Review of Murder at Amapas Beach
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- Stephanie Elizabeth
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Review of Murder at Amapas Beach
There’s nothing like a cold-blooded murder to destroy your romantic getaway. American Consulate, Amanda Pennyworth, is savoring the last few hours in Puerto Vallarta with her boyfriend, police officer Romero when a woman from their tour group is found bleeding and left for dead. When she wandered off towards the local artisans, no one from the tour group claimed to have seen anything. Still, Amanda believes the murder was premeditated and likely carried out by someone in the group.
At first, Amanda’s involvement is to merely aid the police by translating for the American vacationers. Still, she quickly finds herself over her head, embroiled in the investigation, searching rooms, and doing things far beyond her scope as a consulate.
Why is Detective Perez so keen on Amanda’s involvement, and could the killer be walking among them? Read the book and find out.
Murder at Amapas Beach by James Gilbert is an intriguing crime thriller that had me guessing until the end. The book is told from the third-person perspective, following Amanda Pennyworth as she finds herself way out of her comfort zone, helping Officer Perez solve a murder case. Beyond the adrenaline-inducing storyline, the book boasts the idyllic setting of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, including the beautiful island of Amapas.
I thoroughly enjoyed Amanda’s character, who was an assertive protagonist, giving off strong and independent vibes. It was apparent from the get-go that males largely dominated crime and investigation in Mexico, and Amanda was forced to compete with narrowmindedness and macho attitudes, especially when dealing with Gonzalez. Still, she knew how to put males in their places while maintaining her calm, professional demeanor. I also loved how the author included tidbits from Amanda’s history, which offered little breadcrumbs of information and kept me immersed, such as revealing that she’d recently witnessed several suspicious deaths. It kept me wondering if Amanda was somehow targeted by a killer’s sadistic games.
The mystery of who ruthlessly murdered Danielle infiltrated my thoughts, and I found myself playing the detective. The author did an excellent job of stirring up questions in my mind, constantly ruminating over which of the Americans did this to their friend or if it was possible, they had banded together. What about the tour guide? He seemed particularly agitated when questioned by the authorities. So many possibilities kept me devouring page after page until the shocking ending.
This all-encompassing mystery captured my full attention, and there was nothing to dislike about it. Further, the writing was easy to follow and exceptionally edited; there were no errors at all! I have chosen to give Murder at Amapas Beach a rating of five out of five stars; Amanda Pennyworth was a likable, worthy main character I admired, and I loved piecing together the puzzling murder of Danielle. I recommend the book to readers who love character-driven mysteries set in exotic locations.
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Murder at Amapas Beach
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