The Readaholics and the Falcon Fiasco
A Book Club Mystery #1
By Laura DiSilverio
ISBN# 9780451470836
Author’s Website: http://www.lauradisilverio.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
Amy-Faye Johnson’s book club, the Readaholics, enjoys guessing whodunit in mysteries like The Maltese Falcon. But when a murder happens in their midst, they discover that solving crimes is harder that reading about them…
Amy-Faye has always loved her idyllic Rocky Mountain town of Heaven, Colorado. Her event-planning business is thriving, her fellow book-obsessed Readaholics are great, and her parents live only a few blocks away. But lately her hometown has felt a little less heavenly. First, she agrees to plan a wedding without realizing the groom is her ex-boyfriend. Then, Ivy, one of her fellow Readaholics, dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances.
The police rule Ivy’s death a suicide by poisoning, but Amy-Faye and the remaining Readaholics suspect foul play. Amy-Faye soon discovers that Ivy was hiding dangerous secrets—and making deadly enemies. Taking a page from her favorite literary sleuths, Amy-Faye is determined to find the real killer and close the book on this case. But finding the truth could spell her own ending… (From Goodreads)
Review:
Mystery lovers of both classic and current cozies will love this first book in Laura DiSilverio’s new series (Book Club Mysteries), The Readaholics and the Falcon Fiasco! It is fast-paced, witty, and intelligent, with likable characters and a lovable, loyal protagonist, Amy-Faye.
Amy-Faye Johnson is an event planner, the owner of Eventful!, in beautiful Heaven, Colorado. Yes, Heaven. You will find out why when you read this thrilling new mystery!
After a time of everything going well, things started going not-so-well for Amy-Faye. On her way to meet with a new client one morning, she found a tiny, rain-drenched kitten on the street, picked her up, named her Misty, and planned to give to a friend who was a great cat lady. Wet kitten in tow, who else could she possibly ,meet as her new client but the high-powered Manhattan attorney who is the fiance of none other than Doug Elveston. Amy-Faye’s Doug, who she had dated and been in love with on and off for years and returned to Heaven for when her college days were complete. Madison was such a sweet lady that Amy-Faye couldn’t hate her. Or turn away her business. So she began planning and set appointments with her, packed up her pride and the soggy fur baby.
That evening, the Readaholics met at her home to talk about the book they were reading, The Maltese Falcon. Amy-Faye’s close friends were members of the group, mystery-loving aficionados like her, who discussed Doug, Madison, and Sam Spade with equal passion and aplomb. Lola, Brooke, Ivy, Maude, Kerry and Amy-Faye made up this elite but not exclusive Readaholics.
The following morning, Amy-Faye went to meet one of the members, her close childhood friend Ivy, to plan the offsite event that Ivy’s boss, Clay, the CFO of the city, scheduled to enhance working relationships among the City employees. Except that Ivy would not be planning anything – Amy Faye arrived only on time to hold Ivy as she took her last breaths. The police claimed it was suicide, but her friends refused to believe it. And the more that the Readaholics investigated, the more suspects they found who could have murdered Ivy. But things are not always as they appear to be…
This was a fantastic first-of-series offering! The author demonstrates her ability to organize and execute this mystery by making excellent use of down-home conversation overlying the ladies’ intelligence, and how she built suspense as she revealed new clues at unexpected moments. I was surprised and excited to see an unusual puzzle was discovered for which the solution opened Ivy’s death up in a different light. I enjoyed watching the events occur with the speed of a runaway train and found this book very hard to put down. There were continual plot twists, all leading up to an ending that was a surprise.
The characters were an eclectic assortment who each contributed to the whole with excellence. The Readaholics are a group of industrious, witty, long-term friends with at least one thing in common – a love of reading and sharing about mysteries. I really like Amy-Faye – she is the kind of friend I would hope to have on my side when facing huge challenges. She is overall positive, intelligent and intuitive, and perseveres on seeing challenges through. Although I do hope that one day she will bring home and keep the next stray kitten she rescues from the mean rainy streets! I like the other ladies of the group, also. And I do appreciate the author’s descriptions and insight into The Maltese Falcon, changing the lack of insight I had as a teenager when required to it for class.
I highly recommend The Readaholics and the Falcon Fiasco to mystery lovers who are knowledgeable of and appreciate classic mysteries. Those who enjoy female sleuths will appreciate seeing Amy-Faye go the extra mile to solve her friend’s murder with the help of the heroes and heroines of the cozy mystery genre. I am already looking forward to the next Book Club Mystery, and I’m thinking that this might be “required reading” or “extra credit reading” for those studying The Maltese Falcon for the first time!
