274th out of 1,229 books
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6,470 voters
The Perfect Poison (The Arcane Society #6)
by
Amanda Quick (Goodreads Author)
Plagued by rumors that she poisoned her fianc?, Lucinda Bromley manages to live on the fringes of polite society, tending her beloved plants ? and occasionally consulting on a murder investigation. For the notorious botanist possesses a unique talent: she can detect almost any type of poison, especially ones that have their origins in the botanical kingdom. But the death o...more
Paperback, 342 pages
Published
May 29th 2009
by Piatkus Books
(first published January 1st 2009)
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Apr 21, 2009
Julie (jjmachshev)
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2009-reads
Historical romance readers will be very, very happy with Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle's newest 'Arcane Society' novel, "The Perfect Poison". This is the long awaited story of Caleb Jones, founder of Jones & Jones Investigations. As a long-time and fervent (rabid might be more truthful) fan of the author, I loved how she contrived connections, both written and implied, to her contemporary 'Arcane Society' books and her Jayne Castle Harmony/St Helens books. But even if you've not...more
I think it's interesting how Amanda Quick / Jayne Ann Krentz goes back and forth between the late Victorian era in England to contemporary US West Coast in the Arcane Society novels. I found the origins of J&J and presumably arcanematch.com in this novel interesting and also gave a better understanding of several of the things that happen in the contemporary novels. I also appreciated the opportunity for characters from two of the former novels to make appearances in this book, as well as a...more
This is another great entry in the Arcane Society series. I love these books. In this one, the heroine has a botany talent that's pretty interesting and helpful in solving crimes. The hero is a Jones, but they fit together well, and she actually realizes it. They don't spend three-fourths of the book fighting the connection like sometimes happens. It also talks about the founding of the Jones & Jones investigation agency.
Oh, man, this book. Let's say 2.5 stars. I should start by saying that it was definitely engaging enough to make the extensive driving that I do for tutoring less onerous. At the same time, it was kind of a mess.
I have read my fair share (or maybe more?) of romance novels, and I get how the general plot goes. They meet, they fight, they fall in love, etc. The way this book was laid out made no sense to me, though. They meet, they have sex almost immediately, they kind of fight, then in the next...more
I have read my fair share (or maybe more?) of romance novels, and I get how the general plot goes. They meet, they fight, they fall in love, etc. The way this book was laid out made no sense to me, though. They meet, they have sex almost immediately, they kind of fight, then in the next...more
Already a pariah in polite society, suspected of poisoning her fiance, Lucinda Bromley has been helping the police investigate murders. The latest murder has her frightened enough to hire Arcane Society investigator Caleb Jones. The fern used in the poison is one of a kind, growing in her green house. As the investigation continues, Caleb and Lucinda discover more than a simple theft.
This is the sixth entry in the Jayne Ann Krentz Arcane Society series. We learn more about the problems with the...more
This is the sixth entry in the Jayne Ann Krentz Arcane Society series. We learn more about the problems with the...more
I enjoy the Arcane Society novels, and I tend to like the Victorian era ones the best. This one was enjoyable.
Lucinda Bromley is notorious - because her father apparently committed suicide, and because Lucy is suspected of poisoning her fiance. She doesn't really mind being on the fringes of polite society, as a botanist, she'd rather spend her time in her conservatory with her beloved plants. She also occasionally consults for Scotland Yard on murder investigations, since her psychical talent i...more
Lucinda Bromley is notorious - because her father apparently committed suicide, and because Lucy is suspected of poisoning her fiance. She doesn't really mind being on the fringes of polite society, as a botanist, she'd rather spend her time in her conservatory with her beloved plants. She also occasionally consults for Scotland Yard on murder investigations, since her psychical talent i...more
This wasn't my first Arcane Society novel, but it is the first one I've read in a long time. Amanda Quick novels are among some of my favorite, so I set a slightly higher bar on this novel than I otherwise might. I did have some minor issues with this book. I don't know if my issues are common to all Arcane Society books.
It's been long enough that I can't speak to whether I like the Arcane Society novels in general, but I can say that this one is fair. It is nowhere near my favorite of Quick's b...more
It's been long enough that I can't speak to whether I like the Arcane Society novels in general, but I can say that this one is fair. It is nowhere near my favorite of Quick's b...more
In a Victorian England in which a small percentage of the population is endowed with various 'psychical' gifts, psychic botanist Lucinda is notorious for being a loose woman and an unconvicted lethal poisoner (as a matter of fact, she's neither). When she hires irascible, brooding, psychic private investigator Caleb Jones--of the famous psychic family which controls the Arcane Society--to discover who stole from her a rare, hallucinatory fern, things heat up in more ways than one.
My public libra...more
My public libra...more
Sep 03, 2011
Michelle Randall
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arane-society-novels,
historical
If a book was written by Amanda Quick, then chances are high that I liked it. I discovered her work many years ago, and read just about everything I could get my hands on. Then she started writing the Arcane Society Novels, and I liked them even better, if that is possible! So knowing this was an Arcane Society Novel and one written by Amanda Quick, I was all over it.
I first read this about a year or so back, then last week at the library I was looking for more Arcane Society books, and I picked...more
I first read this about a year or so back, then last week at the library I was looking for more Arcane Society books, and I picked...more
I found The Perfect Poison to be yet another hit in Amanda Quick's series of arcane society novels. I've been a fan of Ms. Quick's for several years, and I generally enjoy anything she writes. But as someone who likes things with a paranormal side to them, I've found that I have a special preference for her arcane society novels. It's always interesting to pick up a book in the series and learn what paranormal "gift" Ms. Quick has masterfully thought out and created for the main character(s).
If...more
If...more
Krentz/Quick/Castle did her usual outstanding job with the latest Arcane Society novel. We learn more about things mentioned as institutions in the contemporary novels - Jones and Jones and Arcane style matchmaking in particular.
Although extensive references are made to other books in the series - reading this out of order is doable. Books below are in chronological order - numbers refer to publication order... [Yeah, it's as convoluted as some of her plots!:]
This is romantic suspense - it has...more
Although extensive references are made to other books in the series - reading this out of order is doable. Books below are in chronological order - numbers refer to publication order... [Yeah, it's as convoluted as some of her plots!:]
This is romantic suspense - it has...more
Am I going to give up on Jayne Ann Krentz? Probably not, but I'm just not as satisfied with her writing as I used to be, although admittedly having collected over 130 books by Krentz I guess my expectations are biased. Maybe my preferences have evolved or maybe I've just been exposed to too much great fiction and have higher standards now. The Perfect Poison's book jacket looks pretty and promising with purple flowers and ferns and a hot pink spine. The books feel nice and weighty, so I was exci...more
The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick
Penelope has two great passions in her life (aside, of course, from her fly-fishing addicted husband and two rocking kids)...romantic fiction and plants. Yes, along time ago (in a galaxy far, far away) Penelope earned a degree in plant science from an ivy league university, and her obsession with plants continues to this day. So, just imagine my delight to discover a book that combines these two obsessions! The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick is so right up my al...more
Penelope has two great passions in her life (aside, of course, from her fly-fishing addicted husband and two rocking kids)...romantic fiction and plants. Yes, along time ago (in a galaxy far, far away) Penelope earned a degree in plant science from an ivy league university, and her obsession with plants continues to this day. So, just imagine my delight to discover a book that combines these two obsessions! The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick is so right up my al...more
Lucinda Bromley is a notorious woman in this historical-and-psychic-romance-mystery. The Arcane Society novels span two authors -- Quick-- and her contemporary counterpart Jayne Ann Krentz. Lucinda has a talent for detecting poisons and for botany. She's an expert in healing and herbal tinctures but her noteriety is because of the unresolved poisoning murders of her fiance and her father's friend as well as her father's murder by a gun. Society views her as extremely suspect.
As she assists the p...more
As she assists the p...more
Ever wonder what would have happened if Sherlock Holmes, the master of dispassionate problem-solving, found his equal? Yeah, me too! Especially since the BBC’s most recent incarnation of Sherlock came out and boy do I have a mind crush on him.
Back to the point, Belinda. Why should you read this book? Because it’s about a woman who knows she has a talent and isn’t afraid to use it. It’s about a man who recognizes that talent and respects her for it, even if he doesn’t understand it. It’s about tw...more
Back to the point, Belinda. Why should you read this book? Because it’s about a woman who knows she has a talent and isn’t afraid to use it. It’s about a man who recognizes that talent and respects her for it, even if he doesn’t understand it. It’s about tw...more
I really enjoyed this light read and will have to go back and find the first six in the series!
Lucinda Bromley lives in Victorian London and is a member of the Arcane Society - a secretive group of people with psychical powers.
Lucinda's power is the ability to detect poison, particularly poisons of a botanical nature. Because of her ability, a policeman, Inspector Spellar, calls on Lucinda's services to help him solve crimes. These occasions are one of the few times that Lucinda leaves her home...more
Lucinda Bromley lives in Victorian London and is a member of the Arcane Society - a secretive group of people with psychical powers.
Lucinda's power is the ability to detect poison, particularly poisons of a botanical nature. Because of her ability, a policeman, Inspector Spellar, calls on Lucinda's services to help him solve crimes. These occasions are one of the few times that Lucinda leaves her home...more
Another excellent addition to the Arcane Society saga,back to the Victorian inception of the Jones and Jones Investigative Society. Caleb Jones is an intense investigator who seems to be oblivious of Polite Society's dictates in his singleminded pursuit of truth. He struggles with the legacy of his ancestors, including an inheritance of madness that he is destined to fulfill and encounters Lucinda Bromley, a spinster with her own onerous legacy. Lucinda's talent allows her to analyze botanical p...more
This is one of Amanda Quick’s Arcane Society books. This is a story about Lucinda Bromley, who sensational press has rivaled over the last year and a half. She is concerned, because her talent makes her realize that there is a poison out there that is from a plant that has been stolen from her conservatory. She hires Caleb Jones to track down who stole the plant and to keep her out of jail. Caleb is an intense man that has recently started a company called Jones and Company. He is intertwined in...more
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Lucinda Bromley has a rare talent, she can detect almost any kind of poison. Her reputation is soiled by the fact that her finance died from what appeared to be poisoning. However her skills are used by the police. In the latest case she discovers that the poisoning subject was poisoned by a recently stolen fern from her collection. She hires Caleb Jones, part of a psychical investigation agency, to investigate for her. He can see patterns and sense when things ar going well in an investigation....more
Lucinda Bromley is a gentlewoman with a cloud hanging over her head. Her father is said to have committed suicide. Her fiance was poisoned, supposedly by Lucinda herself. Although the courts never convicted her, public opinion has. But, on the whole, Lucinda is content. She raises exotic plants, has a position in the Arcane Society, and uses her gifts to assist the police on poison cases. It is not an expansive life, but it is, on the whole, a happy one.
That all changes when she is called out to...more
That all changes when she is called out to...more
Aug 12, 2012
Heathy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
european-historical-romance
Was pleasantly surprised to find an English historical novel that's NOT a Regency. This story takes place in Victorian London and stars a heroine who I absolutely adored! She is not the helpless, annoying girl that I've come to expect in romances. She is strong, independent, and best of all.... she's not breathtakingly gorgeous! She has glasses & is a normal-looking girl.
I also liked the hero. Although, he's rather wealthy, he's NOT royalty (not a duke, lord, etc.).
The plot line was interest...more
I also liked the hero. Although, he's rather wealthy, he's NOT royalty (not a duke, lord, etc.).
The plot line was interest...more
After two disappointments ("The River Knows" and "The Third Circle") it was reassuring to read a quality Amanda Quick book again. Lucinda and Caleb are not quite as well written as say Tobias and Lavinia or Emily and Simon from Scandal or Concordia and Ambrose from Lie by Moonlight but they're interesting and fun.
The plot was complicated enough to keep my attention and fits perfectly into the Arcane Society mythology. I'd love to read more adventures with this couple.
The plot was complicated enough to keep my attention and fits perfectly into the Arcane Society mythology. I'd love to read more adventures with this couple.
In the abstract, this book ticks boxes for me - botany; feisty, independent ladies in a historical setting; decent preamble to the existence of paranormal abilities in this fictional universe - all good. But then the two leads first meet each other for the first time - for a business meeting - and proceed to snog each other silly. Really? Really? I thought my suspension of disbelief was strong enough to thoroughly enjoy this story, but that shattered it for me. It was like watching someone play...more
Another enjoyable Arcane Society novel. I have to say this is by far my favorite in the series if only because Caleb Jones is the kind of tortured hero I love. The story, as all the others before, is very formula, the reader knows from page one who will end up happily ever after but knowing that does not in any way take away from the story. Even though I know the minute I open the book how the story will end, it's the fun of getting to happily ever after that I enjoy.
Nice easy read, probably mo...more
Nice easy read, probably mo...more
I must confess that I hadn't picked up one of Amanda Quick's books in a long time and I was a bit undecided about reading one in the middle of a series. But Rosario's review intrigued me and the book was available so I decided to give it a go. And I am very glad that I did. I'm not sure if I will pick up the others in the series but this was a book I enjoyed.
I had no trouble with the paranormal aspects of the story and the characters' talents, they didn't overwhelm the story and the little bits...more
I had no trouble with the paranormal aspects of the story and the characters' talents, they didn't overwhelm the story and the little bits...more
Lucinda Bromley is a herbologist who is consulted by the police when they question if a death resulted from poison. Much to her surprise, the most recent case was not only a poisoning but the victim was poisoned by an extract of a plant that had recently been stolen from her conservatory. She hires Caleb Jones to investigate. Caleb and Lucinda tend to conflict but they predictable are drawn to each other.
Although the tale is a bit predictable, this is a good victorian romace and fits well with...more
Although the tale is a bit predictable, this is a good victorian romace and fits well with...more
The Perfect Poison
4 Stars
Synopsis
Lucinda Bromley is a botanist with the unique ability to detect any poison but she also has a notorious reputation following the suspicious death of her fiance. When a man is poisoned by a rare fern, Lucinda fears becoming the prime suspect and requests the help of Caleb Jones, a man known for being able to decipher any clue. Soon Lucinda and Caleb are immersed in a case of murder and conspiracy and must stop a relentless scientist and a deranged madman in their...more
4 Stars
Synopsis
Lucinda Bromley is a botanist with the unique ability to detect any poison but she also has a notorious reputation following the suspicious death of her fiance. When a man is poisoned by a rare fern, Lucinda fears becoming the prime suspect and requests the help of Caleb Jones, a man known for being able to decipher any clue. Soon Lucinda and Caleb are immersed in a case of murder and conspiracy and must stop a relentless scientist and a deranged madman in their...more
Again, I’m reading a series out of order and started with The Perfect Poison in The Arcane Society series by Amanda Quick. Even though this is book six in the series I don’t think it hurt my understanding of the world created at all. In fact, the little teasers to reappearing characters made me all the more interested in reading the earlier books. This book follows botanist Lucinda after she enlists the help of Caleb Jones to help her clear her name of any wrong doing in a poisoning. With Caleb’...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayne Ann Krentz ...: The Perfect Poison (2009) Arcane 6 | 1 | 2 | Sep 27, 2012 10:37am | |
| What's The Name o...: SOLVED--Historical Mystery set in England with a female lead character who is a botanist [s] | 11 | 43 | Sep 28, 2011 07:50pm |
Pseudonym of Jayne Ann Krentz
The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the Uni...more
More about Amanda Quick...
The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the Uni...more
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“The dangerous plant did not flower in every generation, they said. ”
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“She fastened the invisible corset of her composure snugly around herself and prepared to move forward with her plan.”
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