The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
bibliopage's review against another edition
5.0
A smart and sassy mystery set in the fictional town of Burning Cove, CA during the 1930s! I really liked the plot, characters, and how the mystery was woven in!
tsenko2's review against another edition
3.0
I have read every book written by Amanda Quick so I would say I’m a fan. My rating for this book is 3 1/2. It’s fine, there’s nothing terribly wrong with it. But it’s also not great. If this was my first Amanda Quick book I wouldn’t be in a hurry to read another, nor would I mind killing time with one if it fell into my hands. I certainly wouldn’t want to pay for a new hardcover version. This one came from the library. My favorite part of the book is meeting another descendant of the Jones family but while I liked him quite well, the sizzle wasn’t as hot as it could have been.
alyssafields's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
laurenjodi's review against another edition
3.0
Tightrope
3.5 Stars
Series note: Each book in the series focuses on a new couple but characters from previous installments play important roles. As such, it is recommended that the books be read in order.
Former trapeze artist Amalie Vaughn has come to Burning Cove to reinvent herself as the proprietor of bed-and-breakfast. Unfortunately, when her first paying guest is murdered, Amalie and her inn soon become the epicenter for an investigation into murder and espionage, and she must quickly decide if she can trust the primary investigator, Matthias Jones (yes, one of the Arcane Joneses), with her life and her heart.
The romance and suspense have potential; unfortunately, both are rather lackluster and predictable.
To begin with, it is entertaining to get a short but delightful glimpse into another branch of the infamous Jones family. Matthias is a typical Jones hero with an interesting talent and he and Amalie are very appealing. Their banter and interactions are witty and amusing. That said, their chemistry is lacking in intensity and their emotional connection feels forced.
The investigation revolving around the death of a traitorous inventor and the search for a cryptographic machine (akin to Enigma) is compelling with some excellent twists and turns. There are several suspects to choose from, and this is where the problems start. There are simply too many intertwined and confusing motivations for the crimes, and the eventual revelation of the villain falls flat as their identity becomes glaringly obvious at one point.
Despite these issues, this series is entertaining overall and I am enjoying the portrayal of the 1930s time period, which is not a staple of historical romance.
3.5 Stars
Series note: Each book in the series focuses on a new couple but characters from previous installments play important roles. As such, it is recommended that the books be read in order.
Former trapeze artist Amalie Vaughn has come to Burning Cove to reinvent herself as the proprietor of bed-and-breakfast. Unfortunately, when her first paying guest is murdered, Amalie and her inn soon become the epicenter for an investigation into murder and espionage, and she must quickly decide if she can trust the primary investigator, Matthias Jones (yes, one of the Arcane Joneses), with her life and her heart.
The romance and suspense have potential; unfortunately, both are rather lackluster and predictable.
To begin with, it is entertaining to get a short but delightful glimpse into another branch of the infamous Jones family. Matthias is a typical Jones hero with an interesting talent
Spoiler
he is a human lie detectorThe investigation revolving around the death of a traitorous inventor and the search for a cryptographic machine (akin to Enigma) is compelling with some excellent twists and turns. There are several suspects to choose from, and this is where the problems start. There are simply too many intertwined and confusing motivations for the crimes, and the eventual revelation of the villain falls flat as their identity becomes glaringly obvious at one point.
Despite these issues, this series is entertaining overall and I am enjoying the portrayal of the 1930s time period, which is not a staple of historical romance.
author_d_r_oestreicher's review against another edition
4.0
Tightrope by Amanda Quick is another mystery set in Burning Cove (#3/4) prior to WWII with some familiar supporting characters. Amalie Vaughn is a circus trapeze artist, flyer, who is stalked by a couple of serial killers who like to see flyers fall to their death. When Marcus Harding forced her to the top trapeze platform to have her fall to her death, she outwits him, and he dies instead. After this, she moves to Burning Cove and opens the Hidden Beach Inn where she becomes involved with Luther Pell’s (from the previous books) friend Matthias Jones. Together they work to recover an encryption engine (based on the German Enigma).
A fast-moving mystery with spies and serial killers. More romance than mayhem.
For my expanded notes: https://1book42day.blogspot.com/2020/09/tightrope-by-amanda-quick.html
Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20171115075 for book recommendations.
A fast-moving mystery with spies and serial killers. More romance than mayhem.
For my expanded notes: https://1book42day.blogspot.com/2020/09/tightrope-by-amanda-quick.html
Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20171115075 for book recommendations.
emac021's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
encks's review against another edition
3.0
This is the 3rd book in the Burning Cove series, but my 1st book in the series. There were several mysteries to solve, but the romance and love was not one of them. Mathias and Amelia are a great couple and I enjoyed their story.
I guess I don't enjoy the whole 1930s historical. The book was ok, but there was nothing here that made it special. I did not find it a quick read and it had a different tone from her other historicals (I love her regency histroicals) .
We learn more about the Jones clan, which I like in any year.
Advance read from NetGalley
I guess I don't enjoy the whole 1930s historical. The book was ok, but there was nothing here that made it special. I did not find it a quick read and it had a different tone from her other historicals (I love her regency histroicals) .
We learn more about the Jones clan, which I like in any year.
Advance read from NetGalley
wilybooklover's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Sexual content, Car accident, and Gun violence
Moderate: Violence, Stalking, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Classism and War
thunguyen's review against another edition
2.0
Just another historical suspense romance by Ms Quick. A descendant of the Jones cousins from her Victorian era Arcane series.
The time and place was 1930s, California. So there's cocktails, swing dresses, high heels, convertibles, men in suite and gun holsters.
The guy was Matthias Sylvester Jones, an engineer with mob connection, working to find a missing deciphering machine. The reason why that job fell into the hands of Luther Pell, a nightclub owner, and Matthias Jones, his independent contractor, was so convoluted it went in one ear and out the other.
The girl was Emily Von (that was how I pictured her name listening to an audiobook). Survived a serial killer plot, retired from her old job of flying trapeze in a circus, started a bed and breakfast inn in a beach town catering for Hollywood stars. The settings can't be more promising.
I think I'm finally getting tired of reading Amanda Quick, especially the new books that I haven't read. They're all too convenient and predictable. The only thing I like in this book is Matthias' method of working and reasoning, and the last few minutes of happy ending.
The time and place was 1930s, California. So there's cocktails, swing dresses, high heels, convertibles, men in suite and gun holsters.
The guy was Matthias Sylvester Jones, an engineer with mob connection, working to find a missing deciphering machine. The reason why that job fell into the hands of Luther Pell, a nightclub owner, and Matthias Jones, his independent contractor, was so convoluted it went in one ear and out the other.
The girl was Emily Von (that was how I pictured her name listening to an audiobook). Survived a serial killer plot, retired from her old job of flying trapeze in a circus, started a bed and breakfast inn in a beach town catering for Hollywood stars. The settings can't be more promising.
I think I'm finally getting tired of reading Amanda Quick, especially the new books that I haven't read. They're all too convenient and predictable. The only thing I like in this book is Matthias' method of working and reasoning, and the last few minutes of happy ending.
plaidpladd's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good addition to this series. Leaned much heavier on the mystery and overarching WWII ramp-up plot than the romance, but I'm okay with that.