Laura DiSilverio (1962–2024)

That Last Weekend is one of those mysteries with a very limited list of suspects, none of whom you want to be guilty. Laura DiSilverio does a masterful job of balancing that tension between almost preferring not to know who is guilty and the need to know for the sake of the innocent. A circle of college friends used to vacation in a castle that had been moved brick by brick from France to America until ten years ago, one of them was pushed off a fifth-floor balcony. The local sheriff was show more certain it was one of them – and they suspected each other as well – and that mutual suspicion infected their friendship.

Now, suddenly, they are invited back for a weekend and none of them can resist attending, their motives mixed, hoping to rekindle lost friendships or to find answers. Murder and mayhem ensue and the sheriff is back, determined that this time someone will pay.

That Last Weekend is a fast-paced mystery that somehow manages to create as much suspense as those with a small group of suspects as many can with dozens. There really are so few, the four friends invited back to the scene of the past and present crime, the caretakers, the maid, and the victim’s mysterious fiance. The maid is skilled at pressuring people for “tips” and the caretakers are resentful the castle is being converted and they are laid off, so there’s a chance “the butler did it.” There are, of course, the friends, and they are likable people you want to be innocent.

Of course, when mysteries are left unsolved, to fester for a decade, the innocent suffer with the guilty, under a cloud of shared suspicion. Friendships wear thin. How can you hold close to a friendship if there is this whisper of doubt, the fear your friend is guilty? All in all, this was a quick, pleasurable mystery that was more complex than it seemed at first and fair every step of the way.

That Last Weekend will be released September 5th. I received an e-galley in advance from the publisher through NetGalley.

That Last Weekend at Midnight Ink
Laura DiSilverio author site

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2017/09/01/9780738752532/ show less

I was so excited when I first heard about this series. I’ve never been in a book club, but it’s something I would love to do. Until that time, I’m happy I can enjoy the experience through series such as this one.

I always read the dedications and acknowledgements on books. So, I would like to thank Ms. DiSilverio for dedicating this first book in her new series to us, the readers.

There are books you know you are going to love after just a few sentences. THE READAHOLICS AND THE FALCON show more FIASCO for me was one of those books. I was immediately hooked.

Amy-Faye Johnson is such a fun character. First person hasn’t always been my favorite form of storytelling, though through reviewing I’ve grown used to it, I can’t imagine this story being told any other way than through Amy-Faye’s narration. I could hear her voice in my head so vividly. The entire cast of characters were very fleshed out and well written. I have no doubt every reader of this series will find a character they can identify with.

The mystery aspect in the story is first rate. Even when my eyes were tired and hurting, I couldn’t put this book down. I was pulled in page after page until the exciting end.

If you are selective on the new series you choose to start, do yourself a favor and try this book. You will not be disappointed.

Congratulations Laura DiSilverio on a brilliant start to what I hope with be a long running series! show less

A very fun cozy mystery, this is book-club themed. The author chooses one book per story that the club discusses and then ties that a bit into the story-line. For the first of the series it's the Maltese Falcon, a book I haven't personally read yet but will eventually (maybe) get to. I like how the club actually discusses the book and follows with a film later.

The main character is a joy. She's a wedding coordinator who runs into her ex and is hired to host his wedding. Awkward but gives us show more humorous tension. The club members vary in age and career and personality, which only heightens the enjoyment of the bunch as their pair together to solve the crime involving one of their own. Besides knowing a murder has happened, Amy-Faye has to convince people her friend was murdered in the first place. Enter a new detective who's stubborn and heart-throbbing, she amateurishly works with the club to find the culprit.

The murder mystery has several viable suspects and isn't impossible to solve. I figured the culprit out but there were enough doubts and red herrings to make me question my choice.

The author writes well - she doesn't have the overly scrubbed, clean feeling some cozies are cursed with, humor feels natural but not overdone, and she brings characters to life in the right stereotype cut-out to match the type of book this aims to be. Throwing in the themes of book love, book clubs, small towns, cats, and wine is a win. Happy to have found a new cozy series. show less

Close Call by Laura DiSilverio begins with something that could happen to any of us - Sydney Ellison picks up the wrong phone in a deli. She doesn’t realize her mistake until she gets a call on that phone talking about murder. Sydney’s first reaction is to just ignore the call; it must be a prank, right? And suddenly she is drawn back to a past she thought she’d left behind for good and that innocent mistake of picking up the wrong phone – and the possible confusion of the caller show more about her name – Sydney, Syd? – becomes much more than a mistake. Now it’s a cat-and-mouse chase with life and death stakes.

Close Call is a thriller with many layers and unexpected twists and turns. The plot is solid, well-developed, and fast-paced. The story is rich in detail about all of the very compelling characters, making it impossible to simply like or dislike them or characterize any of them as good or evil. Sydney is stubborn, hardheaded, often impulsive. She thinks she’s moved on but she won’t let much of the past go. She’s also loyal and dedicated and brave, but that impulsive rush to action without thinking has serious consequences. She is responsible for much of the danger to those around her because she has a need to act. The story very effectively switches back and forth from Sydney’s point of view to that of the hitman, Paul. The suspense builds to an ending I didn’t see coming, although when I thought about it, all the clues were there. The locations are richly described. You feel are there, in danger along with Sydney or trying to plan your next move with Paul.

I received an audio copy of Close Call from the author and have voluntarily left this review. The story is riveting, with more and more layers being revealed as each chapter unfolds, making it ideal for an audiobook. The narrator is skilled and easy to listen to. I didn’t want my daily walks to end. I highly recommend Close Call. show less