anniekreads's review against another edition
4.0
I won this in a GoodReads give away! Loved the characters and the dialogue! Quick and witty like Hepburn and Tracy! Hoping for a sequel to follow up with some of the characters.
olevin84's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
historysoverture's review against another edition
3.75
I kept picking up cozy mysteries and enjoying them just fine but a lot of them felt... lacking somehow? But this book was exactly what I was looking for! It's marketed as a romance, but it really feels more like a mystery/suspense novel with a lovely romantic B plot. That's what I was looking for, so I'm not mad, but if you're looking for something to focus more heavily on the romance, this might not do the trick.
wilybooklover's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Sexual content
Moderate: Murder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, Death of parent, Ableism, and Stalking
stayshomeandreads's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
4.0
I have not been so thoroughly entertained by a book in a very long time! Like other reviewers have said, the book does overly explain things and the dialogue is a bit clunky. But the great setting, fun mystery, and chemistry between Oliver and Irene more than made up for that in my opinion.
addy1991's review against another edition
4.0
I've always enjoy reading books by this author and am glad the trend continues! This book captured my imagination and had me guessing what would happen next from one chapter to the next. Definitely want to read the next book in this series!!
merlin_reads's review against another edition
3.0
The glitz and glamour of Hollywood in the 1930's was what sparked my interest in this book. It's an era of speakeasy's, starlets, classic actors...just pure glamour. Throw in a little mystery and you have my attention.
When Anna Harris discovers her boss has been murdered, she flees to California with only the clothes on her back and a notebook that belonged to her late boss - a notebook that people are willing to kill for. Once in California, she changes her name to Irene and is now a reporter for a small time Hollywood gossip magazine. However, it seems that murder just seems to follow her around as the informant she was supposed to meet up with is found floating in the hotel pool.
This was my first Amanda Quick novel - I've read the author under another name. And I basically found this book okay. It had a good mystery around it: was an upcoming Hollywood leading man killing woman? And why was the notebook Irene still had so important? But in a way, it had too much mystery. With two giant mysteries happening, it was hard to keep track of what information went with what and the cases got jumbled. While the notebook mystery may not have been enough to hold a novel by itself, the other case was so jumbled that it overshadowed Irene's problem making me forget about it multiple times.
The most interesting character to me was Oliver Ward , the elusive hotel manager. Everyone else was just kind of blah, even Irene herself. I think because there was so much plot, we never really got the chance to get to know the characters really well. And I'm the type of person who needs the characters to be real. Also, that ending rubbed me the wrong way and just seemed rushed.
Overall, it was a good book and the thriller aspect held up. If you're looking for just the facts of the case type of book this is for you. Just be warned there's no real character development.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
When Anna Harris discovers her boss has been murdered, she flees to California with only the clothes on her back and a notebook that belonged to her late boss - a notebook that people are willing to kill for. Once in California, she changes her name to Irene and is now a reporter for a small time Hollywood gossip magazine. However, it seems that murder just seems to follow her around as the informant she was supposed to meet up with is found floating in the hotel pool.
This was my first Amanda Quick novel - I've read the author under another name. And I basically found this book okay. It had a good mystery around it: was an upcoming Hollywood leading man killing woman? And why was the notebook Irene still had so important? But in a way, it had too much mystery. With two giant mysteries happening, it was hard to keep track of what information went with what and the cases got jumbled. While the notebook mystery may not have been enough to hold a novel by itself, the other case was so jumbled that it overshadowed Irene's problem making me forget about it multiple times.
The most interesting character to me was Oliver Ward , the elusive hotel manager. Everyone else was just kind of blah, even Irene herself. I think because there was so much plot, we never really got the chance to get to know the characters really well. And I'm the type of person who needs the characters to be real. Also, that ending rubbed me the wrong way and just seemed rushed.
Overall, it was a good book and the thriller aspect held up. If you're looking for just the facts of the case type of book this is for you. Just be warned there's no real character development.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
jen_baroness_mom's review against another edition
5.0
Is changing your name enough to change your future?
The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick is creative and brilliant. I love everything about this story. The time, Hollywood actors, old east coast money, the club, the hotel, the mystery, the characters. This is a must-read.
I read the second book in this series first and I didn’t realize that it was a series but I am so glad that it is as I am thrilled with Burning Cove. The second book was fabulous, but now that I have read the first book some things in the second book make better sense.
Detectives, Murderers or just an Innocent Bystander
Irene Glasson has so much strength and courage. At times, I don’t think she realized that. She was just in flight mode. One of the other things that I like about her is her tenacity. Irene wasn’t going to stop until she uncovered the truth about Nick Tremayne.
Oliver Ward is the male lead. He is a retired magician, who owns and runs the Burning Cove Hotel. The thing about Oliver is he keeps his friends close. The entire hotel staff has Oliver’s back and since Irene is his guest they also have her back. Oliver and Irene are wonderfully matched.
Nick Tremayne is suspected of murdering three women by Irene’s figures. Nick is that local boy who went to Hollywood and actually made it. He is an up and coming movie star, who is handsome, talented and quite the player. Nick has a temper but is he capable of murder. That is the question, isn’t it? Or are the murders to save the studio from losing a valuable asset?
Then we have the east coast side of the story, which is a separate mystery in and of itself.
5 Stars for The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick
My rating for The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick is 5 stars. This mystery is wonderfully written and I adore Ms. Quick’s wit and flair for mystery. The use of the time period and her descriptions transported me to Burning Cove, California during the 1930s. And what a wonderful place to be. I highly recommend this book.
This is a Guest Review for Baroness' Book Trove. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book on your site. ~Jen
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick is creative and brilliant. I love everything about this story. The time, Hollywood actors, old east coast money, the club, the hotel, the mystery, the characters. This is a must-read.
I read the second book in this series first and I didn’t realize that it was a series but I am so glad that it is as I am thrilled with Burning Cove. The second book was fabulous, but now that I have read the first book some things in the second book make better sense.
Detectives, Murderers or just an Innocent Bystander
Irene Glasson has so much strength and courage. At times, I don’t think she realized that. She was just in flight mode. One of the other things that I like about her is her tenacity. Irene wasn’t going to stop until she uncovered the truth about Nick Tremayne.
Oliver Ward is the male lead. He is a retired magician, who owns and runs the Burning Cove Hotel. The thing about Oliver is he keeps his friends close. The entire hotel staff has Oliver’s back and since Irene is his guest they also have her back. Oliver and Irene are wonderfully matched.
Nick Tremayne is suspected of murdering three women by Irene’s figures. Nick is that local boy who went to Hollywood and actually made it. He is an up and coming movie star, who is handsome, talented and quite the player. Nick has a temper but is he capable of murder. That is the question, isn’t it? Or are the murders to save the studio from losing a valuable asset?
Then we have the east coast side of the story, which is a separate mystery in and of itself.
5 Stars for The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick
My rating for The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick is 5 stars. This mystery is wonderfully written and I adore Ms. Quick’s wit and flair for mystery. The use of the time period and her descriptions transported me to Burning Cove, California during the 1930s. And what a wonderful place to be. I highly recommend this book.
This is a Guest Review for Baroness' Book Trove. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book on your site. ~Jen
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
eamillin's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.25
lizbaker's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I was in the mood for a mystery and also in an old Hollywood mood so this was perfect. It was fast paced, exciting, intriguing and it had a great atmosphere to it.
The only reason it's 4 stars instead of five for me is that I found the dialog to be a bit fluffy and unnatural. Not really how real people talk to each other. And the romance felt a bit forced. I couldn't really feel the chemistry between the main characters, and the sex scene also felt forced and came out of left field. Overall, I think this story could have been written without a romantic subplot and it would have been just fine.
The only reason it's 4 stars instead of five for me is that I found the dialog to be a bit fluffy and unnatural. Not really how real people talk to each other. And the romance felt a bit forced. I couldn't really feel the chemistry between the main characters, and the sex scene also felt forced and came out of left field. Overall, I think this story could have been written without a romantic subplot and it would have been just fine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Blood and Murder
Minor: Murder, Stalking, Addiction, Death, Alcohol, and Car accident