witandsin's review
3.0
Reviewed for Wit and Sin
After a brush with death, former trapeze artist Amalie Vaughn has started fresh in Burning Cove. She and her aunt have purchased a mansion that was once owned by a famous psychic who came to an ill end and they’ve turned it into the Hidden Beach Inn. But when their first guest – Dr. Norman Pickwell – is murdered by his robot creation, the rumors start flying that perhaps the inn is cursed. Enter Matthias Jones, an investigator connected to Burning Cove’s most notorious mobster. Matthias is on the hunt for a prototype of a cipher machine Pickwell is rumored to have had. And he’s not the only one on the hunt for the machine, which means Amalie is now in danger. With her life and her business on the line, Amalie isn’t content to sit on the sidelines while Matthias investigates. Close quarters means the sizzling attraction between them is nearly impossible to resist. But if Matthias and Amalie want a chance to find out if that attraction could lead anywhere, they have to survive the dangerous figures closing in on them…
High glamour meets dark and dangerous secrets in Tightrope. I love the world of Burning Cove that Amanda Quick has created so I was eager to dive into this book. I’ve gone back and forth in the days since I read Amalie and Matthias’s story and while I did enjoy reading it, to me it simply wasn’t one of Ms. Quick’s more memorable stories. Amalie and Matthias are both likeable protagonists. Amalie has a strong spine, which I liked, and Matthias’s human lie-detector ability (a callback to Ms. Quick’s Arcane Society series) was intriguing. However, I never felt like I got to see too far beneath the surface, which was a pity. Their romance felt like a bit of an afterthought, though the bones of a good love story were there. The ineffable spark I’m used to from Ms. Quick’s characters seemed to be missing, so I wasn’t as invested as I would have liked to be. Don’t get me wrong – neither the characters nor the romance were bad, merely not as engaging as I would have liked.
The mystery and suspense elements are where the energy is at in Tightrope. There’s quite a bit going on that I can’t really talk about without spoiling the story. Murder and a missing cipher machine are only the beginning of the action. Ms. Quick deftly handles multiple plotlines and points of view, weaving things together so well that by the time everything comes to a head you won’t want to put the book down.
Tightrope is the third book in the Burning Cove series, but it can be read as a standalone. Characters from The Girl Who Knew Too Much and The Other Lady Vanishes do play supporting roles and fans of the series will delight in seeing some favorite faces again. Even though I was a bit let down by the romance part of this romantic suspense, the mystery elements and rich atmosphere were highly entertaining.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
After a brush with death, former trapeze artist Amalie Vaughn has started fresh in Burning Cove. She and her aunt have purchased a mansion that was once owned by a famous psychic who came to an ill end and they’ve turned it into the Hidden Beach Inn. But when their first guest – Dr. Norman Pickwell – is murdered by his robot creation, the rumors start flying that perhaps the inn is cursed. Enter Matthias Jones, an investigator connected to Burning Cove’s most notorious mobster. Matthias is on the hunt for a prototype of a cipher machine Pickwell is rumored to have had. And he’s not the only one on the hunt for the machine, which means Amalie is now in danger. With her life and her business on the line, Amalie isn’t content to sit on the sidelines while Matthias investigates. Close quarters means the sizzling attraction between them is nearly impossible to resist. But if Matthias and Amalie want a chance to find out if that attraction could lead anywhere, they have to survive the dangerous figures closing in on them…
High glamour meets dark and dangerous secrets in Tightrope. I love the world of Burning Cove that Amanda Quick has created so I was eager to dive into this book. I’ve gone back and forth in the days since I read Amalie and Matthias’s story and while I did enjoy reading it, to me it simply wasn’t one of Ms. Quick’s more memorable stories. Amalie and Matthias are both likeable protagonists. Amalie has a strong spine, which I liked, and Matthias’s human lie-detector ability (a callback to Ms. Quick’s Arcane Society series) was intriguing. However, I never felt like I got to see too far beneath the surface, which was a pity. Their romance felt like a bit of an afterthought, though the bones of a good love story were there. The ineffable spark I’m used to from Ms. Quick’s characters seemed to be missing, so I wasn’t as invested as I would have liked to be. Don’t get me wrong – neither the characters nor the romance were bad, merely not as engaging as I would have liked.
The mystery and suspense elements are where the energy is at in Tightrope. There’s quite a bit going on that I can’t really talk about without spoiling the story. Murder and a missing cipher machine are only the beginning of the action. Ms. Quick deftly handles multiple plotlines and points of view, weaving things together so well that by the time everything comes to a head you won’t want to put the book down.
Tightrope is the third book in the Burning Cove series, but it can be read as a standalone. Characters from The Girl Who Knew Too Much and The Other Lady Vanishes do play supporting roles and fans of the series will delight in seeing some favorite faces again. Even though I was a bit let down by the romance part of this romantic suspense, the mystery elements and rich atmosphere were highly entertaining.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
tinasbooknook's review
3.0
Another lovely addition to the series. Easy to listen to, the smooth writing pulls you into the story. I enjoyed Amalie and Matthias' story and it was nice to see a little more of Luther. I liked that some of the events of the story were built on what happened in book 1.
readwithchey's review
4.0
I adore this series so much, it feels so cozy and comfortable every time I pick one up.
Tightrope is set in 1930s California and thus adds all this glitz and Hollywood glam to the romantic suspense elements that makes it really fun to read. Amalie is an ex-circus acrobat who knows a thing or two about danger- which makes her perfect for the possibly mob connected PI Matthias.
I loved the mysteries happening here, it felt like an ode to classic horror/monster movies and there was a big old twist I didn’t see coming. Spies, robots, dead psychics, movie stars, all collide in this one! Can’t wait to read more of this series!
Tightrope is set in 1930s California and thus adds all this glitz and Hollywood glam to the romantic suspense elements that makes it really fun to read. Amalie is an ex-circus acrobat who knows a thing or two about danger- which makes her perfect for the possibly mob connected PI Matthias.
I loved the mysteries happening here, it felt like an ode to classic horror/monster movies and there was a big old twist I didn’t see coming. Spies, robots, dead psychics, movie stars, all collide in this one! Can’t wait to read more of this series!
kaitrates's review against another edition
2.0
Too many characters. Too neat of a wrap up so that the ending felt rushed. The MCs love story also felt rushed and unbelievable. I didn’t buy their chemistry beyond the first scene and then we never see their emotional growth, connection, or conversation after. Also their sex scenes didn’t always make sense. This was low steam for me which is a nice palate cleanser from time to time but when the sex is given so little space I’d almost prefer it to be closed door and spend the extra characters describing the build up.
I’m still not clear on some of the details (again: too many characters) but I just kept reading to finish it.
Lionizes thinness but then comments on the heroine’s weight when she is caught. Really over shit like that.
I’m still not clear on some of the details (again: too many characters) but I just kept reading to finish it.
Lionizes thinness but then comments on the heroine’s weight when she is caught. Really over shit like that.
l1brarygirl's review
3.0
kittykolektor's review against another edition
5.0
High flying thrill ride
I love the mystery tangled within a mystery. Very pleased with the introduction of the Jones family(Arcane Society) to Burning Cove, CA.
I love the mystery tangled within a mystery. Very pleased with the introduction of the Jones family(Arcane Society) to Burning Cove, CA.
musicalmuppet's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
nelsonseye's review against another edition
3.0
Tightrope was a good entry in the Burning Cove series. I quite like the town and seeing Oliver and Irene and Luther and Raina as supporting characters. I really liked Amalie as a character, especially how she managed to handle herself in challenging situations. Hazel and Willa were nice supports for her too. I did not figure out the killer this time round, but I liked how it turned out. To be honest, I found them a tad sympathetic.
bookwyrm_lark's review against another edition
4.0
The third installment in the Burning Cove series is as stylish and entertaining as its predecessors. Former trapeze artist (or “flyer”) Amalie Vaughan survived a murder attempt but lost her career. Now the indomitable Amalie is starting over as the proprietor of a bed-and-breakfast in Burning Cove… in the same mansion where Hollywood psychic “Madame Zelda” met her death in a previous novel.
When Amalie’s first guest, an inventor, is shot onstage by the robot he was demonstrating at the time, Amalie is pulled into the ensuing investigation. Heading that investigation, at least on the “private” side, is Matthias Jones, a man with reputed mob connections and an uncanny talent for detecting lies. If your intuition is stirring, you’re right: Matthias is one of those Joneses.* Alas for Arcane fans, that tangential connection is as close as the book comes to the Arcane Society series. Jones’s ability, while useful in the course of the book, doesn’t play a major role in the plot; with one or two exceptions, the story could have unfolded just as well without it.
I always enjoy Krentz/Quick’s novels, and it has been a delight to watch this series develop. It is set in 1930s California, a place and era that Quick hasn’t explored before, but one well-suited to her brand of mysterious, sexy, twist-filled and just slightly hard-edged romantic suspense. I tend to plow through her books at breakneck speed, on tenterhooks to see how the convoluted plot will unwind, and I’m rarely disappointed. She never fails to surprise me somehow, although I confess that this time I harbored strong suspicions about one or two of the villains.
While the first book is my favorite in the series by a slight margin, this one still gets 4 stars for sheer fun. Robots, fading movie stars, secret agents, gossip rags, and plenty of danger, plot twists, and romantic sizzle make for a potent mix. And my fingers remain crossed for even more Arcane Society in the next book.
*Not a spoiler, since the author herself announced it. From Jayne Ann Krentz’s Instagram, April 4: “This is the book that features a hero named Jones. For all you Arcane fans, nope, that is not a coincidence.”
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.
When Amalie’s first guest, an inventor, is shot onstage by the robot he was demonstrating at the time, Amalie is pulled into the ensuing investigation. Heading that investigation, at least on the “private” side, is Matthias Jones, a man with reputed mob connections and an uncanny talent for detecting lies. If your intuition is stirring, you’re right: Matthias is one of those Joneses.* Alas for Arcane fans, that tangential connection is as close as the book comes to the Arcane Society series. Jones’s ability, while useful in the course of the book, doesn’t play a major role in the plot; with one or two exceptions, the story could have unfolded just as well without it.
I always enjoy Krentz/Quick’s novels, and it has been a delight to watch this series develop. It is set in 1930s California, a place and era that Quick hasn’t explored before, but one well-suited to her brand of mysterious, sexy, twist-filled and just slightly hard-edged romantic suspense. I tend to plow through her books at breakneck speed, on tenterhooks to see how the convoluted plot will unwind, and I’m rarely disappointed. She never fails to surprise me somehow, although I confess that this time I harbored strong suspicions about one or two of the villains.
While the first book is my favorite in the series by a slight margin, this one still gets 4 stars for sheer fun. Robots, fading movie stars, secret agents, gossip rags, and plenty of danger, plot twists, and romantic sizzle make for a potent mix. And my fingers remain crossed for even more Arcane Society in the next book.
*Not a spoiler, since the author herself announced it. From Jayne Ann Krentz’s Instagram, April 4: “This is the book that features a hero named Jones. For all you Arcane fans, nope, that is not a coincidence.”
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.
atgerstner's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0