Heather’s Bookshelf: Wanting Aidan
Author: Alyssa Hall
Released: 03/26/21
Genre: Detective Mystery/Suspense
“They both had a gin and tonic, followed by a pint with their fish and chips. After they ate, they sat at length, not always talking but musing in their own heads. Joe sensed a calmness slowly start to flow from Stefan. They sat at length doing little more than people watch. After a while Joe was the first to speak.”
“Wanting Aidan” follows Joe Parrott, a private investigator, who happens upon a dead body near his home. He sets out to find justice for the woman and ends up involved in uncovering a whole lot more.
The identity of the dead woman is revealed early on to be Rita, a young lady who experienced a heartbreaking upbringing leading her to eventually run away from home. The heartache didn’t end there though, as Rita’s past comes back to haunt her before she dies.
The story is told from Joe’s perspective and follows his investigation into how and why the woman died. He uses his connections and his familiarity of the area to follow a trail of evidence with the help of Rita’s brother, Stefan. They unravel Rita’s past and discover the truth behind a life changing secret that affects both of them.
Trigger Warning: death, stories of sexual abuse, drug use, prostitution, adult language
Overall, I enjoyed this murder mystery. The main character of Joe was well developed through his interactions with others and memories explored. He is a flawed character. He’s not good at relationships and he is absolutely obsessive, but his persistence actually lends itself well to his investigation. Rita’s tale is heartbreaking but very believable with how her situation evolved. I really liked the way that the author revealed her past throughout the interviews between Joe and the other ancillary characters. I also thought that the heartbreak and regret felt by Stefan was felt throughout the writing. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I do wish that there was some more development of the character or relationship that is called into question at the end of the story. It just didn’t have the emotional connection there that I wanted it to. This is a stand alone novel, but in the same world as the author’s novel Trusting Claire. I thought that the author also did well in developing a feel of the novel and the environment that could lend itself well to a bigger literary world.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A murder mystery that follows a broken but determined protagonist along an investigation that hits a little too close to home.
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