Customer Reviews

Lie by Moonlight

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Surely one of the most prolific writers working today this author turns out bestsellers under three different pen names. Rather than an effort to be mysterious, she explains that "the three names are designed to let readers know which of my three different worlds they will be getting when they plunk down their hard-earned money for one of my books."

There surely is a lot of "plunking down" going on as her titles, whether by Amanda Quick (historical settings) or by Jayne Ann Krentz or Jayne Castle (paranormal focus), make cash registers ring. Lie By Moonlight, her latest in the history/romance field is typical Amanda Quick, which is precisely what readers' want - suspenseful, romantic, and rich in Victorian period detail.

Consider the opening lines: "Midnight in a fog-shrouded graveyard. There could be no darker place on the face of the earth...." Who can resist reading on?

Concordia Glade is a twenty-something teacher with unique notions about education. She accepts a position as headmistress to four young orphaned heiresses, and journeys to a lonely old castle, Aldwick, to take up her task.

Her charges are charming, their welfare seen to by an unknown person of wealth. However, Concordia's enthusiasm begins to wane when she finds that her predecessor vanished without a trace and, even worse, she suspects that there is an evil plot to sell the girls as courtesans.

Meanwhile, in far off London, Ambrose Wells, a 19th century private detective has agreed to investigate the death of a young woman. His research takes him to the grounds of Aldwick Castle, where to his astonishment he finds the building afire, dead bodies about, and a woman and four girls riding off on horseback.

Will Ambrose champion the five? Of course, he will. Will he and Concordia be attracted to one another? This is a Regency romance. But, who is behind the vile plan to sell the girls and why?

- Gail Cooke

Concordia Glade ia a freethinking, independent teacher. She has had to hide her true idenity since the death of her parents ten years ago. Her parents were very free thinkers and had been married to other people. Therefore being illigetimate, she had wisely changed her name. Now she finds herself teacher, friend, and protector to four young ladies in her care. While teaching them at a secluded castle she discovers they are to be auctioned off to the highest bidder by a notorious criminal. Immediately she comes up with a plan to escape from the castle with her charges.

Ambrose wells may very well be the last practicioner of Vanza in England. The mystic discipline has fallen out of favor over the years. He spends the wit and energy gained from his dedication to this lifestyle by solving mysteries and answering puzzling questions. In the course of an inquiry he meets Concordia as she and her charges escape from their captivity.

There are so many unanswered questions about the situation and both Ambrose and Concordia are very courious people. The more they learn the more questions. Wherever the search leads, deaths follow.

The attraction between the two of them is hot and quick, suddenly Concordia can believe in love at first sight. But marriage because of obligation is not in her vocabulary.

Ambrose's mentor John Stoner returns late in the book and has his own thoughts on the relationship between Concordia and Ambrose. He is a delightful character and I quickly checked to be sure he was the Vanza student who was saved and sent to the island to study by Edison Stokes in I THEE WED.

This is typical Amanda Quick and it is wonderful. I loved it. I read it in one sitting.

I enjoyed this book for the following reasons. First, both of characters are likeable. I really dislike heros that fit into the catergory of, "I'm a man, your a woman, therefore I'm better than you." Ambrose Wells doesn't fall into that type of hero. Second, although, both characters have baggage stemming from their upbringings, neither are so stubborn and foolish that it gets in the way of their story. Both of these points are very important to me when considering a good book.
I would also like to point out that this book makes mention of a Cabinet of Curosities. These cabinet is also mentioned in the Jayne Castle book "After Dark". The character John Stoner, I believe was in another Amanda Quick book, but I can't seem to remember what book that was. I thought that this would be interesting to point out to those who might not of noticed it.
The reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because I wasn't able to really feel for the characters. In other words, I wasn't able to see them falling in love. The story focused more of the plot of the 4 girls and their situation than the love story. I thought that was rather disappointing. However,I think this is a good book and I don't regret spending the $25 dollars for it.

I will not rehash what was stated by the previous reviewers. Suffice it to say, I agree that "Lie by Midnight" is one Ms. Quick's best books in years. I envy and appreciate her ability to come up with interesting story lines and fascinating characters book after book. Read and enjoy!

I haven't read Amanda Quick since I finished Lavinia & Tobias' 2 stories. This one seemed to follow the same formula. Two non-societal leads get thrown together under criminal circumstances and the female insists they partner up to solve the mystery. Except in this case, Cooncordia Glade is a teacher with modern & unconventional sentiments. Ambrose Wells is the same person of inquiry, but with a better sense of humor. The mystery wasn't very tight, I found the motive not matched to the crime.

There is so much explaining dialogue in this novel, and a lot of the time I felt like they were just recapping events so that the reader, all who apparently have short attention spans, could remember what was going on.

In my humble opinion, I think Ms. Quick lost her way writing this book, and went with telling a story about dull mystery rather than focusing on the funny and complex Ambrose, Concordia's love and dedication to help foundlings that society would rather board up and ignore, or the endearingly interfering four students, Edwina, Theodora, Phoebe and Hannah. Speaking of whom, how many times those four names were stated together in this novel, I haven't a clue. But it's probably upwards of 500. Almost each time the 4 of them are mentioned, it's not as "the girls" or "the four students" or "Ms. Glade's girls" or "Concordia's pupils" or any other number of ways of referring to them, it's "Edwina, Theodora, Phoebe and Hannah." But that is besides the point.

I much would have rather read about Concordia being headmistress of a girls school and seeing how she inspires and gives hope to the forgotten children. This book instead was just a romance with a backdrop of a not very intelligent mystery.

Amazon won't like me saying this but DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY BUYING THIS BOOK. If you like Amanda Quick, just check it out from the library. This is one of her less than great novels. Normally she's superb.

Concordia Glade has to set fire to the castle where her four schoolgirl charges are at risk in order to rescue them. However, their escape nearly goes wrong, until Ambrose Wells, reformed thief, appears on the scene for his own reasons.

Thus starts a series of events which include murders, disguises, romance and complex plots. The usual Amanda Quick hallmarks are there - fierce rather than handsome hero, strong women giving up their virginity at the drop of a hat, journeys in carriages in the fog. This book is set in the Victorian rather than Regency period, although this makes little difference to the overall feel of the book. We meet the Vanzagarian society again, with John Stoner (a young man in "I Thee Wed") as an old Vanza master.

This book was definitely a return to form after the rather disappointing Tobias March and Lavinia Lake series. No surprises in this book, it's standard fare, but well-written and gripping and fun too. Enjoy!

This book works on many levels, which is a tribute to the meticulousness of the author. It is a romance, a mystery, a wonderfully atmospheric period piece, and a character study. The author has a theme which she carries through to the end with a twist (and you probably won't see it coming).

I also enjoyed that she went down several layers of English society for her Victorian protagonists, giving her a great deal more flexibility with plot. Concordia and Ambrose are no hothouse plants, nutured in the English aristocracy and hidebound by tradition, but orphans who have learned how to survive by their wits. Yet they each have a core of goodness and decency, and the real question is whether they can overcome their sad childhoods and embrace the feelings they develop for each other.

Well done and highly recommended.

In the latter part of Queen Victoria's reign, Miss Concordia Glade accepts a position at Aldwick Castle as headmistress to four teenaged orphan girls. She gradually becomes aware that her employers are up to no good especially when she overhears them talk about auctioning off the girls. The place is well guarded making it almost impossible to get away but Concordia and her wards build and set off explosives that cause a diversion so that they can get to the stables.

Once there they are caught by one of the guards but inquiry agent Ambrose Wells appears in the stables and helps them flee to his townhouse in London. He was hired to find out who killed Nellie Taylor. His investigation leads him to crime lord Alexander Larkin who is behind the auction that will soon take place. Ambrose intends to keep Concordia and her teenagers safe while he also seeks evidence that he can take to the police. Concordia, who believes she is the equal of any man, helps him until one of the perpetrators concludes she knows too much and must be gotten out of the way.

Amanda Quick can always be counted on for quirky characters that don't fit into society and as a result are freer than most of their peers, but also find ways to get in trouble. While working together the two protagonists realize they are attracted to one another while the teen quartet play matchmaker nudging them along until one of them proposes marriage. LIE BY MOONLIGHT is one of MS. Quick's most charming and entertaining historical romantic investigative novels that she has ever written.

Harriet Klausner

Amanda Quick seems to get better with each new book. She also seems to be one of the few romance writers who can come up with a heroine -- Concordia Glade, in this story -- who is more than just the usual Lady Doormat. Concordia has a backbone without being a b**ch, is sensitive without being simpering and intelligent without over-apologizing for it. She's a woman with modern ideals trapped in a time where that and her unusual upbringing are scandalous to proper society. She has to hide who and what she is just to survive and to do what she loves, to teach.

Ambrose Wells could easily have been the Lord Neanderthal of so many other bad romance novels, tall, dark, overbearing and condescending. But Ms. Quick doesn't allow him to degenerate into that cliché. Of course he has a mysterious past and he's incredibly handsome, but he respects Concordia instead of trying to dominate her. He works *with* Concordia, not around her in order to protect her young pupils and to solve the multiple murder mystery. Like any man of the time he would certainly prefer it if she didn't put herself in so much danger and allowed herself to be protected more, but once he realizes she's not the type of woman to cry for help and hide behind a man, he learns to accept that and her, and to love her for who she is instead of despite it.

The mystery itself is a good one. Why were the girls taken from orphanages and tutored like Ladies? The answer isn't as easy as it first seems, although Concordia's conclusions were logical given the information she had. I certainly didn't see the bigger picture until she and Ambrose were able to dig further into things. The story moves along at a fast pace and there are some genuine surprises along the way, twists in the plot I never saw coming.

I'd actually recommend this book to people as good fiction, and since I usually mock romances for fun, that's saying a great deal.

Quick is back in the late Victorian era with an irrepressible teacher, Concordia Glade. She meets Ambrose Wells, one of the last members of Vanza, while trying to save her four young pupils. Together the two follow clues to the villians planning to use the young girls for nefarious deeds. A minor character from Quick's Vanza novel, I Thee Wed,is reintroduced as an older gentleman linking the earlier period novels to this one. The mystery is interesting, there is the humor, and the story is fast paced. As always you will not be disappointed in this story. It makes a fun beach read.