The River Knows

by Amanda Quick Narrated by Ashford MacNab

Overview

From New York Times bestselling author Amanda Quick comes a delightful romp filled with breathtaking suspense, dazzling wit, and steamy Victorian passion . . .



The first kiss occurred in a dimly lit hallway on the upper floor of Elwin Hastings's grand house. Louisa Bryce never saw it coming. Of course, handsome, wealthy Anthony Stalbridge couldn't possibly have had romantic intentions. The kiss was merely meant to distract the armed guard about to catch the two unlikely sleuths. After all, the only thing these two interlopers have in common is a passionate interest in uncovering the dastardly secrets of Mr. Hastings-a prominent member of society whom they suspect of murder.



Brought together by their desire for the truth, Anthony and Louisa finally discover the incriminating evidence they're looking for. But bringing Hastings to justice will be more perilous than they anticipate, especially since their thrilling attraction to danger-and, it turns out, to each other-might very well get in the way . . .

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

The suspense begins with the first sentence of this romantic mystery from the pseudonymous Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz uses this pseudonym for her Victorian novels). Gossip spreads fast about the liaison between "unimportant, unfashionable, excessively dull" Louisa Bryce and wealthy, handsome Anthony Stalbridge. In reality, their first kiss was a spur-of-the-moment coverup when the two are caught snooping around Elwin Hastings's mansion. Louisa, an undercover reporter for the sensational newspaper, Flying Intelligencer, is investigating Hastings's crooked financial dealings, while Anthony seeks the truth about his fiancée, one of three society women who supposedly committed suicide a year ago. Under the guise of their romance, Louisa and Anthony expose Hastings's many criminal schemes. Their relationship isn't all business, however, and Louisa's profession isn't her only secret. Quick's tightly woven tale allows little room for extraneous subplots—every cracked safe and mysterious prostitute plays an important role. Light humor and playful love scenes temper the more gruesome moments for an alluring combination of foggy nights and steamy afternoons. (Apr.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Library Journal

Louisa Bryce works hard at being unnoticed, and with her frumpy clothes and retiring manner, she generally succeeds. But not with Anthony Stalbridge. He knows she's up to something and follows her into the shadowy upper floors of the mansion where they are both attending a ball. An impulsive, passionate embrace is all that saves them from being reported by the guard. It seems they are on the trail of the same man and warily join forces. A daring hero searching for answers, an intrepid journalist heroine with dangerous secrets of her own, and a complex plot involving some of the darker realities of late Victorian society combine with Quick's wicked wit, inviting sensuality, and stellar sense of timing. Another winner for a top writer in the field. Quick (Second Sight), a.k.a Jayne Ann Krentz and Jayne Castle, lives in the Seattle area. [See Prepub Alert, LJ1/07.]

—Kristin Ramsdell

Kirkus Reviews

A bookish undercover reporter teams up with quirky gentleman to uncover the truth behind the suspicious drownings of several young ladies in late-Victorian-era London. After his fiancee, Fiona, is pulled from the inky Thames, Anthony Stalbridge must endure rumors that his imminent jilt caused her suicide. An independent thinker wealthy enough to know that his standing in society is assured, Anthony is driven less by concern for his reputation than by his growing suspicion that Fiona was murdered. His digging leads him to a party at the mansion of high-profile investor Elwin Hastings, whose wife Victoria also plunged into the Thames. There, Anthony crosses paths with Mrs. Louisa Bryce, a bespectacled, unfashionably dressed young widow (and proto-feminist) who believes Hastings is a partner in a well-known brothel catering to respectable gentlemen's darker impulses. The two forge an unlikely alliance, and Anthony finds himself increasingly fascinated with the elusive Louisa. It turns out that she is secretly I.M. Phantom, popular columnist for a tabloid dedicated to scandal among the upper crust. She is also, under her glasses and plain gowns, quite a sexy minx. Mistaking her for a woman of the world, Anthony attempts an al fresco seduction, only to discover that she is not as experienced as he thought. His miscalculation matters naught to Louisa, who gamely throws herself into their "illicit" affair. In fact, she is almost disappointed when Anthony introduces her to his charming, unconventional family. Could he possibly have real feelings for her? Meanwhile, bodies connected to Hastings pile up as the lovers get close to some very shady characters in organized crime, and Louisa has evenmore surprises in store for Anthony. Quick (Second Sight, 2006, etc.) does it again with a naughty-and-nice romp.

From the Publisher

Praise for The River Knows

“Well-plotted, adventurous and suspenseful, The River Knows takes the reader downstream with lots of surprising twists and undercurrents.”—The Seattle Times
 
“An alluring combination of foggy nights and steamy afternoons.”—Publishers Weekly 
 
“The incomparable Quick has once again penned a superbly tantalizing romantic suspense, replete with smart and snappy dialogue, witty humor, and fast-paced action.”—Booklist 

“Quick does it again with a naughty-and-nice romp.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Another compelling story with captivating characters, an intriguing plot, an engaging romance, and even a dash of wit.”—The State (Columbia, SC)
 
“A daring hero searching for answers, an intrepid journalist heroine with dangerous secrets of her own, and a complex plot involving some of the darker realities of late Victorian society combine with Quick’s wicked wit, inviting sensuality, and stellar sense of timing. Another winner for a top writer in the field.”—Library Journal

FEB/MAR 08 - AudioFile

In this romantic thriller, a litter of suspicious suicides and murders is wrapped around an unlikely love affair in Victorian England. Louisa Bryce, a wallflower who is also a scandal-sheet writer in secret, is investigating blue blood Alwin Hastings, suspected of owning a notorious brothel. Handsome, rich Anthony Stalbridge is also probing Hastings’s well-disguised private life. He believes Hastings was responsible for the suicide of his fiancée. Katherine Kellgren builds Louisa's character slowly but with intrigue as she falls in love with Stalbridge. Kellgren artfully portrays the hero with masculine intensity, and oozes evil as Hastings and the homicidal brothel madam, Victoria. The predictable climax--Hastings's downfall and Louisa and Stalbridge's declarations of love--takes too long in coming, but Kellgren keeps the excitement red-hot until the end. M.T.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176830514
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	02/21/2023
Edition description:	Unabridged

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