As I've started this novel five times and just haven't been able to get into it, I'm bypassing the review. Sorry.

The first page had me hooked until the very end. A book you will read in a day. A ripple roaring fast pace suspense mystery book.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much 
By  Amanda Quick 
Berkley
May 2017

“Run!” was Helen Spencer’s final word, written in her own blood on her bedroom wall, a message to her private secretary, Anna Harris. Anna had discovered Helen lying dead on the floor of the house they’d shared for the past year. She’d often wondered if her dream job and fairytale lifestyle as Helen’s assistant were too good to be true. Now she knew. Whatever Helen was involved in had gotten her killed, and her macabre warning made it clear Anna would be next. Gathering as many of her things as her suitcase would hold, Anna ran for her life, destination California, to disappear and start over with a new identity.

Wealthy and well-connected hotel owner Oliver Ward was once a world famous magician until a terrible on-stage accident cost him the use of a leg, and nearly his life. When he first meets Anna, she’s going by the name Irene Gaston working as a reporter for a local gossip rag. She’s investigating a series of drownings including the one that occurred at Oliver’s exclusive celebrity hideaway. She suspects these deaths may be linked, and not accidental as believed. Her investigation touches a nerve, and a mere four months after escaping Chicago, Irene is in as much danger as Anna, as her past and present lives collide.

The smart, dual-layered plot and finely-crafted suspense combine to make this a fast-paced thriller from beginning to end. Peril closes in on Anna from all sides, while Oliver’s mastery of magic and misdirection adds a twist of clever deception to this nail-biter of a tale. Loved it!
--Sandra Van Winkle, Staff Reviewer for ReadertoReader.com

A plucky secretary and a retired magician team up to solve a string of murders in 1930s Hollywood.

Irene Glasson has the worst luck. Running away from trouble in her past, she reinvents herself as an intrepid journalist in a faraway town- Burning Cove, California, where the elite of Hollywood go to let loose or hide out. Determined to succeed in her new career while still keeping a low profile, she has to admit that stumbling across a dead body in less than ideal circumstances is not going to help her situation. Suddenly under police suspicion, she teams up with former magician and current resort owner Oliver Ward as she tries to prove that the murder is connected to her current investigation and he tries to keep his business clear of gossip. Sparks fly and so do bullets as the two manage to solve a mystery while forging a powerful romantic connection. 
Quick’s foray into a new historical setting- the golden age of Hollywood- adds spark and sophistication to her latest charming novel. There is plenty to love here, and the potential for more stories from the town of Burning Cove is evident. Bring on the glamour!

Even though this is a different time period or Amanda Quick, (Jayne Ann Krentz, Jane Castle) the suspense, smart, sassy heroine and great storytelling is still there. I love the characters, and I look forward to more books set in this interesting time period.

This is the best book by Amanda Quick yet! The mystery was very compelling! The characters were strong, and the romance was slowly developed! I recommend this novel for fans, not only for fans of Amanda Quick, but also for those who love cozy mysteries with a dash of romance thrown in!

Amanda Quick has fast forwarded in time to the 30s.  Secretary Anna fears for her life when she finders her boss dead with the words Run written in blood.  She heads west to disappear only to stumble across more murders.  ARC from Net Galley.  Review on GoodReads.

I'm not a chiller, thriller, (except MJ), or heavy mystery reader, but this was kind of dropped in my lap. So, living the adventurous life I do, LOL, I figured what the heck. Our heroine, it's set in the 1930's so that term is still acceptable, starts out discovering her glamorous employer has been murdered and robbed. Naturally she had time to leave a note, a secret book with valuable info, and plenty of cash. Oh, and she also said, get the hell out of town: run for your life! Well,
of course Anna did, all the way to California where she became Irene and got a job as a "reporter." No spoilers here, but she ends up at a swanky, secretive, celebrity hideout, hotel, owned by a former magician. (Really) There, the minor celeb she was planning to interview is at the bottom of the spa pool at midnight, not for any "treatment" the spa has on their list, you dig?! Sorry, having fun.
Our heroine, Irene sorts out all the details, finds out who all the bad guys were from the beginning, in the most fantastic way. Plus, a marvelous treat back at the office for a surprise and great ending. And maybe a little romance for our girl and a former magician?! Who knows! FUN!
3.5 Light Mystery Stars!

Legendary author Amanda Quick returns with her latest romantic suspense novel, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, an historical mystery set in the outskirts of Hollywood’s secret-laden movie colony in the 1930s.

After stumbling onto the scene of the murder of her socialite employer and benefactress, Anna Harris takes the woman’s postmortem advice and runs, taking with her a notebook filled with the mysterious Helen Spencer’s secrets, a wad of cash, and an important blue velvet bag and heads up Route 66 to California.  Named a suspect within twenty-four hours of her flight, Anna knows there’s no going back to Chicago and creates herself a new identity, renaming herself Irene Glasson.  She quickly learns that others who were to connected to Helen and mentioned in her notebook have met with ugly ends, and so Irene has to fight for her own survival, four months after becoming a hard-nosed journalist for the third-string tabloid Whispers.

Irene follows a lead to a small resort town near Los Angeles.  Celebrities have a history of using Burning Cove’s glamorous environs for the purpose of positive publicity and privacy alike, and the notion of having a glaring bright spotlight focused on its peccadilloes makes the movie colony and the people who have high-stakes businesses there incredibly wary. When actress Gloria Maitland is found at the bottom of a pool at the Burning Cove Hotel’s spa, Irene knows she’s in big trouble.  She’d been chasing a lead on a hot new actor, Nick Tremayne, and Gloria was her best source; so when the scoop that is Gloria’s murder falls into her lap she finds herself with a new case and in an even more treacherous situation.  She quickly comes to realize that her colleague, the blowsy gossip column legend Peggy Hackett, didn’t drown in her own bathtub but was murdered violently, adding a third murder to the roll call of macabre disaster that’s been tailing her.

Plenty of people want to keep Irene silent. There’s Nick, whose pretty face hides an ugly, selfish side – he was trying to get rid of Gloria before she became a human pool noodle.  He’s determined to suppress his controversial past and stay in the Hollywood game at any cost, with the help of his anxious assistant, Claudia. Then there’s Earnest Ogden, a self-proclaimed ‘well-paid nanny’ (aka a fixer), whose job it is to babysit people like Nick and keep their scandals under wraps, happily hiring thugs whenever necessary to do it. Henry Oakes, a seemingly obsessed stalker extraordinaire, thinks he’s destined to share a future history with Nick – but their pasts are already enmeshed.  Daisy Jennings, a hanger-on social climber knows too much about Nick’s past.   And don’t forget father and son contract killers Julian and Graham Enright, part of a long tradition of sadists for hire grown fat on old money, who’ve been on Irene’s tail since Chicago.

But most importantly there’s Oliver, a reclusive ex-magician with an inventor uncle who owns the hotel and doesn’t want to lose his huge investment due to bad publicity.  He soon becomes Irene’s greatest ally, a partner in her investigation – and the biggest target for her enemies, who accuse the two of them of fraternization. With Oliver’s old stagecraft tricks and Irene’s determination, the twosome are determined to bring the true killer to justice.  Will Irene discover the connection between Gloria, Peggy and Helen and live to ride into the sunset, or will she and Oliver meet a watery grave?

Amanda Quick is an expert weaver of fiction, and it’s quite easy to get absorbed in the chatty, slightly gritty and gossipy world she weaves here.  Her voice and tone are just right; the dialogue has a brash, smooth way of echoing thirties film noir – a whiff of Bogart there, a splash of Hawks here, and all of it in good fun.  By the time the suspense truly kicks in – about midway through the book – the reader is primed and ready for things to get as juicy as they do.

Irene is a gutsy dame, and she’s fun to follow on her journey from secretary to journalist.  Of the supporting characters, I liked Oliver the most; you can hear the Bogart brio in his voice as he weaves through the story with Irene on his arm.  His disability is handled well, and his inventor uncle is charming, if underused.  Irene and Oliver’s romance builds quite steadily and realistically throughout the novel, eventually echoing some of Quick’s best romantic work, and they have chemistry from their first meeting onward.   Ms. Quick also bolsters her story by cleverly fictionalizing a few Hollywood legends and weaving them into Irene’s story. If you love old Hollywood gossip as much as I do you’ll have fun drawing lines between point a and point b.

The novel has only one problem - which is ironically its breakneck pacing. Suspects are introduced in chapter after chapter, barely giving the audience time to react before we’re suddenly with a new person and holding a new plot thread.  This works when you’re reading a Sam Spade-style mystery and your hero doesn’t have intimate connections to people; but doesn’t when people like the lead’s mentor are biting the dust.  One example: Peggy is introduced as a murder victim and we’re told – after her murder – that she was Irene’s best friend, biggest support and main leg up into journalism before her death; and that Irene found the body.  Wouldn’t it have been much better for the story if we got to see Peggy interact with Irene?  It’s an opportunity Quick misses, but a minor quibble. And I suppose it’s always a good sign when an author leaves you wanting more.

In the end the rapid pace, the great characters and the fine chemistry between them kept me turning the pages.  Quick continues her winning streak of good books written well, and The Girl Who Knew Too Much stands happily and handsomely next to her best work.

Irene has had a difficult life and has been on her own for many years. She thought she had a great job as an assistant, but quite suddenly had her circumstances change and had to leave town. She is now a reporter, for a small gossip paper, in LA and again seems to find a lot of trouble. She is asked to meet a woman at the spa of the exclusive Burning Cove Hotel to get some information on an up and coming actor. The hotel is where the rich and famous go to relax without the reporters hounding them.  Irene gets on the property, goes to the spa, and finds the woman that was giving her the story dead in the pool. Irene hears another person in the spa and fears for her life. She manages to get away from the pool area and get help. Unfortunately, she then meets the owner of the hotel Oliver Ward and he thinks she may have killed the woman. Oliver was a famous Magician who had his career end when he was shot during a show. Oliver and Irene seem to feel energized when they are around each other even if they irritate each other. They end up partners in searching for answers about the woman’s death. During their time investigating, they come across many problems, more questions, few answers, and more dead people. Irene wants more stories to write and Oliver wants the murderer caught so that his Hotel’s reputation does not suffer. Irene has also pissed off some people and her life is in danger. Irene and Oliver both have skills from current and former jobs that help them get the answers that they need.

There are several story lines and villains in this story and they can sometimes be confusing. Trying to keep track of what character goes with which story line was not always easy. Some of the villains you know right away and some are a surprise. I liked that Oliver seemed to be able to forget some of his pain around her and Irene could trust him more than anyone since her grandfather. The 1930s are not my favorite era to read about for a historical, but it was OK. I have enjoyed Quick’s historicals set in the 1800s more. The end of the book was a little bit different than expected.  There are many curve balls thrown at the reader in the last 50 pages. Not my favorite of Quick’s books, but a decent read.

This was a little different from what I usually expect from Amanda Quick, and I have to say I like the change.  An interesting story in a time period I don't read much about, I couldn't put it down.  Have recommended to fans of historical fiction and mysteries.

I am a big fan of Amanda Quick.  I will not only recommend this book, but I will purchase for my library

My favorite thing about this book was the title. While the historical setting did seem genuine, the "telling, not showing" writing style failed to draw me in. I felt disconnected from the story and characters. I would consider reading other books by this author, but The Girl Who Knew Too Much didn't work for me.

Jayne Anne Krentz always writes a good story and this is no exception.  Characters well drawn and believable.  A little bit of mystery and romance makes for an enjoyable book.  No one does it better than her.  I have loved all her books.

Romantic and edgy suspense. Amanda Quick never disappoints.

This isn't a book I would read but once I saw it in one of berkley's posts on instagram I was intrigued and I decide that I really wanted to try it!And I'm glad I did because it was a great book!

I was surprised because once I start it I couldn't put it down!!It was interesting and I enjoyed it!The romance was a little bit slow for my taste but still good.Also both characters were complicated and not easy because they were keeping secrets so it takes some time to get to know each of them.

I really want to read more books by this author!!If you like a good mystery that will make you guessing till the end then this is perfect!!

Amanda Quick is known for her historical and Victorian romances but with the latest novel The Girl Who Knew Too Much she boldly throws herself into the 1930s era.  I've always enjoyed her brand of writing and this latest one is no exception.  From the beginning she gives us a quick twist and a page grabbing tale.  While reading it I often was reminded of the play Chicago or the Film Noir genre of movies.  Her characters always make me smile and I love reading about how they come together as a couple and how they escape the escapades they find themselves in.  The Girl Who Knew Too Much is another fun chapter in Amanda Quick's writing career and I can't wait to see where she goes next though I'm hoping for another look at the 1930s because I really enjoyed her foray into this time period.
Irene Glasson is a rookie investigator in 1930s Hollywood, though she works for a very small paper she gives her job everything she has to give it.  When a red hot tip about up and coming Nick Tremayne ends up landing her in the middle of a murder she finds herself up against masters of illusion and suspicion as she tries to solve the crime.  Oliver Ward was a world famous magician but an accident during a performance sidelined his career.  Now he runs a glamorous hotel known for keeping the secrets of the exclusive clientele that frequents the establishment. Irene's appearance threatens to turn his whole world upside down and expose the secrets well hidden in the past.  Yet Oliver finds himself drawn to Irene and the secrets she is hiding about her own past.

Small town reporter Irene Glasson, working for the low-rate scandal sheet Hollywood Whispers, chases a tantalizing gossip story to Southern California, where she meets Oliver Ward, a once-renowned magician who now owns the Burning Cove Hotel. The town of Burning Cove appears to be a charming, glamourous paradise, but there are dark and dangerous undertones. When Irene discovers the body of a beautiful actress at the bottom of the hotel pool, she’s intent on investigating the murder, no matter how much Oliver protests. Then more murders occur. What’s a curious girl reporter to do but investigate?

Irene is an intriguing woman with many secrets and Oliver, who has plenty of secrets of his own, vows to be the man who uncovers those secrets. He just has to keep Irene alive long enough to do so, since there are several entities, from the past and the present, working hard at silencing Irene forever. Both Irene and Oliver have had to reinvent new lives for themselves, but neither feels content with their new incarnations. The fear of being located haunts Irene every day. Could this murder investigation be the catalyst that reveals her location and true identity? Not if Oliver has anything to say about it and can prevent it. It’s a shaky precipice on which they both stand.

THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH is another delightful romantic mystery from expert storyteller <b>Amanda Quick</b>. Irene and Oliver’s romance is secondary to the murder mystery, but Quick blends it all with her usual expertise. Though THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH is a departure from the norm, Quick works her magic yet again and brings to life a cast of characters in a captivating locale and the glitzy era of 1930s Hollywood. I’ve found that one can never go wrong deciding to read a historical romance by the incomparable <b>Amanda Quick</b>, no matter where she sets the locale.

The time period is set in the 1930’s era of glamorous Hollywood. The location is a small town set outside of Los Angeles, California. The story starts off with Irene on the run from a situation that she did not fully understand. What she did understand was a message from beyond the grave from her employer that implored her to “run.” That was a fantastic way to start out the story I thought. Really setting a person on the edge of their seat.

The characters are developed and likable. They are what I would expect from that era but I also felt that I had seen these characters before. There was not much that stood out about them. Except for Oliver. He was once a magician and I liked that about his character. When an unexpected event occurred and he could not continue his magician ways he purchased the Burning Cove hotel. It is at this establishment where most of the action takes place.

There is a great mystery mixed with some suspense. We know from the start that Irene is on the run and who she is running from, even if she doesn’t. What we don’t know is why her boss was killed exactly. Will they catch up with Irene?? You spend most of the story waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. The mystery component is trying to figure out why women having encounters with Nick Tremayne are winding up dead. What is the connection? The mystery itself has a few red-herrings thrown in to keep the truth hazy. Nice!

The romance between the main characters was meh. I did like what was being developed between the characters of Oliver and Irene. It was a nice build up but there was no heat factor. Oliver’s character was endearing to me though. His interest in Irene was romantic from the start. He took her safety seriously but was trying, in his way, to keep her close. He had his dark side and all but I really liked that too.

This story did not scream Amanda Quick to me and maybe that was what she was going for. The ending had its big finish and then a few more chapters where all the loose ends were tidied up. I did not like that really. Made it feel like the story just kept going. What this story does brings to the table is a good suspense-filled mystery of who done it turn of the century style. 

*Thank you to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group for this eARC of The Girl Who Knew Too Much*