
I received an ARC for this novel sometime in late 2016, and it was one of only two new books I read in the months following my mother’s death.
Although I have not yet written any reviews for them, I own and love all of Ms Quick’s early historical novels (Surrender, Mystique, Ravished, etc). In later years, I had given up on her books, after growing a bit fatigued by some writing tics, and frankly tired of the Arcane Society novels.¹
However, the cover caught my eye, and the blurb makes it clear this novel is not part of a series.² Best of all, it’s set in California in the 1930s!
Warning: there are a couple of murders, though not much gore; there’s adult language, and sex on the page. If any of these bother you, avoid this one.
The Girl Who Knew Too Much, by Amanda Quick
I liked many things about this novel, starting with how well the setting is rendered. I felt immersed in the period without awkward lectures or info-dumping. Both of the main characters are complex and three dimensional, and their world is populated by three dimensional, complex people.
The suspense thread is a lot more layered than the blurb would make one think, and the story is told from several characters’ point of view, which allows the reader to believe she knows more than our hero and heroine.
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Tags: 2010s, 8.75 out of 10, ARC, Burning Cove, f/m, Historical Romance, Jayne Castle aka Jayne Ann Krentz aka Amanda Quick, reviews, Romantic Suspense, series