Desolate Shores is a new mystery novel published in 2019 and written by Daryl Wood Gerber. I've read and loved several of the author's cozy mystery books, but this was a more suspenseful and darker novel than her normal tales. I like when an author stretches her boundaries and writes 'out-of-genre' because it provides an opportunity for readers to truly understand how her mind works. I enjoyed this book and saw how it was several layers deeper or more complex than the cozies. All the great components from her writing style were still present, yet it wasn't a heavy suspense / thriller story either. Let's dive into my detailed thoughts.

Aspen Adams gave up her daytime job to become a private detective. She works in her aunt's agency and moved to Lake Tahoe. Right from the beginning, she finds the body of a friend on the beach. A neighbors watches over her, then the cops show up. It moves quickly, and then, we retrace the steps to find out what had been happening in Aspen's life and that of her close friends. Aspen's sister also drops off her daughter to stay for a week, as she's too busy dating a new guy and doing drugs such that she can't take care of her own child. Aspen agrees, only to discover her niece is in desperate need of help to get away from a bad situation. How does it all fit together?

As a mystery, it was strong. It definitely has heavier elements than you'd see in a cozy but there's minimal dark language or violence. It's a nice balance for those who want something in between the two ends of the spectrum. I like Aspen as a character, as she fights for what she believes in, yet also tells the cops everything she learns during her own investigation. Of course, no mystery would be complete without the amateur sleuth and the cop butting heads and falling for one another. This time, there are 2 key cops: 1 male, 1 female. Aspen befriends the female and finds herself attracted to the male. How will she keep her personal life separate from the investigation?

I can't tell if this will be part of a series or a standalone. I've seen a few different comments but nothing concrete on the author's website. If it's a series, I'll be interested in reading more. If it's not, I was happy to read this one. I think it'll have a strong audience and help lead other readers to her cozy series too. Somewhere between a 4 and 4.5 star rating for me.

Desolate Shores by Daryl Wood Gerber is billed as suspense but it is really one step beyond a cozy, which is not a bad thing. Aspen Adams is an ex-child psychologist, current process server/PI-in-training and she has just discovered the dead body of her best friend, Vikki, lying on the beach. Still recovering from the unsolved murders of her parents years ago, she can't find it in her heart to trust the police, so she sets out to investigate on her own. Her aunt Max, for whom she works, is directing her search for the murderer. Her friends Gwen and Karen are relatively supportive, although Karen is a member of the police force and constantly worried about being showed up and Gwen has her own issues. To compound matters, Aspen's drug-addicted sister drops off her daughter, Candace, to spend a week with Aspen, or so she says.

This is totally a character driven story and that character is Aspen. She definitely has a past and her own hang-ups but between Candace and Vikki she holds it together admirably and continues to investigate. The whole thing takes place in Lake Tahoe, in the winter, and the characters in the scenario continue to surprise Aspen as she searches for a murderer and learns about Vikki's life. She is an excellent character and I found myself thinking about her when I was away from the book. The mystery was excellent and well plotted. It wasn't until the end when both Aspen and I figured out who the murderer was. Apparently this is to be a series: excellent idea. If you are not intrigued by gruesome murders this is the book for you. It may have been gruesome but Gerber did not go into minute detail. I enjoyed it. I recommend it. Hope you like it, too.

I was given a free ARC of Desolate Shores. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #desolateshores

Invited to work with her aunt Max in her detective agency following a major failure with her therapy practice, Aspen Adams fled to the beautiful mountains of Lake Tahoe, hoping to reinvent herself as a private investigator. She is thrust into the position when her best friend, Vikki Carmichael, is murdered.

The author weaves a well-plotted mystery while extolling the beauty and the activities at the California/Nevada border. Her descriptions of the scenes are so vivid you can smell the pine trees.

Aspen's sister, unfortunately, has a drug habit that has driven a wedge between them, but she is unable to deny her niece, Candace, a safe haven when her sister unceremoniously dumps her there for the week. It's not long before a sub-plot develops with the care of her Candace.

There is a wide cadre of characters, including alcoholic Karen Brandon, a seasoned detective, and favorite haunts around the lake. Aspen realizes she really didn't know Vikki as well as she thought. In the meantime, she begins to experience flutters when she is in the presence of sexy Detective Nick Shaper.

There is sufficient backstory of Aspen to get a grasp of who and why she is, though not fully engaging. Her niece is woven sympathetically and I liked Gwen at the bar and her aunt. They will prove to be strong support characters in the future but I have reservations on the possible romance aspect with Shaper. Ummm, nah. There are subtle clues and twists that lead to a believable conclusion.

I received this ebook digital download from the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Either as a standalone or as book 1 in a new series, the narrative is off to a terrific start keeping the suspense throughout. Recommended to fans of Ms. Gerber (of cozy fame) and anyone who enjoys a clean, well-paced mystery with sufficient suspense that will pique your interest for a second one.

Aspen Adams doesn't know it, but finding the body of her best friend is just the beginning of major changes in her life.

This is Daryl Wood Gerber's first book in her Aspen Adams suspense series. I have been a big fan of Gerber's for a long time, and have read several of her suspense novels. This book follows Aspen and her new life working for her Aunt Max's detective agency, and the changes that happen when her work life collides with her niece moving in with her.

As always, her characters are wonderfully written and fully realized. I love watching Aspen change from a process server to a detective hunting down the killer of her best friend. Her settings are also very well done. I feel like I could go to Tahoe and know where the different areas are located in relation to each other.

The plot was nice and tight. I enjoyed the ride with Aspen through all the events that change her outlook. I didn't find it overly suspenseful, but I think that it will change in later books. A lot of information about the character and her friends and family had to be introduced, which slows down the action. It shouldn't be as much of an issue as the series continues.

Overall, I really liked the book. I really recommend it for people that want a gentle transition from cozy mysteries into the suspense genre.

All opinions in this review are my own.

Desolate Shores is the first novel in An Aspen Adams Novel of Suspense. I enjoy Daryl Wood Gerber’s engaging writing style and the story proceeded at a peppy pace. Aspen Adams does not trust police after they failed to catch the man who killed her parents. She trained to become a licensed therapist and worked with teens until one of them took his own life. This caused Aspen emotional distress and led to her decision to make a big change. Aspen has been working at her aunt’s PI firm for the last eighteen months where she is learning the business. When Aspen finds her friend dead while jogging, she is determined to unearth the killer. With her Aunt Max’s guidance, Aspen begins digging into Vikki’s life. She is surprised by the number of secrets that Vikki kept from her. The mystery had several suspects, misdirection and good clues. There is suspense as the killer tries to stop Aspen from investigating. The takedown scene is fraught with tension. I like that all the details of who, what, when and why were answered at the end (no speculation or supposition). I would have liked a good twist because the killer was not a surprise to me. I knew the identity of the killer by the time I was a quarter of the way through the book. Aspen needs to work on her questioning technique because she is blunt and pushy. I liked how she shared case details with the police, and, to my surprise, they shared information with her. DS Nick Shaper is the lead detective on the case and the romantic interest for Aspen. Sparks fly between Aspen and Nick from the start. She does not feel he is giving the case his all in the beginning, but he grows on her. He helps that he is quite handsome. Aspen’s niece, Candace comes to stay with Aspen while Rosie, Aspen’s sister, spends time with degenerate boyfriend. I liked that Candace was not a picture perfect teen. She has issues and needs Aspen’s love, care and guidance. The author took the time to develop the main characters and provided lovely descriptions of Lake Tahoe. Desolate Shores is an intriguing romantic suspense with a deceased friend, a dangerous killer, shady suspects, a captivating cop, killer clues, and an unseasoned detective.

“Desolate Shores” is the first book in a new suspense series by Daryl Wood Gerber featuring Aspen Adams.

A chilling murder, an elusive killer, and a family mystery that hits too close to home . . .

After finding the body of her best friend on the icy shores of Lake Tahoe, Aspen Adams refuses to stand by and watch as the local sheriff’s department begins their search for the killer. Launching her own investigation, she’s soon confronted with a growing array of secrets—both about the friend she thought she knew and about many of the people in her own life. As fragmentary clues and escalating dangers threaten to derail her, she must also cope with the disturbing behavior of her deadbeat sister and troubled teenage niece.

Determined to overcome her personal demons over past failures, Aspen is driven to unravel the conflicting evidence and a shifting range of suspects to bring the killer to justice, even as a family trauma unfolds that threatens to upend her life. And as her investigation inexorably leads her to a shocking discovery and taunts her with a solution that is just out of reach, Aspen realizes that the killer wants nothing more than to see her and her niece dead . .

I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in one sitting. It was entertaining, suspenseful and full of twists and turns. I thought all the characters were well developed. I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.

I requested and received an Advanced Reader Copy from Beyond the Page Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A very good thriller, engrossing and entertaining. I appreciated the well crafted plot, the character development and the setting.
It was a good reading experience and I hope to be able to read other suspence by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this arc, all opinions are mine

A different type of story for this author of cozy mysteries, Daryl Wood Gerber has given us a thriller set within a family owned investigative office. The story line puts the main character in the position of investigating the murder of her friend while trying to protect her niece. The back stories for each character make them a little more 3D, you'll get a better feel for them as the tension builds and the killer moves closer. A good read that kept my interest. A good change of pace with enough character that it could easily be turned into a series.

Private Investigator Aspen Adams finds the body of her best friend on the shore of Lake Tahoe. With resentment towards the police department, Aspen decides to investigate herself. But, what happens when she finds that her friend was hiding secrets?
Being a fan of this author, I was hoping to be enchanted by this novel. But, sadly it wasn’t for me. I just wasn’t interested in the main character, and I found the story a little depressing. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

Therapist Aspen Adams has moved to the Lake Tahoe area after a devastating incident with one of her teenage clients. Working with her aunt, who owns a detective agency, Aspen begins to make friends and adapt to her new profession. However, her life is upended when she discovers the body of one of her friends. Loving and happy Abby doesn’t seem to have any enemies, but Aspen soon discovers that her friend has been carefully hiding some secrets. Unconvinced that the local police will be able to find Abby’s murderer, Aspen sets out to do the job herself.

Desolate Shores is a book that is supposed to be a departure from the cozy mysteries that Daryl Wood Gerber has produced in the past. However, I found it to be very much like her other books. There are a variety of characters, each with a story of their own.

I found this a difficult book to keep track of and enjoy. I prefer that backstories be introduced gradually, as the story progresses and as it applies. In Desolate Shores each and every backstory is presented in detail and almost always as soon as the character is introduced. For me, this disrupts the flow of the story. in addition, the author randomly uses words that are unusual and, sometimes, aren’t really the most appropriate words for that particular sentence or description. And, finally, there are multiple things going on. It’s almost as though the author was afraid this would be the only book she would ever write, so she had to included literally everything all at once. Everyone in the book has issues, secrets, and problems. And they are all revealed in quite a bit of detail. Aspen seems to be disengaged from the things that should matter the most, she imagines herself in a romantic situation with someone she just met, and she often behaves like a teenager.

I really wanted to like this book – it has a good premise - but there were just too many flaws and aggravations for that to happen.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing of copy of this book for review.

Ms Gerber hit this one out of the park. I enjoyed the entire plot, characters and intrigue. I didn't know the why until the reveal.

Not a cozy but a great change of pace by this author. She is truly talented.

Looking forward to the next one.

I requested a copy via Netgalley and am not required to leave a positive review. Thank-you all for a entertaining time. The author did a superb job!

I will review this on Amazon on Aug 13. 2019

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I believe that this was the first book by Daryl Wood Gerber that I have read, I found it to be a very interesting read. I believe this is the first book in a new series, so I will have to read more to find out how this storyline continues. I enjoyed the chemistry between Aspen and Sergeant Shaper so look forward to seeing where they go in the future. This storyline contained so many different issues, not the least her neices health issues. Overall I found the book to be very well written, the characters had some meat to them which means they held my interest. I would certainly recommend this book to others.

Daryl Wood Gerber has done it again with Desolate Shores, her 3rd standalone thriller novel. Aspen Adams, former psychologist and current PI, discovers her friend Vikki dead on the shores of Lake Tahoe, and embarks on an enlightening journey for justice, searching Vikki's past to discover who killed her in the present. The story was absolutely riveting, Ms. Gerber has a true knack for suspense, and I devoured this book as quickly as I could turn the pages. Desolate Shores has my highest recommendation for mystery lovers, and I'm giving it 5 stars and an A+! :-)

Very good story. I really liked Aspen and how she tried to do right by everyone, especially her niece. When Aspen finds her friend dead, she knows that she must find the murderer herself. When her parents died, she didn't push the police to find the killer, so she wasn't going to let that happen again. While she is investigating, she finds that her friend held a lot of secrets. The more she finds out, the more she realizes that she never knew her friend. During all of this, Aspen's sister dumps her daughter on Aspen's doorstep. There is something going on with her niece and she needs to figure that out too. All the while, someone is trying to kill them. Are they just after Aspen or Aspen and her niece?

This is a page turning mystery that held my interest and kept me guessing from the beginning to the end. Aspen Adams is on her morning run when she discovers her best friend's body on the shore of Lake Tahoe. Upset and determined to find the killer, she uses her instinct and resources working at her her aunt's investigation agency to check out all of the possible suspects and clues that she uncovers. Handsome and interesting Detective Sergeant Shaper is always around as she works-sometimes frustrated with her meddling but yet admiring of her abilities. She is on the right track because her vehicle is messed with twice and she is the target of a shooter. Added to her responsibilities, her irresponsible sister left her young daughter Candace in her care and she has issues that are disturbing. This is a well written mystery that had me thinking the killer is first one person, then another. Ending in a way that I didn't see coming, this is a great mystery and I am excited that this is the first in a new series.
I received a complimentary ARC from Beyond The Page Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

Aspen Adams has started her life over and is working as a P.I. for Aunt in Tahoe, she needed to make a change and so far things are looking up. While enjoying her morning job she comes across a body, the sad part is it turns out to be her best friend. Who would want to murder such a bright and sunny young woman and why? Aspen couldn't think of any enemies that her friend might have had and she is truly puzzled as to why someone would have hurt her much less kill her. Aspen doesn't have any faith in the police, they botched her own parents investigation, so why trust them when it comes to her friend. She decides that she is going to put her job to good use and figure out who killed her friend on her own. Aspen soon learns that her friend held many secrets and maybe she wasn't at all the person that she knew and loved. As more and more comes to light Aspen knows that she will have to put the pieces together to figure out who the killer is. Meanwhile her good for nothing sister has dropped off her niece, leaving Aspen alone with a young girl that she doesn't really know. Aspen soon starts seeing little things going on with her niece that makes her worry that she is hiding a secret herself. She wants so badly to bring justice to her friend but with this new obstacle in her way she doesn't know if she will be able to. She loves her niece and wants to do what's best for her but isn't quite sure what that is. Follow Aspen as she questions all the people in her friends life hoping that with all the information she is given she will be able to find a killer. Can she deal with the problems her niece is starting to present? Can she trust the cops and what they are telling her? This was a great read that had me looking at everyone as a suspect, it truly had me guessing all the way until the end!!!

This book was very well written. Nice and easy to read and flowed well. Had me on the edge of my seat. Wondering which way it was going to go. Great mystery can’t beat it.

My usual genre is cozy mysteries, and this was a nice change of pace! More suspense, a darker feel, and heavier themes made this book hard to put down! I liked main character Aspen, who, along with most of the other characters in the book, has some baggage she carries with her every day. When she finds her best friend murdered on the beach and her drug-addicted sister leaves her niece at her house for the week, Aspen suddenly has a lot more to deal with than she was ready for. The story moved at the perfect pace, and there seemed to be no shortage of suspects and dubious alibis to keep me guessing. While I enjoy Daryl Wood Gerber's Cookbook Nook Mysteries, I think I might like this series even more! Hoping for many more in this series.

I received an advance copy of this book. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

This is one of the books (for me) that was a way of occupying time when I didn't have anything I liked better. It kept me interested enough to finish, but isn't really my usual read. The first in a series, but not one I'll follow.

Desolate Shores
(An Aspen Adams Novel of Suspense Book 1)
by Daryl Wood Gerber

Kindle Edition, 239 pages
Expected publication: August 13th 2019 by Beyond the Page





Goodreads synopsis:
Daryl Wood Gerber, the national bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author of the Cookbook Nook Mysteries, returns with a novel of gripping suspense . . . 

A chilling murder, an elusive killer, and a family mystery that hits too close to home . . . 

After finding the body of her best friend on the icy shores of Lake Tahoe, Aspen Adams refuses to stand by and watch as the local sheriff’s department begins their search for the killer. Launching her own investigation, she’s soon confronted with a growing array of secrets—both about the friend she thought she knew and about many of the people in her own life. As fragmentary clues and escalating dangers threaten to derail her, she must also cope with the disturbing behavior of her deadbeat sister and troubled teenage niece. 

Determined to overcome her personal demons over past failures, Aspen is driven to unravel the conflicting evidence and a shifting range of suspects to bring the killer to justice, even as a family trauma unfolds that threatens to upend her life. And as her investigation inexorably leads her to a shocking discovery and taunts her with a solution that is just out of reach, Aspen realizes that the killer wants nothing more than to see her and her niece dead . . . 


***

4.5 Stars

This is the first book in a new suspense series by Daryl Wood Gerber featuring Aspen Adams.

Aspen Adams finds the dead body of her good friend, Vickie and spies a design the deceased has written in the snow. Unfortunately, she only gets a glimpse of the design before she loses her balance and destroys the delicate impression. She begins her own search for the killer since her own parent’s deaths weren’t investigated to her own satisfaction. Aspen doesn’t trust the police to do a good enough job to satisfy her.

Her niece Candace is staying with her which makes things more complex as the killer is revealed at the end and brings the niece into the equation to lure Aspen in a trap. The story thread about Aspen wanting to gain custody of Candice from her druggie sister was quite compelling.

Detective Nick Shaper seemed to like Aspen from the minute he met her but knew that he couldn’t get involved with a suspect until after the case had concluded. This left us the readers wanting more and the characters conflicted about a possible romance. I think the author liked teasing me with a possible relationship here.

Aspen latched onto Karen, one of Nick Shaper’s colleagues, from the get go. She was a possible friend but her continual drinking left her unavailable much of the time and not as trustworthy when push came to shove.

I thought all the characters were well crafted and really peaked my interest.This is a new series in a totally different genre for Gerber and I think she hit it out of the park with this one. I look forward to more books in this series.

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.