2018: #21 – ‘Til Death Do Us Part (Amanda Quick)

'Til Death Do Us Part by Amanda Quick
Published by Berkley on April 19, 2016
Genres: historical romance
Pages: 352


Also by this author: Reckless

The author of the New York Times bestseller Garden of Lies returns to Victorian London in an all-new novel of deadly obsession.
 
Calista Langley operates an exclusive “introduction” agency in Victorian London, catering to respectable ladies and gentlemen who find themselves alone in the world. But now, a dangerously obsessed individual has begun sending her trinkets and gifts suitable only for those in deepest mourning—a black mirror, a funeral wreath, a ring set with black jet stone. Each is engraved with her initials.
 
Desperate for help and fearing that the police will be of no assistance, Calista turns to Trent Hastings, a reclusive author of popular crime novels. Believing that Calista may be taking advantage of his lonely sister, who has become one of her clients, Trent doesn’t trust her. Scarred by his past, he’s learned to keep his emotions at bay, even as an instant attraction threatens his resolve.
 
But as Trent and Calista comb through files of rejected clients in hopes of identifying her tormentor, it becomes clear that the danger may be coming from Calista’s own secret past—and that only her death will satisfy the stalker...

The beginning of this book really threw me off, but I’m glad I pushed through and kept going. It’s a decent historical mystery — not the best, but not the worst either. The romance portion was pretty mild, and there wasn’t a lot of chemistry between Trent and Calista. But I did enjoy the mystery portion of the story (Calista has a stalker, but who is it?), and I liked the camaraderie between the two families. I generally enjoy Amanda Quick, so I’m sure I’ll read more of her books.

Other reviews:

• “While not a perfect read, ‘Til Death Do Us Part is definitely a very strong one. I enjoyed the romance, with its occasional touches of humor to lighten the mood of the darkly gothic mystery. And I adored the suspense! This one has lots of twists and turns to it.” – All About Romance
• “So why a C+? Ultimately, this novel doesn’t completely deliver as a mystery. The twist comes out of nowhere. A good twist leaves you thinking, “Oh my gosh, I should have realized it all along! There were so many clues, but I just didn’t put them together!” This twist just left me going, ‘Oookay, that was …weird.'” – Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
• “Can you tell that I love ‘Til Death Do Us Part?  I hope you can and that if you are a historical romance fan, you give this book a chance.  Amanda Quick is still – after all this years – a magnificent writer.” – quite the novel idea