Tuesday, May 9, 2017

3.5 star-- The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick


 Amanda Quick! I've loved her books basically since I started reading. She's always got such interesting characters and nice mysteries. This one was a bit of a departure from her norm... it's set in 1930s Hollywood. Oo!

It was pretty fun. These two quotes just gave me a little smile. He may have found some of her ways a spot exasperating...

She lowered herself to her hands and knees. In the glare of the motorcycle headlights shining through the window she saw the silhouette of Oliver's gun.

She fumbled with the catch of her handbag. Her fingers closed around the grip of the small pistol she kept inside.

"I've got one, too," she said.

"Of course, you do," Oliver said. He sounded resigned.
And this one. The hero was getting asked. I was like...mhm pretty much. lol
"What do you know about radio waves?"

"I know how to turn on a radio and I know how to turn it off. Why?"
A peek into the glamorous and oh so scandalous world of 1930s Hollywood? Amanda Quick? A retired magician and a heroine on the run? Yes, please! The Girl Who Knew Too Much captured me completely.

This was a little different than most I've read from Quick since it's set in Hollywood in the 1930s but I ended up really enjoying the setting. The glamour, scandal, grit, the mystery and illusions behind tinseltown. It was a fun time watching Irene and Oliver--who met when she discovered a dead body at his exclusive hotel--join forces to figure out the secrets Hollywood is ruthlessly trying to hide.

Irene and Oliver. Irene's recently reinvented herself as a gossip columnist after escaping a dangerous past. She's quick, smart and like a dog with a bone. She smelled a "story" and she wasn't going to give up until she figured out who was behind the string of deaths that kept popping up around one of Hollywood's leading men. And Oliver--A former magician who was gravely injured and had to reinvent himself as well. He could be a little gruff now and again and play things close to the chest but I loved him and that even if she exasperated him now and again he supported Irene and was determined to help her figure out what was going on. He's so a caretaker, too, making sure everyone around him is provided for.

Their romance is a bit slow moving and takes a back seat to the mystery but it was fun watching them work together and break down each other's barriers. There's a tiny bit of heat but not much. I did think things escalated a bit too quickly at the end commitment-wise but it was deal-able.

All in all, I had a grand time with The Girl Who Knew Too Much. With her usual magic Quick brought to life a bygone era full of danger, mystery and glitter...with a few twists and turns thrown in when least expected. I just love that. I'm definitely hoping there will be more from this cast of characters. It certainly sounded like there's potential for future stories. *fingers crossed*

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.

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…

Amazon | Goodreads | More on this Blog
Challenges: Pick Your Genre (historical) | New to You | Goodreads (2016)

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