Great setting (DUMBO and Red Hook), but weak plot and characters. ( )

What would you do to get your hands on a true aphrodisiac? The fact is people go crazy over sex on a large scale. They fight about it. They pay for it. They make promises for it. They even kill for it. So if such an aphrodisiac really existed what would it be worth? And, what would you do in order to have some of it?

Aphrodisiac is hip, funny, contemporary and a thriller/suspense to die for. And die they do!

Sex therapist Saylor Oz looks to find out why her best friend was murdered and the answer takes her on a suspenseful tour of Brooklyn clubs and dark allies. But, not without a little humor. This Janet Evanovich-style romantic suspense holds a new voice and a sexy flair. ( )

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Sep08

What woman hasn’t dreamed of being irresistible to men? Of having any man you want at your feet, either figuratively or maybe even literally for those bad girls out there. Well Allyson Roy has written a cleverly plotted mystery about just that. “Aphrodisiac” is a slick, intricate mystery about a murder committed over an ancient aphrodisiac brought back to life.

Saylor Oz (don’t blame her, it’s a family name) is a sex therapist. She’s an unapologetic city girl who’s still ‘in the market’ for a man. When her best friend from childhood drowns and it’s called a suicide, Saylor doesn’t buy it. Sure Gwen was occasionally depressed, but she would never, absolutely never have been wearing a fanny pack! Add in a robbery and attempted attack, and Saylor is becomes even more convinced that Gwen didn’t commit suicide. But what the heck do her murderers want with Saylor?

I found “Aphrodisiac” a bit hard going. The plot was very clever, there were certainly a plethora of suspects and each had reasons to kill Gwen. The clues were cunningly interlaced throughout the story and I didn’t figure out the guilty party until the author revealed it at the end. The characters were sharply portrayed and never really deviated from expected behavior. Doesn’t all this sound great? It was.

What wasn’t so great for me was the attitude for lack of a better word. The vocabulary was very ‘street’. At least that what’s I think it was. I’m probably just too old and not ‘hip’ (or whatever it’s called nowadays) enough, but I found myself put off by just about every character involved. I’ve never lived in New York City and if most of the people who do talk like this then I think that’s a very good thing. The book is also written in first person and there were times it was hard for me to keep track of who was who and who was talking or thinking when. I was also a bit turned off by the gratuitous killings and beating administered by the bad guys. I get the fact that they’re bad. I guess this was just a bit too ‘gritty’ for me.

I think if you’re a younger reader who likes a more realistic, big city murder mystery…you would likely enjoy “Aphrodisiac” by Allyson Roy very much. As for me, when I want to read a mystery, I prefer the more gentle ‘cozy’ mysteries. But hey, variety is the spice of life and what’s not right for me may be just what another reader has been looking for.

Til next time
JJ ( )