50% Off Murder by Josie Belle is the first book in the new “Good Buy Girls” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime (Penguin), April 2012

Everyone loves a good deal, especially the Good Buy Girls, a group of coupon-clipping discount divas who scour the circulars and plan their attacks on stores as if they were generals plotting their war strategies.

Maggie Gerber—one of the founding members of the Good Buy Girls—loves her quiet life in Saint Stanley, Virginia, but things are about to get complicated. First, Sam Collins, her old flame, moves back to town as the new sheriff. Then Claire Freemont, a librarian and member of the Good Buy Girls, shows up late to a meeting acting utterly strange.

When Maggie goes to visit her the next day at the library, everything seems to be back to normal…until they find the body of a very dead man with a knife plunged into his chest. Turns out the man is someone from Claire’s past, which makes her the prime suspect.

As the handsome new sheriff zeroes in on Claire, it’s up to Maggie and the rest of the Good Buy Girls to use their bargain-hunting skills to hunt a killer—while making sure they don’t pay too much in the process…

What a great debut series. Three friends band together and go shopping for a killer, when one of their own becomes the prime suspect. Led by Maggie, the trio is determined to hunt down clues to prove their friend’s innocence. This was a good mystery and I love Maggie’s drive to find other suspects to save her friend. This lighthearted tale boasts lovable characters, great conversations, humor and a blossoming romance. It was fun meeting Maggie, Ginger, Joanne, and Clair as well as the secondary characters in this fabulous and terrifically delightful new series with bonus tips for bargain hunters. This series is a welcome addition to the cozy genre and I look forward to my next fun-filled adventures with the GBG team.