The Readaholics and the Gothic Gala
Laura DiSilverio     

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Book Club Mystery
Book: 3

One sleuthing book club finds themselves in the midst of a gothic-esque mystery as they read Du Maurier’s Rebecca in the latest from the author of The Readaholics and the Poirot Puzzle.
 
Reading the gothic classic Rebecca already has the Readaholics spooked, and the chills only get worse when someone in town actually gives up the ghost....
 
Amy-Faye Johnson has her hands full coordinating the Celebration of Gothic Novels in Heaven, Colorado. The festivities start off smoothly, but the weekend is soon cursed with large egos, old resentments, and uninvited guests. Matters become truly grave when a dead body is found at the gothic-themed costume party.
 
The out-of-town authors claim not to know the victim, but Amy-Faye has doubts. With skeletons turning up in all of the suspects’ closets, Amy-Faye and the Readaholics must tap into their knowledge of gothic literature to find a killer who lurks in the shadows...


Amy-Faye Johnson’s book group, the Readaholics, is reading the classic mystery Rebecca which is fitting since Amy-Faye is currently responsible for coordinating a gothic novel festival in her hometown of Heaven, Colorado. Amy-Faye is an event planner and this one seems perfect for a booklover like Amy-Faye, but although the festival gets off to a good start, things go downhill quickly. What should have been a perfect part of the weekend’s festivities turns ugly when a body is found at the gothic-themed costume party Amy-Faye had coordinated. Now it’s up to Amy-Faye and her friends to find the real killer before there are any more victims.

Amy-Faye and her fellow book club members make a good team when they work together to find the killer. Amy-Faye and her friends are each very different, but have the love of reading in common and are always there for each other. It’s fun to see a group of friends come together for each other and to solve the latest crime that happens in their small town. The investigation into the murder is interesting, especially with the added fun of the Gothic festival, and I wasn’t able to guess the real killer. I also enjoyed their discussion of the book Rebecca. It’s definitely not necessary to have read that classic mystery to enjoy this novel, but you will appreciate the book club’s discussion if you have.

I like the author’s writing style and had enjoyed her previous Mall Cop series as well. The book is filled with plenty of humor, but also intelligent discussions on books, and great writing to tell the story of the murder of a man unknown to the people of Heaven. I hope this isn’t the last of Amy-Faye’s adventures. Fans of Erika Chase or Kylie Logan will enjoy the latest in Laura DiSilverio’s Readaholics series.

~ Christine