Don't Look Back

May 13, 2002
In this sequel to last year's Slightly Shady, bestseller Quick brings back the winning detective duo of Lake and March for another mysterious romp through Regency London. Settling in to a partnership both professional and personal, Lavinia Lake and Tobias March take on a case deeply intertwined with Lavinia's own past. An old family friend, the mesmerist Dr. Howard Hudson, introduces the couple to his beautiful young wife, Celeste, and not long after, Celeste is brutally murdered. Was she murdered for the sake of an ancient jewel, the Blue Medusa, reputed to confer upon the wearer mysterious powers? The Blue Medusa is missing, stolen from the household of the senile nobleman who last possessed it. As the investigation proceeds apace, both Lavinia's niece Emmeline and Tobias's brother-in-law, Anthony, insist that they wish to become investigators, too, apprenticing themselves to the older couple despite objections. A secondary romance between the younger couple offers a charming counterpoint to the growing relationship between Lavinia and Tobias. While Tobias endeavors to protect Lavinia from the danger looming from her own past, Lavinia goes about solving the case in her own way, resulting in a dramatic confrontation with the killer. Though the suspense is low-key throughout, Quick nevertheless pulls the reader along with her eminently readable blend of humor, sharp dialogue and well-paced plotting. Readers can only hope that they have not seen the last of Lake and March. (June 4)Forecast:While Quick is known best for her historical romance novels, the strong detective element in this series should garner her new fans among mystery readers. Expect another run up bestseller lists.

February 1, 2002
The lovers from Slightly Shady are backDand they are after a valuable bracelet that has disappeared after its owner's murder.

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2002
Adult/High School-In this second volume of a romance-mystery series, discreet inquirers Lavinia Lake and Tobias March (Regency-era private detectives) team up to search for a murderer and thief as they investigate the death of Celeste Hudson and the disappearance of the ancient Blue Medusa bracelet. Teens fascinated with the history of hypnosis will be interested in this story as Lavinia's past as a mesmerist is important, but it was the victim who used her mesmeric skills unscrupulously. They will also meet a "doctor" who treats wealthy female patients with a machine to induce orgasms. The novel is full of witty dialogue that will evoke smiles as the males compete with the females, and the ladies try to be independent in a society that frowns on such behavior. Quick describes the era with accurate details in a fast-moving mystery with surprising twists.-Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2002
The ever-popular Quick rekindles the romance between two wonderful characters in another genre-bending romantic whodunit. Lavinia Lake and Tobias Marsh have joined forces in providing "discreet private inquiries for individuals of quality." In other words, they're PIs for upper-crust Londoners. When an old family friend and his much-younger bride, Howard and Celeste Hudson, visit Lavinia, she is reminded of her past as an accomplished mesmerist (one of her many professional incarnations) and its unfortunate end. But there's no time to wallow, as the couple is beckoned to launch an investigation when Celeste is found strangled by a gentleman's cravat. Could Howard be a murderer? Inquiries reveal that the motive behind the crime is an antique bracelet said to possess legendary powers. Only a few collectors even know about the bracelet's existence, and all become suspects. Quick deftly makes her heroine's past life as a mesmerist and current life as an investigator come together in exciting, humorous fashion. The romantic charm that makes Quick so revered is much in evidence here--her Regency-era characters are worldly beyond their time, and yet they fit the period exquisitely. Expect demand from both romance and mystery fans. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)