Former Iceland first lady pens Christie-inspired fiction debut

After an unexpected storm, a hotchpotch of diplomats, artists and spouses are trapped on the Westman Islands of Iceland.

- Myle Yan Tay

DEATH OF A DIPLOMAT By Eliza Reid Mystery/Sphere/Paperback/ 336 pages/$36.95 ★★☆☆☆

But after one of the diplomats dies under mysterious circumstances, it is up to Jane Shearer, the Canadian ambassador's wife, to solve the mystery before another body falls in Eliza Reid's fiction debut.

Reid has written two books of non-fiction before, but her former title as First Lady of Iceland is what informs much of this book. And while her personal experience does lend itself to the novel's interesting plotting and setting, the execution of this story is frequently flawed and disappointing.

One of the novel's more intriguing elements is its playful relationship with chronology. Part One begins with its first murder before jumping to its second, which takes place several months later. After this latter death is depicted, the novel's next chapter has the heading, "Thirteen Hours Before She Died", taking readers back in time before the second death.

As the chapters progress, the time ticks down, creating a level of suspense, especially when these headings reveal a third impending death.

This is a fun device that keeps readers engaged, even though the book's characters fail to do the same.