Gothic Rivalries Lead to Murder

Who knew so many gothic mystery authors had their birthdays in September?* In Laura DiSilverio's The Readaholics and the Gothic Gala, Amy-Faye Johnson has been asked to coordinate a gothic weekend for Book Bliss in Heaven, Colorado, featuring the current gothic mystery authors. They are a contentious bunch: Constance Aldringham, the grande dame; Francesca Bugle, the midlister with a possible movie deal for her next book; and a living Mary Stewart, a debut novelist.

There is a panel discussion at the bookstore which brings out the  jealousies and rivalries. One of the authors is accused of stealing a manuscript from an unpublished author and tensions rise. A mysterious manuscript appears at the auction and upsets the balance even more.

When a body is found at the Gothic Gala, Amy-Faye tries to salvage her event and begins to investigate.

As most guests were dressed in costumes, it is difficult to tell who was invited and who might have crashed the party. No one knows who the victim is or why he was at the Gala. The Readaholics - Maud, Lola, Kerry, Brooke and Amy-Faye - put their heads and various skills together to tie up loose ends and solve the murder.

I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series (see blog for review) although I do enjoy the series. For more books by Laura DiSilverio, click here.

* The authors are Victoria Holt, Joan Aiken, Phyllis Whitney, Mary Stewart and Barbara Michaels

All this and Heaven too!

Author Laura DiSilverio takes readers to Heaven for her new series featuring the Readaholics Book Club in The Readaholics and the Falcon Fiasco.

Amy-Faye Johnson runs Eventful!, an event planning business in Heaven - Colorado that is. She and her friends Brooke, Ivy, Lola, Maud and Kerry are the Club. They get together to read and discuss various types of mysteries.

This month the Club is reading The Maltese Falcon, thus the title. Not really sure what the connection is, but I'm a mystery fan, so it works for me.

When Ivy dies under mysterious circumstances and her death is ruled a suicide, her friends refuse to believe it. A-Faye, as Amy-Faye is nicknamed, cannot rest until she proves Ivy's death was murder, especially as she is on the scene just before Ivy dies. Ivy whispers, "Clay didn't mean it."

In the meantime A-Faye has been asked to plan a wedding for an out-of-town bride who

unbeknownst to Amy-Faye is marrying her ex-boyfriend Doug. Though she is still pining for him, she finds a new interest in Detective Lindell Hart, he with the Southern drawl, curly brown hair and six-four frame.

I enjoyed the book, but felt the ending left too many loose ends even though the killer was apprehended. Maybe there will be more explanation in upcoming books.