ARC Review: 'Til Death Do Us Part by Amanda Quick (Release date: April 19, 2016)

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'Til Death Do Us Part starts with a strange conversation between two men plotting to "deal with" the wife of one of the men.

Then we are introduced to Calista Langley, who manages a matchmaking service. She's a single woman with a comfortable income, and, now, she is being hounded by an ex, who wants to rekindle their former relationship. Calista is also receiving very morbid memento mori from an anonymous admirer. Calista is inclined to dismiss the gifts, but she becomes increasingly concerned as the gifts continue to arrive.

Trent Hastings is a reclusive mystery writer who isn't pleased when he discovers that his younger sister has engaged Calista's services, but he doesn't expect to be so fascinated by the very fiercely independent lady.

What fascinates me about mystery stories is how many elements are needed to create a really compelling story: the crime, the suspect(s), the investigation, the actual perpetrator, and the motive. Now, what I love about mystery stories written by romance authors is that addition of a romantic element.

And Amanda Quick is a master at telling a really, really good romantic mystery story.

Trent Hastings suffered an injury that left him scarred and disfigured. He is happy with the stories that he writes, and I loved how his occupation as writer actually added a metafictional element to the story: Trent is a character in a mystery novel, who is writing a mystery novel! It's interesting for him to use his knowledge and experience in order to conduct the interviews during the investigation and figure out the pattern of the murders.

Not much is said of Calista's physical features, and I liked that the author focused more on her capabilities than on her appearance. She holds her own during the investigation and it is her intelligence and independence that wins Trent over.

As Trent and Calista follow the trail of clues, they discover a string of murders with a very disturbing pattern: three governesses with no close relations, dead of unnatural causes, each one receiving the same gifts as Calista, and culminating in the delivery of a very expensive coffin -- and all of them trace back to Nestor Kettering, the man who is seeking to renew his relationship with Calista. What's creepy about Nestor is that he abandoned Calista many years ago when he discovered the state of her finances. He is currently married to a wealthy heiress, but he has no control over his wife's money. What does he want from Calista? Why now after all these years?

But what carries this story is the mystery: Amanda Quick does an amazing job of introducing unnamed henchmen in the background, surprising allies, and plot twists. (Also, I am hoping Amanda Quick does a follow-up on Andrew Langley, Calista's younger brother, who is a very good detective-in-training. ^_^) This was a thoroughly enjoyable page-turner.

'Til Death Do Us Part is released today, April 19, 2016. To find out more about Amanda Quick and her books, click below:
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Disclosure: I requested and received this ARC from Netgalley. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Amanda Quick for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

Review: Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick

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When Amanda Quick announced that she was releasing a romance that wasn't connected to her Arcane series, it was not a question of whether I would read it, but when. After an agonizing one-year wait for the paperback to be released, I hunkered down and read Otherwise Engaged.

I loved how this story started: it is the heroine that rescues the hero from mortal danger, and they end up falling in love. But the story goes downhill from there: there isn't one, but three antagonizing elements: someone is after the plans for the solar-powered machine and has endangered Benedict's life and those close to him. There also seems to be a spy element as well, as Benedict's uncle seems to head or be part of an intelligence network, but it isn't explicitly stated, or developed in the story.

Then there's the danger to Amity -- her professional career and the publication of her first book are being threatened when gossip about her and Benedict are leaked to the press. There's also Humphrey Nash, a famous photographer who wants to take credit for Amity's work, claiming a man's name would lend the book more credibility.

Finally, there's the "Bridegroom," a serial killer who attacked Amity. The Bridegroom is an intriguing character, who seems to be very well-connected in society. He has killed several women, and Amity only managed to escape because of her quick-thinking.

It's the mention of the solar-powered device in the Gaslight era of England that got me doubting this book's ties to the Arcane series -- considering the time period, the idea of solar-power during this period and is two steps from being considered "paranormal" during that time. There were a few times that I had put down the book and check whether the book was part of the Arcane series, because there were some not-so-subtle resonances between the series and this stand-alone.

There's a familiarity to Amanda Quick's characters, and I see this as both a good and bad thing. Quick is so good at creating strong, capable characters, and her characters in Otherwise Engaged are no different. Amity is an intrepid world traveler who writes about her travel adventures for a newspaper, and Benedict is a really, really smart engineer. While there is no cookie-cutter master mold for Amanda Quick's characters, upon reading, one can tell that they are her characters. They are distinct -- but, at the same time, I also get a sense that I've read about him or her before. There's a strange sense of deja vu, but, I guess it is to be expected considering how many books this author has already published.

Unfortunately, the women of the Doncaster bloodline who had the misfortune to be endowed with those particular characteristics had acquired a certain reputation over the years. Tales were still told of the many-times great-grandmother who had barely escaped hanging as a witch during the 1600s. A century later a spirited aunt had managed to disgrace the family by running off with a highwayman. Then there was the aunt who had vanished on a hot-air balloon ride only to reappear as the mistress of a married earl.
- p. 31

* * *

"Have you had any experience with criminal investigations, Mr. Stanbridge?"

"No, but I imagine it is like any problem in engineering or mathematics," he said. "One assembles all of the relevant facts in a logical manner and then one solves for the unknown."
- p. 53

I loved the romance aspect of this story, of how Benedict and Amity get engaged out of (in)convenience, to protect Amity's reputation, but Benedict doesn't count on Amity wanting to help him with his own search. They make a great team, because they are so like-minded -- and there is very good chemistry between them.

"I think that we know each other perhaps better than we realise," he said finally. "I expect that lurching from crisis to crisis together as we have been obliged to do lately has that effect on two people. We know what to expect from each other in a pinch."

"That is very insightful of you," Amity said.

"You are surprised?" He smiled faintly. "I may not possess Declan Garraway's knowledge of psychology, and as I have noted, I'm not a fan of poetry, but I can usually add two plus two and arrive at four."

"Something to be said for a sound foundation in mathematics."
- p. 252

What I didn't like so much were the conflicts in the story -- the plans for the solar-powered engine is wonderful, but the author doesn't establish why people want it so much, and what would happen if such plans would fall into the wrong hands (global-scale devastation? England falling into darkness?) -- while I saw the danger, I didn't feel the urgency of Benedict and Amity's quest -- which is why, when the resolution came, I didn't really know what to celebrate. The Bridegroom storyline was the most exciting, but the suspense was not sustained up to the very end. The resolution felt a bit flat, and didn't quite match up to the expectation when this particular plot was introduced at the start of the story.

Overall, this was a well-written story, but not as exciting as Amanda Quick's other books.

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Review: The Mystery Woman by Amanda Quick

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The Mystery Woman is the second book in her Ladies of Lantern Street series and features another lady employed by the Flint & Marsh agency. Beatrice Lockwood has a sketchy past, previously working as Minerva the Magnificent for Dr. Roland Fleming at the Academy of the Occult. While it was a dubious occupation, Beatrice's talent is authentic. When she discovers that her employer is murdered and that she is the target of the hired assassin, Beatrice flees with their money and assumes a different identity -- her real one is Beatrice Lockwood and finds employment with the Flint & Marsh agency.

"You have been like a daughter to me, Beatrice. My dying wish is to try to save your life. Honor me by fulfilling it. Leave this place now. Use the bolt-hole. Take your pack and your lantern. When you are away from here you must never return. He will search for you. To survive after this night, you must remember everything I taught you about going on the stage. Rule Number One is the most important."
- Chapter 1

But her past has come back to haunt her: one of their former clients is being blackmailed and all clues point to Beatrice as the blackmailer. Joshua Gage is the brother of the former client, who also happens to be a retired agent of Mr. Smith, head of a secret government agency that handled "special" cases. He is seeking out Beatrice to get his answers, and, hopefully, stop the blackmail. What happens, though, is that Joshua unwittingly sets into motion a terrible scheme, formulated by Joshua's former partner, a man he thought had died during a failed rescue attempt. The scheme involves the eyes of Anubis, a woman with special psychical talents, and the supposed ability to bring a person back to life.

Amanda Quick is an amazing storyteller and she wields full mastery over this fantastic world she has crafted throughout the years. Beatrice has the talent of detecting energy in people's footprints. It has proven useful in her new job at Lantern Street. It never occurred to Beatrice that she would be targeted by a madman who needs her special talent for a very ambitious (and seemingly impossible) project.

"I see the psychical energy that others leave behind in their footprints and on the things they touch. The colours and patterns of the currents tell me a great deal about the individual who generated them."
- Chapter 13

Quick explores the world of Egyptology and tackles the issue of death/life/resurrection. I've always been fascinated with historical romances with Egyptian lore included in them, and Amanda Quick does it so well: there's enough information and detail about artifacts and the paranormal to colour the world, but not too much that it becomes an esoteric exercise. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book. What I enjoyed even more is the mystery that Joshua and Beatrice are investigating. Who is the Bone Man? Who hired him? Who is blackmailing Hannah Trafford? As a mystery, this was well-planned, well-plotted and well-paced. Each action builds up to the next until the final confrontation between Joshua, Beatrice and the villain.

The romance aspect is a bit sparse, and Quick does rely on the paranormal/psychical to show the attraction between the hero and heroine. It's not quite insta-lust or even insta-attraction, but it is understood that there is a connection between the hero and heroine that will lead to love through the course of the mystery.

A strange feeling whispered through her, stirring her senses. She suddenly got the disturbing premonition that taking the card would change her life forever in ways she could not begin to imagine. There would be no going back. Ridiculous, she thought.
- Chapter 2

I wonder how the story would be if Quick focused more on the romance and development of the relationship between Joshua and Beatrice: on one hand, I think it would add more dimension to her main characters, but, on the other hand, I think it would take attention away from the mystery. (It's curious that Amanda Quick recently released Otherwise Engaged, a straightforward historical romance/mystery without any paranormal elements. I wonder if there'd be more focus on courtship and romance in that one.) I did like that Joshua wasn't a believer in the paranormal, relying on logic and reason, instead and enjoyed the debates he had with Beatrice about her talent. I think this is the Amanda Quick book that truly addresses the reason vs "magic" discussion.

"You don't think much of my former profession, do you?"

"I give it the same degree of regard that you give my former career. Face it, sir, you and I were both in the business of manufacturing illusions for the purpose of deceiving others. I am still in that line." She gave his beard and unfashionable attire a dismissive look. "And evidently so are you."
- Chapter 15

* * *

"You don't think it's paranormal in nature?"

"No, I do not," he said. "It's merely a combination of observations -- some of which are so small that we are not even consciously aware of them -- and unconscious awareness of the connections between these observations."

"Some might call that psychical awareness," she said.
- Chapter 25

So, is it reason that saves the day? Or Beatrice's talent? What prevails between the dialogue of these two characters? It's Joshua who gets the final say in Chapter 50, read the book to see what he thinks of Beatrice and her talent. ;-)

The one negative thing I will say about Amanda Quick is that I can't afford that her books come out as hardcovers first before being printed in paperback format. It is a test of patience, but, for an Amanda Quick book, it's always worth the wait. ^_^

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Review: Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick

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Crystal Gardens is the first book in Amanda Quick's The Ladies of Lantern Street series and is a sub-series of her Arcane Society series, which I have been religiously following since 2006. Quick's commitment to the Victorian/Steampunk/Paranormal Romance world that she has created shows in each installment, as she continues to build this evocative, fascinating England full of "talented" individuals: she truly understands the abilities of her characters and has explored the limits of the genre that, I believe, she is at the forefront of.

Crystal Gardens is no exception. It begins with an attempt on Evangeline Ames' life, which she believes is intentional. It is fortunate that Evangeline Ames is renting a small cottage in Crystal Gardens, an estate owned by the Sebastian family -- and the current owner, Lucas Sebastian is in residence, investigating the mysterious death of his uncle, Chester, the former owner of the estate.

As a mystery, I love how Amanda Quick lays out the puzzle pieces in a clear and organized manner. Who is responsible for the attempt on Evangeline's life? Who killed Uncle Chester? What secrets are hidden in the Crystal Gardens? I love the procedural aspect of the novel -- how Lucas, Evangeline, and Lucas's step-siblings, Beth and Tony try to figure out all the questions that swirl around them. Amanda Quick ups the ante by introducing us to paranormal talents and a garden that emanates power ... and danger. The magical mixed in with the mysterious makes for classic Amanda Quick and fans will definitely not be disappointed.

My favorite part was the secondary story between Mr. Stone and Molly -- I loved seeing how two people with no psychical abilities cope with the adventures of their employers -- and, instead of feeling inferior, they manage to provide assistance using their own set of skills.

"Must be a bit strange to have some psychical talent."

"Mr. Sebastian says most people have a little," Stone said. "They just don't recognize it. He says they call it intuition."

"My ma says I have good intuition. Sometimes I just know things."

"So do I," Stone said. "I knew the first time I met Mr. Sebastian that I wanted to work for him."

"That's how I felt when I took the post with Miss Ames. I told myself it might lead to something much better."
- p. 289

I also love seeing how Amanda Quick develops the romances between her characters -- there is no grand declaration of love and no drama -- she works out the relationship in a very sensible way. At the end, what you will have are lovers who are also companions/partners. (Read Lucas and Evangeline's conversation in pages 371 - 372)

I did wish that Quick focused more on the Flint and Marsh agency and Evangeline's work with them. She teases her readers with glimpses of the agency does and the special people they hire. Let's see with the next book. ;-)

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Quicksilver by Amanda Quick

Someone is killing off glasslight readers and Virginia Dean is next on the list.

Owen Sweetwater has been hired by Jones & Jones to look into the deaths of the glasslight readers when he finds Virginia half-awake from a drugged sleep and lying beside the murdered body of Lord Hollister.

He knows who she is, once seeing her at a session intended to determine if her talent is real or fake -- and admired the way she handled that situation. Owen admires even more the way Virginia is handling this situation -- as they struggle to find their way out of the labyrinth of glass, they stumble upon a clockwork device that emanates psychical energy.

Thus Amanda Quick sets the stage for her latest story set in the Arcane world of Victorian England.

Virginia and Owen both possess considerable talent that happen to complement each other in this particular investigation. Wanting to find out how she fits into the plot, Virginia decides to assist Owen in his investigation.

Quick expertly mixes mystery, suspense with a bit of "magic" and a bit of "romance" -- I enjoyed reading the procedural aspect of the novel. Readers new to Quick should be forewarned that her romances are not typical -- she has a very Victorian/intellectual approach to building the relationship of her characters.

I really liked how calm and collected Virginia is -- she has an amazing supernatural gift and one that she uses to help others (though she does profit from it). She's very careful and very thoughtful -- she's not pretty but her features seem very distinct: red-gold hair and blue-green eyes (p. 21) -- also that she is "on the shelf" (p. 67).

Owen is the more interesting of the pair, Amanda Quick presents another family of talents (comparable to the Jones and Winters families) -- the Sweetwaters have a very specific set of talents, one that sets them apart figuratively and literally. They are not members of the Arcane Society but they have a working relationship with members of the Arcane. They are respectable and accepted in Polite Society but they do not mingle or socialize. They exist on the fringes, defenders of a sort.

One does not hire the Sweetwaters if there is anything normal or routine about the investigation... Our clients come to us when they have run out of options. We are the last resort.
- Owen, p. 62

I love that the author introduced us to other members of Owen's family: Nick, Matt, Tony as well as some aunts. (I can imagine a series focusing mainly on the Sweetwaters. ^_^)

Amanda Quick has really developed, quite successfully, her Arcane/Talent mythos and it fits so well into Victorian England. The world she has built is immersive and expansive with characters that are all very compelling.

My biggest problem is that Quick completes the Arcane series through different genres (contemporary and futuristic paranormal) -- but I only read historicals. (I have read all of Quick's historicals since she started writing them in the early 90s. My favorites are: Mystique, Mischief, Affair and her Lavinia Lake + Tobias March trilogy.)

To learn more about the Arcane Society and Amanda Quick's other works, visit Amanda Quick's website.



Favorite line in the novel: "A man can learn a great deal about women from novels," Matt said. "You should try it sometime." p. 262 (referring to sensation novels) Very meta-textual. ^_^