Fan Mail - Aspen Adams #2 by Daryl Wood Gerber

Fan Mail

Aspen Adams #2

by Daryl Wood Gerber 

ebook

Expected publication: November 12th 2019 by Beyond the Page Publishing

Goodreads synopsis:

An adoring fan and a string of murders: a demented show of love that leaves no one safe . . .

Local celebrity news anchor Gloria Morning is used to receiving declarations of love and praise in her weekly fan letters, but when a Lake Tahoe doctor is murdered and she gets an anonymous note telling her it was done for her glory, her appreciation turns to panic. Unsure of where else to turn, she enlists the help of novice private investigator Aspen Adams. No sooner does Aspen begin digging into who sent the macabre note than another murder occurs, followed by another note, and she soon realizes she’s up against a ruthless and deranged killer.

Working with scant clues and a puzzling array of potential suspects, Aspen is determined to unearth the elusive connection between the victims and her client. But as the body count grows and the murderer remains a mystery to both her and the police, Aspen discovers she’s gotten closer to the killer than she ever imagined, and now she must risk everything she holds dear to stop the killings, including her own life . . .

***

4.5 Stars

This is the second book in the Aspen Adams series by Daryl Wood Gerber.

Aspen gets a message from her doctor telling her to call her back. She assumes it is because of her last appointment and suspects bad news. The bad news ends up being that her doctor has been murdered! Then a local news anchor, Gloria Morning, receives a note saying the woman was murdered in her name. Gloria then asks Aspen, a private investigator, to look into the death. Of course, this puts her at odds with boyfriend and detective, Nick who is looking into the death for the police department.

I was kind of surprised at how “in a relationship” Aspen Adams and Det. Nick Sharper were when this book started. I think they had barely gotten together at the end of the last book, DESOLATE SHORES.  Her investigating kind of puts a hitch in their relationship as she goes into situations Nick asks her to stay out of.

Then another murder occurs and along with it another note. The suspect list keeps growing and with it so does the tension. I think the author does a great job of upping the suspense while also trying to keep her characters grounded. The situations feel like you are peeking into real life and not just “reading a story.”

There is a lot of actions in this and like in the last story, her niece, Candice, gets involved in the drama, much to Aspen’s dismay. Aspen’s sister also tries to get Candice back which adds to the mounting tension as it builds.

Aspen may be new to the PI biz but she is a cracker jack character that just makes you want to keep reading. We root for her and her relationships with Nick, Candice and her job.

I totally enjoyed this book and can’t wait for book three to come out.

This book can be read as a standalone even though their relationship started in book one. I would probably tell you to read book one for some backstory about characters if you get stumped about relationships at anytime while reading this. This is definitely a series you should read from book one.

If you like cozy mystery, thrillers, suspense and detective fiction, I think you would really enjoy this. Check it out!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.