Til Death Do Us Part by Amanda Quick – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway
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Description:
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:
Til Death Do Us Part by Amanda Quick is a wonderful mystery thriller that takes place in Victorian London. Calista Langley, our heroine, runs a private respectable introduction agency from her house, to offer those who are alone in finding equal companions in the same situation. Calista is being stalked, as she has received some creepy funeral trinkets, such as a black wreath, black jewelry with her initials and a coffin bell. Calista’s brother, Andrew and the long time servants fear for her, but she feels that going to the police will be no help. She is also in the midst of rejecting a former suitor, who dumped her to marry a wealthy heiress, and now wants to pursue her again, even though he is still married.
In the midst of this, enter our hero, Trent Hastings, who is a famous mystery writer. Trent came to visit Calista, to check her out, as his sister is one of her clients. After words were exchanged, he leaves only to come back the following day and apologize. Trent discovers some of the trinkets and learns about Calista’s predicament. She will turn to Trent for help and together they will embark on solving this mystery, which will turn out to be somewhat of a serial killer, and Calista seems to be the next marked victim. This mystery was exciting, and at times scary, but the fun part was watching Trent use his skills as a detective from his writing and research. A slow build romance will begin between Trent and Calista, but that is in the background with the mystery thriller totally in the forefront.
Amanda Quick does a fabulous job of creating so many twists and turns that changed our thoughts on the killer often. Most of all, this mystery was so well written, and Quick (who is also Jayne Ann Krentz and Jayne Castle) puts us right in the middle of the investigation looking at the clues, and solving this mystery. I also loved the wonderful characters she has created; Calista, Trent, Andrew, Endura, even Mr. Pell, and some others. Til Death Do Us Part was an exciting, edge of your seat thriller, a bit scary, and wonderful sweet couple that we rooted for. I will say that the last 1/3 of the book was so exciting, suspenseful and tense, that I could not put the book down, not to mention more surprises. This was a wonderful book that I wholly recommend. Of course, you come to expect this from anything by the Quick, Krentz, Castle trio. 🙂
Reviewed by Barb
Copy provided by Publisher
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.
You can learn more about Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick/Jayne Castle
at the following links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads
She belonged to him.
He was locked inside a cage the size and shape of a coffin. A dark thrill heated his blood like a powerful, intoxicating drug.When the time came he would purify the woman and cleanse himself with her blood. But tonight was not the time. The ritual had to be followed correctly. The woman must be made to comprehend and acknowledge the great wrong that she had done. There was no finer instructor than fear.
He huddled inside the concealed lift, listening to the sounds of someone moving about in the bedroom on the other side of the wall. There was a narrow crack in the paneling. Excitement sparked through him when he caught a glimpse of the woman. She was at her dressing table, adjusting the pins in her dark brown hair. It was as if she knew he was watching and was deliberately taunting him.
She was passable in appearance, but he had seen her on the street and had not been particularly impressed with her looks. She was overly tall for a woman and her forceful character was etched on her face. She was dangerous. It was all there in her unnerving eyes.
The woman rose from the dressing table chair and moved out of sight. A moment later he heard the muffled sound of the bedroom door opening and closing.
Silence.
He slid the cage door aside and opened the wooden panel. The wall sconce had been turned down low but he could make out the bed, the dressing table, and the wardrobe.
He moved out of the lift. The heady exhilaration he always experienced at such moments roared through him. With every step of the ritual he came closer to achieving his own purification.
For a precious few seconds he debated where to leave his gift. The bed or the dressing table?
The bed, he decided. So much more intimate.
He made his way out through the tradesmen’s entrance and slipped, unseen, into the gardens. The gate was still unlocked, just as he had left it.
A few minutes later he was lost in the fog. The weight of the knife in its sheath beneath his greatcoat was reassuring.
The ritual was almost complete.
The woman with the unnerving eyes would soon understand that she belonged to him. It was her destiny to be the one to cleanse him. He was certain of it. The connection between them was a bond that could be shattered only by death.
Amanda and her Publisher are offering a hardcover copy of TIL DEATH DO US PART to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.
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