Review || Ask For Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli

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James Carson has gotten away with murder three times.

The only thing that might stop him from killing again? The three women he murdered.

He hunted them online, masquerading as an eligible bachelor. Then he played the perfect gentleman, a thick layer of charm and a thousand-watt smile hiding the fact that his first dates end in shallow graves.

What James doesn't know is that his three victims have found each other. And that they're coming for him.

Brecia, Meghan, and Skye might be dead, but they're not gone. And they won't rest until they find a way to keep him from killing again.

The haunt is on.

Gut impulse rating: 5 stars
CAWPILE rating: 4 stars

Content Warnings || Murder, rape, descriptions of bodily decomposition, possibility of the murder of children, date rape drugs, marital abuse, serial killer, oppressive religious lifestyle.

My Review

This book was so good! I read the summary and immediately dropped the other three I was struggling to choose between reading next and dove into it. I love soft thrillers, they are like playing a game of Clue. I don’t like anything too high intensity or gore, and this perfectly fit my tastes.

“On a date that isn’t going well? Do you feel unsafe or just a little uneasy? Ask for Andrea at the bar. We’ll make sure you get home safe.”
Ask For Andrea || page 8

The story follows three women, who were all murdered by the same man: Brecia, who was murdered two years ago, Meghan, who was murdered one year ago, and Skye, who was murdered a few months ago from the present time. The story flips between the POV of each woman between chapters and begins from their murders until it reaches the present day. At first, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to get into it. The writing is slow and solemn, feeling very much like the numbness you would feel attending a funeral, or even being dead. I was worried it would drag on, but instead, I got hooked without even noticing.

He was the kind of beautiful that drew you in before you even considered the fact that beautiful things can be poisonous.
Ask For Andrea || page 35

The build up was seamless and easily hooked me without realizing.

I was half way through the book before I even noticed I had made it that far because it hooked me so completely. It wasn’t desperate and firm like a lot of books are. It was soft and subtle, so much that it happened without warning. This was actually really comforting. I have rather severe anxiety, horror isn’t a genre I can handle, and I have to be careful even with thrillers. The build up in a good thriller can spike your anxiety, which isn’t always a good thing.

As the story creeps closer to the present day, the writing changed, so subtly that you didn’t even catch it. It’s like zoning out while playing a video game and then you suddenly you stop and listen to the background music and realize there is a boss battle in the next room or around the corner. Even as it hit the climax, it was muted. All the intensity without any of the anxiety. More mystery, less thriller, but all enjoyment.

I have learned, as you know now, that the people we love are not gone forever. That everything we ever loved, ever did, ever said, ever read, ever experienced, comes back to us.
Ask For Andrea || page 91

The story is simple and straightforward, easy to follow and not particularly innovative, but enjoyable nonetheless. Following the ghosts in their haunting was ingenious and what really set this book apart. I loved the author’s take on the afterlife, it was beautiful and inspiring.

The story wasn’t special, but it was highly entertaining, nonetheless.

The ending is gentle and satisfying. This is a great read, especially if you want something interesting without being too heavy. If you want a “Diet Thriller” or “Mystery Lite”, you will enjoy this. It’s a great way to dip your toes into those genres. This would also be a great option to get out of a reading slump.

CAWPILED

7	8	8	8	8	8	10	8	8.27
C	A	W	P	I	L	E	D	Total