"You must not trust anyone -- not the police, not the F.B.I.  Above all, never trust a lover."

FINAL DECISION:  My favorite Amanda Quick book in a long time.  The move to 1930s California has given new energy and freshness to what is often a familiar romantic suspense storyline.  I hope we will be reading more in this time period.

THE STORY:  1930s California is a place where people can reinvent themselves.  Irene Glasson has come here on the run from the murder of her prior employer.  Irene (and that is also a new name) is now a reporter for a small gossip paper when she becomes involved in yet another murder.  The murder of an actress takes place at the hotel of Oliver Ward.  Oliver is also starting his life over again.  Previously a famous magician whose career ended in blood during a performance, Oliver is determined to protect his hotel from scandal when he discovers that Irene didn't seem to exist prior to four months ago.

OPINION:  I've been reading Amanda Quick books since the first ones in the 1990s.  In the intervening years there have been books I have absolutely loved (RAVISHED and THE PERFECT POISON) and ones that I found completely forgettable. The most recent books have been adequate but have lacked the energy and vibrancy of the best books.

THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH moves to a new time period.  I was wary of the change because the 1930s is not a time period often used in romance novels and I did not know how the Quick books would translate into that time period.  I'm happy to report that I loved the time period move to the 20th century.  In taking place in an era that has not been done ad nauseum, the book is allowed to investigate different morals, complications and motivations than the Regency or Victorian eras.

These characters feel fresh and new and the entire book has a vibrancy and drew my interest in an entirely new manner.

Irene is a career woman who is caring for herself.  She arrives in California at a time when she can completely reinvent herself (without pesky complications such as social security numbers and needing government identification). She's tough and clever and determined. I love smart heroines and Irene is no exception.  She just keeps picking herself up after her disappointments.  She is independent and thus her willingness to trust Oliver is a major point in their relationship.

Oliver is adorable.  Sexy and wounded and oh so willing to engage in witty verbal combat with Irene.  He's a man who cares for his own. Like Irene, he is also a man who has reinvented himself (for different reasons).  Being a survivor and adapting is a strong theme in this book with these two characters.  They live in a time and place of reinvention and they both are living out that possibility.

Along with a romance there is a peppy suspense story that keeps the pace humming along. The suspense works very well with the romance here and doesn't overpower the relationship between Oliver and Irene.  Instead, the two work together hand in hand to undercover who is killing the women the Irene keeps discovering. I found the mystery and the solution satisfying and the adventure served to bring the characters closer.

This book was a real winner for me and I hope that there are more books in this time period (and I think there is possibility right in this book).

WORTH MENTIONING:  This is the first Amanda Quick novel to take place outside of the 19th century.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH is a standalone.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE:  I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions contained herein are my own.

I really struggled with this story so I'm going to keep this brief. The story is mysterious and supposed to be suspenseful but I found it lacking in the engaging qualities it should possess to keep me on my toes and at the edge of my seat.  Where the plot could have been engaging to the readers I just never felt truly into it. It was a bit dull with overly explained situations. This author never showed me anything happening but rather provided lots of details defining action. I got lost in those details that made the story seem less powerful than it should have come off to a reader. What happens in the plot with Irene became a mash up of plot points that were hard to connect with. In the spots where I felt things were getting more interesting to engaging the end result would leave me still feeling as though I wasn't a part of the story or even the understanding of it.  In some instances I could relate to the characters and even Irene however a big moment of clarity or understanding never truly came.  The historical part of the story was the part I found most interesting. The author's accuracy of language and the times was spot on and definitely transported me to the time period. Unfortunately, nothing ever fell into a solid or consistent place for me with the slower pacing of the story and I felt a bit bored while reading.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

I am a fan of Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick so I was looking forward to this story but it just didn’t meet my expectations. Most of the book Amanda Quick are historical romance but this was set in the 1930’s. The other problem is it just didn’t have the writing style I am used to with Quick/JAK. 

I think it was supposed to be a form of Film Noir but it felt really cheesy. Gosh I really hate saying that since I love JAK so much and wouldn’t miss one of her books if at all possible. 

I want to make one thing clear though. I have based the stars on the books I normally read by this author. If based on a standard book the stars might be higher but this book is just not up to JAK/Quick’s par. 

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is set in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood of yesteryear. It starts with Anna finding her boss murdered and advised to run and trust no one. So many twists and turns, mystery and intrigue, and a little romance. Both leading characters had to reinvent themselves in order to survive and come together to solve the mystery of dead woman and the secrets of tinsel town. This was a lot of fun and set up for sequels. 

**Received an ARC copy for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

3.5

Irene Glasson is a new reporter at a third-rate gossip rag in 1930s LA. On assignment at the famous Burning Cover Hotel, Irene stumbles upon a scandal that could make her career. A scandal involving Hollywood elite and murder. As Irene tries to dig deeper into the mystery, she comes up against the Hotel owner Oliver Ward.

Oliver is a former magician-turned-hotel owner after he almost died performing one of his illusions. He's always been able to read people pretty well. That's why he knows there's more to Irene Glasson than meets the eye. To find out what the reporter is hiding from he situates himself within her investigation into the murder scandal. 

What they both discover is, in Hollywood, some will fight for fame by any means possible. 

Probably the thing I love the most about The Girl Who Knew Too Much is the setting. 1930s Hollywood complete with actors, assistants, studios, fixers. The whole nine yards in what many consider the Golden Age of Hollywood. While I'm not savvy enough to spot any historical accuracies (or inaccuracies) I think that the feeling of this era is genuinely captured. Especially that behind all the glitz and glamour there's a more sinister side. 

Where the story went wrong for me was having too many mysteries to solve. We are aware from the very beginning that something in Irene's past is chasing her, literally. Then add to this the fact that she stumbles upon this murder which opens up a whole new can of worms for the burgeoning reporter and it's just too much. And as the murder mystery spins the coincidences keep coming and one mystery, as is expected, ends up overshadowing the other, thereby calling into question the actual need for the multiple plot lines. 

I will say that I enjoy the twist that Amanda Quick puts on the ending, in more ways than one. 

For the romance aspect. I kind of like the slow build up between Oliver and Irene. I would have liked things to have been a little more heated between them, but I wasn't completely opposed to how Amanda Quick decided to write their romance. Depsite this story more than likely being shelved under romance, I don't think it was the main focus. Instead the mystery(ies) took center stage here. I think it speaks to the fact that Irene, questionable past and everything, is an independent woman. She has to rely on herself first, which I really admired in this story, and the romance, for her, is happily secondary. 

I see potential where this could be turned into a series. Maybe not all featuring Irene and Oliver, but there's quite the interesting cast of secondary characters.

Dead tipsters are not something a reporter on the gossip beat generally expects, so when Irene Glasson finds the woman who was going to give her a lead on a hot new actor dead, she naturally suspects foul play.   Oliver Ward, a former magician whose last act almost killed him, now owns the Burning Cove Hotel.  He's not thrilled to have a dead body in his pool, but he's even less happy that one of his guests has murdered another and assumes Oliver will cover it up.  Teaming up with a reporter may go against all his own rules but working with Irene feels very right.  As additional bodies pile up, the chances of coincidence lessen and patterns emerge.  But along with threats from crazed fans and movie studio execs,  Irene begins to worry that she's dealing with more than one killer.  Because she has a few secrets in her past that she hasn't shared with Oliver, and it looks like they may be catching up with her.  

When Irene Glasson discovers two murder victims in the space of the first four chapters of The Girl Who Knew Too Much, readers can be excused for thinking Irene has seriously bad luck. The truth is that, like any good reporter, Irene has a sense for secrets and the tenacity to want to follow a story no matter where it leads.  Quick does an excellent job of filling in Irene's past with a few deft strokes, not bogging down the story but giving us enough to know why Irene is a strong and independent woman, and why she is, unlike many of Quick's other heroines, not especially naive or trusting of others. However, Irene isn't yet jaded by life, and is still learning to navigate the rocky road of Hollywood gossip and the movie studios that practically run L.A.  

Oliver Ward is a bit jaded, and a lot cynical, but retains a magician's sense of curiosity and need to know why things work- including Irene.  He often seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders (as a hotel owner who employs a large number of people right after the Depression, that is slightly true) but fortunately he follows his instincts (and curiosity) when it comes to Irene.  The two make a good team, with a quiet connection that turns into love without either of them quite knowing it's happened.

Readers will mostly associate Amanda Quick (aka Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle) with her novels set in Regency England (Ravished) and late Victorian England ('Til Death Do Us Part).  The Girl Who Knew Too Much is her first foray into 1930s America. As a huge fan of Regency and Victorian England historicals, I was disappointed to learn that Quick's newest book was moving to a different era.  But as a devotee of Jayne Ann Krentz under all her names, there was no question about not giving Girl a fair chance.  The murder mystery in Girl is perhaps one of Quick's best so far.  Nothing is quite what it seems and as the reader puts the puzzle together with Irene and Oliver to create one solution, like one of Oliver's magic tricks suddenly seeing it from another angle shows us an entirely new answer. I do have to admit to some disappointment at the end with the new time period.  The Hollywood glitz and glamor, and art deco brilliance advertised don't really live up to the promise.  While in Quick's other historical romances the era is as much a character as the people, the 1930s doesn't feel all that different from the 'modern' world.  Some typewriters, phone booths, and cigars are thrown in to set the stage, but otherwise the book could have been any of Jayne Ann Krentz's modern day titles.  I don't know enough about the 1930s to know if that was part of Quick's point: the more things change the more they don't.  However, clues in Girl suggest we may return to Burning Cove to learn more about Oliver's friend Luther.  As a nightclub owner with possible shady connections, Luther may be able to show us the time period glamour and grittiness that struck me as situation normal for Hollywood.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much combines Quick's trademark dry wit, fast-paced plotting, and snappy dialogue with brilliant, multi-layered mystery. The twists, turns and multiple threats blend seamlessly into one brilliant whole, with plenty of surprises along the way even when you are sure everything is solved.

Absolutely captivating plot with a surprise ending.  I love the characters too.  Am eager to read Amanda Quick's other novels.

While it's true that this was a bit of a departure from Quick's usual books I found enough of the familiar to be sucked in to the glamour and danger of 1930s Hollywood. Considering how many different storylines and secrets needed to be wrapped up I definitely found enough plot to keep me up late reading this book.

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 am a huge fan of this no matter which pen name she is using at the moment (for those who do not know she also writes as Jayne Ann Krentz and Jayne Castle). Under this name the books are usually set in the past somewhere and this one seems to fall in the years between the two world wars. When Irene comes home to find her boss murdered she finds the word run in blood on the wall as well as a brief note of vague explanation. She quickly follows the suggestion reinventing herself on the opposite side of the country as a reporter for a gossip magazine. While researching a story she finds herself in the cross hairs of the killer while her own personal demons show up at the same time. The book moves at a quick pace with plenty of intrigue in a well-developed manner. Great for fans of mystery, suspense, and a little romance thrown in as well. I really enjoyed reading it. I give it 4/5 stars.

No rating DNF at 25%
I try to give a book until 25% to grab my interest as I have a ton to read for the blog. This is my first book by the author and I was intrigued by the murder/mystery aspect as well as the Hollywood backdrop. Unfortunately this was VERY slow moving for me and I just couldn't get into it. I wanted to don't get me wrong because the premise is something different for me and I love a good mystery but the several POV's outside of the main characters threw me off a bit and it was just TOO slow that it didn't have that heart palpitating/quick page turning reaction I was hoping for. I could see where it was going with the love interest and even that was too fast for me in the midst of everything going on. This book definitely has potential and maybe it's just me and my reading mood right now but unfortunately I DNF'd it.
:(

A quick (no pun intended) entertaining read.
 
What I liked: I'm not going to regurgitate the synopsis but talk about the book in general and the writing.

​I especially liked that Ms Quick (aka Jayne Ann Krentz, aka Jayne Castle) picked an unusual time period. Most of her books written under the Quick moniker as historical romances and I mean back in the early days with all the rules for proper feminine behavior and gallant rakes. The Girl Who Knew Too Much is set in the 1930s and it’s setting deals with Hollywood. I wasn’t sure about the time period and the setting to begin with but I certainly enjoyed how Ms Quick drew me in.
 
The heroine, Irene Glasson and Oliver Ward, the hero, are also a bit different. Imagine a female reporter back in the 1930s, it was a bit eye opening and then throw in the Hollywood Studios, who really were like little powerful kingdoms who controlled all aspects of their stars lives. It was interesting to see how far the stars have come and how less controlling the studios evolved. Oliver, a former famous magician who suffered a horrible accident (I love tortured heroes who move on with their lives) runs an exclusive hotel that guarantees privacy is just enough of a mystery to keep your attention. I absolutely loved all the secondary characters working at the hotel. In some cases, I found them just a bit more interesting than the lead characters, including the bad guy(s).
 
When you read an Amanda Quick book, you should know it will be a quality, researched adventure with some romance and plenty of humor. Her heroines are strong and brave and spunky, her heroes charming, smart, and protective. Ms Quick has developed her historical mystery romance books in a kind of formulaic way but she always finds something to keep the reader engaged either through the characters or the mystery.
 
What I didn’t like: While I did enjoy The Girl Who Knew Too Much, it wasn’t one of my favorites. I didn’t feel as invested in the main characters as I normally would. The mystery/suspense portion of the story felt a little to scripted and wasn’t as exciting as I would have expected. I did however enjoy the mystery around our two leading characters, Irene and Oliver.

The Kindle edition is a bit pricey as the release is in hardcover. I guess it depends on the reader. I would borrow from the library.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review.
 
If you are an Amanda Quick fan, you will enjoy The Girl Who Knew Too Much but if it’s your first read by her, try some of her earlier books especially if you like historical romance that is heavier on the mystery than the romance. The humor also is quirky and enough to make you smile.
 
Recommended.

Warning: there are a couple of murders, though not much gore; there’s adult language, and sex on the page. If any of these bother you, avoid this one.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much, by Amanda Quick

I liked many things about this novel, starting with how well the setting is rendered. I felt immersed in the period without awkward lectures or info-dumping. Both of the main characters are complex and three dimensional, and their world is populated by three dimensional, complex people.

The suspense thread is a lot more layered than the blurb would make one think, and the story is told from several characters’ point of view, which allows the reader to believe she knows more than our hero and heroine.

As a suspense, it worked very well, despite–or perhaps, because–we know so much about what is going on, from so many people’s perspectives. Except, we really don’t.

One of the best things about this story, on the suspense angle, is that no one, and pretty much nothing, is precisely what they appear to be. In most cases, the clues that there’s more there than meets the eye are quite subtle, which is lovely.

And then, there are the twists–of which I’ll say nothing more, because they are most excellent, and you, dear readers, deserve to get the full impact, as I did.

As a romance, I liked both main characters almost equally.

Irene may be younger than Oliver by about a decade, but she’s no naïve, trusting chit. The most enduring lesson in her life is that she can count on herself first and last, and that nothing in life is free–or without consequences. She has given her trust fully only a few times, and paid for it dearly, and she’s not about to spill her guts to the mysterious Mr. Ward now.

However, while resourceful, there is nothing of the dreaded Mary Sue in Irene. She makes mistakes, and her self-assurance has been hard-earned. She is in a vulnerable position from the start, making the best decisions she can–even when the choice is between to fairly ominous alternatives. More than anything, Irene is very relatable.

“Acting on instinct–she certainly wasn’t thinking clearly now–she scooped up the weapon” (Chapter 1)

Seriously, Irene is great. She smart, loyal, and a survivor.

Oliver is outwardly the more worldly of the two. From an early age, he has created a purposefully obscure public persona, which he uses as leverage in his early dealings with Irene. He deals with chronic pain from a serious injury, which I really liked. He’s still the tall, dark, mysterious hero one comes to expect from Ms Quick, but he’s more human than most.

He has very good reasons for his own lack of trust, but he is also smart and loyal.

They complement each other without being so perfectly matched as to be boring.

Then there are the secondary characters. I mentioned above that the novel is told from several points of view, which include a couple of Very Bad Dudes ™ as well as a few relatively minor players. With one or two exceptions, Ms Quick creates a very intriguing and unique cast of characters to populate the world of The Girl Who Knew Too Much. We have the magician, the aspiring gossip columnist, the shady wealthy man, the androgynous bar tender, the rising Hollywood star, and more.

What is great is that none of these people are just there for the sake of the plot; whoever they are, whatever they do, they ring true. They are people with their own lives beyond their lines in this play, so to speak.

I mentioned that I enjoyed the sense of time and place. The thirties are the beginning of the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema, and the novel conveys all the glamour and concurrent darkness of the era. Ms Quick manages to drop references to the economic situation of the country, the state of technology, and even the politics of the time, without distracting from the narrative. This is simply when and where the characters live, and this is how it affects their thoughts and actions.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much gets a 8.75 out of 10.

4.5 stars

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick is a delightfully clever mystery that is set during the glamorous Golden Age of Hollywood.

After her previous job abruptly comes to a dangerous and tragic end, Irene Glasson reinvents herself upon her arrival in Los Angeles. Now an up and coming reporter at gossip rag Whispers, she is hoping her upcoming meeting with Gloria Maitland provides her with the information for a titillating article on rising star Nick Tremayne. Unfortunately, Irene finds Gloria’s lifeless body in the swimming pool at the upscale Burning Cove Hotel. Believing Gloria’s death is no accident, Irene remains in town and pairs up with the hotel’s owner (and former magician) Oliver Ward to try and uncover the truth about Gloria’s death.

Irene is a spunky young woman who does not shy away from danger. She is resourceful, confident and determined to find the truth about Gloria’s death. She is reluctant to completely trust Oliver, but once she realizes how far Nick’s studio will go to protect their star, she has no choice but to work with him.  Stubbornly convinced that Nick is connected to Gloria’s death and her co-worker Peggy Hackett’s eerily similar death,  Irene ignores the danger surrounding her and doggedly pursues every lead she finds.

Despite his previous fame, Oliver now keeps a low profile and he is a little mysterious since he refuses to discuss the accident that ended his career.  Since he is intensely protective of his guests, he is not at all pleased to discover that Irene somehow managed to  find her way onto to the hotel grounds. It goes without saying he has a vested interest in learning the truth about what happened to Gloria since the negative publicity could harm his hotel’s reputation. Oliver is stunned by the spark of interest he feels for Irene and the more time he spends in her company, the more vibrant and alive he feels. While he can be a little grumpy and close-mouthed, he is nothing but supportive of Irene throughout their investigation.

Irene’s investigation takes many surprising twists and turns as Nick tries to downplay any involvement with her death. Although Irene is a little frightened by some of the strong arm tactics employed by the studio’s hired goons, she refuses to give up digging for the truth. Will Irene and Oliver find the evidence they need to support her theory about that Nick is Gloria’s killer?

Although there is plenty of danger surrounding them, Oliver and Irene find the time to explore their unexpected attraction for each other. While their romance is a delightful addition to unfolding story, the investigation into the suspicious deaths remains the main focus of the storyline.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much is a wonderful novel with a fantastic cast of characters and intriguing mysteries to solve.  Amanda Quick deftly brings both  the time period and setting vibrantly to life. Irene is a gutsy heroine who never lets anyone or anything deter her from finding the truth about the what happened to Gloria and Peggy.  The killer’s identity and motive for the murders are carefully concealed until the novel’s dramatic conclusion.  I thoroughly enjoyed this spellbinding novel and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries.

I have read books by Amanda Quick for the last 15 years. Some of my most favorite historicals were written by this author. Her books have always been a beacon of hope and love. I never had to worry about not liking her books especially since I loved her female characters. Her heroine’s were usually spunky, sassy and strong willed. And I utterly adored how they had the heroes wrapped around their little fingers.

I truly loved her books!!!

I still have my old paperbacks of Surrender,  Desire,  Reckless,  Seduction,  Rendezvous,   Scandal ,  Deception,  Dangerous,  and my most favorite of all – Ravished!!!!

Unfortunately the last few years her novels don’t captivate me anymore. They feel bland, a repetition of the same formula, and just forgettable.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick was not one of her regular historical novels per se, it played in the 1930s in California. But the glamour and seduction of that era was gravely missing.

Amanda Quick  definitely knows how to spin a great tale. The novel had a good amount of mystery and suspense – no wonder when so many people ended up dead. And the author kept me guessing until the very last minute about who did what. With a couple twists and turns the book was the opposite of predictable.

There were quite a few POV’s that made the story a bit more complex but also confusing. At the beginning I had no idea who all those people were, and at the end I could have cared less about them.

But the most crucial problem was the missing CHEMISTRY!!!

Real honest chemistry. Some passion, heat, attraction, PDA, – SOMETHING!!!! 

ANYTHING really would have been fine with me. But no, all I got was dialogue and a partnership between the main characters. Honestly they were partners in pursuing the killer – not convincing lovers. There was actually no real reason for the couple to be attracted to each other – none at all.

There were no signs of affection or attraction. Both were pretty cool cucumbers if you’d ask me.

I’m not saying I didn’t like the characters, I just didn’t feel convinced that they loved each other, that’s pretty much what it came down to. There was barely any kissing, touching, hugging etc….. I didn’t even need sex, but I needed passion, love, a  sexual connection.

They solved the murder and that was that.

THE END!!!

I miss her old books 🙁 I really do!!! ARDENTLY!!!!

THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH by Amanda Quick delivered a suspenseful romance against the backdrop of 1930s Hollywood. A retired magician and a woman on the run team up to solve a murder mystery. Come to Tinseltown and discover their secrets.

Welcome to the Burning Cove Hotel where Hollywood's stars and moguls go to escape. The hotel is owned by Oliver Wood a retired magician whose final act almost got him killed. Enter Irene Glasson, a reporter from a local LA rag who comes to the Burning Cove for a clandestine meeting with an actress who promises the inside scoop on actor Nick Tremayne. Only the meeting never happens because Irene discovers her at the bottom of the pool.

Amanda Quick (Jayne Anne Krentz) always manages to pull me into her stories and THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH offered an interesting cast of characters. Irene Glasson is hiding a secret, and Oliver Ward is determined to discover it. As the two begin to investigate, they find themselves facing down danger and finding passion. I connected with Irene and admired her spunk and quick wits. She is tenacious and once she gets a hold of a story she just doesn't let go. Oliver was an interesting character, from his connections to the secret he carries that resulted in him walking with a limp. He protects those he cares about, and he quickly decides Irene needs his help.

Quick gives us two mystery threads. The first involves Irene and her former life. We are even privy to the thoughts of those who seek her. This was a dark thread that added suspense to an already interesting murder case that's connected to Nick Tremayne. I loved the different suspects and players involved. Quick did a great job of sharing their mindset, throwing down red herrings and providing twists. All of this allowed me to slip into the world and become involved.

I absolutely loved the setting and Quick easily captured the atmosphere, glitz, and glamor of 1930s Hollywood scene. Her characters felt authentic, and the murder mystery threads offered surprises and kept me flipping the pages.

The romance that develops takes a backseat to the mystery plot, but we do get brief moments of passion and discovery. Their relationship felt genuine, and they worked well together, but for me, this was the weakest thread in the tale. Quick writes a compelling story that held its own, and I actually wouldn't mind meeting this couple in a future mystery.

THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH was delightful as it transported me to this bygone era with its suspenseful mystery and colorful characters. Fans of historical mysteries will enjoy this engaging tale.

I love Amanda Quick Novels. This one is a bit different from the usual. It is 1930's and we have a murder, bloody warning, mysterious code book and new identity to start with. We get a luxury spa hotel where all the stars go to have hidden affairs and there... another murder happens...
This book takes the reader through intrigue and an off center love tale too.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick is a mystery romantic thriller that takes place during the 1930’s in old glamorous Hollywood.  The story starts off with a bang, as we meet Anna Harris, who has discovered the dead body of her employer, with a message about a notebook and to “run”.  She manages to flee from the scene in New York to Hollywood, with a new identity.  Months later, we meet Irene Glasson, who is now a columnist for a Hollywood gossip paper.  

Murder seems to follow Irene, as the actress she was meeting at the Burning Cove Hotel was found dead.  Because she heard the footsteps of the possible killer, Irene jumps into the pool to escape.  It is here she meets our hero, Oliver Ward.  Oliver is the owner of the hotel, and a former famous magician, who due to an injury gave up that career and went into the hotel business.  Oliver takes an interest in Irene, and they will join hands to try to solve the murder.  When their relationship becomes a bit more than partners, Irene will eventually confide her past, running from someone who wants her dead.  Oliver is determined to keep a close eye on Irene, as he wants to protect her, as well as his hotel.

While interviewing actor, Nick Tremayne, Irene gets a scoop to enhance her career, only to have the powerful Hollywood conglomerates use everything in their power to cause her to lose her job, even to the extent of hiring people to stop her anyway necessary.   Those who have been looking for Anna Harris, will discover her new identity, which will double up on the threats to her.  

This was an exciting and fun mystery thriller, with a number of twists, and many dangerous situations that both Oliver and Irene are in the middle of.  The slow build romance between Irene and Oliver was nice, as I did like them together.  The nice thing about their romance was it as part of the story line, not taking away from the real story….the murder investigation.  I also liked some of the secondary characters in the book, especially Luther Pell.   The last third of the book was filled with action and excitement, and held our attention throughout.  The Girl Who Knew Too Much was another great story by Amanda Quick.  If you enjoy mysteries taking place in the 1930’s; in old time glamorous Hollywood, and excellent characters, then you should read The Girl Who Knew Too Much.

This book started out slow at first, but once Irene gets to Burning Cove, things really take off.

Amazingly, this was the first book that I have read by this author, either by her real name or her pseudonym. I know I have several of hers on my shelf. Not sure how that could be true, but I checked it out. 

I thought the writing at first for her to have so many books was a little awkward. However, I soon got used to her style and it started to flow. Midway, I was enjoying it. By the end, I couldn't put the book down. There was so much going with so many suspects and plots.

Very entertaining and I really liked it. I am deeply appreciative of Berkley Publishing for approving my request. And, I thank Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

Just to make it clear The Girl Who Knew Too Much is set in 1930s Hollywood. 
This was an entertaining read, the plot focuses on a magician and a journalist who fall in love and found themselves in a murder mystery and decide it would be a great idea to come together and solve the mystery, so that Irene can get her story, and Oliver so he can protect the reputation of his hotel.
I was worried when I realized that The Girl Who Knew Too Much was set in the 1930's since I’ve never read a book set in that time period before, but I did not regret it. The mystery in the story got my attention and kept it (well not throughout the whole thing).
I like the characters development throughout the story and how Irene and Oliver were great together. They made a great team and you could see their romance was growing. I like Uncle Chester and Luther Pell they were very interesting and entertaining they even reminded me of my own uncle. 

I will say that it was very hard to get through the beginning of the book because so many new characters were introduced and even had their own POV (which was very annoying). This made it very confusing, but eventually, they started to focusing back on the main character so you were good. I like how the story wraps up the book and I felt like it was an ok ending.
I hope you pick this book up because I know you will enjoy it