Saturday, May 8, 2021

Review: The Lady Has a Past by Amanda Quick

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Title: The Lady Has a Past
Series: Burning Cove
Author: Amanda Quick
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: May 4, 2021
Publisher: Berkley
ASIN: B08FH9S2W9

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.

My rating:

When her boss suddenly decides to skip town for a few days, investigative apprentice Lyra Brazier knows something is wrong. The fact her boss' lover doesn't know anything about the impromptu trip also doesn't help. Posing as newlyweds, Lyra and antiquarian book dealer (which is obviously a cover!), Simon Cage, follow Lyra's boss to an exclusive resort and spa only to discover Lyra's boss had gone missing. Again...


This is the first story in this series that I really liked. I was starting to despair, really. I'm glad my perseverance paid off.

It wasn't because of the romance—it was lukewarm at best. I actually preferred the secondary romance between Raina and Luther. They barely shared a scene together, since Raina went missing, but their simmer still packed more of a punch than Lyra and Simon.

It also wasn't because of the suspense. Not that it wasn't nicely done, but it sort of twisted and turned somewhere in the middle and fizzled toward the end as it failed to deliver on the initial promise. The final reveal seemed rather anticlimactic.

Nope, it was the main characters. Not as a romantic couple (because of the lukewarmness), but as a duo. I loved their camaraderie and I absolutely adored their banter. Which is all thanks to the heroine, Lyra, and her ability to get even a stone talking. The easy-going, almost teasing at moment, rapport between Lyra and Simon was established rather early in the story (their first meeting was anything but) and kept on throughout the book, definitely saving it.

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