Review: 'Til Death Do Us Part by Amanda Quick

 

'Til Death Do Us Part

by Amanda Quick

April 19, 2016

342 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

The author of the New York Times bestseller Garden of Lies returns to Victorian London in an all-new novel of deadly obsession. 

Calista Langley operates an exclusive “introduction” agency in Victorian London, catering to respectable ladies and gentlemen who find themselves alone in the world. But now, a dangerously obsessed individual has begun sending her trinkets and gifts suitable only for those in deepest mourning—a black mirror, a funeral wreath, a ring set with black jet stone. Each is engraved with her initials.

Desperate for help and fearing that the police will be of no assistance, Calista turns to Trent Hastings, a reclusive author of popular crime novels. Believing that Calista may be taking advantage of his lonely sister, who has become one of her clients, Trent doesn’t trust her. Scarred by his past, he’s learned to keep his emotions at bay, even as an instant attraction threatens his resolve.

But as Trent and Calista comb through files of rejected clients in hopes of identifying her tormentor, it becomes clear that the danger may be coming from Calista’s own secret past—and that only her death will satisfy the stalker...
 

Review

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and when you add mystery and romance into the mix, it's an automatic yes please for me. After reading the synopsis for 'Til Death Do Us Part I knew I had to get myself a copy (thank you Indigo for putting it up on sale ;)).

Ms. Quick's writing brought out the creepy atmosphere of the story really well. Talks of tear catchers and coffin bells really took the story to another level of eerie. Aside from the tone of the story, each bite-size chapter renewed my curiosity and held my attention. The mystery wasn't overwhelmingly complex making the alternating POVs easy to follow. I was completely invested in the wellbeing of the characters.

 

'Til Death Do Us Part was a really fast story due to the nature of the mystery. It needed to be solved asap. I enjoyed the fast pacing a lot. No plot points were dragged out. Ms. Quick efficiently gave us the whole story along with the background to our lead characters. I'm amazed at how she manages to smoothly fit it all in.

Calista, Trent and their siblings (basically their sidekicks) were pretty awesome. They're most always calm and collected while investigating the threat against Calista. I am especially a fan of Trent's logic: "...I am convinced that a truth only makes sense when it is revealed in the form of a story. Without that context it is simply a random event with no meaning. It cannot teach us anything and it cannot be used for any purpose..." (p. 123). During the worst of situations, each characters' quick thinking got them out alive. They made a great team!

 

As I said before, the story moved quickly. Hence, the romance played out quickly too. Normally I loved a slow burn but in the case with Calista and Trent, I was excited to see their attraction acted upon. They're both adults and knew what they wanted. Seeing them willing to share personal things with each other made me happy. I love how close and intimate their relationship became in such a short period of time.

I was expecting a bigger challenge identifying Calista's obsessor so honestly I was a bit disappointed. I'm proud that my gut feeling proved me right but the mystery was a tricky one to place. It doesn't quite just give you the killer and be done with it. Is it really a mystery when the killer you're looking for doesn't get identified until after the mystery is solved? This puzzled me since I was trying to figure out his identity from the very beginning when really... there wasn't a way to correctly guess at all.

While the mystery in 'Til Death Do Us Part left me desiring more, everything else about the story was on point. It's an excellent historical fiction with a tight plot, bold characters and an ominous world.