The Readaholics and the Falcon Fiasco by Laura DiSilverio is the first book in the new “Book Club” mystery series. Publisher: Obsidian, April 2015

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.

This was a very enjoyable debut novel featuring Amy-Faye and her friends. When a friend dies unexpectedly, Amy-Faye does not believe that it was a case of suicide, but rather murder and it is her strong conviction that forces the handsome detective to look more into her friend’s death. The author did a great job in presenting this evenly paced mystery that quickly became a page-turner as the unfolding drama was hard to put down. The ensemble cast of characters, each with their own unique style, meshed wonderfully in their efforts to help Amy-Faye and her pursuit of finding the truth. This was a good mystery and I enjoyed how it all played out with the apprehension of the killer. Amy-Faye is very likable and I applauded at the action she took towards one of the event she was hosting. This is a welcomed addition to the cozy genre and I look forward to more adventures with Amy-Faye and her friends.

previously posted on the Cozy Chicks blog