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Summary
Summary
The New York Times bestselling author of Otherwise Engaged and The Mystery Woman presents an all-new novel of intrigue and murder set against the backdrop of Victorian London The Kern Secretarial Agency provides reliable professional services to its wealthy clientele, and Anne Clifton was one of the finest women in Ursula Kern's employ. But Miss Clifton has met an untimely end-and Ursula is convinced it was not due to natural causes. Archaeologist and adventurer Slater Roxton thinks Mrs. Kern is off her head to meddle in such dangerous business. Nevertheless, he seems sensible enough to Ursula, though she does find herself unnerved by his self-possession and unreadable green-gold eyes If this mysterious widowed beauty insists on stirring the pot, Slater intends to remain close by as they venture into the dark side of polite society. Together they must reveal the identity of a killer-and to achieve their goal they may need to reveal their deepest secrets to each other as well
Author Notes
Jayne Ann Krentz was born in Borrego Springs, California on March 28, 1948. She received a B.A. in history from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a master's degree in library science from San Jose State University. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a librarian.
She has written under seven different names: Jayne Bentley, Amanda Glass, Stephanie James, Jayne Taylor, Jayne Castle, Amanda Quick and Jayne Ann Krentz. Her first book, Gentle Pirate, was published in 1980 under the name Jayne Castle. She currently uses only three personas to represent her three specialties. She uses the name Jayne Ann Krentz for her contemporary pieces, Amanda Quick for her historical fiction pieces, and Jayne Castle for her futuristic pieces. She has written numerous books under the pseudonym Amanda Quick including Surrender, Scandal, Seduction, Affair, With This Ring, I Thee Wed, Garden of Lies, Burning Lamp, and Quicksilver.
She has received numerous awards for her work including the 1995 Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for Trust Me, the 2004 Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for Falling Awake, the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, the Romantic Times Jane Austen Award, and the Susan Koppelman Award for Feminist Studies for Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women: Romance Writers on the Appeal of the Romance. She made the New York Times Best Seller List in 2017 with her title, The Girl Who Knew Too Much.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
Kirkus Review
A lady with a secret to hide and a gentleman reputed to be mad make a dandy investigative team. Ursula Kern changed her name after a scandal in her past and now runs a successful secretarial service in Victorian London. When her best worker, Anne Clifton, is found dead, she refuses to believe the vivacious Anne would kill herself, as the police surmise, and decides to investigate. Ursula had been doing secretarial work for the notorious Slater Roxton, who isn't happy to be shunted aside with little explanation. Roxton is an archaeologist who gained fame when he was accidentally buried in a tomb and left for dead on an island. He escaped, spent a year with a small community seeking enlightenment, and returned to London to manage the affairs of his father's second wife and children. Refusing, for his own reasons, to be ignored, he insists on helping Ursula determine the truth about Anne's death. Their quest leads to a wealthy nobleman with an unhappy wife who has a knack for cultivating difficult plantsplants that are being used to create a hallucinogenic drug being offered to those who can afford it at a private club that also provides high-class prostitutes. Ursula's own secret may be exposed by a muckraking journalist until Roxton comes to her rescue, and he continues to anticipate the troubles she encounters as she puts herself in in harm's way trying to find a dangerous killer. Her partnership with Roxton puts her in more personal danger as they pursue a passionate affair that could break her heart. Quick's fans will not be disappointed in her latest combination of detective story and sexy romance (Otherwise Engaged, 2014, etc.), a pleasing page-turner. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* The police say Anne Clifton committed suicide. Ursula Kern, proprietor of Kern Secretarial Agency, believes Anne may have been murdered. Because Anne was more than just an employee to Ursula, Ursula intends to fully investigate Anne's mysterious death. Archaeologist and adventurer Slater Roxton is not pleased when Ursula informs him she will be leaving his employment to take on a personal assignment. He is even less thrilled when he discovers exactly what Ursula plans on doing. Slater is convinced that Ursula's meddling in the official inquiry into Anne's death could very well result in yet another murder: Ursula's. Teaming up with her is the only logical solution as far as Slater is concerned, and this means finding some way of convincing Ursula to accept him as her new partner in detection. Quick (Otherwise Engaged, 2014) deftly matches up a dashing hero, who has some wonderful Indiana Jones-like qualities, with a coolly capable heroine, who proves to be more than his match. The end result is another top-drawer historical romance that delivers the perfect fusion of witty dialogue, intriguing characters, and seductive passion.--Charles, John Copyright 2015 Booklist
Library Journal Review
In London, during the late Victorian period, women have few opportunities for respectable income. Ursula Kern, hiding from a previous scandal, has opened a secretarial agency, using the new typewriting technology to place her clients in well-paying positions. When friend and colleague Ann Clifton is found dead, Ursula immediately suspects murder. Her own contract employer, amateur archaeologist Slater Roxton, is pulled into her investigation of criminal activities including murder, blackmail, and drugs. Quick, the pseudonym used by Jayne Ann Krentz for her historical romances, jumps into this mystery with immediate action, well-constructed characters, hot romance, and plenty of suspense. While the story verges on formulaic, the performance of Louise Jane Underwood adds depth with numerous accents and voices. VERDICT A bit of fun for fans of historical romance, romantic suspense, and mysteries with historical settings. ["With sassy wit, a mystical touch, and delectable sensuality, Quick sweeps readers into another delightful...escapade that is sure to leave fans smiling and satisfied": LJ 4/15/15 starred review of the Putnam hc.]-Janet Martin, Southern Pines P.L., NC © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.