Death By Denim by Linda Gerber

Aphra and her mom have been hiding out in France, biding their time until The Mole's minions decide to come after them again. And after three months in Lyon, someone has discovered them. On the run again, Aphra and her mom put their trust into the CIA to help them escape. But when their contact is found dead in the Seine River, the two realize that The Mole means business. Against the wishes of her mother, Aphra travels to Italy as bait to flush out The Mole, and hopefully have him captured. But, as usual, things do not go according to plan, and Aphra must use her stealth and cunning to save the day.

I think this trilogy is perfect for anyone who likes mystery or action novels. The same plot spans over three novels, but we get a whole new array of locations and characters in each book. It's also somewhat of a spy novel, since Aphra's mom works for the CIA, so any fans of The Bourne books/movies will really enjoy these books. That being said, I like the originality that comes with this mystery/action/spy novel, since it encompasses a whole slew of genres. Aphra is still her spunky self, and we get to see love interest Seth again. The relationship between Aphra and Seth is almost a Romeo and Juliet one, because the two want to be together but can't due to circumstances beyond their control. The sentence structure thing that annoyed me in Death By Latte is gone (thank goodness!) but I still felt like this book could be a lot longer. Maybe it's just me wanting to read more of Aphra kicking the bad guys' butts. Anyway, I thought the ending was perfect. It tied up the loose ends, but the epilogue leaves room for the reader's imagination. I really hope that Linda Gerber continues to write about Aphra and company, because I don't know if I will be able to find more mystery/action/spy books that can compare.

8 out of 10.

Release Date: May 14, 2009

Death By Latte by Linda Gerber

Aphra Connelly is back and ready for action in this thrilling sequel to Death By Bikini. She decides to visit her mother in Seattle, but the feeling in unreciprocated. Aphra's mother Natalie is practically upset that she's there, and Natalie's partner Joe hates Aphra even more. So when Seth shows up, unannounced, demanding his ring back, Aphra feels like she has no control over her life. And suddenly things get worse. When Joe is found dead, poisoned by a hot cup of joe (pun intended) Aphra and her odd group of family and friends must flee in order to save their lives.

This book, like its prequel, was an exciting read. I felt like Death By Bikini was rushed, but Death By Latte was more evenly paced. Aphra remains the cute and clever heroine, and now we get to see Aphra's mom, who was absent in the first book. Certain things annoyed me, though: like how Aphra couldn't stop mentioning her lifeguard and first aid training in her narration. Take it from someone who's certified in both plus other things; you don't think about it all that often. I know, I know, she was in a situation where that training could have come in handy, but still. Also, I hate when writers constantly use such sentence structures as "I wondered if Stuart's perception of her [Natalie] as independent kept him from offering to help her with it. I wondered if I should. Offer, I mean." For some reason, it drives me crazy! So any authors out there, refrain from this please! But besides those two minor annoyances I really did like the book and can't wait for Death By Denim.

7 out of 10.

Release Date: Tomorrow! (Sept. 18)

Death By Bikini by Linda Gerber

Aphra Connolly seems like the luckiest girl in the world. She lives on a beautiful island resort where she gets to spend her time in the company of the rich and famous. Although, living on an island leaves few opportunities for her to meet people her own age. So when the cute Adam Smith and his family arrive, Aphra is beyond excited. The thing is, the day after the Smith's check-in, a girl is found dead on the beach, with the strings of her bikini top tied around her neck. Is this too much of a coincidence? Could Adam and his family be responsible for the murder? Aphra will have to discover the truth before it's too late.

I thought that this was a really refreshing read. It has been a long time since I read a mystery, and this was the perfect book. It has the right amount of intrigue, suspense, humor and romance. The characters, especially Aphra, are believable and relatable. Aphra is a clever heroine who uses her wit and cunning to find out clues and ultimately save the day. My only qualm with this book is that it needs more plot points. The climax occurred fairly quickly for a mystery. However, there is a sequel, Death By Latte, which should satisfy readers' appetites after this delicious story.

8 out of 10