The Lady Has a Past
by Amanda Quick
Series: Burning Cove #5
Series Rating:
Published by Berkley on May 4, 2021
Genres: Historical Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Also in this series: The Other Lady Vanishes, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Tightrope, Close Up, When She Dreams, The Bride Wore White
Beauty and glamour meet deception and revenge in this electrifying novel by New York Times bestselling author Amanda Quick.
Investigative apprentice Lyra Brazier, the newest resident of Burning Cove, is unsettled when her boss suddenly goes on a health retreat at an exclusive spa and disappears without another word. Lyra knows something has happened to Raina Kirk, and she is the only one who can track her down. The health spa is known for its luxurious offerings and prestigious clientele, and the wealthy, socialite background Lyra desperately wanted to leave behind is perfect for this undercover job. The agency brings in a partner and bodyguard for her, but she doesn't get the suave, pistol-packing private eye she expected.
Simon Cage is a mild-mannered antiquarian book dealer with a quiet, academic air, and Lyra can't figure out why he was chosen as her partner. But it soon becomes clear when they arrive at the spa and pose as a couple: Simon has a unique gift that allows him to detect secrets, a skill that is crucial in finding Raina.
The unlikely duo falls down a rabbit hole of twisted rumors and missing socialites, discovering that the health spa is a façade for something far darker than they imagined. With a murderer in their midst, Raina isn't the only one in grave danger—Lyra is next.
The Lady Has a Past by Amanda Quick is an all-absorbing story that I seriously couldn’t put down. It has all the wow factors.
Can Lyra find Raina before it is too late? Will Simon realize what is right in front of him?
Lyra Brazier
Lyra moved to Burning Cove to be with her sister after breaking up with her fiance. Now that she is here, she has decided to stay, and what a better time to start a new career? Lyra is working for Raina Kirk at Kirk Investigating. She seems like an unlikely investigator, but this is what she wants to do.
Lyra has this way about her that makes all people feel that they can tell her everything. She finds this very helpful with questioning witnesses and suspects. Yet, Lyra is still very new to this line of work and could possibly get into trouble, especially if the case is more than the basic find the cheating spouse type.
I like Lyra because she tries to find a positive in most things, and she certainly doesn’t give up either. She is willing to put herself on the line for her friends. Don’t let her socialite exterior fool you; there is so much more going on with Lyra.
“No, I don’t, but that’s okay. It’s the stuff I don’t know that keeps life interesting.” Lyra to Simon.
Simon Cage
Simon is an antiquarian book dealer by day type of guy, but like Lyra, he has hidden talents too. Although most people don’t even look twice at him, he is extremely observant and works with Luther Pell. So, you know right away that there is more to Simon than what is on the outside. Pell only has the best in his employment. However, if Pell isn’t careful, he won’t have any single men left in his employment.
I like Simon. He a decent guy. But I mostly like how Lyra brings out the best in him and helps him reunite with his father. He does carry a wicked briefcase with him.
The Mystery
Someone from Raina’s past is looking for her. Someone that even Luther Pell doesn’t know about. Raina takes off after a phone call early one morning and then disappears. Lyra has a theory, but Mr. Pell doesn’t think someone in the first week of investigating can handle the situation safely so, he inserts Simon Cage into the case.
If you haven’t figured it out, Lyra and Simon are the couple for this fifth story in the series. Yet, the mystery is a bit different from the last ones.
Five Stars
I have to tell you that this is one of my favorite series. Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick’s books have the perfect amount of everything, paranormal, romance, intrigue, mystery, suspense, (fictional) history, and friendship. One of the things that I really like is the way that she intermingles her characters and lets us keep up with the comings and goings in Burning Cove.
My rating for The Lady Has a Past by Amanda Quick is FIVE stars. Yes, it is an excellent story. I loved every bit of it.
If you haven’t read this series, you should! I can’t recommend it more. It is superb.
The Burning Cove Series
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Lady Has a Past by Amanda Quick.
Until the next time,
About Amanda Quick
JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.
(Above is taken from Amanda Quick’s Goodreads Author Page and Photo Credit: Marc Von Borstel)
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