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.
I read the first in this series without high hopes, frankly, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. It had great characters, with a strong focus on friendships and family, and I really liked the chemistry between the MC Amy-Faye, and Detective Hart.
This second entry still has all of that - including the great chemistry - and those are the things that carried the story for me. I've read enough cozies now that it's impossible to not feel weary when certain over-used tropes are trotted out, and the family/friend in peril is one of the most threadbare. Still, I could have over-looked it (because there really are only so many reasons a girl can get herself involved in a murder mystery) but plots that involve the amateur detective and her friends running "investigations" that involve questioning suspects always make me roll my eyes. I always end up with the sense that these characters are playing dress-up and make-believe.
Still, if a cozy fits the mood, there's at least as much to like as there isn't. DiSilverio can write well, and it's one of the better edited books I've read (especially from Penguin) in awhile.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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11 February, 2017:
Finished reading
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11 February, 2017:
Reviewed