Product Description

A lady with a secret past.

A man in search of a killer.

They thought they had nothing in common-

until their first kiss.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #101084 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 432 pages

From 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 © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
She didn't mean to kill the man who broke into her room. Especially since he was a member of Victorian England's nobility, a protected class that could, literally, get away with murder. Now Louisa Bryce feels compelled to fake her own death and assume a new identity. Her fine writing skills land her a job as intrepid investigative reporter I. M. Phantom, whom everyone assumes is a man. It was so easy for Louisa to feign her demise, she now wonders if two other recent drownings were actually suicides. Anthony Stalbridge is wondering the same thing about his fiancee's drowning. When Louisa and Anthony run into each other while snooping in the rooms of a likely suspect, he gets off on the wrong foot by assuming a woman has no business conducting a dangerous investigation, while Louisa is annoyed and fascinated by his alpha-male behavior. Louisa is the archetypal Amanda Quick heroine, an adventurous woman full of grit, gumption, and determination. And Anthony is the perfect hero, a man with an edge. The incomparable Quick (aka Jayne Ann Krentz and Jayne Castle) has once again penned a superbly tantalizing romantic suspense, replete with smart and snappy dialogue, witty humor, and fast-paced action. Shelley Mosley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Amanda Quick is a pseudonym for Jayne Ann Krentz who-under various pen names-is the author of more than forty New York Times bestsellers. There are more than 25 million copies of her books in print.

Customer Reviews

A fun, light, quick-witted read!
Only a year or so ago, Louisa Bryce, a very intelligent woman, faked a suicide to run from the supposed murder of a very prominent, but very evil, man. Hired by Emma Ashton as a companion, someone to write her memoires, Louisa and Emma quickly become fast friends, where Louisa confesses all. In order to help, Emma is playing off Louisa as a distant cousin from the country who is now widowed. "Unimportant, unfashionable and excessively dull", Louisa manages to squeeze around the Polite World, uncovering deep secrets of the weathly Society ton. She is, after all, a journalist for the Flying Intelligencer, a notorious rag; pen name: I. M. Phantom. No one knows her background, and she intends to keep it that way.

Convinced that Elwin Hastings is up to no good, let alone a possible murderer, she sets off to investigate and find the truth. During a ball, she slips unoticed up the stairs to search his rooms. Leaving his bedroom, she is caught by Anthony Stalbridge, saving her from almost being caught by one of Hastings's personal hired guards. Seems that Anthony is convinced that Hastings murdered his fiancee, Fiona Risby. He's looking for proof - regardless if Hastings pays for his crimes, he still wants the proof. With a quick-witted discussion, the two become unlikely partners, both after the same goal.

And that's when the fun begins. Evidence is found in the way of business papers and one of Fiona's very expensive necklace (the one she was wearing the night she disappeared from a party); now Anthony and Louisa are sure there is more afoot and continue to dig. Louisa would like nothing more than to expose him to the Society he so desperately wants to belong to. Anthony wants him to confess to murdering Fiona. Will they get what they covet most?

Oh, you most certainly bet they do - almost more than they bargain for. Yes, you find out early on the who and what, but it's how the plot came about and to a close that keeps your attention. The more they dig, the more facts come to light, the more questions answered and more arise, that have you focussing on the story, and the main characters.

Louisa is a strong and intelligent woman, regardless of her naivete. She fights for what she believes is right, even if she's putting herself unknowingly in harm's way. Anthony is the only person in his family with a head for finances; seems his father, mother and sister are the eccentric artists of the family. Strong-willed and relentless, he had spotted Louisa right off and became intrigued by the unknown woman; he could see the intelligence in her eyes, no matter how dull she made herself seem in the form of dress and conversation. And the more time they spend together, the more they fall in love with each other. But Louisa believes that it can be nothing more than an illicit affair, especially knowing that, if anyone discovered her past, she'd be hanged for murder.

Quick-witted conversations, discussions and the hot passion they feel for each other will have you believing they are made for each other - two halves of a whole. I liked how Quick touched base on what it was like for woman in that day in age, where women were really considered the weaker sex, where they were valued for their looks, bloodline and money, not for their mind. I like how, not once but twice, Louisa rises above, first after her father dies, then after her faked suicide. It was nice to see Anthony falling in love with her, first and foremost, for her intelligence and integrity. Perfect match. Great climax to the story, even if you did see it coming. Couldn't have asked for better!

awfully bad!
There is no suspense, Amanda quick-ly lets us know who the murderer is. Beyond that, the book is padded and padded and padded with extraneous info. I would rate it "I hate it," but the sex scenes are more true-to-life than most.

Excellent read
The River Knows was an excellent read. I enjoyed it as much as the many other Quick novels I've read. The only criticism I have is that I did not get to know Louisa Bryce or Anthony Stalbridge well enough. There was a great emphasis on the intrigue of the story which worked for me since I love mysteries, but I would have liked more details about who they were. I wonder if she will write other books featuring these characters. I hope so. If she writes another book, I hope she fleshes out the characters more so that we feel as though we really know them.