The Mystery Woman (Ladies of Lantern Street, #2)

by Amanda Quick

[kimbacaffeinate]

4.5 The Ladies of Lantern Street work for a private investigation company and its employees are mostly female. These trained women often disguise themselves as companions as they solve cases and protect young woman. Beatrice Lockwood is on case to protect a young lady from a fortune hunter when she encounters Joshua North, a former spy for the crown. He assists her and then informs her he has been searching for her. Beatrice has a secret past and it’s all about to catch up with her when she is suspected of blackmail and murder. When Joshua interviews her, he quickly realizes all is not as it seems and together the two must find the blackmailer and stop a madman.

The ladies of Lantern Street are bright, feisty and witty. They each possess some kind of paranormal talent and I found them fascinating. Beatrice is clever and her ability to see emotional footprints and access situations was believable and interesting. Her fiery red hair matches her witty and sometimes snarky personality. Joshua North has been recovering from injuries he suffered during his last case. He has been melancholy and suffers from both physical scars and emotional ones due to the accident. He is tall, angular and while not classically handsome his strong presence draws the female eye. Meeting Beatrice and working this case has given him a new vigor for life. The banter and slow building romance was quite good and I found myself rooting for them. The mad scientist and his obsession with an ancient Egyptian formula added suspense to the tale. The assassin was positively creepy and learning about him as he pursued them was quite fun. We briefly see the other ladies of Lantern Street and their employers. I enjoy this group and I am looking forward to more tales.

One of the things I love about Quick (Krentz) is that she knows how to spin a captivating tale. She carefully weaves all of the threads together at a beautiful pace that allows the reader to completely immerse themselves in the world and characters. Time and time again she gives me that book high I so desperately chase. I found the mystery and Beatrice’s part in it quite clever and the mix of Egyptian mythology added to the paranormal woo-woo of this tale and felt genuine. There were quite a few twists in the mystery and while a part of me suspected, it wasn't until close to the end that I was sure. The romance was splendid, built slowly and had moments of humor and sweetness. We do get a little heat and it was hot but discreetly done. Each of these books contain one mystery and one romance and I look forward to the next ladies story.

originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer