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Elliott Smith runs a successful renovation business, dealing in the restoration of historical buildings, which he then turns around and sells for a profit. He’s also a gay amateur detective who picked up a ghost from an earlier case. The ghost, John, visits Elliot in his sleep and tries to help him solve cases. But the next ghost Elliott encounters is an emotional basket case—and learning anything from him might take a lot of time that Elliott doesn’t have.
When Elliott meets the owners of a new apartment building that he’s interested in restoring, he hears loud knocking sounds throughout the building. They’re reluctant to tell him that it’s the ghost of a man who died—seemingly of a broken heart—while residing there. Suddenly, Elliott finds himself reeled into the life of Aaron, a ghost who only wants to know what became of his lover, who left him one night and never returned. And Aaron will not let him resell the apartment complex until Elliott gives him answers about the man he loves.
Aaron’s Wait is a simple, straightforward mystery that focuses on an amateur sleuth’s life and the steps he takes to get to the bottom of a case, even though he really has no desire to be involved in it. Not a lot of scares or thrills—but that’s okay, since this isn’t that kind of story.
Still, you’ll get caught up in the ghost story and the mystery surrounding a man’s disappearance, which still hasn’t been solved after four years. Though the mystery may be straightforward, it’s not easily solved. I kept guessing incorrectly, right up to the end. I never would have figured out what really happened—and that’s what makes it a great mystery.
Meanwhile, everything about Elliott makes him stand out from the typical amateur sleuth—from his chosen career to his sexual preferences—giving readers a fresh, new kind of cozy mystery that hasn’t been done a million times before.
Author Dorien Grey also brings Chicago to life on the page, with its historical buildings, the shadier parts of town, and its interesting (and sometimes crazy) people. Throw in a good ghost mystery, and you have yourself an entertaining read. I’m already looking forward to the next Elliott Smith mystery.
