Aphrodisiac

by Allyson Roy

Berkley Pub Group (Sensation)

Contemporary Romance, Contemporary Romance: Romantic Suspense

September 2, 2008

ISBN-13: 042522323X

Available in: Paperback

Read an Excerpt

Aphrodisiac
by Allyson Roy

Former stand-up comic Allyson Roy debuts with a sharp and witty voice in Aphrodisiac, a hugely entertaining debut thriller set in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Something about Gwen Applebee's death doesn't add up. Sex therapist Saylor Oz knows for certain that late perfume-maker and fashionista extraordinaire wouldn't have been caught dead wearing a fanny pack. So why was there one strapped around Gwen's waist when her body was discovered? Not to mention the coded message embedded in her "suicide note." It seems Gwen stumbled upon an ancient formula with great powers, and someone was willing to kill for it. Unfortunately for Saylor, the villain did not get his hands on the formula—but in his quest he does get his hands on Saylor.

Now she and her tough-talking best friend have less than one week to figure out where Gwen hid the formula. Between patients, parties, and an escalating flirtation with a hot local boxer, Saylor's desperate hunt leads her from the dark corners of Brooklyn and the glittering skyscrapers of Manhattan to the beaches of the Hamptons—all while she tries to stay one step ahead of a ruthless killer.

With a dazzling combination of suspense, romance, and a wonderful laugh-out-loud sense of humor, Aphrodisiac will appeal to fans of Janet Evanovich, Jennifer Cruise, and Christina Dodd.

Other Books by Allyson Roy



Allyson Roy's Bio

Allyson Roy is actually Alice & Roy — a husband and wife team. We currently live just outside of Philadelphia, although we spent many years living and working in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Aphrodisiac is our first book.

Roy

Having grown up in the burbs, I never discovered who I was or found my real confidence until I moved into the dark and dirty bowels of the city at age twenty. My inspirations are derived from years of coming into contact with a wide range of people, some being total whackos, set against offbeat locations embedded within Manhattan, Brooklyn and Philadelphia.

A graduate of the University Of The Arts in Philadelphia, my interests include film, boxing, politics and talking to my old tomcat, Wallace. After studying acting and performing in theater, I branched out into doing stand-up routines in comedy and nightclubs. When the pickings were slim I'd enjoy crashing into dive bars and offering my services by doing impromptu performances for drunk and unsuspecting customers. Try that one on for easy . . . not. Believe me, I know what it feels like to bomb as well as hit it out of the park.

So, when it comes to staring a computer screen in the face and having to spin out a brainchild or off-the-wall dialogue, I am always ready to roll. I guess you could say I am a crude inventor who enjoys attacking the blank page. An idea guy. I really love the challenge of creating a wild premise and figuring out what could happen next in a story. And since Alice and I are both performer type personalities, there are naturally plenty of theatrics both on and off the page.

Alice

I have a degree from the State University of New York with a double major in philosophy and dance. My love for those two subjects reminds me of why I'm attracted to romantic suspense. The genre blends elements of each, combining problem-solving questions and logic puzzles with a desire for physical action, sensuality and the creative possibilities that can happen when individuals meet.

For most of my adult life I have been a professional dancer, choreographer and teacher. I was also lucky enough to have parents who loved books. I grew up reading everything and anything (including the books they didn't want me to read). And I still do, whether it's the history of world cultures, the migration of monarch butterflies, Charles Dickens, Jhumpa Lahiri or my numerous favorite romance, suspense and fantasy authors.

Photo by Alex Lowy; LowyPhoto.com