Book Review
The Girl Who Knew Too Much
Burning Cove Book #1
by Amanda Quick
Berkley © 2017
Plot Summary:
Irene Glasson is on the run. A devoted secretary to a murdered woman, she ran from a killer and reinvented herself working for a small-time gossip magazine in Los Angeles.
When the woman from whom she is to receive a hot tip is also murdered, she embarks on a mission to find the killer. Working with a former world-famous magician at his exclusive coastal resort in Burning Cove, California, the two must uncover secrets from the past to find a killer before it is too late.
My Thoughts:
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It is well written and complex enough to hold your attention without being too intricate.
The characters are easy to love and champion. Some books can make the dark, mysterious past of their heroes and heroines a little too gritty to make them likeable. No such danger here. Amanda Quick does a nice job of development in an affectionate way.
I did not know when I picked this up (thank you Clearance priced selection Barnes & Noble) that it was the first of a now four-part series. The last six pages of the book begin to set up the sequel, The Other Lady Vanishes. I must confess, I ordered the next book in the series the night I finished this one.
My only critique is that I did not truly feel the 1930s setting of this book. Aside from some descriptions of clothing and style, I just did not get the influence of the cultural trends which emerged in the 1930s. It does not bother me enough to dislike the book, however.
If you are looking for a quick, fun read and you enjoy light detective novels with romantic sub-plots written by authors like JD Robb (Nora Roberts), you will enjoy this book. I finished the 355 pages of this book in about 6 hours, even with household distractions making me put the book down about every 30 minutes. Easy to follow, and it is easy to read. Not too dark and gritty, and provides a tremendous distraction from everything going on in the world today.