Review: Crystal Gardens

Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



5 STARS
The first book of The Ladies of Lantern Street Series arrived via UPS the other day. I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC copy of Crystal Gardens via Goodreads. Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick is expected to go on sale 4/24/12. Amanda Quick is one of Jayne Ann Krentz's pseudonyms with the other being Jayne Castle.

I've always held her books up to a different standard than other books. I've expected them to be better...much better. Not fair, I admit, but true and she hasn't let me down yet. The thing that frustrated me most of all is when I received the book I was too sick to read it for 2 very long days.

Although this book isn't connected with the Arcane Society(to my knowledge), it has a similar flavor as the characters all have psychical abilities.

Evangeline Ames, a want-to-be writer with the psychical talent of detection/finding things has rented a cottage in Little Dixby outside of London. She is there to rest, write, and recuperate from a terrifying attack. Late one night she was disturbed by an intruder intent on murder. As he comes at her with a knife, he identifies himself as Sharpy Hobson. She escapes into the Crystal Gardens, an overgrown garden with bizarre energy and paranormal elements located on her landlord Lucas Sebastian's estate. As Sharpy pursues her, Lucas steps out of the Crystal Gardens surprising them both. Something about the gardens or Lucas give Sharpy an errie feeling and he flees deeper into the gardens. The next thing heard is an unearthly cry from the gardens....

I won't give up anymore of the plot but will say that the story-line held me enthralled as if they had used their psychical talents on me. I was totally hooked by the 9th page and surprised at how descriptively detailed those first 9 pages were. Ms. Krentz/Quick definitely knows her stuff.

Evie & Lucas had sparks flying off the pages and the secondary characters kept up their part enhancing the story-line. This book offers romance, adventure, a murder mystery and enough paranormal excitement to keep the reader off kilter and begging for more.

I think that Jayne Ann Krentz is the one with the psychical ability to write novels that keep you enthralled to the last page, while waiting impatiently for the next book no matter what pseudonym she uses.


I believe that any review is a trust/duty between myself, goodreads & the author to review any book with my honest opinion. Honesty will always supercede my gratitude for a free book because this is the goal of goodreads. (less) [edit]










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