The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick Summary

The Girl Who Knew Too Much is a historical romantic-suspense novel set in 1930s California. Reporter Irene Glasson investigates the drowning death of an actress at the exclusive Burning Cove Hotel, uncovering dangerous secrets about a Hollywood leading man. She partners with Oliver Ward, a former magician and hotel owner, to solve the mystery while both hide dark secrets from their own pasts.

Amanda Quick is the historical romance pseudonym of bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz, who has written over 50 New York Times bestsellers. Krentz uses three pen names: Amanda Quick for historical romantic-suspense, Jayne Ann Krentz for contemporary settings, and Jayne Castle for futuristic paranormal romance. She holds degrees in History and Library Science and has over 35 million books in print worldwide.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much is worth reading for fans of historical romantic-suspense who enjoy 1930s Hollywood glamour, murder mysteries, and complex characters with hidden pasts. Amanda Quick masterfully blends romance with suspense, creating an atmospheric thriller set at an exclusive coastal hotel. The novel offers engaging protagonists, period detail, and a compelling mystery that keeps readers hooked until the final page.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much appeals to readers who enjoy historical romantic-suspense, 1930s Hollywood settings, and murder mysteries with romantic subplots. Fans of Amanda Quick's previous work, particularly those who appreciate smart female protagonists and alpha male heroes, will find this book engaging. It's ideal for readers seeking escapist fiction that combines glamour, danger, secrets, and romance in equal measure.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much takes place in 1930s California during Hollywood's Golden Age. The novel captures the glamour and danger of this era when movie stars sought privacy at exclusive coastal retreats. Amanda Quick uses this historical backdrop to explore themes of reinvention, illusion, and the dark secrets hidden beneath Hollywood's glittering surface, creating an atmospheric setting that enhances both the romance and suspense.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much is the first book in Amanda Quick's Burning Cove series. While it can be read as a standalone novel with a complete storyline, subsequent books in the series continue to explore the mysterious coastal town and its exclusive hotel. Each book features different protagonists but shares the atmospheric 1930s California setting and themes of Hollywood glamour mixed with danger.

The main characters are Irene Glasson (formerly Anna Harris), a rookie gossip reporter who fled Los Angeles four months earlier under mysterious circumstances, and Oliver Ward, a world-famous magician whose career ended after a mysterious injury during his final performance. Both protagonists harbor dangerous secrets from their pasts while investigating an actress's suspicious drowning at Oliver's Burning Cove Hotel, creating romantic tension alongside the murder mystery.

The Burning Cove Hotel is an exclusive coastal retreat in a small California town where Hollywood moguls and stars seek privacy away from public scrutiny. Owned by former magician Oliver Ward, the hotel caters to the entertainment industry's elite while maintaining discretion. In the novel, the hotel becomes the center of intrigue when an actress is found dead in its pool, threatening both Oliver's livelihood and the carefully constructed illusions protecting his famous guests.

Anna Harris discovers her employer, Helen Spencer, brutally murdered with a cryptic message written in blood telling her to "RUN" and hide a valuable notebook. Fleeing her old life, Anna reinvents herself as Irene Glasson and becomes a reporter in Los Angeles. Four months later, while investigating a Hollywood scandal, she finds another woman dead, pulling her into a dangerous conspiracy that threatens to expose her hidden past.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much blends historical romance with suspense thriller and murder mystery elements. Amanda Quick specializes in romantic-suspense set in historical periods, combining the atmospheric detail of 1930s California with danger, secrets, and passionate romance. The novel features a strong mystery plot involving Hollywood scandals and murder while developing the romantic relationship between two protagonists hiding from their pasts.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much interweaves romance and mystery by pairing two protagonists who must solve a murder while hiding dangerous secrets from each other. Irene Glasson needs Oliver Ward's help investigating an actress's death, but trusting him means risking exposure of her own hidden past. Their collaboration forces intimacy and vulnerability, creating romantic tension that intensifies as the mystery deepens and both characters' secrets threaten to surface.

Oliver Ward stands out as a "master of deception"—a world-famous magician whose career ended mysteriously during his final performance, leaving him with injuries that forced his retirement. Now owning the Burning Cove Hotel, he uses his skills in illusion and misdirection to protect his livelihood and guests' privacy. His understanding of deception makes him both the perfect partner for uncovering truth and a dangerous person for Irene to trust with her own secrets.