspects. But with each passing mile, the stakes rise, and when another body is discovered, their search to find the killer before they reach their destination becomes increasingly complicated.

Can Eliza and Theo stay one step ahead, crack the mystery and clear Dorothy’s name? Or will this be one journey too far for the amateur sleuths?

***** 

It’s 1928. Fellow writers Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers are looking forward to a trip aboard the Orient Express to Constantinople. Eliza, who works for Dorothy, is accompanying them. Once the train gets underway, Eliza soon runs into Theo, someone she’s not seen for a long time. 

Also, it’s not long before there’s a murder. Eliza, Theo, Agatha and Dorothy must find the perpetrator before it’s too late. 

It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to read a novel by Kelly Oliver and so I was very happy to be invited onto the tour for The Case of the Body on the Orient Express. This is book two in The Detection Club series. If, like me, this novel is your introduction to these characters, don’t fear – it can be read as standalone. Having read this book, I very much want to read book one though. 

I love books that mix real life people in with fiction. Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers are fascinating additions to this murder mystery/whodunnit that has classic Christie vibes whilst feeling like it brings its own unique style. The story is told primarily from the point of view of Dorothy’s employee, Eliza and her love interest, Theo. 

I do love the idea of Agatha and Dorothy being part of their own Detection club. 

Eliza is a brilliant character. She’s got gumption, she’s smart and can hold her own. She and Theo make a good team, even if they do get in their own way. 

The plot unfolded well and kept me guessing . I pretty much devoured this book in one sitting as I raced through, wanting to know who the murderer was. There’s plenty of surprises and what I call gasp out loud moments. 

The settings are described so vividly that I felt like I was experiencing the opulence of the Orient Express along with the characters and it’s really triggered a want to see the train for myself. 

Constantinople, now known as Istanbul is a place that has always fascinated me and this book just strengthened that. Kelly Oliver does a great job of placing her readers right into the centre of her settings and plots. 

In danger of giving more away than I’d like, I’ll end by saying that The Case of the Body on the Orient Express is a fun, action packed cozy murder mystery that I will be recommending to as many people as I can. It has capable, relatable characters. I hope it’s not the last we see of them. I loved it. 

About Kelly Oliver –

Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The Fiona Figg Mysteries, set in WW1.

She is also the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Say hello to Kelly via Facebook, X, Instagram and Bookbub. Click here to sign up to her newsletter. 

The Case of the Body on the Orient Express is book two in the Detection Club series and was released by Boldwood Books on 14th July 2025. Click to buy on Amazon, Kobo and Waterstones. 

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Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.