Agatha Christie is on
the book club’s reading list in the latest from the author of The
Readaholics and the Falcon Fiasco. This time, Amy-Faye and her friends
might have to read between the lines to catch a killer.
Amy-Faye Johnson’s book club, the Readaholics, is engrossed in Murder on the Orient Express, and Poirot’s surprising resolution is stirring up debate. Is the solution remotely realistic? Is justice served by Poirot's decision? Well, the book is fiction after all… Then, just as Amy-Faye is planning the grand opening of her brother Derek’s pub, his hot-headed partner is murdered. To keep Derek from being railroaded as a suspect, Amy-Faye and the Readaholics take a page from Poirot and investigate. But as the clues lead to unlikely places, surprising motives, and a multitude of suspects, Amy-Faye and her pals wonder if truth can be just as strange as fiction. |
Not quite as good as the first but still fun. DiSilverio has an easy writing style that's filled with natural humor and spark. It's not sanitized as some cozies are and doesn't feel awkward. Having the book club theme suits it - there were clues that tied in with their book of the month, Murder on the Orient Express. It spoils the end of the book if you haven't read that Agatha classic, so be warned.
I love how they discuss the book, watch the movie afterwards, and how the author tosses in kudos to other authors and fictional detectives. One character thinks Dorothy Sayers is dry, as an example, and one person said Agatha Christie writes well but has distant emotion to where characters are not relate-able. Kinsey Milhorn is referenced a lot by the main character Amy-Faye, and even some Stephanie Plum humor is thrown in for good measure.
The mystery wasn't quite possible to full guess, some of it kind of comes together in the end. This time Amy has to clear her brother's name when his angry, loser partner is found murdered opening night. There are plenty of suspects since the man was generally loathed, but unfortunately most of the signs point toward brother dearest.
I see a potential love triangle brewing but let's hold our breath and hope not. The small town setting gives an everyone-knows-everyone charm which complements this story type. While it's best to start with the first book in the series, it's fine to be read as a standalone.
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