reviewed by
Jennifer Kahng
Linda Gerber returns with a sequel to her young adult adventure, Death by Bikini, to give readers another adventure for her heroine Aphra Connolly. This time, Aphra's left the comfort and familiarity of her father's island resort to find her mother, Natalie, in Seattle, WA. Except, her mother doesn't know she's coming and, when Aphra finds her, is none too glad to see her. It seems Natalie's CIA days aren't quite as over as Aphra had been led to believe.
In Death by Latte, Aphra's adventure continues as the truth about her mother's life comes out. It isn't long before the trip turns deadly and one of Natalie's colleagues is murdered. Not long after, Seth Mulo, the boy she'd met on the island previously, shows up. But Aphra's hopes for a happy reunion are dashed when Seth seems to brush her off and wants only to reclaim his father's ring, which he'd given her prior to leaving the island scant months before.
It's enough to drive a sixteen year old nuts.
Death by Latte, much like the previous book, reveals more than one story. The most obvious story is the mystery surrounding Aphra's mother, Seth's ring, and the circumstances that have disturbed all their lives. The other major story is Aphra and how she grows up and deals with the extraordinary things that have been thrown her way.
Gerber could have made the mistake of making Aphra too prepared for the perils that seem to find her, but instead, Aphra's weaknesses and inexperience come out as well as her strengths. In the end, she really is her mother's daughter and she gets a chance to prove it, showing her mother that she isn't the little twelve year old girl she'd been forced to leave years before.
Death by Latte is a compelling read for those who like mystery, action, and adventure with a little romance and humor thrown in for good measure.
