There are books you love and then there are books that you NEED EVERYBODY ELSE TO READ IMMEDIATELY. The books that you try to work into conversations during parties or press into people’s hands before they can finish saying “What should I read next?”

For us, Trouble is a Friend of Mine is one of those books. It’s delightful from beginning to end. And, lucky for you, if you haven’t read it yet, it’s a complete series as of yesterday. Part madcap mystery, part snarky high school story, part excellent (EXCELLENT) romance, Trouble has it all. We can’t stop talking about this one, and here are six reasons (to make our case) why you should start reading right now.

6. Extremely good banter. If you’re a fan of Buffy’s quippy humor, you will be glad for the familiar riffs. Zoe is the queen of the comeback. And there’s nothing more delicious than her back-and-forths with Digby, the leading man of mystery.

5. Small town setting where mysterious things happen. Think Riverdale with some extra snark. Zoe is not happy to move upstate from New York City when her parents get a divorce. But the small town is both more dangerous and more interesting than it seems…. Sound familiar? With echoes of Veronica Mars’s pristine Neptune, the small-town setting is perfect for a mystery story.

4. A fun gang of friends! A group of high schoolers from all different social echelons — from Digby, the irreverent mini-Sherlock, to Sloane the ultra-popular girl, come together to crack the case.

3. Digby. As previously alluded to, DIGBY IS THE BEST. Well okay, maybe not the best. He’s extremely annoying and drags Zoe into all kind of dangerous/disastrous situations and for a long time she hates him. He’s an amateur detective trying to solve an old mystery of his sister’s kidnapping and is single-mindedly focused on finding out what happened.

2. Did we mention the romance? It seriously gets swoony as the series goes on. And there are three books! Not to spoil anything, but trust us. The mystery and adventure escalates and so does the romance. There is banter. There is kissing!

1. Zoe is just doing her best (aren’t we all) despite extremely trying circumstances. Between trying to get a good enough score on the SATs to get into Princeton, trying to deal with romantic feelings (ahem, maybe for…Digby?), and dealing with her parents’ divorce she has a lot on her plate. Throw on getting entangled in cults, international conspiracies, and extensive crime networks and it’s a miracle she keeps her sense of humor.

Start reading Trouble is a Friend of Mine here!