ARC Review: The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick

The Girl Who Knew Too Much
Author: Amanda Quick
Publication: Berkley (May 9, 2017)

Description: Amanda Quick, the bestselling author of ’Til Death Do Us Part, transports readers to 1930s California, where glamour and seduction spawn a multitude of sins…

When Hollywood moguls and stars want privacy, they head to an idyllic small town on the coast, where the exclusive Burning Cove Hotel caters to their every need. It’s where reporter Irene Glasson finds herself staring down at a beautiful actress at the bottom of a pool…

The dead woman had a red-hot secret about up-and-coming leading man Nick Tremayne, a scoop that Irene couldn’t resist—especially since she’s just a rookie at a third-rate gossip rag. But now Irene’s investigation into the drowning threatens to tear down the wall of illusion that is so deftly built around the famous actor, and there are powerful men willing to do anything to protect their investment.

Seeking the truth, Irene finds herself drawn to a master of deception. Oliver Ward was once a world-famous magician—until he was mysteriously injured during his last performance. Now the owner of the Burning Cove Hotel, he can’t let scandal threaten his livelihood, even if it means trusting Irene, a woman who seems to have appeared in Los Angeles out of nowhere four months ago…

With Oliver’s help, Irene soon learns that the glamorous paradise of Burning Cove hides dark and dangerous secrets. And that the past—always just out of sight—could drag them both under…

My Thoughts: Personal Assistant Anna Harris discovers her murdered boss one evening and takes the warning her boss wrote in blood - Run - as very good advice. When she goes to her stash of cash, she discovers that her boss had added more cash and a notebook written in code to it.

It's the 1930s and many people are reinventing themselves in Los Angeles, California. Anna - now Irene Glasson - has traded in her secretarial skills and now works as a reporter for a Hollywood gossip paper. When her mentor is found drowned in her bathtub, Irene is determined to investigate. Her investigation leads her to the Burning Cove Hotel which caters to the rich and famous. Many actors and actresses go there and are protected from unwanted publicity. When Irene arrives, budding actress Gloria Maitland is floating dead in the hotel pool and Irene hears stealthy footsteps coming her way. Irene's immediate thought is that Gloria's former boyfriend Nick Tremayne is involved.

Oliver Ward is the owner of the Burning Cove Hotel. He was a former stage magician but a magic trick gone wrong has left him with a permanent limp and the need for a new career. He is determined to discover who is killing guests at his hotel and is eager to team up with Irene. The two are attracted but neither is quick to trust. The two begin their investigation and have to deal with still another mysterious death which almost caused the deaths of the pair of them.

There are a variety of suspects including a deluded fan of Nick Tremayne who wants to help him out when it looks like he might be accused of murder. Then there is the man who killed Irene's boss and who really needs the notebook that came to California with her. Also throwing their weight around are movie studio fixers who will do anything to protect the reputation of Nick Tremayne.

This was an engaging story with interesting characters. Irene was smart, independent, and a modern woman. Oliver was a nicely mysterious hero. I liked the romance that developed between Irene and Oliver. I liked the time period and setting. Hollywood in the 1930s was a fascinating time period.

Favorite Quote:

There was no point in arguing with him. She had agreed to the partnership. Besides, she had to admit that there was a great deal to be said for having him in her corner. He was both mysterious and intimidating. She knew that Tremayne had not been oblivious to the impact Oliver made.

The problem, she thought, was that she wasn’t accustomed to having anyone else in her corner, least of all a man like Oliver. She wasn’t sure what to do with him.

I got this one in exchange for an honest review from Penguin's First to Read program. You can buy your copy here.