Burning Grove, California, is a hot bed of crime again in this second book Amanda Quick has set in the 1930s. Adelaide Blake has taken up residence after escaping from a private sanitarium where she was subjected to an experimental drug which caused hallucinations. She is on the run from a man who says he's her husband and a pair of doctors. She finds refuge working in a tea room and blending her customized teas.

Burning Cove has become a getaway for Hollywood's rich and famous and others looking for a quiet spot. Jake Truett has come because, newly widowed, his doctor has recommended a quiet, stress-free rest. Madame Zolanda, psychic to the stars, has followed her clients along with her chauffeur/co-conspirator Thelma Leggett. Raina Kirk has come to start her own private investigations agency. Vera Westlake, Hollywood's current "most beautiful" actress, has come to mend her shattered nerves.

But everyone who has come to Burning Cove has many secrets. When Madame Zolanda is found dead outside her home - an apparent suicide - Adelaide and Jake begin their investigations. When someone breaks into Adelaide's house, Jake comes to the rescue and spends the night guarding Adelaide providing both of them with alibis for Madame Zolana's death. He's convinced that she is a blackmailer who has a diary that implicates his wife in treasonous activity but someone else has removed the evidence before Jake can find it.

Madame Zolana and Thelma were also dealing the drug that was being made in the sanitarium giving even more people reasons to want her dead. And someone wants Adelaide dead too. Jake and Adelaide become closer as they share their secrets and fall in love.

I like the 1930s setting and I liked seeing some of the characters from THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH in their cameos in this one. I liked the twisty plot and wide variety of suspects. I liked that the romance between Adelaide and Jake grew slowly through the book.

Adelaide Blake escapes from the Rushmore Sanitarium and runs away to Burning Cove CA. She remembers Burning Cove from her childhood and she hopes to find peace there. Her parents are dead, killed in an explosion in their laboratory and Adelaide is on the run from the demons in her head. She works at the local tea shop, lending tisanes and then Jake Truett walks in and upsets her carefully laid plans. Jake has his own secrets and he seems intent on discovering Adelaide's secrets. But will Jake understand that she isn't really insane? Someone really is trying to kill her? It all started with her parents' murder. But the rich and the famous come to Burning Cove and they bring their own secrets and sometimes killers walk among them. Jake and Adelaide have to uncover the truth. Amanda Quick has moved into a new era of historical romance, but retains her customary entertaining writing.

The Other Lady Vanishes takes place in a sleepy town full of shiny and mysterious characters. Adelaide, an escapee from a mental institution, questions her sanity while falling in love and solving a murder. Jake, her partner in sleuthing, must face his past and bring a criminal to justice. Throw in a few of Hollywood's Golden Age starlets, and you have all the drama needed for a suspenseful ride through historical fiction and mystery. Readers will want to return to the once peaceful town of Burning Cove, California again and again.

Gothic atmosphere melds with a 1930s California setting in Quick's latest delightfully entertaining novel.
Adelaide Blake has escaped an insane asylum and hidden herself in a little coastal town where she is attempting to live quietly- but the murder of a fake psychic, the attention of a handsome man who asks too many questions, and the reappearance of someone from her past complicate her attempt at a new life.
With all the charm of the golden age of Hollywood, enough suspense the keep the action flowing, and a perfectly imperfect romantic couple, Quick has made magic once again.

Ms Quick has written a wonderful book that keep me on the edge of my seat. I could not wait or the weekend to take a day off from work and read this book.

Serving tea in a resort town, Adelaide has recently escaped from being held against her will in a sanatorium. Recently widowed Jake arrives in town for a long rest...or is he really? No one seems to be who they say they are in this 1930s period romantic mystery. A fast-paced, absorbing read from a master writer and the second in a series. Sure to be more to recommend to library patrons!

The last few books by Quick/Krentz have felt somewhat the same. However, The Other Lady Vanishes felt like a fresh take on her usual suspense/romance plot. The asylum angle was new and interesting and it didn't feel like Jake was a alpha/controlling as a lot of her heroes tend to be. I would recommend this book to Quick fans as a refresh. I am also interested to see where Raina and Luther's relationship is heading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of The Other Lady Vanishes by Amanda Quick. The setting is 1930s Burning Cove, California, a retreat for the rich and famous. It’s a town where everyone has a secret.
Characters include famous Hollywood celebrities, reporters, mobsters and corrupt doctors. The heroine and hero are Adelaide, a woman running from a dark past, and Jake, a retired businessman with “bad nerves” who is obviously more than he seems to be. Drawn into a murder investigation, they search for the killer and, in classic Amanda Quick fashion, begin to fall in love.
Plot elements include murder, blackmail, drugs, and the search for missing evidence. There’s a woman on the run, a husband seeking a missing wife, an actress pretending to be a psychic, and a diligent reporter searching for answers.
Ms. Quick never fails to deliver an enjoyable romantic suspense story. Fans who have read her previous novel, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, will easily step back into this story and will be eagerly waiting for the next installment in the series. It is a very satisfying read. I highly recommend it!

I like this series by Amanda Quick. I will give it to fans of hers and romance fans. There isn't anything that stands out in this. Just a nice mystery/romance to pass some time when everything else seems too dark.

Once again Amanda Quick writes a great book!!! This book was a page turner!!

I was reading three other books, had this one on my to read next pile- when I received an email to hurry up and read - so I started ...

In a sanitarium - broke into lab - trying to escape
questions abound for me...how does she get here
who are these people she is referring to...
now I see this is a second book in series ---

Adelaide escapes from an insane asylum in the 1930's, where she should never have been in the first place. She starts fresh in a little town in California flowing with celebrities and perhaps the people trying to find her. It's there that she meets Raina Kirk and Jake Truett, who help her along the way. Someone is trying to take control of the drug Daydream, who was created by Adelaide's parents who were murdered. In the wrong hands, the drug can be very dangerous.

The storyline of this book is great, however, the two small sex scenes were very awkward. I'm glad they were very short, or they could have ruined the book. It went from thriller to "50 shades" in seconds and then was over. It just did not fit with the rest of the story. Maybe before it's officially published they will "clean" this up a little.

Another great book from Amanda Quick. This is a book that I can recommend to any of my customers and they will like it. I love her characters and their relationships

Great story and characters. Second book in the new series but it works as a stand-alone. I would have liked to see more of the lead characters from the first book, instead of just brief mention or interaction. Definitely recommend this book as it kept me turning the pages.

Adelaide Blake is hoping to start a new life in Burning Cove , California. She works in a tea shop and blends teas for the Hollywood crowd who love something new and healthy to make the latest " in " product.. Jake Truett is in Burning Cove to settle his nerves after the death of his wife. When they meet sparks fly and dead bodies pile up. There are many great characters that they meet along the way to solving these murders; some kind and some very dangerous. All create a great mystery and a satisfying end. Amanda Quick knows how to tell a good story. No cell phones , no televisions, no fancy gadgets because the setting is 1930's California. Her characters are believable and her twisting and turning plot makes for a great read.

I am a fan of Amanda Quick’s books. But this one was difficult to follow. A third of the way through the book, I still wasn’t sure what was happening. I will continue reading her books but this one wasn’t for me.

A very entertaining read that feels like being in a classic Hollywood thriller. Well plotted with great pacing. I loved it.

Adelaide Blake escaped from the Rushbrook Sanitarium where her fiancé had placed her against her will. She made her way to Burning Cove CA, changed her name to Brockton, and obtained a job at a local tea room. Her mother had made a hobby of blending teas and herbs, and Adelaide is using that knowledge to support herself in her new life.

Her neighbor in the little sea side cabins is Jake Truett, successful import/export businessman and widower. Jake has also appeared out of nowhere claiming that he needs to rest his nerves. He seems like a vibrant, strong man without any serious nerve problems. Jake also has a few secrets.

Burning Cove has become a popular retreat for the famous of Hollywood who ‘want to be alone’ and yet not out of sight. You have actresses, actors, assistants, managers, promoters, their hangers-on, and even a flamboyant fortune teller - who prophesied murder.

Second in the Burning Cove series, Quick brings the 30’s alive with likable characters, lots of backstory, twists and turns, blackmail, murder and suspense. The characters from the first in the series appear, but very tangentially. Recommended to all Amanda Quick fans and the new readers who will find her.

Readalikes/Similar Authors:
Natasha Solomons – The House at Tyneford; Dorothy Garlock – A Week from Sunday; Eva Ibbotson – The Morning Gift; Janet Woods – Secrets and Lies; Jacqueline Winspear – Maisie Dobbs mystery series; P.S. Wall – The Wilde Women.

Pace: Fast-paced
Characters: Likeable; relatable; sassy; well-developed
Story: Intricately-plotted
Language: Engaging; banter-filled
Tone: Sensual; suspenseful
Frame: Burning Cove CA; 1930’s

Red flags: several nongraphic murders

Disclosure: Review copy provided by the publisher.

I really enjoy the new setting that Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz has come up with for her romance/mystery/suspense "Burning Cove" series. 1930s California offers some unique and fresh opportunities for setting, plot and atmosphere. In terms of the mystery, most of it was pretty easily figured out. The suspense levels were decent, and the romance was all right: cute, sure, although nothing terribly moving. TBH I was more excited about Raina and Luther, but I'm happy to save the proverbial best for last.

A few things that stuck out for me:

-I realize it's the 30s, and therefore a LOT easier to get "off the grid", but if you're trying to hide from someone (and not going all that far, let's face it) maybe CHANGE YOUR NAME AND APPEARANCE if working in a position out in public. E.g., "Adelaide Blake" --> "Aidelaide Brockton" is not that much of a change. And homegirl didn't change up her look at all.

-The use of the phrase "[....] the most beautiful woman in Hollywood" was trotted out every other chapter if not more. Yes, thank you, it's completely clear, Vera Westlake IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN HOLLYWOOD NOW LET'S MOVE ON .

-I was hoping for more closure on Daydream and its antidote. <spoiler>Are Adelaide and Jake really just going to burn up the blCK evidence and shut their eyes and <i>hope</i> no one else found the recipe? Uh, that seems kind of silly.</spoiler>

That being said, it's an Amanda Quick book. At this point, you know what you're in for when you sit down: a fun, light, entertaining romance/mystery/suspense with a fast-moving pace and atmospheric setting. This one certainly delivered on that promise.


This book was kindly provided to me as an ARC by NetGalley courtesy of the Berkley Publishing Group. I was requested to provide a review, but not required to do so. Thank you to NetGalley & Berkley for the opportunity to read <i>The Other Lady Vanishes</i>.

I love love love Amanda Quick. This was another fabulous story that I could not put down. All her characters have such great personalities. All the story lines mesh so well and the mystery is just enough