Amanda Quick’s second Burning Cove installment takes us back to the opulent world of Hollywood stars and roaring 30s when Adelaide Blake escapes a sanitarium only to discover a vast conspiracy of drugs, blackmail, and murder surrounding her false confinement. Unable to trust anyone for help in finding out the reasons behind her confinement, she finds herself relying more and more on a new arrival in Burning Cove, Jake Trulett, whose sudden appearance in her life isn’t as coincidental as he’d like it to seem. From psychics to reclusive movie stars, Adelaide and Jake follow the trail of clues to a killer who will do anything to achieve his final goal.

I’ve been a fan of Quick’s/Krentz/Castle for years. I adore everything she writes from her historicals to her sci-fi fantasies. Her latest venture has a strong crime noir feel to it with it’s glamorous Hollywood resort setting, secretive cast, and a convoluted mystery. Heavily character driven, Quick sets the stage and character base right off the bat, letting us know who are the villains and what has happened. Now we just wait for Adelaide and Jake to discover the hows and whys as Quick tosses in some devious twists and turns to keep the suspense and danger at defcon 12. The pacing is steady and Quick is adapt at changing narratives on the “quick” that allow for no confusion. Though the mystery holds court, the resulting romance is a nice side item that bolsters the story and catches the reader’s’ attention.

Adelaide Blake escaped from Rushbrook sanitorium where she had been committed against her will by her husband, Conner Massey, for her inheritance. Drugged and abused, bided her time and managed to escape during a violent storm. Now a waitress at an exclusive tea room, Refresh, she makes exclusive tisanes and teas while hiding in plain sight. Scared of her husband and/or sanitarium’s director will find her, Adelaide invests in some self protection and keeps to herself.

Jake Truett is in Burning Cove on the advice of his doctor after his wife’s suicide. A former importer/exporter whom rumor says has walked on the dark side, he finds himself drawn to Adelaide, especially after she puts him in his place during a conversation at the tea shop. A reluctant hero with a side agenda, Jakes protective instincts go into hyperdrive when he realises Adelaide may be in danger.

Their romance builds slowly as Adelaide naturally is very low on trust concerning men and Jake’s wife’s recent death. Their investigation in to Adelaide’s past allows them plenty of leeway to get to know one another and build on the chemistry that is simmering between them without hopping straight into bed. Their quick wit and prickly bickering was fun to watch and made for some laugh out loud moments. The sexual tension eventually gives way to a deeper intimacy once this couple exercises their individual demons; freeing themselves from their ghosts of the past.

A cast of eclectic characters keeps the momentum flowing as you try yourself to figure out what is exactly going on. Familiar faces from book one, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, infiltrate the storyline with updates on their lives and to offer their friend help as needed. Some characters come out loud and strong while others hide their true motives; only to reveal at the last moment. They definitely keeps the reader guessing. A small secondary mystery and romance pops in and out though it reads as a set up to introduce readers to the next power couple. The mystery behind Adelaide’s commitment and the murders resolves in an energetic and shocking manner with some interesting subplots.

Though at times I felt at times the novel was a little too verbose and formulaic, reminiscent of her Arcane Society storylines, The Other Lady Vanishes does engages your attention. I am looking forward to the third novel in the series, which I hope involves a certain PI and nightclub owner.

Grade: B-

Adelaide escaped an insane asylum for Burning Cove, CA only to find she is not fully free. ARC from Net Galley.

The Other Lady Vanishes is an entertaining mystery that starts off with a bang as we follow Adelaide Blake as she escapes a sanitarium and tries to start over in Burning Cove while hiding a terrible secret. There, she starts over as a waitress for the local herbal tea shop but soon learns that she hasn't run quite far enough from her past and the mysterious stranger, Jake Truett, is harboring secrets of his own.

This is the second book in the Burning Cove series and I loved how this book could stand on its own without reading the first book, The Girl Who Knew Too Much. Adelaide was a great heroine that did whatever she needed to stay two steps ahead of her ex-husband that was trying to steal her inheritance by locking her away in the sanitarium. Connecting with Jake was exactly what she needed and you could see the chemistry between these two characters whenever they got together.

The Other Lady Vanishes was another exciting mystery from Ms. Quick and I love how she brought the glamorous 1930s to life in this novel. This book was action-packed from beginning to end and I loved the budding romance between Adelaide and Jake. Looking forward to reading more from Ms. Quick and hopefully another mystery from the residents of Burning Cove.

I started reading Jayne Ann Krentz /Amanda Quick / Jayne Castle because of the paranormal aspects of the Arcane Society novels. I love the way that she brings in clockwork and natural elements into the world(s) she creates because it brings that realism of believability in the world that allows us to understand the preternatural aspects. I initially put off reading/reviewing the Burning Cove series so far because I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the changeup. I haven’t read a lot of fiction that has taken place in the 1930s.

To my surprise, I really enjoyed the feel of the characters in the book. Jake and Adelaide have a good connection that doesn’t feel forced into the period to me. I found most of the descriptions of the world brought in both the Hollywood romance of the era as well as a glimpse into the reality of how the non-rich and famous lived.

As a librarian, I know this book will be popular among patrons and I think they will be asking for more period pieces like this.

As a side note, I would like to see a bit more diversity in the worlds that Krentz creates. I think it would only enhance the realism of the imagery developed through her words.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

3 stars

Synopsis: Adelaide witnesses a murder and escapes a sanitarium. She settles in a small town and starts working for a tea shop. Adelaide's mother was a biologist, so Adelaide knows how to mix teas to effect calming and stomach ailments. The small town that she settles in is a retreat for Hollywood's most famous, so Adelaide's teas are soon very popular.
One particular connoisseur is Jake, who has come to the seaside town in order to settle his nerves after his wife died. Jake orders the same thing every day from Adelaide, and one day, they start a conversation. When Adelaide is basically forced to take Jake to a show put on by the popular psychic, Madame Zolanda, she knows that she can never tell him the truth, but is still hopeful about their connection.
Jake is keeping secrets, too, though, and when Madame Zolanda ends up dead in a manner eerily similar to the murder that Adelaide witnessed, they end up working together to try and figure out what is going on.

What I liked: the time period. There are not a lot of historical romances that take place outside of the "old west" and regency/Victorian periods. This takes place in the late 1930s. Adelaide was strong and resilient, even after everything that was done to her. Once she and Jake formed a true partnership, they told each other the truth about themselves fairly quickly and were supportive of each other. The mystery was entertaining, and there were a few things that surprising at the end.

What I didn't like: the story and the attitudes seemed kind of modern for the time. Depression wasn't used as a word for people's mental state of being in the 30s, yet Adelaide used it to describe some of her fellow inmates. The secondary characters were interesting, but seemed a little too good to be true in their attitudes. Just about everyone in the story has a POV, including the villain(s), the quirky private investigator, and Adelaide and Jake. There was a little too much insta-love for me, as even though Jake and Adelaide have met each other before we catch up with Adelaide in her new situation, they don't have an actual conversation until the first one between them on the page. The story takes place over a week's time, and they go from friendly strangers to forever during that timeframe. There was so much happening, what with the sanitarium mystery, the experimental drug mystery, the murder mystery, the drug running mystery, and even though it all ties together, it seemed really frenetic.

*I received a free copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

~~Reviewed by AnnMarie~~

The Other Lady Vanishes is the second book in the Burning Cove series by Amanda Quick. Although it’s part of a series it can easily be read as a standalone book.

Adelaide Blake, an heiress, has been admitted to an insane asylum supposedly because she had a nervous breakdown. She didn’t have one, she was put in there by people who wanted to experiment on her with a new drug that her parents developed. She knew that if she didn’t escape the asylum she would end up dead. So the story begins with Adelaide’s escape and follows up showing her settling into a new life in safety in a lovely place called Burning Cove.

Jake Truett is a widowed businessman, spending time in Burning Cove to recharge his batteries. Or so he says. In truth, he is trying to get back a diary of his late wife’s that has some very dangerous information in it. The person that has the diary is a very popular, yet fake, psychic who visits the tea shop where Adelaide works. It is there that he meets Adelaide and where circumstances occur which have him accompanying her to see one of the psychic’s performances.

From there the story really takes off with a prominent character ending up dead, murdered, murdered with the same drug that was being used on Adelaide when she was in the asylum. All of a sudden Adelaide realises she is in danger, and as her problems seem linked to Jake’s he promises to keep her safe. They vow to solve the mystery of the murder and find out how the psychic could possibly be linked to the people behind Adelaide being institutionalised. Dangerous people that have to be stopped before they get their hands on Adelaide again.

Wow, this story was amazing. There is more than one murder, many twists and turns involving who is helping who to do what and for what reason, and there is an absolutely massive twist at the end that I did not see coming! It was real edge of your seat stuff that I couldn’t read fast enough to find out how it would end. Add to that the blossoming romance between Adelaide and Jake, which takes a back seat to the mystery, but which is still slowly percolating like a good coffee in the background, and you have a perfect book. I loved every minute of it and recommend it highly.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers’ copy of this book.

The Other Lady Vanishes continues the Burning Cove series, which is set in a California resort town for the 1930s Hollywood crowd. This time our heroine is Adelaide Blake. Adelaide is a tearoom waitress (and sort of amateur herbalist) who escaped from a sanitarium after being wrongly locked away. She’s struggling to build some sort of life for herself in Burning Cove, even while she’s worried someone will come after her and try to drag her back. Jake Truett is a visitor to town, ostensibly to “rest his nerves” on the orders of his doctor. He becomes a regular tearoom visitor, and when the opportunity presents itself, he jumps at the chance to go on a date with Adelaide. Their date doesn’t quite go as planned, however, and they get sucked into a grisly murder. Clues keep adding up suggesting that Adelaide’s past is not as far behind her as she had hoped, and Jake’s true reasons for coming to town may be related as well. They have to work to investigate the increasing crimes and stay alive while doing so.

I really enjoyed the twisty, turny mystery of this book. There are a lot of players double crossing each other and trying to advance their own hidden agendas, and it’s fun to see Adelaide, Jake , and their friends untangle the threads. (We hear more about Luther Pell, the mysterious nightclub owner we met in Book 1. I am so intrigued!) This book has a bit of a gothic feel to it, despite being set in the 1930s, mostly because of the sanitarium. Rushbrook is a creepy building where horrible things take place, and it is absolutely terrifying to think of Adelaide being forcibly locked up there with no seeming way out. There’s also a drug involved that can trap people in their nightmares, and that adds a very macabre touch, too. It was a bit of a stretch like many mysteries since there were so many coincidences and tidy solutions, but I was hooked.

I liked Adelaide, even if it did take her a little while to come into her own. At the start, she is understandably doubting herself. She knows she wasn’t ill...and yet she spent months being told she was and being dosed with a hallucinogenic drug. Of course, that would plant a seed of doubt in someone’s mind. More than that, though, she is afraid that other people will think she’s mentally ill. I thought her caution and reticence to get involved with Jake at first made sense, and I really appreciated that she doesn't drag out her standoffishness forever. Jake is an ok character, but we never really learn that much about him. He has a backstory with a dead wife and some far-fetched involvement with international intrigue, but we only get a vague sense of him as a person. I liked him with Adelaide, but theirs is not a particularly well-developed, character-driven romance. Their dialogue can also be a bit stilted at times.

I did want to mention a big old trigger warning for discussions of mental illness and, to a lesser extent, rape in this book. Mental illness in particular is a thread that comes up in several different ways throughout the book, and it’s not always handled with a modern sensibility by these 1930s characters. To my mind, nothing was egregiously offensive, but characters in the book do things like call the residents of the sanitarium “poor wretches” and “crazy,” and for the most part residents are used as part of the creepy scenery rather than human characters in their own right. Better was the discussion of Jake’s wife and her own mental health issues, which I thought was treated with more respect. In other words, it’s not all bad, but YMMV.

I liked the mystery of this book better than the mystery of Book 1, but I didn’t quite love the characters as much. Still, this is a good read if you enjoy a good old-fashioned mystery with a little romance mixed in.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This is a romantic suspense in the author's typical low key style. Adelaide Blake has reinvented herself into a waitress at a fashionable tea shop in Burning Cove California. Jake Pruett has his own reasons for hiding out in the little coastal town as do the all the other fashionable rich and famous who flock to Burning Cove to mingle and be seen. The prophecy of death is chilling enough but then events in the little town heat up and pretty soon there's a growing body count to match.
As is in most tales from the author nothing is quite as it appears. Adelaide who had once been a rich and friendless young woman held in a hellhole of a mental asylum has made a nice life for herself in Burning Cove as well friends who would miss her should she disappear. Then comes the exclusive invitation to a psychic show and a chilling prediction of murder and death from the psychic to the stars. Death definitely comes stalking that night but it's Madame Zolanda herself who falls victim. Is it an accident or murder?
Death also comes stalking for Adelaide but fortunately Jake and his trusty gun are on hand to protect her. Then comes the phone call with an invitation to bring a special blend of calming tea to a very dead psychic. Again and again, death comes calling but Jake stands in its way. Adelaide has to journey back to the asylum for the insane where it all began before the pieces of the puzzle are clear.
Then when it seems like all is settled and Adelaide and Jake have a good future ahead of them comes the biggest curve that I definitely did not see coming. The story has a nice pace with a bunch of interesting characters who all have their own stories to tell and a few curved balls to keep the excitement alive.

I don't think I have ever not enjoyed an Amanda Quick book and this was no exception. I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting, I just couldn't put it down. Had it all romance, suspense, murder and was just plain spell binding and when you thought it was over she writes a ending to put you back on the edge. I can't wait until her next book.

***ARC Provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley***

Amanda Quick is a favorite of mine for a reason. I know that, no matter the plot, or the characters, of the setting, I am going to enjoy all 3 elements of any story she writes. The plot will be engaging enough that I am entertained and interested in the story, the characters will be just a little quirky, but charming for their slight eccentricities, and the setting will be a part of the story, not an overwhelming one, but it will be a part of the story.

Adelaide and Jake were charming. Yes, they had their little quirks and their ways of dong things that were funny, and maybe a little fussy, but they worked for one another and for the story. As is often the case, there is more going on in this story than originally meets the eye, what with drugs, and involuntary commitments to psychiatric hospitals, and murdered psychics...but there is also a charming, quirky, and almost low-key romance that fills in the story so it is full and enjoyable.

If you have read a title by this author, you know what to expect. Amanda Quick has a certain writing style that, I think, either pulls you in or it doesn't...although I really haven't ever met someone who has read a book of hers and didn't like it (my husband has even read a couple, although don't tell him I told you.)

I recommend this title, and I enjoyed it.

Quick takes us back to the world of Golden Age Hollywood, where the stars have secrets - and those secrets can kill. The town of Burning Cove is home to celebrities, psychics to the stars, quack doctors and everyone has something to hide. There's a great mystery here, with a lot of different elements. The romance seems a bit quick, but that's not too distracting from the main plot.

As Adelaide Blake is mourning the loss of her parents, Conrad Massey conveniently appears on the scene, just in time to help the heiress through her grief and loneliness. The couple becomes engaged, with Conrad pushing for a quick wedding. Adelaide has started to emerge from the fog of sorrow, and realizes that she acted hastily, and tells Conrad that she can't marry him. The next thing she knows, she is resident in an asylum, being called Mrs. Massey, and told that she had a nervous breakdown. While there, she becomes a guinea pig to test an unpredictable drug, which causes hallucinations. Through her own resourcefulness, she manages to escape Rushbrook Sanitarium, and ends up in the town of Burning Cove, California, where she is now Adelaide Brockton, working in a tearoom.

Jake Truett has also come to Burning Cove, which is known as a haven for Hollywood bigwigs. He appears to be at loose ends, dealing with the death of his wife, and the sale of his family's import/export business. He politely makes small talk with Adelaide every day at the Refresh Tearoom, until a gift of show tickets has them going out on a date. As he drops Adelaide at home, and it appears that there has been an intruder, Jake's protective instincts kick in, and he and Adelaide find their relationship becoming more personal.

When a murder occurs, and Jake and Adelaide are both at the scene, it appears clear that someone was hoping to frame Adelaide. They first agree to become investigative partners, then they become friends. Eventually Adelaide trusts Jake enough to tell him about her past, and to her relief and surprise, he believes her. Jake also has secrets, both about his past life, and about his real reason for being in Burning Cove. As attempts are made on both their lives, and more deaths occur, Jake and Adelaide find some solace in passion as they become lovers. The pieces of the mystery begin to fall into place, and it seems that there is a connection between Jake's reason for being in town and Adelaide's bogus institutionalization.

THE OTHER LADY VANISHES is an amazingly well written mystery that never pauses to catch a breath. The reader is taken on a wild ride of twists and turns guaranteed to hold your interest, and keep you turning the pages as quickly as you can. Though the romance happens in a relatively short period of time, it feels as if it built slowly and believably. The heroine, Adelaide, is strong and resourceful, yet cautious, and I admired her pluck and determination. The hero, Jake, who has a more colorful past than he initially reveals, is strong, protective, and accomplished. Yet, he retains his humanity and his vulnerability. I fell in love with him as he got emotional when confessing his feelings to Adelaide, and how he treated her as they were intimate. Every facet of THE OTHER LADY VANISHES worked for me, and I heartily recommend this Book Number 2 of the BURNING COVE SERIES.

This book was not my cup of tea, sadly. However, I can see why many people would love to read this. I also had not read book one of this series, so I think that may have hampered my reading. I would definitely recommend for those that enjoy a bit of espionage and blackmail in their mysteries.

Take me back to the 1930’s… that is exactly what Amanda Quick has done. There is a drug called Daydream being made that causes hallucinations. Patient B, Adelaide, is forced to take these drugs when her husband(?) forces her into a sanitarium for the mentally ill so that he can take control of her inheritance. The amazing part? Adelaide escapes that sanitarium. She escapes and makes a life for herself in the small town of Burning Cove, California and meets Jake Truett.

I love the town of Burning Cove. I questioned every person who lived or visited the town. It seemed everyone had a secret. They had a reason to be in Burning Cove besides just visiting for the fun of it. It was interesting to try to guess what was going to happen, who was going to do what next, and who was guilty of what. Everyone is guilty of something, just some things are worse than others.

The characters in this book are great. There are so many quirks, so many background stories, and so interesting. I cheered for some, booed others, while trying to guess who is who within the story. I wanted to figure out how they fit together, how their stories would intertwine, and how it would all end.

Amanda Quick is a talented author. She is now on my must-read list and I am excited to read more from her. I definitely recommend picking up The Other Lady Vanishes and falling into the exciting world of Adelaide Black

This is my second book of Amanda Quick's. I am really enjoying her stories and writing style. I am looking forward to more from her.

I was hooked on this book from the very beginning. I had no idea where it was going to go from start to end. I was hanging on every word.

This book is full of twists and turns. The mystery in this book is a meticulously created web where things are connected in ways I never would have thought. I was amazed by Quick's ability to spin such a web of connecting parts that I didn't see coming.

I am looking forward to the next book in the Burning Cove series. I have loved both books so far, and I can't wait to see where she takes me next.

*I received an arc of this title from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

The Other Lady Vanishes is a mystery novel set in 1930s California. Its main character Adelaide Blockton appears to be an unassuming waitress at a California tea shop, but in reality she's Adelaide Blake, a wealthy heiress who has just escaped from a mental institute .Used as a test subject for a new hallucinogenic drug with dangerous implications, she's being hunted by more than one villain. Adelaide finds an ally in Jake Truett, a handsome businessmen with dark secrets of his own. Adelaide and Jake race to uncover the deadly drug ring and avoid the trail of murders left in its wake.

This was an uncomplicated but enjoyable novel, like a slightly more grown up Nancy Drew. There wasn't an overabundance of suspense, since you know the identity of the villains right off the bat. Adelaide and Jake are easy to like characters with authentic interactions and a believable attraction. Adelaide is particularly quick and resourceful, and resilient to the trauma and grief she experiences. The setting is glittering and brooding, set in a fictional ocean resort community that caters to the Hollywood elite-it'd make for a great period movie. This is the second in a series, but you don't need to have read the first installment (which is about Raina, a secondary and intriguing secondary character in this book) to understand it.

A few quibbles: there was some repetitive phrasing that grated- a female character is referred to as "the most beautiful woman in Hollywood" multiple times. There were also a few details about the mystery that didn't seem to add up. I read an unedited version of the story so hopefully the finished, published product takes care of those issues.

Overall, an engaging, quick read that's perfect for your summer vacation reading list.

Adelaide is a deceptively sweet and trusting character, with a delightful strength and real world experience that should appeal to readers from the beginning. She may not think of herself as strong, but she saves herself from the asylum, creates a new life for herself, and doesn't allow past betrayals to keep her from developing new friendships. Jake is more of a mysterious figure than Quick's usual hero, and while we know from the beginning that he's one of the good guys, it takes longer than usual to peel back his layers. We discover him at the same time that Adelaide does, we raise the same questions and get the same surprises. I enjoyed how, each time you thought you'd learned all there was about Jake, he sheepishly admits to one more surprise. I especially loved the one about the fountain pen!

The Other Lady is a mystery full of surprises, from first to last. The drug ring, the murders, betrayal and surprise assistance- Lady has them all. Then just when you think you've got it all sorted out, you realize there is one final mystery: the mystery of the Other Lady. I enjoyed guessing, thinking I had it figured out, then discovering what the red herrings were and what small clues were bigger than they seemed. Quick is at her best here, keeping the reader on their toes and immersed in the shadows and silvery glamor that is 1930s Burning Cove.

In Amanda Quick's first foray into the world of the 1930s, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Quick introduces us to the small town of Burning Cove, California. The Other Lady Vanishes expands our familiarity of the town, introduces new and colorful characters, and brings back some favorites from Girl. You don't have to have read Girl to dive into Lady, but it does help you further enjoy some of the returning characters. The Other Lady Vanishes is a great mystery, full of tricky twists and turns that keep you guessing until the last page.

(5/5) The Other Lady Vanishes is one of the most well written books I’ve read in a while. As a TV fanatic for PLL and Riverdale, I’m used to lose ends not being tied up and questions left unanswered. Quick does an AMAZING job getting to the bottom of every last detail and making sure no questions are left unanswered. You even figure out the meaning behind the title at the end! (I find that amusing as that doesn’t happen often in books so major props!) This next bestseller is the perfect combination of thriller and romance, two of my favorite genres at the moment. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to blend the two. Truly a phenomenal job and Quick makes the characters come to life. Adelaide spent her whole life running and no longer needs to. She found a home in Burning Cove, after all the trouble she’s been through. Jake Truett also comes into her life and makes for your not so typical romance. Both have mysterious pasts and that’s what makes them so perfect together. I enjoy that this book focuses more on the plot/drama and action rather than the romance. The relationship (oops spoiler) that developed was on the back burner and an added bonus. I cannot praise this book enough. Truly an exceptional novel perfectly blended between thriller, romance and historical fiction. I would love to see this on the big screen in the future and have such high praise. It’s one of those unpredictable books where you don’t know what’s going to happen and are always kept on your toes. Twist, after twist keep coming and you truly will not be disappointed. The Other Lady Vanishes is like a complicated, unsolvable puzzle that eventually comes together nicely and paints a beautiful picture.

Return to the dazzling world of Burning Cove, a place of fantasy and glamour…and also secrets and death. I fell in love with the world of Burning Cove in The Girl Who Knew Too Much and my enchantment with the town only deepened in The Other Lady Vanishes. The setting drew me in from the first; the flash of 1930s Hollywood stars meeting dirty secrets, blackmail, and murder is a potent combination. When you add in two engaging protagonists and an intriguing mystery then you know you’re in for a good time.

Heiress Adelaide Blake spent two months drugged and imprisoned in an insane asylum. When she’s finally able to escape, she makes her way to Burning Cove and finds work as a waitress. Though she’s careful, Adelaide’s true identity and knowledge of the experimental drugs that were being tested on her means she has to constantly be on her guard. She’s finally finding her feet in Burning Cove and her tea blends make her a success with locals and visiting celebrities alike. But when visiting “psychic to the stars” Madame Zolanda comes to town, Adelaide’s world is turned upside down. Madame Zolanda’s gruesome prediction sets off a chain of events that involve murder, blackmail, and drugs. Against her will, Adelaide is drawn into the mystery. And one of the few people she may be able to trust is Jake Truett, a former businessman with secrets of his own. The two of them will have to unravel a tangled web of secrets if they hope to live long enough to enjoy the new lives they’ve created for themselves.

Adelaide and Jake are two interesting, intelligent protagonists who are easy to root for. Adelaide has nerves of steel that I admired. She’s been through hell and has not only survived, but has built herself a new life from nothing. I adored her and was delighted to see her find happiness with Jake, a widower with more than a few secrets of his own. Jake is a clever, protective hero who fits Adelaide extremely well. They have solid chemistry and their romance was one you can cheer for.

There’s a lot going on in The Other Lady Vanishes, but Amanda Quick takes her time and sets the multiple stages and players up before drawing everybody in closer together. The story starts off with a bang, then slows down, building up the suspense again as the pieces of the puzzle are laid out then put together. I don’t want to say much about the mystery because that would truly ruin the fun, but I will say it’s well-crafted and engaging. By the book’s climax I definitely couldn’t put it down. My only complaint is that I finished the book wanting more Burning Cove stories. Ms. Quick has created an absolutely fascinating world and I have my fingers crossed in the hope she returns to this place and time again.

A Lady Makes a Daring Escapes from an Insane Asylum

Desperately afraid of being caught after her escape from a private asylum, Adelaide Blake settles in Burning Cove, California. In the 1930s, Hollywood starts, gangsters, and money men visited the beautiful area and were in need of the herbal tonics Adelaide knows how to prepare.

She finds work in an herbal tea shop where she attracts regular customers for her hangover cures and other remedies. One of these is Madame Zolanda, billed as psychic to the stars. Adelaide doubts her claim to being a real psychic, but she’s a good customer, and Adelaide tries to please her.

JakeTruett, an attractive divorced man, is another favorite customer. He’s supposedly in Burning Cover getting a rest, but Adelaide suspects that there’s more to it. She enjoys his company and begins to think she’s falling for him and the attraction is mutual. At Madame Zolanda’s invitation, they attend one of her performances which ends in a dramatic prediction. Someone is going to die.

Beautiful setting, delightful characters, and a clever mystery make this another must read book by Amanda Quick. This is the second book in the Burning Cove series, but it can be read as a standalone novel. Some characters appear in both books, but Adelaide and Jake’s story is their own.

Jake and Amanda are likable characters. You can’t help but root for Adelaide after her escape from the asylum. The book is filled with suspense and danger. The plot moves quickly with plenty of twists to keep you wondering what will happen. The budding romance is a nice counterpoint to the action.

If you enjoy mysteries with great background and interesting characters, I recommend this book.

I received this book Berkley Publishing Group for this review.