The Perfect Poison

February 2, 2009
Quick (aka Jayne Ann Krentz) delivers her reliable blend of sex and suspense in her latest Arcane Society novel. In Victorian London, spinster botanist and psychic Lucinda Bromley meets her match in Caleb Jones, a member of the Arcane Society and descendant of an alchemist family that makes him “the stuff of myth and legend.” Together, this paranormal pair of snoops sets out to track down a thief who made off with a dangerous plant implicated in the death of a wealthy lord, but wind up uncovering a sinister secret order. Quick invents two dazzling 19th-century sleuths who combine paranormal prowess and raw sexual heat. But if they excel at fooling Mother Nature, it's their all too human nature that brings this uncommon Victorian duo to life.

April 15, 2009
Possessing the ability to sense the presence of poison, botanist Lucinda Bromley is often called in by local authorities for her expert opinion. Unfortunately, some think she had a hand in poisoning her fiancé. Then a nobleman is killed with poison that could only have been made with a rare fern that had been stolen from her conservatory. Together with fellow Arcane Society member Caleb Jones, Lucinda sets out to unmask the real killer. What she doesn't expect is to fall for her partner in detection. Seductiveness and clever plotting combine with Quick's classic zingy wit to produce a funny, fast-paced romp that will please readers. Another winner in the popular Arcane Society series for Seattle area-based Quick ("The Third Circle"). [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 12/08.]

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2009
If Lucinda Bromley doesnt discover who stole her fern, she could end up being charged with murder. Lucinda frequently used her unusual psychic gift to discern death by poisoning to help the London police, but when a nobleman is poisoned by a compound containing elements of a rare fern, one that canonly be found in her conservatory, Lucinda knows she better act quickly. To help her findthe real murderer, she hires Caleb Jones, a psychical investigator. Believing there is a connection between Lucindas fern thief and a deadly dangerous secret society, Caleb agrees to take the case, but he never expected to become so distracted by his new partner in detection or to find himself flummoxed on so many fronts. New York Times best-seller Quick delivers another fascinatingaddition to her original and spellbindingVictorian-eraseries about the Arcane Society, a 200-year-oldsecret organization founded by an alchemistand devoted to paranormal research. Once again, Quick(one of Jayne Ann Krentzs alternative identities)expertly, even magically, dispensesdelectably witty dialogue, simmering sexual chemistry, and a plot laced with secrets, dangers, and surprises.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)