(Burning Cove #2)
by Amanda Quick
May 8, 2018
368 pages
Goodreads Summary:
The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Knew Too Much sweeps readers back to 1930s California--where the most dazzling of illusions can't hide the darkest secrets...
After escaping from a private sanitarium, Adelaide Blake arrives in Burning Cove, California, desperate to start over.
Working at an herbal tea shop puts her on the radar of those who frequent the seaside resort town: Hollywood movers and shakers always in need of hangover cures and tonics. One such customer is Jake Truett, a recently widowed businessman in town for a therapeutic rest. But unbeknownst to Adelaide, his exhaustion is just a cover.
In Burning Cove, no one is who they seem. Behind facades of glamour and power hide drug dealers, gangsters, and grifters. Into this make-believe world comes psychic to the stars Madame Zolanda. Adelaide and Jake know better than to fall for her kind of con. But when the medium becomes a victim of her own dire prediction and is killed, they'll be drawn into a murky world of duplicity and misdirection.
Neither Adelaide or Jake can predict that in the shadowy underground they'll find connections to the woman Adelaide used to be--and uncover the specter of a killer who's been real all along...
The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Knew Too Much sweeps readers back to 1930s California--where the most dazzling of illusions can't hide the darkest secrets...
After escaping from a private sanitarium, Adelaide Blake arrives in Burning Cove, California, desperate to start over.
Working at an herbal tea shop puts her on the radar of those who frequent the seaside resort town: Hollywood movers and shakers always in need of hangover cures and tonics. One such customer is Jake Truett, a recently widowed businessman in town for a therapeutic rest. But unbeknownst to Adelaide, his exhaustion is just a cover.
In Burning Cove, no one is who they seem. Behind facades of glamour and power hide drug dealers, gangsters, and grifters. Into this make-believe world comes psychic to the stars Madame Zolanda. Adelaide and Jake know better than to fall for her kind of con. But when the medium becomes a victim of her own dire prediction and is killed, they'll be drawn into a murky world of duplicity and misdirection.
Neither Adelaide or Jake can predict that in the shadowy underground they'll find connections to the woman Adelaide used to be--and uncover the specter of a killer who's been real all along...
Review
Last year I read and loved The Girl Who Knew Too Much. It was a standalone that ended on a satisfying note so I wasn't expecting more. So imagine my surprise when I saw a sequel. The Other Lady Vanishes is a book I didn't know I needed!
The Other Lady Vanishes was a real page-turner. The suspense carried the story really well. Alongside the characters I was eager for some answers but also wary of what I'd find. Besides the fast pacing, Ms. Amanda Quick excels at working with multiple POVs. None are labeled but they're always easily identifiable. Although at times I just wanted to stay in the heads of the main characters, I appreciated the brief glimpses into other mindsets.
Adelaide is a proper and well-mannered lady. She gets caught in a crazy scheme and ends up running for her life. Or should I say running for her sanity. It was awful learning what she went through but the resulting paranoia made her alert. Her observant and resourceful nature also helped her on more than one occasion. Adelaide catches a lucky break (unknowingly) when she settles in in Burning Cove making genuine caring friends and starting a possible fling. Her relationship with Jake moved fast but it was innocently sweet.
Through most of the book I couldn't tell what Jake Truett's game was. Every rumour about him had me doubting its authenticity. I was more than a little stunned when we finally got the full scope. A very dramatic backstory but I imagine during the 1930s in America it was quite legit and relevant.
Other characters from the previous book made appearances in The Other Lady Vanishes. Namely the amount of involvement from the intimidating Luther Pell and memorable Raina Kirk surprised me. The generous help they offered to Adelaide and Jake contrasted greatly with their dangerous and elusive persona. Their side story was intriguing. I was very excited to see Irene and Oliver's cameo (the two leads from The Girl Who Knew Too Much). It's business as usual for those two~
Ms. Quick has an uncanny ability to throw her readers for a loop. While the ending didn't exactly shock me I loved the way the story went full circle. Having had some time to digest the implications I must applaud Ms. Quick. Her final reveals are always beautifully done with lasting impression.
Despite being a small coastal town Burning Cove is rife with secrets and allures. After The Other Lady Vanishes I'm curious to see if there will be more stories. I'm definitely invested should there be another one or twenty books coming ;)
*I received a finished copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and reading my posts!