The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick Published by Berkley Books Publication Date: May 9th 2017
Pages: 352
Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org
Find on: Goodreads
Amanda Quick, the bestselling author of ’Til Death Do Us Part, transports readers to 1930s California, where glamour and seduction spawn a multitude of sins…
When Hollywood moguls and stars want privacy, they head to an idyllic small town on the coast, where the exclusive Burning Cove Hotel caters to their every need. It’s where reporter Irene Glasson finds herself staring down at a beautiful actress at the bottom of a pool…
The dead woman had a red-hot secret about up-and-coming leading man Nick Tremayne, a scoop that Irene couldn’t resist—especially since she’s just a rookie at a third-rate gossip rag. But now Irene’s investigation into the drowning threatens to tear down the wall of illusion that is so deftly built around the famous actor, and there are powerful men willing to do anything to protect their investment.
Seeking the truth, Irene finds herself drawn to a master of deception. Oliver Ward was once a world-famous magician—until he was mysteriously injured during his last performance. Now the owner of the Burning Cove Hotel, he can’t let scandal threaten his livelihood, even if it means trusting Irene, a woman who seems to have appeared in Los Angeles out of nowhere four months ago…
With Oliver’s help, Irene soon learns that the glamorous paradise of Burning Cove hides dark and dangerous secrets. And that the past—always just out of sight—could drag them both under…
Cocktails and Books received this book for free from Provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.
I generally not a huge fan of historical romance – but set in the 1930’s one of my favorite time frames in history I thought I would give this a chance; with that and the added backdrop of California during that time I figured I was going to be in my element. In some ways I was.
Irene stumbles upon a mystery (and not the first time she has) – working as a reporter for a small time newspaper she meets a source at the beautiful, mysterious and elusive Buring Cove Hotel in Santa Barbara – unfortunately the person she was planning on meeting was found dead in a swimming pool and Irene was the last person to see that person alive. Irene who has only been in California for 4 months is trying to keep somewhat a low profile – hiding from her past and people who want her dead this type of publicity is not what she needs or wants but now working with Oliver the hotel’s owner she is determined to find out what happened and maybe solve the problems of her past along with it.
Oliver prides himself on discretion for his customers and wants to be out of the spotlight for personal reasons. At one time a world famous magician his life took an unexpected turn when during his last show things went very wrong. Now he has someone murdered in his hotel’s pool and a mysterious woman tied to the murder who doesnt seem to have a past. Now Oliver and Irene must work together to find out what happened – of course the more they do the more both of their past’s come to light.
I loved the backdrop and Irene and Oliver’s characters. The interaction between the two was fun and I enjoyed them and how they worked together to earn each other’s trust. Oliver is always trying to take care of those around him while Irene has a tendency to get into trouble. I thought that authors grasp of the time period was fantastic and I really felt like I was there in the 30’s in Southern California a place I know well. I did find the mysteries a little tedious and in some cases complicated with a lot of characters to weed through – especially at the beginning. The story really starts to take off when Oliver and Irene start to unravel the mystery it really takes off about halfway through.
All in all I did enjoy the story and the relationship between Oliver and Irene.
