There is not always a cure for insomnia, but usually a gal can find something to make it bearable. Like a book that’s been sitting on her shelf for the last two weeks, just begging to be read.
Death By Bikini is the first in a trilogy by Linda Gerber, and it would have been the perfect beach read if I’d gotten myself a copy back in May. Then again, I’m not much for the beach. Sand, you know. Anyway, beach or no beach, Death By Bikini is the sort of lovely mystery you can gobble up in an hour flat, with a twist of chick lit and a hint of more to come.
Aphra lives with her dad at a private island resort, with the closest city accessible only by helicopter. Together, she and her father run the perfect tropical paradise escape. But over the course of a few days, things at the beach go completely haywire, resulting in Aphra running for her life and trying to save a few others while she’s at it. Better yet, she begins to solve the mystery of why her mother left four years ago and hasn’t so much as sent a letter since. And of course there’s a cute boy by Aphra’s side to heat things up.
The first book I thought of when I read this was Helen Fielding’s Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination, though the villains in Gerber’s novel aren’t quite so transparent. But wait! What I’m actually saying here is good, because I adore Helen Fielding, Mother of Chick Lit, and there aren’t many books I’d compare to hers.
Let’s see: It’s 5:30 a.m., and my brain is admittedly not up to the task of writing well about anything at the moment. But I can say a few things. This novel is fast-paced, fun, and maybe just a little scary. (What’s a mystery without a nice chunk of danger?)
Oh! And it’s a paperback, which makes it even more compelling for the gal who’s on a budget.
If you’re looking for a good, light read — the sort of thing that’ll take your mind off AP physics and your evil gym teacher — please do consider checking out Death By Bikini. You won’t regret it.
Buy Death By Bikini
My gym teacher is totally evil because he HATES ME for no reason whatsoever. He’s just all, “Have a zero for the day because you’re not popular.”
*scoff*
Honors Chem is surprisingly bearable though.
….umm, I mean, the book sounds very interesting.
I’m reading this book right now, and the sequel, Death by Latte, is up to be read right after I finish Bikini. Great review!
Serafina, no worries. I failed gym. Then again, that might be because I never went.
OMG. BC, I’ve got to get my hands on Death By Latte right this very instant. Gah!
I’m not much for the beach either. Sand is icky. Anyway.
I can’t wait to read the sequel to this. Gah. This one was really really good.
On an unrelated note, I’m about 100some pages into SKINNED by Robin Wasserman. It’s soooooo good so far.
Yay! Interview with Robin coming Monday. Now, off to bed.
Yeah, I don’t *actually* care, but it’s annoying.
Great book! Now I just need to find latte! Yeah, gym teachers are almost uniformly cruel!
Another unrelated thing:
Finished SKINNED. It was really good. I wanted to punch Zoie throughout the whole thing though. And Walker. And her dad. And somehow, I wanted to cry at the end for Auden.
I’m reading SKINNED next! Death by Bikini was so amazing and I love that Death by Latte is a fall release, just in time for the season of warm drinks and a cool fall.