Irene Glasson has come to California to escape a dangerous killer. She reinvents herself from personal secretary into an up-and-coming journalist for a small time gossip paper. While she’s on the hunt for a story she finds herself embroiled in another murder mystery, but this time she’s got Oliver Ward on her side. They work as partners to catch a murderer, all the while a simmering attraction brews between them!

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed The Girl Who Knew Too Much. It’s the perfect summer read! An engaging mystery set in the 1930s on the California coast. Dramatic cliffs overlooking the blue-green ocean are the backdrop for the Burning Cove Hotel, a Spanish style beauty that caters to the rich and famous, including glamorous silver screen stars.

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Oliver Ward, a once famous magician and illusionist extraordinaire, is now the proprietor of this luxurious haven, and he has a strict policy excluding reporters and photographers. That doesn’t stop Irene Glasson, from getting her scoop, though. Unfortunately, her private invitation is marred by the murder of a woman and Irene is caught in the middle of a dangerous situation all over again.

I love the time period this mystery is set in: the 1930s is a time of art deco, dressing up for dinner, dancing and cocktails, and old Hollywood glamour. Burning Cove Hotel with its elegant old world Spanish style may have looked like:

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The setting was fantastic, but the mystery and romance are what kept me glued to the pages. Filled with thrills and danger, attraction and romance, The Girl Who Knew Too Much is a fast, addictive, fun mystery, and I loved it!

A copy was kindly provided by Berkley Books in exchange for an honest review.

This review is also posted at The Readers Den.

Ms. Quick delivers consistently book after book her vintage understated romance mixed in with a healthy dose of suspense and mystery. Her characters are engaging without the heart stopping excitement of extreme highs and lows.

This story starts out with murder and a lone woman trying to stay ahead of the scene of the crime. Anna Harris nee Irene Glasson flees and stays of the grid until we find her once again at the scene of a crime in a California resort. As it turns out she has remade herself into a reporter and finds her most current source of information floating face down in a pool leading to her encounter with resort owner Oliver Ward.

As she enters into a collaboration with Oliver to investigate the crime the author gives us insight into the high profile world of Hollywood in the 30s when studios operated almost like the mob with a wide license to protect the image of the studio and its stars. We also discover Oliver's story of how he moved from the front of the stage to the back of the stage.

The story that evolves will keep readers engaged. I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Oliver and Irene as the various crimes come to an intersecting point.

This book had me in awe of the author. Talk about incredible writing! Amanda Quick literally takes the reader back in time to the 1930’s. Of all of the books I have read, this one truly transformed my entire surroundings into California, and the Hollywood scene, of the past. It was a remarkable experience.

Our heroine, Irene Glasson, is the rookie with a gossip paper. But her latest story about a dead actress connected to a famous actor has touched the wrong nerve with the wrong people.

One of the biggest factors that I enjoyed about this story is that while there are many twists and turns, I never felt confused or lost. In the past, I’ve somewhat stayed away from books considered in the historical genre because there is usually a language difference, on top of the names and locations maybe not being as familiar, thus making it harder for me to keep track of all of our players in the book. The fact that in this story, Irene Glasson isn’t even Irene Glasson, the above mentioned point is even more true for me.

I really enjoyed this story. It kept me on my toes the entire time. You aren’t really sure who is good and who is bad in this story. Someone you think is good can end up doing something entirely heinous and the bad ones are only worse.

If you enjoy historicals, or you enjoy Amanda Quick already, you will enjoy this story a lot. I have only read a few books from this particular author and I have always found myself transported back in time and I’ve loved it every single time.

I enjoyed how the story started with a death it kept me guess on who murdered her and why. I enjoy the interaction between the main couple also the references of that time in history.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much is a new novel by Amanda Quick. Ms. Quick takes us back to the 1930s. Anna Harris is checking on her employer, Helen Spencer and discovers her dead in her bedroom. On the wall written in blood is the word “run”. Anna heads to her room and pulls out the box where she stored her savings. Inside she finds a letter, a brown notebook and money that she did not put in the box. The letter is from Helen advising her to disappear. Four months later, Irene Glassen (aka Anna Harris) is on assignment in Burning Cove, California for The Whispers, a Hollywood gossip magazine. Irene is at The Burning Cove Hotel in the pool area for a late-night meeting with Gloria Maitland. Gloria told Irene that she had some juicy gossip on Nick Tremayne, an actor whose star is on the rise. Unfortunately, someone arrived before Irene, and Gloria is now floating face down in the pool. Irene hears someone else in the room and quickly escapes. Oliver Ward, former magician who owns the hotel, agrees to work with Irene to get answers. Oliver will tolerate many things, but murder is not one of them. They pair up to solve the case, but Gloria is just one in a line of victims tied to Nick Tremayne. Tremayne’s studio is not happy with Irene’s interest in their star and puts the pressure on to get her stopped. Meanwhile, the man who killed Helen Spencer has been hunting for Anna for the last four months. He wants the notebook back and will delightfully eliminate any one in his path. Ward is intrigued with Irene from the moment he laid eyes on her and will protect her at all costs—if she will let him. Will they make it through the week alive or will someone be writing their obituary?

The Girl Who Knew Too Much grabbed my attention right away. This book is a departure from Amanda Quick’s normal historical paranormal novels. I found The Girl Who Knew Too Much to be nicely written and engaging. I thought the author did a good job at capturing the era and locale. The mysteries are complex (especially the one involving the brown notebook). I thought the Nick Tremayne storyline to be more intriguing and many readers will not be able to figure out the identity of the killer. I did think that the author tried to cram too much into one book (there was just one thing after another). I give The Girl Who Knew Too Much 4 out of 5 stars. There is, of course, the requisite romance (every book I read seems to have a romantic entanglement) between the main characters (a burning attraction). The story has a good ending and the author wrapped up all the various storylines (I especially loved a certain secretary’s ending). There are a couple of slow sections, but they are quickly gotten through. The Girl Who Knew Much is a good novel to read on a Saturday evening with a cool beverage.

Grade: DNF

I’ve always been a fan of Amanda Quick and her alter egos (Jayne ann Krentz and Jayne Castle) no matter what century we are in or what planet we’re on. This particular one caught my eye because it is set in the roaring 20s and hints at a diabolical and suspenseful mystery involving murder, lies, and revenge. The story opens with a murder when a young secretary, Anna, discovers her murdered employer’s body and flees cross-country with a suitcase full of money and a mysterious notebook. A few months later, the story reopens to another murder with Anna aka Irene as a hack gossip reporter discovering yet another body. Only this time it’s at a posh resort and it looks like the two murders may be connected. Exciting, yes?

No. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t back up the premise. I made it to 30% before I simply was unable to continue; I was bored. The story has no flavor or energy and the characters show almost no emotion. They are like robots, doing and saying the right things but with no life to them. The story has a choppy flow and the dialogue comes across stiff and wooden. No descriptors to help set up the world or amp up our suspense, intrigue, and anticipation. Quite disappointing overall all considering what I know Ms. Quick capable of.

Mystery and romance work together in this historical fiction novel set in 1920s California. Irene Glasson knows danger, and she’s constantly looking over her shoulder. When she stumbles upon the body of a woman in a hotel spa, she knows there’s a story for her burgeoning journalist career and that the death was not an accident. Irene is extremely likable, a go-getter who is not afraid of the next challenge. She’s also very loyal – to past employers, to her friends, and to truth. The novel is light with just a few parts of suspense. Small chapters make for a quick read. I liked the personalities of the various characters (though sometimes I had to pause and think how each character connected to the story – there were many characters in the book), and I liked the setting of Burning Cove. Burning Cove seems calm and peaceful, but so many of its residents have secrets. I can see how this setting would translate well into further additions to the series.

This is the first Quick novel I’ve read, and it will not be the last.

How could you not love a book that opens with this line? "The abstract painting on the bedroom wall was new. It had been painted in fresh blood."

I really enjoyed The Girl Who Knew Too Much, a trip back in time by Amanda Quick. The main reason I enjoyed it is because of reporter Irene Glasson who isn't really Irene but Anna Harris, a private secretary to a woman she finds dead. There is a message beside Helen Spencer written in her own blood — "Run". So, not surprisingly, Anna runs and becomes Irene. Irene/Anna is brave, spunky, and clever but she isn't really a reporter, although she is determined to solve the mystery surrounding her employer's death using this artful guise. The way she plays all the bad cards she is dealt in this book is highly entertaining but her biggest problem is, not only did her late employer wind up dead, but Helen also left Irene/Anna a mysterious note, a box full of money, and a notebook which is likely the reason she wound up dead. Are you properly confused? Don't be! All will be made clear as the story unfolds.

From the determined Irene/Anna and her magician-turned-innkeeper Oliver Ward to the evil father-son duo of Graham and Julian Enright, to the Hollywood caricature of the poor-boy-turned-superstar Nick Tremayne, the story is populated with a steady stream of characters who are at times humorous, often scary, and occasionally dead. The mystery will lie in who is responsible for the dead bodies: One of them? All of them? Or a combination of them? As I said before, all will be made clear in the end.

The romance in the book, appropriately, takes a back seat to the mystery and Irene/Anna and her magician take their time discovering where their relationship will lead them. Personally, I thought the pace of their involvement suited the storyline very well since the setting is in the 1930's. It's not as though romance in that era was much different than it is now — it just wouldn't have been quite as "in your face" as it is in romantic suspense set in the current time.

I highly recommend The Girl Who Knew Too Much. Readers will find the characters intriguing and the ending satisfying, and, if you liked the setting, just follow Route 66 to Burning Cove; there is a hint or two that other books may be c

This well-written tale will transport you to the seedier aspects of life on the fast track of making it to the top in Hollywood.

Burning Cove Hotel is a great setting for Irene’s stubborn need to learn the whole truth while even putting her own life in danger. She also needs to give herself closure for the women who lost their lives. She shifts from gossip columnist to stealth investigator in a blink of an eye, determined to know the reasons why her mentor is dead. An accident as so many say or murder?

The skills a good secretary has – efficient, organized, intelligent and determined to finish a project, help Irene surface to the top of a sinking ship. The same skills work well for Oliver Ward, owner of the Burning Cover Hotel and once world-renown magician. Irene’s association with Oliver proves to be exactly what she needs (as she is to him) to solve her latest mystery, and the very person who will save her neck—and surprisingly her heart.

The energy, pace, intrigue and sleazy characters you meet will give you hours of entertainment and plenty of who dun’ it theories. Delve into the seedier side of Hollywood -- glamour can be only skin deep!

Anna Harris has a fantastic, well paying job, and is very happy with the way her life is going, when it all falls apart. She finds her boss brutally murdered, leaving her some funds, a mysterious notebook, and a cryptic letter advising her to run and to trust no one. In fear for her life, Anna leaves New York, heads for California, and changes her identity. Now known as Irene Glasson, she works for a gossip magazine. When she arrives at a scheduled meeting to interview a woman regarding some potentially scandalous news about an upcoming star, she finds the woman dead in the hotel swimming pool. Finding two dead bodies - how lucky can one girl be?

Oliver Ward's hotel is a haven for celebrities, and is known for not allowing reporters on the premises. A dead woman found on site is not good for publicity, and Oliver is not letting the reporter leave until he has questioned her thoroughly. Eventually, Oliver and Irene agree to form a partnership, as they both intend to find out if this death was a murder or an accident. Oliver has a fascinating history, as he is a former magician, whose career ended with a stunt gone wrong, leaving him with one badly injured leg that requires he now use a cane. He has never publicly spoken about the incident, insisting that it was purely an accident.

Oliver and Irene are both interesting characters with obviously colorful pasts, which they don't discuss. Oliver resents sympathy and curiosity and is tight lipped about his former career. I liked that he took care of all his former employees and now has them working at his hotel complex. He inspires loyalty and respect from his staff, which says a lot about his character. Irene's choice to become a reporter surprised me, as I would think that she would choose a profession completely out of the public eye. As the case progressed, and more incidents happen, she becomes more endangered than ever, yet she's as tenacious as a dog with a bone, refusing to let go.

Oliver and Irene open up enough with each other to act on their attraction and begin an affair. Little by little, they reveal more of themselves and grow closer. There is a lot happening, as the original murderer in New York has tracked Anna/Irene down, and is moving in. Meanwhile, the murderer in California is also making plans to end Irene's investigation by whatever means necessary.

THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH takes place in the 1930's, a very different time period than Amanda Quick's usual books. I enjoyed this time period, although I do prefer Regency or Victorian. The romance between Oliver and Irene was warm, intelligent, and full of mutual respect, but I missed the scorching heat that Amanda Quick can write when she chooses to. The story moved along quickly, with never a dull moment, but the focus was definitely on the suspense, not the romance. I enjoyed THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH a lot, and I particularly liked the twist at the end, which leaves the door open for future frolics in Burning Cove, California.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much is a romantic murder mystery set in the 1930’s. There were two intertwining storylines surrounding Irene. The first is her fleeing the murder of her boss and ending up in Hollywood with the second murder being finding her “source” dead in the pool at an inclusive hotel getaway for the big Hollywood stars. These storylines could almost be separate stories if they did not involve one very savvy, smart, and strong willed woman, Irene.

The mystery was not hard to solve as to who killed the actress in the pool, nor was there much guessing as to who would kill Irene’s boss. The romance was a little more intriguing. There wasn’t hot, steamy sparks flying between Irene and Oliver but there was an underlining pull between them. I could see that things could progress but both Oliver and Irene had their own reasons for not being open to starting a relationship.

This is a fun read that was quick. I recommend picking up your own copy.

Review: THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH by Amanda Quick http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-8IS
Publication Date: May 9, 2017
Genre: Historical Romance/ Mystery
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated 4.5 Stars

I loved this book! Amanda Quick is a pseudonym for Jayne Ann Krentz. She writes historical romance novels under the Amanda Quick name and romantic suspense novels under the Jayne Ann Krentz name. THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH is an incredible combination of both genres. It’s a murder mystery set in 1930s Hollywood. I felt like I was swept up in the story and couldn’t put this book down. The romance was a little light but the story was great. I love Amanda Quick/ Jayne Ann Krentz’s writing style and the plot of this book would be a great movie. I really loved it and highly recommend it for readers looking for a good murder mystery with a love story.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

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Secrets and murder pair excellently with '30s Hollywood glam in The Girl Who Knew Too Much. I’m a longtime Amanda Quick fan, and the setting of this story is what drew me in first. I loved seeing her delve into the world of 1930s Hollywood; the mix of glamour and dirty, dangerous secrets was incredibly appealing. Add in the setting of a gorgeous hotel marred by murder, a former magician hero whose career-ending injury hasn’t robbed him of all his tricks, and a reporter heroine with a few things to hide of her own, and I was hooked.

Irene knows as much about creating a new persona as any silver screen star. She had to run fast and far from a past that even now threatens to shake her world. I liked Irene. She’s a smart reporter with an eye for detail, she’s loyal to those who deserve it, and she’s good at thinking on her feet. She may have come to Burning Cove Hotel to get the scoop on an up-and-coming star, but when she finds a dead body in the hotel spa, her agenda quickly changes. Her partner in crime-solving is none other than the hotelier himself, Oliver Ward. Oliver was once a famous magician (and I may or may not have geeked out over the tricks of his trade), but during one of his performances something went horribly wrong, seriously injuring Oliver and ending his career. He’s made a new life for himself as the owner of the Burning Cove Hotel, and he has no intention of letting a murderer hide on his property. He and Irene make a great team. They click, to put it simply, and they have an easy chemistry that makes their slide into love appealing to read about.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much has a bit of a slow burn mystery, mostly because there are a lot of players in the game and a number of secrets. It takes time to get to know everyone, but the various characters and personalities added a lot to the world. And things definitely heat up when the mystery deepens and the danger becomes more prominent. While I can’t say much without spoiling the story, I will say that I loved seeing how Ms. Quick put all those puzzle pieces she laid out together. The world of 1930s Hollywood, the shine and the grime of the entertainment industry, made The Girl Who Knew Too Much incredibly interesting and I hope Ms. Quick returns to this era again.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick is a fun Historical Mystery/Romance. The story line and writing style are reminiscent of a mid-20th century film noir. I loved that the slow-burning romance took a backseat to the mystery.

The scandal, grit and illusion behind the Hollywood setting is fantastic. From the aspiring starlets to the handsome-yet-dim-witted leading men to the ruthless studio executives, The Girl Who Knew Too Much is filled with the seedier aspects of Hollywood. There is a secondary story line involving east coast thugs, seriously evil family tycoons, and their fixers. How those Easterners are involved with the main character Irene Glasson, and how the story lines are woven together does require a bit of suspension of disbelief, but this is a work of fiction. The added danger is the extra push needed for main characters Irene and Oliver Ward to become further involved.

Both Irene and Oliver are damaged by their pasts, and they have both reinvented themselves in their current roles. These haunted souls try desperately to remain whole by living solitary lives. While their relationship does present a second-chance at love, The Girl Who Knew Too Much is not primarily about this love story. In fact, the love story is almost an after thought, and it really works that way. Guy meets girl. Girl is in danger. Guy tries to protect girl while she solved the mystery. They just can’t help but eventually fall in love. The best part is that their love is based in respect as well as attraction.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much is a fun, light-weight read. This isn’t a fast-paced thriller, in fact, the pace drags a bit at times which did impact my rating. Overall, it is an entertaining story that is good old-fashioned fun.

3.5 stars

"You must not trust anyone -- not the police, not the F.B.I. Above all, never trust a lover."

FINAL DECISION: My favorite Amanda Quick book in a long time. The move to 1930s California has given new energy and freshness to what is often a familiar romantic suspense storyline. I hope we will be reading more in this time period.

THE STORY: 1930s California is a place where people can reinvent themselves. Irene Glasson has come here on the run from the murder of her prior employer. Irene (and that is also a new name) is now a reporter for a small gossip paper when she becomes involved in yet another murder. The murder of an actress takes place at the hotel of Oliver Ward. Oliver is also starting his life over again. Previously a famous magician whose career ended in blood during a performance, Oliver is determined to protect his hotel from scandal when he discovers that Irene didn't seem to exist prior to four months ago.

OPINION: I've been reading Amanda Quick books since the first ones in the 1990s. In the intervening years there have been books I have absolutely loved (RAVISHED and THE PERFECT POISON) and ones that I found completely forgettable. The most recent books have been adequate but have lacked the energy and vibrancy of the best books.

THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH moves to a new time period. I was wary of the change because the 1930s is not a time period often used in romance novels and I did not know how the Quick books would translate into that time period. I'm happy to report that I loved the time period move to the 20th century. In taking place in an era that has not been done ad nauseum, the book is allowed to investigate different morals, complications and motivations than the Regency or Victorian eras.

These characters feel fresh and new and the entire book has a vibrancy and drew my interest in an entirely new manner.

Irene is a career woman who is caring for herself. She arrives in California at a time when she can completely reinvent herself (without pesky complications such as social security numbers and needing government identification). She's tough and clever and determined. I love smart heroines and Irene is no exception. She just keeps picking herself up after her disappointments. She is independent and thus her willingness to trust Oliver is a major point in their relationship.

Oliver is adorable. Sexy and wounded and oh so willing to engage in witty verbal combat with Irene. He's a man who cares for his own. Like Irene, he is also a man who has reinvented himself (for different reasons). Being a survivor and adapting is a strong theme in this book with these two characters. They live in a time and place of reinvention and they both are living out that possibility.

Along with a romance there is a peppy suspense story that keeps the pace humming along. The suspense works very well with the romance here and doesn't overpower the relationship between Oliver and Irene. Instead, the two work together hand in hand to undercover who is killing the women the Irene keeps discovering. I found the mystery and the solution satisfying and the adventure served to bring the characters closer.

This book was a real winner for me and I hope that there are more books in this time period (and I think there is possibility right in this book).

WORTH MENTIONING: This is the first Amanda Quick novel to take place outside of the 19th century.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

I really struggled with this story so I'm going to keep this brief. The story is mysterious and supposed to be suspenseful but I found it lacking in the engaging qualities it should possess to keep me on my toes and at the edge of my seat. Where the plot could have been engaging to the readers I just never felt truly into it. It was a bit dull with overly explained situations. This author never showed me anything happening but rather provided lots of details defining action. I got lost in those details that made the story seem less powerful than it should have come off to a reader. What happens in the plot with Irene became a mash up of plot points that were hard to connect with. In the spots where I felt things were getting more interesting to engaging the end result would leave me still feeling as though I wasn't a part of the story or even the understanding of it. In some instances I could relate to the characters and even Irene however a big moment of clarity or understanding never truly came. The historical part of the story was the part I found most interesting. The author's accuracy of language and the times was spot on and definitely transported me to the time period. Unfortunately, nothing ever fell into a solid or consistent place for me with the slower pacing of the story and I felt a bit bored while reading.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

I am a fan of Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick so I was looking forward to this story but it just didn’t meet my expectations. Most of the book Amanda Quick are historical romance but this was set in the 1930’s. The other problem is it just didn’t have the writing style I am used to with Quick/JAK.

I think it was supposed to be a form of Film Noir but it felt really cheesy. Gosh I really hate saying that since I love JAK so much and wouldn’t miss one of her books if at all possible.

I want to make one thing clear though. I have based the stars on the books I normally read by this author. If based on a standard book the stars might be higher but this book is just not up to JAK/Quick’s par.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is set in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood of yesteryear. It starts with Anna finding her boss murdered and advised to run and trust no one. So many twists and turns, mystery and intrigue, and a little romance. Both leading characters had to reinvent themselves in order to survive and come together to solve the mystery of dead woman and the secrets of tinsel town. This was a lot of fun and set up for sequels.

**Received an ARC copy for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

3.5

Irene Glasson is a new reporter at a third-rate gossip rag in 1930s LA. On assignment at the famous Burning Cover Hotel, Irene stumbles upon a scandal that could make her career. A scandal involving Hollywood elite and murder. As Irene tries to dig deeper into the mystery, she comes up against the Hotel owner Oliver Ward.

Oliver is a former magician-turned-hotel owner after he almost died performing one of his illusions. He's always been able to read people pretty well. That's why he knows there's more to Irene Glasson than meets the eye. To find out what the reporter is hiding from he situates himself within her investigation into the murder scandal.

What they both discover is, in Hollywood, some will fight for fame by any means possible.

Probably the thing I love the most about The Girl Who Knew Too Much is the setting. 1930s Hollywood complete with actors, assistants, studios, fixers. The whole nine yards in what many consider the Golden Age of Hollywood. While I'm not savvy enough to spot any historical accuracies (or inaccuracies) I think that the feeling of this era is genuinely captured. Especially that behind all the glitz and glamour there's a more sinister side.

Where the story went wrong for me was having too many mysteries to solve. We are aware from the very beginning that something in Irene's past is chasing her, literally. Then add to this the fact that she stumbles upon this murder which opens up a whole new can of worms for the burgeoning reporter and it's just too much. And as the murder mystery spins the coincidences keep coming and one mystery, as is expected, ends up overshadowing the other, thereby calling into question the actual need for the multiple plot lines.

I will say that I enjoy the twist that Amanda Quick puts on the ending, in more ways than one.

For the romance aspect. I kind of like the slow build up between Oliver and Irene. I would have liked things to have been a little more heated between them, but I wasn't completely opposed to how Amanda Quick decided to write their romance. Depsite this story more than likely being shelved under romance, I don't think it was the main focus. Instead the mystery(ies) took center stage here. I think it speaks to the fact that Irene, questionable past and everything, is an independent woman. She has to rely on herself first, which I really admired in this story, and the romance, for her, is happily secondary.

I see potential where this could be turned into a series. Maybe not all featuring Irene and Oliver, but there's quite the interesting cast of secondary characters.

Dead tipsters are not something a reporter on the gossip beat generally expects, so when Irene Glasson finds the woman who was going to give her a lead on a hot new actor dead, she naturally suspects foul play. Oliver Ward, a former magician whose last act almost killed him, now owns the Burning Cove Hotel. He's not thrilled to have a dead body in his pool, but he's even less happy that one of his guests has murdered another and assumes Oliver will cover it up. Teaming up with a reporter may go against all his own rules but working with Irene feels very right. As additional bodies pile up, the chances of coincidence lessen and patterns emerge. But along with threats from crazed fans and movie studio execs, Irene begins to worry that she's dealing with more than one killer. Because she has a few secrets in her past that she hasn't shared with Oliver, and it looks like they may be catching up with her.

When Irene Glasson discovers two murder victims in the space of the first four chapters of The Girl Who Knew Too Much, readers can be excused for thinking Irene has seriously bad luck. The truth is that, like any good reporter, Irene has a sense for secrets and the tenacity to want to follow a story no matter where it leads. Quick does an excellent job of filling in Irene's past with a few deft strokes, not bogging down the story but giving us enough to know why Irene is a strong and independent woman, and why she is, unlike many of Quick's other heroines, not especially naive or trusting of others. However, Irene isn't yet jaded by life, and is still learning to navigate the rocky road of Hollywood gossip and the movie studios that practically run L.A.

Oliver Ward is a bit jaded, and a lot cynical, but retains a magician's sense of curiosity and need to know why things work- including Irene. He often seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders (as a hotel owner who employs a large number of people right after the Depression, that is slightly true) but fortunately he follows his instincts (and curiosity) when it comes to Irene. The two make a good team, with a quiet connection that turns into love without either of them quite knowing it's happened.

Readers will mostly associate Amanda Quick (aka Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle) with her novels set in Regency England (Ravished) and late Victorian England ('Til Death Do Us Part). The Girl Who Knew Too Much is her first foray into 1930s America. As a huge fan of Regency and Victorian England historicals, I was disappointed to learn that Quick's newest book was moving to a different era. But as a devotee of Jayne Ann Krentz under all her names, there was no question about not giving Girl a fair chance. The murder mystery in Girl is perhaps one of Quick's best so far. Nothing is quite what it seems and as the reader puts the puzzle together with Irene and Oliver to create one solution, like one of Oliver's magic tricks suddenly seeing it from another angle shows us an entirely new answer. I do have to admit to some disappointment at the end with the new time period. The Hollywood glitz and glamor, and art deco brilliance advertised don't really live up to the promise. While in Quick's other historical romances the era is as much a character as the people, the 1930s doesn't feel all that different from the 'modern' world. Some typewriters, phone booths, and cigars are thrown in to set the stage, but otherwise the book could have been any of Jayne Ann Krentz's modern day titles. I don't know enough about the 1930s to know if that was part of Quick's point: the more things change the more they don't. However, clues in Girl suggest we may return to Burning Cove to learn more about Oliver's friend Luther. As a nightclub owner with possible shady connections, Luther may be able to show us the time period glamour and grittiness that struck me as situation normal for Hollywood.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much combines Quick's trademark dry wit, fast-paced plotting, and snappy dialogue with brilliant, multi-layered mystery. The twists, turns and multiple threats blend seamlessly into one brilliant whole, with plenty of surprises along the way even when you are sure everything is solved.