Cover Image: The Other Lady Vanishes

The Other Lady Vanishes

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Member Reviews

An escape from an insane asylum, Hollywood starlets, a psychic predicting her own death and a mysterious handsome stranger. Intrigued? If you are than you need to pick up The Other Lady Vanishes as it contains everything on that list. Adelaide Blake has escaped to Burning Cove after being held captive in an asylum, but on the night of her escape one of her tormentors was murdered. Thinking she is safe, she works in a tea shop that caters to Hollywood stars and their hangers on. However, it looks like trouble may have followed her to Burning Cove and the murderer has her in his sights.

This is the second in the Burning Cove series by Amanda Quick. However, it can easily be read as a standalone as the mystery is self-contained. If you’ve read the first book it will mean that you are familiar with some of the side characters that pop up in the story. The thread tying the series together is the location rather than an overarching story line.

The Other Lady Vanishes had two things that I love; a mystery that kept me on the hook and a good romance. The mystery aspect, although I had guessed what was going on fairly quickly still left me doubtful enough that it was exciting to read. The story also had a bit of a twist at the end that I enjoyed and didn’t see coming. As for the romance, it built through the book as the hero and heroine work together whilst hiding their mysterious pasts from one another.

Another good read from Amanda Quick, if you’re after a good mystery romance this is definitely the book for you. Although, I think I may avoid holidaying in Burning Cove, bad things seem to happen…

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I'll admit, I was getting a little bored of the Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz formula. I mean, the woman has been writing for almost four decades, and at this point, I don't think there's a plot/trope/character that she hasn't recycled and reused. This is great for a comfort read, but not when you're looking for a new book.

However, for me at least, this change in settings (from Regency/Victorian England to 1930s California) has really rejuvenated my enjoyment of her work. I really enjoyed "The Other Lady Vanishes." It's got it all: a feisty heroine, a hero with secrets, blackmail, murder, mental hospitals! I'm usually able to figure out Quick/Krentz books way before the ending, but this one definitely kept me guessing. I definitely can't wait to see what Quick writes next for this series.

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The Other Lady Vanishes seemed liked a great book to reach for during my flight to Vegas for our family vacation and it was absolutely the right pick. It was full of interesting characters, great plot points, and a love story. It was just light enough to read on a flight, but intense enough to keep my interest. It did get repetitive in places and that was kind of a bummer, but not so much that it made me not like the book. I really enjoyed getting to know the small town of Burning Cove and it's newest residents, Adelaide and Jake. I liked the main premise of the story of Adelaide escaping from the sanitarium and the murder mystery with the psychic. If this continued on as a series, I would definitely want to read the next book to find out what happens to Adelaide after her past is behind her.

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This was my least favorite Amanda Quick book. I'm a HUGE fan of her both her Radcliffian romances, horrid mysteries, and regency adventures. Although I love the setting of this newest addition, I felt rather underwhelmed overall...

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Amanda Quick’s second Burning Cove installment takes us back to the opulent world of Hollywood stars and roaring 30s when Adelaide Blake escapes a sanitarium only to discover a vast conspiracy of drugs, blackmail, and murder surrounding her false confinement. Unable to trust anyone for help in finding out the reasons behind her confinement, she finds herself relying more and more on a new arrival in Burning Cove, Jake Trulett, whose sudden appearance in her life isn’t as coincidental as he’d like it to seem. From psychics to reclusive movie stars, Adelaide and Jake follow the trail of clues to a killer who will do anything to achieve his final goal.

I’ve been a fan of Quick’s/Krentz/Castle for years. I adore everything she writes from her historicals to her sci-fi fantasies. Her latest venture has a strong crime noir feel to it with it’s glamorous Hollywood resort setting, secretive cast, and a convoluted mystery. Heavily character driven, Quick sets the stage and character base right off the bat, letting us know who are the villains and what has happened. Now we just wait for Adelaide and Jake to discover the hows and whys as Quick tosses in some devious twists and turns to keep the suspense and danger at defcon 12. The pacing is steady and Quick is adapt at changing narratives on the “quick” that allow for no confusion. Though the mystery holds court, the resulting romance is a nice side item that bolsters the story and catches the reader’s’ attention.

Adelaide Blake escaped from Rushbrook sanitorium where she had been committed against her will by her husband, Conner Massey, for her inheritance. Drugged and abused, bided her time and managed to escape during a violent storm. Now a waitress at an exclusive tea room, Refresh, she makes exclusive tisanes and teas while hiding in plain sight. Scared of her husband and/or sanitarium’s director will find her, Adelaide invests in some self protection and keeps to herself.

Jake Truett is in Burning Cove on the advice of his doctor after his wife’s suicide. A former importer/exporter whom rumor says has walked on the dark side, he finds himself drawn to Adelaide, especially after she puts him in his place during a conversation at the tea shop. A reluctant hero with a side agenda, Jakes protective instincts go into hyperdrive when he realises Adelaide may be in danger.

Their romance builds slowly as Adelaide naturally is very low on trust concerning men and Jake’s wife’s recent death. Their investigation in to Adelaide’s past allows them plenty of leeway to get to know one another and build on the chemistry that is simmering between them without hopping straight into bed. Their quick wit and prickly bickering was fun to watch and made for some laugh out loud moments. The sexual tension eventually gives way to a deeper intimacy once this couple exercises their individual demons; freeing themselves from their ghosts of the past.

A cast of eclectic characters keeps the momentum flowing as you try yourself to figure out what is exactly going on. Familiar faces from book one, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, infiltrate the storyline with updates on their lives and to offer their friend help as needed. Some characters come out loud and strong while others hide their true motives; only to reveal at the last moment. They definitely keeps the reader guessing. A small secondary mystery and romance pops in and out though it reads as a set up to introduce readers to the next power couple. The mystery behind Adelaide’s commitment and the murders resolves in an energetic and shocking manner with some interesting subplots.

Though at times I felt at times the novel was a little too verbose and formulaic, reminiscent of her Arcane Society storylines, The Other Lady Vanishes does engages your attention. I am looking forward to the third novel in the series, which I hope involves a certain PI and nightclub owner.

Grade: B-

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This is a follow up on the author’s first 1930s novel, The Girl Who Knew Too Much. The heroine is Adelaide Blake-Brockton and the hero is Jake Truett. Raina, the Enright’s secretary from the first novel, returns in this novel as a PI in Burning Cove. Luther Pell, the night club owner, also returns.

Adelaide starts out rather quite & charming but gains strength and confidence as the novel progresses. Jake’s past problems and Adelaide’s intersect and, while spending time together investigating their past problems, they discover a mutual attraction as well as the mutual villains who are trying to kill them. Its a great who done it -with a vintage feel and a great romance between to people that bond together.

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Adelaide escaped an insane asylum for Burning Cove, CA only to find she is not fully free. ARC from Net Galley.

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The Other Lady Vanishes is an entertaining mystery that starts off with a bang as we follow Adelaide Blake as she escapes a sanitarium and tries to start over in Burning Cove while hiding a terrible secret. There, she starts over as a waitress for the local herbal tea shop but soon learns that she hasn't run quite far enough from her past and the mysterious stranger, Jake Truett, is harboring secrets of his own.

This is the second book in the Burning Cove series and I loved how this book could stand on its own without reading the first book, The Girl Who Knew Too Much. Adelaide was a great heroine that did whatever she needed to stay two steps ahead of her ex-husband that was trying to steal her inheritance by locking her away in the sanitarium. Connecting with Jake was exactly what she needed and you could see the chemistry between these two characters whenever they got together.

The Other Lady Vanishes was another exciting mystery from Ms. Quick and I love how she brought the glamorous 1930s to life in this novel. This book was action-packed from beginning to end and I loved the budding romance between Adelaide and Jake. Looking forward to reading more from Ms. Quick and hopefully another mystery from the residents of Burning Cove.

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I started reading Jayne Ann Krentz /Amanda Quick / Jayne Castle because of the paranormal aspects of the Arcane Society novels. I love the way that she brings in clockwork and natural elements into the world(s) she creates because it brings that realism of believability in the world that allows us to understand the preternatural aspects. I initially put off reading/reviewing the Burning Cove series so far because I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the changeup. I haven’t read a lot of fiction that has taken place in the 1930s.

To my surprise, I really enjoyed the feel of the characters in the book. Jake and Adelaide have a good connection that doesn’t feel forced into the period to me. I found most of the descriptions of the world brought in both the Hollywood romance of the era as well as a glimpse into the reality of how the non-rich and famous lived.

As a librarian, I know this book will be popular among patrons and I think they will be asking for more period pieces like this.

As a side note, I would like to see a bit more diversity in the worlds that Krentz creates. I think it would only enhance the realism of the imagery developed through her words.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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3 stars

Synopsis: Adelaide witnesses a murder and escapes a sanitarium. She settles in a small town and starts working for a tea shop. Adelaide's mother was a biologist, so Adelaide knows how to mix teas to effect calming and stomach ailments. The small town that she settles in is a retreat for Hollywood's most famous, so Adelaide's teas are soon very popular.
One particular connoisseur is Jake, who has come to the seaside town in order to settle his nerves after his wife died. Jake orders the same thing every day from Adelaide, and one day, they start a conversation. When Adelaide is basically forced to take Jake to a show put on by the popular psychic, Madame Zolanda, she knows that she can never tell him the truth, but is still hopeful about their connection.
Jake is keeping secrets, too, though, and when Madame Zolanda ends up dead in a manner eerily similar to the murder that Adelaide witnessed, they end up working together to try and figure out what is going on.

What I liked: the time period. There are not a lot of historical romances that take place outside of the "old west" and regency/Victorian periods. This takes place in the late 1930s. Adelaide was strong and resilient, even after everything that was done to her. Once she and Jake formed a true partnership, they told each other the truth about themselves fairly quickly and were supportive of each other. The mystery was entertaining, and there were a few things that surprising at the end.

What I didn't like: the story and the attitudes seemed kind of modern for the time. Depression wasn't used as a word for people's mental state of being in the 30s, yet Adelaide used it to describe some of her fellow inmates. The secondary characters were interesting, but seemed a little too good to be true in their attitudes. Just about everyone in the story has a POV, including the villain(s), the quirky private investigator, and Adelaide and Jake. There was a little too much insta-love for me, as even though Jake and Adelaide have met each other before we catch up with Adelaide in her new situation, they don't have an actual conversation until the first one between them on the page. The story takes place over a week's time, and they go from friendly strangers to forever during that timeframe. There was so much happening, what with the sanitarium mystery, the experimental drug mystery, the murder mystery, the drug running mystery, and even though it all ties together, it seemed really frenetic.

*I received a free copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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~~Reviewed by AnnMarie~~

The Other Lady Vanishes is the second book in the Burning Cove series by Amanda Quick. Although it’s part of a series it can easily be read as a standalone book.

Adelaide Blake, an heiress, has been admitted to an insane asylum supposedly because she had a nervous breakdown. She didn’t have one, she was put in there by people who wanted to experiment on her with a new drug that her parents developed. She knew that if she didn’t escape the asylum she would end up dead. So the story begins with Adelaide’s escape and follows up showing her settling into a new life in safety in a lovely place called Burning Cove.

Jake Truett is a widowed businessman, spending time in Burning Cove to recharge his batteries. Or so he says. In truth, he is trying to get back a diary of his late wife’s that has some very dangerous information in it. The person that has the diary is a very popular, yet fake, psychic who visits the tea shop where Adelaide works. It is there that he meets Adelaide and where circumstances occur which have him accompanying her to see one of the psychic’s performances.

From there the story really takes off with a prominent character ending up dead, murdered, murdered with the same drug that was being used on Adelaide when she was in the asylum. All of a sudden Adelaide realises she is in danger, and as her problems seem linked to Jake’s he promises to keep her safe. They vow to solve the mystery of the murder and find out how the psychic could possibly be linked to the people behind Adelaide being institutionalised. Dangerous people that have to be stopped before they get their hands on Adelaide again.

Wow, this story was amazing. There is more than one murder, many twists and turns involving who is helping who to do what and for what reason, and there is an absolutely massive twist at the end that I did not see coming! It was real edge of your seat stuff that I couldn’t read fast enough to find out how it would end. Add to that the blossoming romance between Adelaide and Jake, which takes a back seat to the mystery, but which is still slowly percolating like a good coffee in the background, and you have a perfect book. I loved every minute of it and recommend it highly.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers’ copy of this book.

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The Other Lady Vanishes continues the Burning Cove series, which is set in a California resort town for the 1930s Hollywood crowd. This time our heroine is Adelaide Blake. Adelaide is a tearoom waitress (and sort of amateur herbalist) who escaped from a sanitarium after being wrongly locked away. She’s struggling to build some sort of life for herself in Burning Cove, even while she’s worried someone will come after her and try to drag her back. Jake Truett is a visitor to town, ostensibly to “rest his nerves” on the orders of his doctor. He becomes a regular tearoom visitor, and when the opportunity presents itself, he jumps at the chance to go on a date with Adelaide. Their date doesn’t quite go as planned, however, and they get sucked into a grisly murder. Clues keep adding up suggesting that Adelaide’s past is not as far behind her as she had hoped, and Jake’s true reasons for coming to town may be related as well. They have to work to investigate the increasing crimes and stay alive while doing so.

I really enjoyed the twisty, turny mystery of this book. There are a lot of players double crossing each other and trying to advance their own hidden agendas, and it’s fun to see Adelaide, Jake , and their friends untangle the threads. (We hear more about Luther Pell, the mysterious nightclub owner we met in Book 1. I am so intrigued!) This book has a bit of a gothic feel to it, despite being set in the 1930s, mostly because of the sanitarium. Rushbrook is a creepy building where horrible things take place, and it is absolutely terrifying to think of Adelaide being forcibly locked up there with no seeming way out. There’s also a drug involved that can trap people in their nightmares, and that adds a very macabre touch, too. It was a bit of a stretch like many mysteries since there were so many coincidences and tidy solutions, but I was hooked.

I liked Adelaide, even if it did take her a little while to come into her own. At the start, she is understandably doubting herself. She knows she wasn’t ill...and yet she spent months being told she was and being dosed with a hallucinogenic drug. Of course, that would plant a seed of doubt in someone’s mind. More than that, though, she is afraid that other people will think she’s mentally ill. I thought her caution and reticence to get involved with Jake at first made sense, and I really appreciated that she doesn't drag out her standoffishness forever. Jake is an ok character, but we never really learn that much about him. He has a backstory with a dead wife and some far-fetched involvement with international intrigue, but we only get a vague sense of him as a person. I liked him with Adelaide, but theirs is not a particularly well-developed, character-driven romance. Their dialogue can also be a bit stilted at times.

I did want to mention a big old trigger warning for discussions of mental illness and, to a lesser extent, rape in this book. Mental illness in particular is a thread that comes up in several different ways throughout the book, and it’s not always handled with a modern sensibility by these 1930s characters. To my mind, nothing was egregiously offensive, but characters in the book do things like call the residents of the sanitarium “poor wretches” and “crazy,” and for the most part residents are used as part of the creepy scenery rather than human characters in their own right. Better was the discussion of Jake’s wife and her own mental health issues, which I thought was treated with more respect. In other words, it’s not all bad, but YMMV.

I liked the mystery of this book better than the mystery of Book 1, but I didn’t quite love the characters as much. Still, this is a good read if you enjoy a good old-fashioned mystery with a little romance mixed in.

Grade: 4 out of 5

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This is a romantic suspense in the author's typical low key style. Adelaide Blake has reinvented herself into a waitress at a fashionable tea shop in Burning Cove California. Jake Pruett has his own reasons for hiding out in the little coastal town as do the all the other fashionable rich and famous who flock to Burning Cove to mingle and be seen. The prophecy of death is chilling enough but then events in the little town heat up and pretty soon there's a growing body count to match.
As is in most tales from the author nothing is quite as it appears. Adelaide who had once been a rich and friendless young woman held in a hellhole of a mental asylum has made a nice life for herself in Burning Cove as well friends who would miss her should she disappear. Then comes the exclusive invitation to a psychic show and a chilling prediction of murder and death from the psychic to the stars. Death definitely comes stalking that night but it's Madame Zolanda herself who falls victim. Is it an accident or murder?
Death also comes stalking for Adelaide but fortunately Jake and his trusty gun are on hand to protect her. Then comes the phone call with an invitation to bring a special blend of calming tea to a very dead psychic. Again and again, death comes calling but Jake stands in its way. Adelaide has to journey back to the asylum for the insane where it all began before the pieces of the puzzle are clear.
Then when it seems like all is settled and Adelaide and Jake have a good future ahead of them comes the biggest curve that I definitely did not see coming. The story has a nice pace with a bunch of interesting characters who all have their own stories to tell and a few curved balls to keep the excitement alive.

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I don't think I have ever not enjoyed an Amanda Quick book and this was no exception. I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting, I just couldn't put it down. Had it all romance, suspense, murder and was just plain spell binding and when you thought it was over she writes a ending to put you back on the edge. I can't wait until her next book.

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***ARC Provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley***

Amanda Quick is a favorite of mine for a reason. I know that, no matter the plot, or the characters, of the setting, I am going to enjoy all 3 elements of any story she writes. The plot will be engaging enough that I am entertained and interested in the story, the characters will be just a little quirky, but charming for their slight eccentricities, and the setting will be a part of the story, not an overwhelming one, but it will be a part of the story.

Adelaide and Jake were charming. Yes, they had their little quirks and their ways of dong things that were funny, and maybe a little fussy, but they worked for one another and for the story. As is often the case, there is more going on in this story than originally meets the eye, what with drugs, and involuntary commitments to psychiatric hospitals, and murdered psychics...but there is also a charming, quirky, and almost low-key romance that fills in the story so it is full and enjoyable.

If you have read a title by this author, you know what to expect. Amanda Quick has a certain writing style that, I think, either pulls you in or it doesn't...although I really haven't ever met someone who has read a book of hers and didn't like it (my husband has even read a couple, although don't tell him I told you.)

I recommend this title, and I enjoyed it.

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Quick takes us back to the world of Golden Age Hollywood, where the stars have secrets - and those secrets can kill. The town of Burning Cove is home to celebrities, psychics to the stars, quack doctors and everyone has something to hide. There's a great mystery here, with a lot of different elements. The romance seems a bit quick, but that's not too distracting from the main plot.

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As Adelaide Blake is mourning the loss of her parents, Conrad Massey conveniently appears on the scene, just in time to help the heiress through her grief and loneliness. The couple becomes engaged, with Conrad pushing for a quick wedding. Adelaide has started to emerge from the fog of sorrow, and realizes that she acted hastily, and tells Conrad that she can't marry him. The next thing she knows, she is resident in an asylum, being called Mrs. Massey, and told that she had a nervous breakdown. While there, she becomes a guinea pig to test an unpredictable drug, which causes hallucinations. Through her own resourcefulness, she manages to escape Rushbrook Sanitarium, and ends up in the town of Burning Cove, California, where she is now Adelaide Brockton, working in a tearoom.

Jake Truett has also come to Burning Cove, which is known as a haven for Hollywood bigwigs. He appears to be at loose ends, dealing with the death of his wife, and the sale of his family's import/export business. He politely makes small talk with Adelaide every day at the Refresh Tearoom, until a gift of show tickets has them going out on a date. As he drops Adelaide at home, and it appears that there has been an intruder, Jake's protective instincts kick in, and he and Adelaide find their relationship becoming more personal.

When a murder occurs, and Jake and Adelaide are both at the scene, it appears clear that someone was hoping to frame Adelaide. They first agree to become investigative partners, then they become friends. Eventually Adelaide trusts Jake enough to tell him about her past, and to her relief and surprise, he believes her. Jake also has secrets, both about his past life, and about his real reason for being in Burning Cove. As attempts are made on both their lives, and more deaths occur, Jake and Adelaide find some solace in passion as they become lovers. The pieces of the mystery begin to fall into place, and it seems that there is a connection between Jake's reason for being in town and Adelaide's bogus institutionalization.

THE OTHER LADY VANISHES is an amazingly well written mystery that never pauses to catch a breath. The reader is taken on a wild ride of twists and turns guaranteed to hold your interest, and keep you turning the pages as quickly as you can. Though the romance happens in a relatively short period of time, it feels as if it built slowly and believably. The heroine, Adelaide, is strong and resourceful, yet cautious, and I admired her pluck and determination. The hero, Jake, who has a more colorful past than he initially reveals, is strong, protective, and accomplished. Yet, he retains his humanity and his vulnerability. I fell in love with him as he got emotional when confessing his feelings to Adelaide, and how he treated her as they were intimate. Every facet of THE OTHER LADY VANISHES worked for me, and I heartily recommend this Book Number 2 of the BURNING COVE SERIES.

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This book was not my cup of tea, sadly. However, I can see why many people would love to read this. I also had not read book one of this series, so I think that may have hampered my reading. I would definitely recommend for those that enjoy a bit of espionage and blackmail in their mysteries.

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Take me back to the 1930’s… that is exactly what Amanda Quick has done. There is a drug called Daydream being made that causes hallucinations. Patient B, Adelaide, is forced to take these drugs when her husband(?) forces her into a sanitarium for the mentally ill so that he can take control of her inheritance. The amazing part? Adelaide escapes that sanitarium. She escapes and makes a life for herself in the small town of Burning Cove, California and meets Jake Truett.

I love the town of Burning Cove. I questioned every person who lived or visited the town. It seemed everyone had a secret. They had a reason to be in Burning Cove besides just visiting for the fun of it. It was interesting to try to guess what was going to happen, who was going to do what next, and who was guilty of what. Everyone is guilty of something, just some things are worse than others.

The characters in this book are great. There are so many quirks, so many background stories, and so interesting. I cheered for some, booed others, while trying to guess who is who within the story. I wanted to figure out how they fit together, how their stories would intertwine, and how it would all end.

Amanda Quick is a talented author. She is now on my must-read list and I am excited to read more from her. I definitely recommend picking up The Other Lady Vanishes and falling into the exciting world of Adelaide Black

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This is my second book of Amanda Quick's. I am really enjoying her stories and writing style. I am looking forward to more from her.

I was hooked on this book from the very beginning. I had no idea where it was going to go from start to end. I was hanging on every word.

This book is full of twists and turns. The mystery in this book is a meticulously created web where things are connected in ways I never would have thought. I was amazed by Quick's ability to spin such a web of connecting parts that I didn't see coming.

I am looking forward to the next book in the Burning Cove series. I have loved both books so far, and I can't wait to see where she takes me next.

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