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'Til Death Do Us Part

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The author of the New York Times bestseller Garden of Lies returns to Victorian London in an all-new novel of deadly obsession.
 
Calista Langley operates an exclusive “introduction” agency in Victorian London, catering to respectable ladies and gentlemen who find themselves alone in the world. But now, a dangerously obsessed individual has begun sending her trinkets and gifts suitable only for those in deepest mourning—a black mirror, a funeral wreath, a ring set with black jet stone. Each is engraved with her initials.
 
Desperate for help and fearing that the police will be of no assistance, Calista turns to Trent Hastings, a reclusive author of popular crime novels. Believing that Calista may be taking advantage of his lonely sister, who has become one of her clients, Trent doesn’t trust her. Scarred by his past, he’s learned to keep his emotions at bay, even as an instant attraction threatens his resolve.
 
But as Trent and Calista comb through files of rejected clients in hopes of identifying her tormentor, it becomes clear that the danger may be coming from Calista’s own secret past—and that only her death will satisfy the stalker...

342 pages, Hardcover

First published April 19, 2016

616 people are currently reading
5376 people want to read

About the author

Amanda Quick

87 books5,454 followers
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 University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.

Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.


Pseudonym(s):
Jayne Ann Krentz
Jayne Castle
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 846 reviews
Profile Image for Wendy'sThoughts.
2,670 reviews3,284 followers
April 17, 2017
4 As Sly As I Remembered Stars
* * * *
Returning to historical after indulging primarily in Contemporary Romance can do one of two things...if can send you fleeing back to where you were happy with bikers, FBI Agents etc. or it can rekindle you love of the times past and think to be more open to the Historical draw.

Luckily, with Amanda Quick, the second happened. Her writing is thorough, inventive and always has a moment of humor and sass. The main women are strong in nature, knowing clearly how they wish to live. They have taken into consideration what "Society" deems respectable and figured out how to make their way within those rules. They are not dependent on a man, as they have seen exactly how the times have put women in very difficult situations if the only security is by that means.

No, the women Amanda Quick presents are ahead of their times and forward thinking.

In this book we have "Calista Langley who operates an exclusive “introduction” agency in Victorian London, catering to respectable ladies and gentlemen who find themselves alone in the world."
Right away you can see our gal could be transferred into current times as running an upscale matchmaking service or having artsy events in a salon where invitations are only for those who matter...

Our Calista has learned the "Love Lesson" the hard way. She thought a suitor was interested in her mind and showed dramatic passion for her. She decided to test the waters and explain her home which was at one time grand was not a reflection of her wealth...only the last remembrance of times gone by. She explained her business was the source of her income and although it wasn't huge, it kept up the home and her brother nicely. With this information, the suitor turned tail, insulted and felt led on... (I Know, what a cad!) and married a woman who had the type of wealth he was looking for.

But he learned a very important lesson- one to this day which continues to hold true:
Be careful what you wish for...for you just might get it....

And this man got it all right. He got a wife who was loaded...with a condition concerning the wealth. The father's will stated if the wife dies, all the money goes to distant relatives in Canada. If the wife is put into an asylum, yup... money goes to Canada...
For you see... during these times, women would meet untimely deaths or be locked away with their husbands spending all the wealth and going on to the next target.

Which brings me back to our Calista. She feels she was extremely lucky to have not given herself to a fortune-hunter and with her service she is careful and investigates all of the people she works with. She is about to meet a new client, a famous author, when the suitor /fortune hunter appears out of the blue wanting to start up where they had left off. Calista is cutting in her remarks to the man, calling out exactly what he was and how she is thrilled to not have married him. He is not hearing any of it as he has decided to pursue her again. Calista gets him out of the house just in time to meet Trent Hastings.

Mr. Hastings is here not to use her services but to see what the scam is, as his sister has employed Calista and he is very concerned. The meeting does not go smoothly; he is uncomfortable as his face has been scarred and rarely is with those who do not know him. Calista at first is professional and explains the service and how, yes, she checks out all of her people and No, there wouldn't be an issue with his scarred face. She would only introduce those who would be right for him in all ways. She also made sure he understood there were meetings with others in a salon environment with lectures of numerous topics.

It finally comes out he thinks this could be a scam to match someone like his sister with fortune-hunters. Calista is insulted and ends the conversation. As Mr. Hastings leaves, he feels awkward, not himself. There was something about this woman who made him curious...

The meeting with Trent Hastings did not go well and Calista has been on edge anyway. She has been receiving tokens... mourning tokens with her initials on them. These are trinkets of the times where those who lost someone would use or wear...a tear-catcher... or now the latest... a ring of sorts and it was placed on her bed! She has no idea who is sending or placing these things and the idea of someone in her bedchamber makes her feel unsafe.

She has been holding all of these thoughts in, when Mr. Trent is announced as wishing to speak with her. While making an apology of sorts for accusing her of running a scam business, another mourning package has her attention. Calista can't seem to open it but Mr. Hastings sees the fear. With him there, she opens the package and it is another dreadful death gift. This time it is a bell with a ring for the finger of the deceased...as if the person is buried alive...and wakes...they can ring the bell and be saved.

It is with this morbid discovery, the story takes off with the fragile friendship of Trent and Calista trying to figure out who is sending these things to Calista. Someone wants to kill her and is playing a very creepy game.

Trent Hastings is a solid man. He loves his siblings and has become a famous writer of his time. He writes detective novels and they are serialized so all of Society reads them ...and everyone has ideas of how they should go...it is a running joke throughout the book.

We go through all of the paces with the cast of characters; red herrings are thrown at us to trick us into thinking we have figured out the culprit. The story takes on treatment of women and how very unfair things were back in the day. It also gives us an adult love story with Trent and Calista. It is sweet in how these two realize the feelings they have for each other.

It has been sometime since I had real an Amanda Quick tale. This had many of the elements I remembered and it also laid groundwork for new things to take place in the future for Andrew, Calista's brother. I can see it all now.
~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
Many years ago, I am talking somewhere around 2007, I discovered Jayne Ann Krentz. I was a mystery, thriller, police procedural, court room reader and her Arcane Society captured my interest. It was full of mindful things and it had a surprising romance element to me...It made me feel frisky when I wasn't expecting it...as well as caring about whether the main characters would:
A-find the bad guy...
B-find out they were attracted to each other...

I became obsessed and hunted down every book I could find at the library and then discovered Ms. Krentz wrote under Amanda Quick! The search for Amanda Quick novels started and I tried to get as many as I could.

Life happened and I discovered I wasn't a very good Library reader... had the nasty habit of forgetting to return books (before I had a Kindle) so I started buying my books when I started back reading.

I am thrilled I have been given the opportunity to dive into a new Amanda Quick novel. It is like going back to my reading Romance Roots. Although I haven't read much historical in a while... I know I will feel as if I never left. I will report back everything when I finish, promise.

A gifted copy was provided by Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley for an honest review.

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Profile Image for Juliana Philippa.
1,029 reviews984 followers
February 11, 2016
I am so excited that Amanda Quick (really Jayne Ann Krentz) is back! This author writes under three different names, and Amanda Quick is her historical romance pseudonym. She's one of those authors who has a very identifiable writing style and character type, and I don't mean that as a positive or a negative, though I suppose if anything it's the former. But like Mary Balogh, she's one of those authors where when I'm reading one of her books, I know it's one of her books. Some other authors, even ones whom I absolutely adore (don't get me wrong!!!) can kind of blend together, but Amanda Quick, Mary Balogh, and Meredith Duran are examples of ones who fall into a unique category.

Quick Take. All of the above to say that if you've read Amanda Quick before and don't like her books, then don't read this, because chances are you won't enjoy it. However, if you are a fan, I highly recommend it! It has all of the wonderful aspects that I love about Quick's books: a very strong and unique heroine, an interesting and completely-non-run-of-the-mill hero, good supporting characters, a fast pace, and some great laughs (her leading characters always have these dry exchanges that add some great humor to the story).

Main Characters. It's always a nice change to read an HR where the leading characters are commoners. Calista was also a breath of fresh air in that she's a businesswoman, which is even rarer for the genre, just given the constraints of the time period and that usually at least one of the main characters is of the peerage. She's a very strong, hard-working, independent, and resourceful woman. Calista is also very sensible given the situation, in that some heroines who are on the receiving end of a seemingly deranged, obsessed, madman's attentions are written as being so cavalier and "brave" that they're just TSTL, but that's not the case here. She is trying to be strong and not overburden others — admirably so — but she's also afraid ... and good lord does she have reason! The whole thing is FREAKY.

Trent was a wonderful match for her and I love their first exchange; was such fun to read! In my opinion, he wasn't as consistently written: we're setup with him being this standoffish, nonsocial recluse, but he warms pretty quickly to Calista, and I wish that the development there had been drawn out a little more. He's still great though, and another unusual character-type: he's an author, specifically a crime novelist with a very popular detective series. Quick used this really well to add some humor to the book — the saying "everyone is a critic" comes to mind ... Trent has just recently introduced a heroine into the latest serial section to come out, and it is so funny that every woman they interact with brings this up as a positive, asking if Clive Stone (his hero detective) is being setup for a romance, while every man comments that they have serious concerns about this new female character he's added in.

A Definite Gothic Mystery / Thriller. Another notable point in 'Til Death Do Us Part's favor is that this is a truly well-done romance mystery. While contemporary romances have a strong subsection of thriller/mystery romance books, that is not the case for HR. We unfortunately often have light mystery subplots thrown in that are such obvious plot ploys they get annoying, but true mystery? Not really.

Amanda Quick in general is an exception to the rule here, because every single book of hers that I can think of (that I've read) has always strongly qualified as both a romance and a mystery. The mystery here is very well done, with twists and turns that keep you guessing. Interestingly enough, it's done like how "Criminal Minds" or "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" are done, in that we are not only seeing things from the hero and heroine's 3rd person point of view, but we also get insight from other players, which allows you to truly take part in trying to solve the mystery of what is actually going on.

In her forward note, Quick describes this story as an edgy, "gothic-infused," "fog-and-gaslight" novel, and she is 100% correct; if that's what she was aiming for, she pulled it off splendidly! There is a definite creepy aspect to it, which has been present in some of her other stories, but this had me on edge, I can tell you. Even though it's an HR (and not a paranormal one) — i.e. one is assured that neither Calista nor Trent are going to die — I was so creeped out and nervous at times ... It was great! Lol ;-).

Excerpt.
There was a short silence behind him.
"What did you think of her?" Eudora asked after a moment.
Her tone of voice was suspiciously neutral. He realized he had been trying to sort out his chaotic impressions of Miss Langley since leaving her very impressive mansion.
"What?" he said, trying to buy time to assemble his thoughts.
"You heard me. Now that you have met her, what is your opinion of Miss Langley?"
He attempted to formulate a response but for some reason he could not find the right words.
Attractive but not in the ordinary sense of the word. Unconventional would be a more accurate description. But for some reason he kept coming back to fascinating.
(Location 363)

Bottom Line. Read and enjoy! (Fingers crossed that Amanda Quick decides to turn this into a series like her "Lake/March" books.)

Recommendations. Some of my other favorite Amanda Quick books are:
* The Lake/March Series: Slightly Shady (Book 1), Don't Look Back (Book 2), Late for the Wedding (Book 3)
* Dangerous , Mystique , Ravished , Rendezvous , and Scandal
These last five are the "one-word title" books of hers that I gave 5 stars to (organized alphabetically, not by preference); there are still others that I also loved, would reread, and gave 4 stars to, but I wanted to provide a short list ... the point being that she's an awesome author and if you do like her style, you'll probably like most all of her books.

*This review is of an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

(Written February 11, 2016)
Profile Image for Milica's Bookshelf.
1,062 reviews318 followers
October 9, 2016

Ova knjiga je dobra na više načina ali nije ispunila moja očekivanja od knjige Amande Kvik. Misterija koja je bila centar cele priče je slaba i našla sam dobru romansu, ali ne onu koju bih opet želela da čitam.


Kalista Lengli poseduje Viktorijansku ekskluzivnu agenciju u kojoj međusobno upoznaje dame i gospodu željne društva. Neko počinje da joj šalje poklone koji je duboko uznemiravaju zato što su ti pokloni, na kojima se nalaze njeni incijali, prikladni za osobe koje su u dubokoj žalosti.
Kad Trent Hejstings, autor serijala detektivskih priča, dođe kod nje optužujući je da Kalista iskorišćava njegovu naivnu mlađu sestru koja je njena klijentkinja, iskričave varnice lete međusobno skoro celo vreme. Kalista uskoro traži Trentovu pomoć da bi otkrila ko je uhodi.

Ova knjiga je imala dobru podlogu da bude zaista dobra priča sa Trentovim početnim neproverenjem prema Kalisti i jezivom misterijom. Međutim, za mene, sve je nekako presušilo i na kraju sam bila blago zainteresovana i za romansu i za misteriju.

Mislim da je sukob između Kaliste i Trenta rešen brzo, pritom eliminisao veći deo tenzije između likova stvorivši lepu romansu, ali koja nije bila naročito ubedljiva ili za pamćenje
.
Umesto toga, priča počiva na misteriji ko uhodi Kalistu. Nažalost, to nije bilo dovoljno dobro da mi drži celu knjigu. Brzo sam shvatila ko je negativac i tako nije bilo iznenađenja za mene. I zato što je bilo više naglaska na misteriju nego romansu u knjzi, trebala mi je bolja, strašnija i više obuzimajuća misterija. Ova me jednostavno nije dovoljno opčinila.
Profile Image for Pepa.
1,032 reviews281 followers
October 6, 2017
Reseña completa: http://masromance.blogspot.com.es/201...

Una lectura entretenida, pero me ha dejado dividida.
Me ha sorprendido y gustado el tema del suspense, buenos giros y bien llevados... aunque irremediablemente al final sabes quien es el culpable, pero hasta ese momento sorprende
Mi problema ha estado la pareja protagonista, como personajes por separado me han gustado, muy del estilo de la autora, pero creo que esta vez resultan demasiado fríos.
Su romance no me ha transmitido nada, ha sido soso, frío y ha parecido como puesto para cumplir el guión.
El estilo de la autora es ágil y hace que la novela prácticamente se lea sola, pero no pasa a ser de mis favoritas de la autora.
Sus novelas me parecen entretenidas, pero por ahora no he encontrado esa novela que me haga suspirar.
Profile Image for Kat valentine ( Katsbookcornerreads).
760 reviews1,241 followers
September 17, 2018
another awesome read from the amazing amanda quick!!! i've been a fan forever!! i love this kind of victorian romance, and her lastest til death do us part was a good read. in true quick fashion we have a strong and very likeable heroine calista, who runs a introduction agency with her brother andrew out of her home and makes quite a good living at it, but when she starts receiving gifts meant for people in deep mourning and the lastest gift being left on her pillow, not only must she deal with this would be stalker, but she must also deal with one of her clients brothers who thinks she is taking advantage of his sister.when trent goes to check out what calista is up to , the lady asks him to help her figure out who is sending these gifts, trent is a crime writer so calista thinks he might have some insite on who could be doing this. together calista and trent along with andrew and trents sister eudora will solve this mystery, and trent and calista, well whats a amanda quick mystery without alittle love and romance!. i loved all these characters and i hope to see calista's brother andrew who's becoming a private eye in a future read, i liked him alot!
Profile Image for Daniella.
256 reviews622 followers
April 20, 2016
Amanda Quick is my number 1 favourite historical romance writer, and I always auto-buy her works. Heck, I love her so much that I buy both the Kindle and paperback versions.

So yes, I was pretty damn excited for 'Til Death Do Us Part, so much so that I blocked my entire friggin' day for this. No dates with my boyfriend. No family time. None. It was just me, my Kindle, and a cup of hot cocoa.

Let me repeat that: I was so fucking excited for this release.

And boy was I disappointed.
description

The first warning bell rang when I saw that there were seventy chapters in this book. Yes, you read that right. Seventy. I was instantly worried that the story would be dragged way too long, but being the fan that I am, I just brushed off my reservations.

Hey, maybe the story NEEDS seventy chapters. Maybe the plot warrants that amount of pages.

Uh, no.

It turned out that I was right, after all. The story was stretched too thin, and there were too many filler chapters. To be fair though, the plot was intriguing enough to keep me reading until the end... but yeah, I just wished that there were less pages to digest.

And then there was the issue with the mystery. The overall execution felt rather sloppy, really. The red herrings were all over the place, and there didn't seem to be a strategy in their placement.

But I guess what really disappointed me was the romance. Or lack thereof.

Do you see this fish?
description

This dead fish had more heat than Trent and Calista's relationship. Every interaction felt forced and there was no proper build-up at all. I seriously raised my eyebrow when they suddenly started kissing from out of the blue. Ugh.

Despite all its flaws, though, 'Til Death Do Us Part was still a fairly enjoyable read for me. Maybe because I'm a fan, and I generally love how familiar--how very Amanda Quick--everything was. Newbies might not appreciate this as much as I did, though, so consider that when deciding to read this or not.
Profile Image for Lady Gabriella of Awesomeness (SLOW).
522 reviews823 followers
March 19, 2017
3.5 Happy but still confused Stars

Q1)

Q2)

So I ask,WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT SCENE ALL ABOUT ?!

Not something I would re-read any time soon...But it defiantly is a huge improvement from Her most recent work Garden of Lies which I rated around 2 Stars.
Profile Image for Lizzy.
305 reviews160 followers
February 26, 2025
A stalker-serial-killer suspense story set in Victorian London. Amanda Quick's main characters are ahead of their time in 'Til Death Do Us Part. Calista Langley runs an introduction agency for respectable men and women, Trent Hastings is a mystery writer. Together they will solve the mystery of Calistas's tormentor. A lot of suspense, where romance assumes a secondary role. Action packed plot, with plenty of danger with a noir-vibe. A good historical mystery.
Profile Image for Alba Turunen.
821 reviews266 followers
May 18, 2020
4 Estrellitas. Una muy, muy buena lectura, he disfrutado muchísimo éste ingenioso libro de Amanda Quick que me ha tenido en vilo durante toda su lectura. Si no le he dado las 5 estrellas es porque ha faltado romance, algo que viene siendo habitual en los últimos libros de ésta autora.

Como viene siendo corriente en Amanda Quick, nos traslada de nuevo a la Inglaterra victoriana, donde nos presenta un nuevo enigma que deberán investigar nuestros protagonistas.

Calista Langley es una dama que dirige una agencia para conocer gente, exponencialmente gente que se siente sola y necesita un amigo o una pareja; algo así como una casamentera, pero sólo tiene como clientes a gente respetable, y para eso tiene a su hermano menor, Andrew, que investiga el pasado de éstos clientes para que su agencia sea fructífera.

Todo parece irle bien a Calista, hasta que un día vuelve un antiguo pretendiente que abandonó a Calista para casarse con una rica heredera porque ella no tenía dinero. Y mientras Nestor Kettering intenta llegar de nuevo a Calista, ésta empieza a recibir unos extraños objetos mortuorios, unos memento mori, que presagian algo muy funesto a nuestra protagonista.

Por otro lado, tenemos a Trent Hasting, un prolífico autor de novelas de misterio, con su propio detective clavadito a Sherlock Holmes. Trent siempre ha sido muy protector con su familia y no lo es menos cuando se trata de proteger a su hermana Eudora. Esta es una clienta de Calista y a Trent no le gusta un pelo que su hermana acuda a esas reuniones a buscar pareja, así que un día decide ir por sí mismo e investigar si esa mujer y su negocio son trigo limpio.

Aunque el principio entre nuestros protagonistas no parece prometedor, bastará con que Trent sea testigo de los extraños presentes que recibe Calista para que éste decida ayudarla a investigar quién la quiere muerta ¿Acaso no puede Trent dedicarse a algo parecido a lo que hace su detective novelesco?

Aquí tenemos de nuevo un enigma muy muy bueno que nos ha traído Amanda Quick. No es insólito que alguien quiera ver muerta a la protagonista, pero la autora ha manejado muy bien la trama y el misterio para hacernos ver que no todo es lo que parece, y cuando todo parece que ya está hecho, vuelve a sorprendernos con un giro de argumento. La trama de misterio desde luego tiene las 5 estrellas ganadas.

Pero como punto negativo está el romance, los protagonistas están perfectamente perfilados y muy bien caracterizados, tanto Calista como Trent me han encantado y ambos se complementan a la perfección. El problema con las últimas novelas de Amanda Quick es que el romance queda relegado a un segundo plano en detrimento de la trama principal o de misterio.

Aún así ha sido una muy buena lectura que recomiendo a quienes son fans de la autora, porque es una de las mejores novelas suyas que he leído, y por otro si os gustan las novelas de intriga y misterio en el Londres victoriano con unas dosis de romance.
Profile Image for UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish.
1,097 reviews1,748 followers
July 3, 2016
I don't think I've read anything else by Amanda Quick, but you can bet I will going forward! This is a fun, exciting, intriguing murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing at the killer's identity. Great cast, great story, great read!
Profile Image for Nuria Llop.
Author 14 books121 followers
September 24, 2017
Un suspense más de esta autora. Entretenido, con sus personajes característicos bien construidos y que se introducen en nuestras mentes y en nuestra imaginación de lectoras con facilidad. Engancha de principio a fin, la historia de amor se va gestando desde la colaboración en la investigación y desde la amistad que nace entre la pareja, pero el diálogo prevalece sobre los besos y el sexo. Aun así, a pesar de la falta de “acción” y de erotismo, me ha gustado la relación entre ese escritor de novelas de misterio y la mujer que dirige una agencia de presentaciones (el equivalente decimonónico a las webs para buscar amistades). Sin embargo, el misterio por resolver que une a la pareja, una trama muy propia de novela policiaca, tiene un fallo que en dicho género no se admitiría, y eso me ha decepcionado (y sorprendido en esta autora, que siempre hila bastante fino sus tramas, por alocadas que sean). Está muy bien planteada, el caso es interesante y se desarrolla con cierta lentitud pero con un ritmo constante que no decae; en cambio, la resolución final no encaja con algunos comportamientos de los secundarios y me ha dejado con la sensación de que la autora, o bien ha engañado al lector ocultándole información importante, o bien cambió el final a última hora y no se preocupó (o no tuvo tiempo por exigencias editoriales) de dar coherencia a toda la trama y a cierto personaje que, de repente, sufre una increíble transformación. Y un pequeño detalle de la traducción que me incomodado y despistado en varios momentos: el uso incorrecto de algunos tiempos verbales. Como ya viene siendo habitual en la romántica traducida en los últimos años, echo en falta una buena corrección de la novela, pero entiendo que eso encarece el producto y las ventas no compensan el coste, así que… lo acepto a condición de que se sigan traduciendo a buenas autoras anglosajonas. Recomendaría esta novela solo a adictas a Amanda Quick y quizá las que os guste el suspense romántico en general.

Profile Image for Bj.
1,219 reviews256 followers
September 18, 2016
*I gave this audiobook a B+ for both the story and narration at AudioGals*

Narration by Louise Jane Underwood

Part historical romance and part suspense thriller, ‘Til Death Do Us Part is sure to appeal to a diverse audiobook loving audience. This being my first experience with Amanda Quick, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I really enjoyed her talent of mixing an intriguing mystery – and somewhat morose story – with a romance undercurrent (though perhaps the lesser of the two focuses). Further enhancing the allure of this audiobook is the well performed narration by Louise Jane Underwood, making this a natural title to enjoy in audio format.

See the full review at AudioGals.
Profile Image for Katie Gallagher.
Author 5 books218 followers
May 30, 2019
Read this review and others on my blog!

This book came to me on an author recommendation from a friend; as we browsed the romance section in Barnes and Noble, she started gushing to me about Quick’s characters and plotting. As we wandered from the romance over to the discount books, I picked up ‘Til Death Do Us Part, read the blurb, and waggled it at my friend, not even noting the author name.

“This sounds good.”

“That’s who I was talking about!” exclaimed she. “Amanda Quick!”

Oh. Maybe it was time for me to give this author a go.

And you know what, even though this may be the first romantic suspense I have ever read, I really enjoyed it! I’m quickly learning that I enjoy romance with a dominant subplot, which this book certainly has. The MC, Calista, finds herself terrified by a morbid stalker, who keeps leaving her memento mori trinkets—a tear-catcher, a jet-and-crystal ring, etc. She enlists the help of a writer of serialized detective fiction to help her identify her stalker… And, of course, they end up falling in love.

The plotting keeps you guessing, and the characters are well fleshed-out. I won’t say the prose is gorgeous, but it serves its purpose admirably, getting out of the way of the plot. As a writer, that’s a quality I truly appreciate, since I’m constantly reading books where sentence structure and word choice snag my inner editor, pulling me out of the narrative.

And the romance itself was very sweet, more about the falling-in-love aspect than the sexual aspect. I’m coming to recognize that my personal taste in romance is for less sex and more inter-character relationship building, and this book was perfect for me in that regard. As the book ended, I didn’t exactly long for it to go on, but rather wished for more of a similar thing… Which means that I will surely be picking up more of Quick’s other books!
Profile Image for Nabilah.
592 reviews240 followers
December 17, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

In this book, the mystery takes centre stage compared to the romance. It's not exactly a romantic mystery, I would actually call it a mystery with a side of romance. The mystery is very well done here. I'm surprised that the steam level is very low here (only 2 scenes, not lengthy and explicit at all). I believe her older books are more explicit.

This book is formulaic for a Ms. Quick book, but it's very enjoyable. If you're looking for a mystery book, this book is a good pick.
Profile Image for Lakshmi C.
346 reviews107 followers
December 4, 2016
Amanda Quick is my favourite historical author and I eagerly wait for her books to come out. This book had a great blurb and I probably built it up in my head as I waited for it. This book was not what I expected

What worked :

Tone

The book had a creepy tone which stayed consistent till the end. The deranged killer sent his victims gifts when he began stalking them. But these gifts were mourning items which are given to families after they've lost a loved one. The idea of an unseen hunter added to the suspense and the escalating attacks increase the sense of danger.

Who did it ?
Usually I manage to guess who the killer or mastermind is but this story kept me on my toes. I liked the way Trent and Calista join forces to investigate and take down the killer.
The investigation parts were logical and realistic, it reminded me of Castle at times.

High Stakes
The investigation takes a dark turn when Calista is on the receiving end of the killers gifts. The killer marks his target and this gives Trent a clock to beat and an incentive to try harder.

What's new :
I wont elaborate but Amanda Quick plotted this story like a magician. She used misdirection with skill and turned the story on its head. There are many potential suspects with motives which added to Trent's troubles.

What didn't work for me :

Trent and Calista as a couple :
They had assumed responsibilities early in life which gave them something in common. But their romantic relationship missed the spark and passion I expect from Amanda Quick characters.
The romance fell flat for me and reminded me of Coke without the fizz.

Overall this was a strong mystery with a weak romantic relationship.
Recommended for loyal Amanda Quick fans, newbies should try something like - The River Knows, Deception, The Paid Companion or Wait Until Midnight.
Profile Image for Dina.
1,324 reviews1,349 followers
April 23, 2016
3 1/2 stars (rounded down to 3 stars, because the romance didn't work for me - I liked Calista and Trent as individuals, but I didn't feel any chemistry between them)
Profile Image for Roxana.
38 reviews1 follower
July 19, 2025
5/5

I truly savored this book and its action-packed plot.
The well-written characters and the fast pace of the events were a real treat.
It’s the kind of read that fits any season and is always welcome.
Trent and Calista made quite the pair—sharp, clever little “detectives”!
Profile Image for Obsidian.
3,187 reviews1,124 followers
January 23, 2018
Well now I know why the rating for this book wasn't that high. This really read as a paint by numbers Quick book. I was disappointed because I know she can write better than this (see Ravished) but this one was pretty blah. The hero/heroine were not that memorable, the main story-line was not working for me at all and we hear about the rape of a secondary character that ultimately moved me to pity and wondered why that was even thrown in the book. We do get a happily ever after though which made me happy. I am trying to remember what series she wrote that had the two leads just investigating and sleeping together and it drove me up the wall.

The heroine in "Til Death Do Us Part" is Calista Langley that operates a matchmaking service. The synopsis calls it an "introductory agency" but I am just going to call it matchmaking. She holds salons that have single men/women that come to chat about different topics while getting to know each other. Calista has somehow been targeted by a madman that leaves trinkets and other items to show that he means to kill her soon.

The hero, Trent Hastings is an author who has done his best to avoid polite society. Due to scars on his face and some lingering anger that he could not protect his mother, Trent believes that Calista has to be running some sort of scam. He finds himself attracted to her though and gets embroiled in finding out who means her harm.

We have some interesting secondary characters, Trent's sister, brother, and sister in law, and Calista's brother who helps her out by investigating potential clients.

I think my biggest issue is that Calista and Trent really didn't do much for me as a couple. Why they were even attracted to each other puzzled me. We just see them investigating and we get two love scenes. Big whoop.

The writing was okay, but the book dragged in places. I pretty much guessed most of the book, but not all of it. And I think Quick was way too rushed to explain everything. I wish that the clues we were given took more time to find and the true guilty party had a better reasoning behind what they did.

We do get a Happy Ever After though which was nice.
Profile Image for Glory.
350 reviews55 followers
May 19, 2016
Вы когда-нибудь видели фотографии post mortem? Завораживает, правда? Жутко, но глаза отвести невозможно.
Готично, мистично. Мороз по коже.
Вот и в новом романе Квик похожая атмосфера. Все вертится вокруг траурных подарков - memento mori.
Героиня получает всяческие похоронные вещицы с собственные инициалами, намекающие на ее скорую кончину. То кольцо, куда положено класть локон покойного, то погребальный колокольчик (мое личное открытие, я о таких не слышала, а оказывается, похороненный заживо, ежели что, мог позвонить и сообщить, мол, живой))).
Последним "подарком" должен стать гроб.
Но на помощь приходит герой - автор детективов - и начинается расследование.

Честно, любовная линия скучна. Лично для меня. Трент весь такой мрачный, пострадавший в прошлом, со шрамами на лице, из-за чего невеста от него отвернулась, писатель-затворник. Калиста - старая дева, пробивная и приземленная. Вот они встретились, сначала недоверие (с его стороны), потом внезапная страсть (опять с его стороны, но и Калиста не отставала), и все. В стиле автора, суховато и пресновато.

Детективная часть мне понравилась больше. Многослойная и обманчиво простая. С удовольствием читала главы с POV разных действующих лиц, в том числе и преступника. Автор то выдавала слишком много информации, то переворачивала все с ног на голову, пытаясь запутать. В общем, картинку я складывала вместе с героями, несмотря на то, что изначально была на шаг впереди них.

Ну и уже упомянутая готичная атмосфера не оставила меня равнодушной. Эта околопохоронная тематика, убийца, посылающий жуткие подарки, а потом перерезающий жертвам горло... И ужас от осознания того, насколько легко ему удавалось скрывать убийства, ибо смерть - это бизнес, и похоронные бюро готовы на всяческие услуги.

Количество глав поначалу испугало (70 штук), но потом посмотрела, что объем от этого не изменился, и расслабилась. Действительно, глав много, но они маленькие, отчего читать наоборот морально легче)))

В общем, несмотря на то, что это любовный роман, любовь прошла мимо меня, а за остальное автору спасибо.
Profile Image for Caz.
3,209 reviews1,159 followers
June 28, 2016
3.5 stars

Amanda Quick’s latest historical mystery is sure to please her many fans, but I’m rather glad she doesn’t publish more than one novel a year as there’s no denying that her books are formulaic. If you enjoy the formula, then they will no doubt work for you and if you don’t… well, you’ll probably have worked that out by now and be reading something else!


I’ve not read a vast number of her books, but I’ve read the last few, and while I’ve enjoyed them, I can’t say that they were especially memorable. In each case, we have a heroine who lives, for some reason, on the fringes of society, but who is clever, determined and independent of spirit – and, in the case of the virgins, sexually curious. The heroes are fiercely intelligent, sometimes reclusive, and almost always haunted by some event in their pasts. Our heroine in ’Til Death Us Do Part is Calista Langley, who lives with her younger brother in the house left them by their grandmother. Unfortunately, however, the grand house didn’t come with the income necessary for its upkeep, so Calista had to devise a discreet way of making money, because of course, a young lady couldn’t possibly go into trade. With the house their only asset, she hit upon the idea of holding regular salons as a way of introducing single men and women who are looking for friendship or a like-minded companion – and perhaps, romance.


The introductions business is successful, providing Calista and her brother – who helps her by investigating her potential clients to make sure there are no fortune hunters or bad eggs trying to sign up – with a decent living. A year earlier, Calista herself had almost become engaged to a handsome young man by the name of Nestor Kettering, who mistakenly believed her to be a wealthy heiress. On discovering she wasn’t, he promptly left her and married a real heiress – but now, a year later, wants to rekindle his relationship with Calista, who wants nothing to do with him.


To make matters worse, Calista has begun to receive some most unwelcome and rather macabre gifts. She has no idea who is sending them, but the fact that they are items related to mourning is very unnerving, and worse, the most recent item was placed in her bedroom, which naturally makes her feel nervous and somewhat insecure.


She is also unnerved by Kettering’s vehemence, but is saved from further pestering by the arrival of her next potential client, the author of a popular series of detective novels. Trent Hastings is intense, self-possessed and attractive in spite of the scars that mar one side of his jaw and hands – and Calista is strongly drawn to him in a way she never was to her former suitor or has been to any other man. As their acquaintance progresses, she finds herself confiding in him about the funerary items she has been receiving, and soon, the pair join forces in order to discover who is threatening her.


While the novel is certainly formulaic, it’s also peopled with an engaging set of secondary characters; and the author’s incorporation of the various macabre funerary traditions which sprang up in the late Victorian period works very well within the context of the story. Death masks, bells for the insides of coffins, even photographs which posed the dead with the living; the Victorians did death in grisly style and Ms Quick makes the most of her chosen backdrop.


While the story certainly has plenty of twists and turns – which I’m not going to reveal – there is a strange juxtaposition of complexity and simplicity within it. The complexities come as the different angles to the investigation into the identity of Calista’s “stalker” are revealed, and that makes for a satisfying plot; but the various discoveries made by Calista and Trent are just too easily come by, they hardly ever come to a wrong conclusion and then, the identity of the villain comes almost out of the blue in the very last chapters. The romance between Trent and Calista is a bit of a disappointment as it’s very secondary to the mystery plot, although there’s just about enough there for it to be convincing and they are a well-matched couple.


I appreciated the “in-jokes” regarding authorship that Ms Quick inserts through Trent; his male readers aren’t wild about the insertion of a female character in to his latest novel, whereas his female readers are excited at the prospect of a woman helping the hero in his investigations and at a possible romantic involvement. As Trent so clearly recognises, you can’t please all the people all the time, and his wry remarks to the effect that “everyone’s a critic” are nice wink on the part of the author.


I did enjoy the book, and I’m sure Ms Quick’s many fans will do the same. If you’re looking for an historical mystery that isn’t going to make your brain hurt and the formulaic elements I’ve mentioned don’t bother you, then you might want to add this to your TBR. Although, given the retail price, (£7.99 for the ebook in the UK) you might want to wait for a sale or to get it from the library.



Profile Image for Anna's Herding Cats.
1,274 reviews317 followers
May 5, 2016


Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1VtZd8M

Ooo yall! I love me some Amanda Quick. And 'Til Death Do Us Part was thrilling! It held me from page one with a decadent mixture of danger, mystery and intrigue. I loved the characters and their adventures, was kept guessing until the end and simply had a fantastic time falling into the world Quick created.

The quick of it is that Trent's baby sister has been using the services of an introductions agency to meet new people and Trent? He doesn't trust the woman behind the business one single bit. He's ready to have a little chat with Miss Calista and make sure she's not up to something shady. Little did he realize the adventures it would bring into his life. While Calista's business is completely on the up and up she does have a problem--someone keeps sending her items of mourning. Only thing is? Mourning items are given to families after they've lost a loved one and these have her initials on them. Unnerving to say the least! Upstanding gentleman that he is Trent just can't seem to leave the lovely Calista alone to handle it by herself.

Calista and Trent were a fun couple--once they got past their oh-so-unfortunate first meet--and a lovely team. I loved seeing them work together to figure out who was behind the menacing items that kept showing up. They were interesting characters too. Calista ran her own business and was a strong woman who wouldn't let others stand in her way. She's opinionated, kind and friendly and has tremendous weight on her shoulders from both the business and protecting her younger brother. And Trent, well, he's a bit of a recluse. A famous one at that! He writes a mystery series that has everyone in a tizzy. He's also badly scarred and hiding out from life.

I loved seeing them come together and heal the hurts and sadnesses in one another's lives. They really both came alive in each other's presence. While I loved their interactions and the two as a couple I do wish there had been a little more development on the romance side of things. And while they had chemistry the sexy bits were a little of a miss for me. I usually love them from Quick but they just didn't feel quite right or entirely intimate somehow. Not a huge deal overall but I would have liked a little more there as well.

Now, the mystery! It was a little dark and gruesome as they tried to figure out who was leaving the 'gifts' for Calista. There were some nice twists and horrifying turn of events. I was kept guessing until the end and not totally sure how things would turn out. I loved that!

Quick, once again, proved she is a Master when it comes to historical mysteries. It's wonderful being pulled into the intriguing and curious worlds she creates and 'Til Death Do Us Part was no exception. I do hope we'll see more from this group of people. I would love to see their siblings romances unfold.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Notes
1/28-- Holy cow! The squee that happened when I opened the random package on the steps and found 'Til Death Do Us Part. I freaking LOVE Amanda Quick. So damn excited to dive into this one.
Profile Image for ♥Rachel♥.
2,221 reviews909 followers
April 25, 2016
Calista Langley is quite the modern woman in the Victorian era earning a living, because circumstances have made it a necessity. Losing her parents and her grandmother she’s had to find a way to make ends meet. Running an introduction service for respectable gentlemen and women has done quite well for her and her brother Andrew. Unfortunately, Calista has become a target of some pretty creepy gifts; gifts of morning, usually meant for someone who has already died, a memento to be buried with. What’s even more disturbing is that Calista’s initials have been inscribed on these morbid gifts. Could it be that she’s attracted the attention of a madman, or is this just some disgruntled rejected client? Calista finds herself turning to Trent Hastings, a successful mystery writer for help and advice.

At first Trent is very suspicious of Calista’s business enterprise since his younger sister, Eudora, has sought out Calista’s services. He’s worried that Calista is just a fraud looking to make money off lonely spinsters. Meeting Calista changes his views and he is immediately drawn to her spunk and tenacity. Trent is more than willing to help when he learns about Calista’s stalker, and it’s a good thing because the situation is far more dangerous than they suspected.

I’ve always been drawn to mysteries, with a little romance, of course, and ‘Til Death Do Us Part sucked me right in. It was action packed, full of danger, well paced, and had a very creepy vibe, reminiscent of film noir. I think it’s best to say as little as possible with a mystery so as not to give anything away, but it definitely held my attention.

A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.


This review is also posted on The Readers Den.
Profile Image for Be.
87 reviews
March 21, 2017
For some reason when I was reading this book I found the sentences seemed very clipped and the characters without genuine emotion (I didn't really connect or click with them) . Definitely some unnecessarily long conversations (maybe to just fill pages). So read simply as a suspenseful mystery novel, then it was pretty good ( I didn't feel the romance between Calista and Trent as strongly as other Amanda Quick novels I've read in the past) but all in all it was a good read, as a mystery! I have read nearly all her older books, and they are still some of my favorites! I will read them again and again. She has a way of creating Heroes and Heroines that are unique and often eccentric which I just love !
Profile Image for Maite Gil.
927 reviews31 followers
May 2, 2018
Amanda Quick es una de mis autoras favoritas y he leído casi todos sus libros con sus tres seudónimos.

Una vez más nos encontramos con una novela romántica ambientada en el Londres victoriano con una solterona, independiente y muy capaz de salvarse a si misma, como protagonista.

El protagonista masculino es en este caso un conocido escritor de obras de suspense, desfigurado por un accidente del pasado y que pretenderá ayudar la dama en apuros.

Seremos testigos de como se enamoran mientras resuelven varios casos de asesinatos y buscan al acosador de Calista.

Como casi siempre me ocurre con esta autora, me lo he leído de una sentada.

**Próxima reseña en el blog**
Profile Image for Jorge Gálvez.
Author 11 books177 followers
July 29, 2021
RESEÑA COMPLETA YA DISPONIBLE EN YOUTUBE:
https://youtu.be/KFfd4NoKGqU

Esta fue probablemente la novela que más me vaya a sorprender de este año.
Sólo la compré por curiosidad y por que estaba a muuuuy buen precio, y realmente me sorprendió para bien.

Una sola frase define a este libro: La Literatura "Romántica" no tiene por que ser mala, . De hecho ningún género es ni bueno ni malo por sí mismo, como en cualquier género, puede haber buenos y malos escritores del mismo.

Lo que sí hay, es un auge de muchas malas escritoras (Crepúsculo, 50 Sombras, Juegos del Hambre) que son tremendamente populares y que es un mal que se ha multiplicado en las últimas décadas, ya que lamentablemente escriben el tipo de libros que más dinero genera, y que es también un mal que se ha venido dando sobre todo por culpa de las editoriales tradicionales más grandes del mundo que no dan oportunidad a otro tipo de escritoras y escritores que tienen mucho que aportar sólo por no ser populares en redes sociales o porque apenas van comenzando su carrera en la literatura.

Y Amanda Quick es el ejemplo perfecto de que hay muchas cosas buenas que se pueden hacer dentro del género del romance, no todo son clichés y sagas con protagonistas adolescentes que son las elegidas sólo por que sí.

Si quieren saber más sobre esta novela pronto estaré subiendo la reseña a mi canal de YouTube, hablando sobre la historia, los personajes, la ambientación, y las cosas que me sorprendieron gratamente de ella.

Les dejo un link a mi canal por si quieren ver el tipo de rese��as que hago y por si quieren suscribirse para que se enteren cuando suba la reseña de este y los otros libros que leo:
https://youtu.be/H32VTkectrs
Profile Image for M.C. Sark.
Author 14 books62 followers
Read
January 28, 2019
Entretenida y muy bien ambientada, pero el romance...
388 reviews37 followers
June 30, 2017
There are certain things that JAK needs to completely strike from her writing repertoire because she’s used them to death. And even if she turns out a story with an interesting plot, the use of her personal clichés just drags the whole experience down. I don’t know why she’s so in love with the phrase “frisson of awareness” but she puts in literally every one of her books, regardless of which pseudonym she’s writing under. When she’s Amanda Quick, however, she also includes the complete overuse of the word “nevertheless” and the term "shattered nerves." STOP.

Other JAK clichés in this book include a heroine who was orphaned as a teenager, has set herself up as a business woman, and is now old enough to be considered a spinster by society. On the hero’s side, we have a man with a disfiguring injury who carries a walking stick and knows unusual fighting techniques. For their relationship we have lots of arguing where the heroine calls the hero “sir” so often that it’s gratuitous, and the heroine saying something that implies she’s not a virgin followed by the standard AQ very unsatisfying sex scene that ends with the hero grabbing a hanky and is rounded off with some awkward post-coital conversation. None of this is a spoiler because it happens in every book.

As for the plot, I could see that JAK was making a real attempt to construct a mystery with twists and turns and red herrings and I applaud her effort, but unfortunately it still didn’t really work. The characters in the story pinned the murders on the red herring so early in the story and so loudly proclaimed that he most definitely WAS the murderer that it was obvious to the reader that he was not. And once you’ve reached that conclusion, then the law of conservation of characters leaves you with a pretty clear indication as to who the villain must be. Even after JAK used the old, “unreliable narrator” trick to try to throw us off the scent, which is CHEATING, it still wasn’t much of a surprise when the villain was unmasked. And the villain’s motivations literally amounted to “I’m just crazy like that” which is always a let-down.

Couple of things in particular that bothered me:



All in all there was an okay story in here. Calista and Trent were likeable-enough characters. I didn’t fall in love with them or their romance but nothing about it really pissed me off either. And JAK made an effort to beef up the mystery so it was less obvious than some of her others, so that was something. The word I always seem to come back to with JAK’s books is “inoffensive.” It wasn’t really good, but it wasn’t really bad either, though the above mentioned plot holes did bug me. As with most of her recent books, if you’re new to her stories you’ll probably enjoy this one a lot more than if you’re a veteran reader. The continued use of her personal clichés really sets my teeth on edge and that hampers my enjoyment of the story.

Oh and I thought was funny that Trent's character was an author who constantly complained about how everyone he meets tries to tell him how to write his stories. Bit of author insertion there, Jayne?
Profile Image for Claudia.
126 reviews32 followers
November 6, 2019
Este libro lo tenía pendiente desde hace un montón de tiempo y además voy a ser sincera, es el típico libro que me llamó la atención por su portada. Sí, lo acepto, soy de las lectoras que se deja llevar por las portadas y a veces acierta y otras se lleva un chasco. Este es un caso intermedio.

A grandes rasgos puedo que decir que me ha parecido original porque no me esperaba tanto misterio o thriller. No sé, esperaba una novela romántica histórica cuqui, con los clichés de siempre, la verdad, y si ya además tiene un pequeño misterio que me mantenga con la intriga pues mejor jajaja. Pero ha ido por el lado contrario. ¿Misterio? ¡Genial! ¿Romance? No tanto... Y es que aunque me ha llamado la atención la trama, yo cuando leo una novela de este género busco romance, así de claro. Me lo puedes acompañar con lo que sea, pero dame romance.

Los personajes sí que me han gustado. Bueno, dentro de lo que cabe. La verdad es que venía de una lectura cuyos personajes no tenían ni pie ni cabeza así que cualquier mejora era bien recibida. Creo que sí que ha habido evolución en ellos, eran coherentes, pero me ha faltado cogerles cariño. A veces me parecía que no tenían emociones o que eran demasiado fríos, no me transmitían mucho...

En resumen, ha sido un libro entretenido, con una trama y un misterio que desde luego me ha mantenido enganchada, quería saber qué iba a pasar, por qué había pasado esto o lo otro. Pero lo que yo más esperaba de este novela no estaba y creo que justamente por eso no me ha llegado tanto. Iba con la idea de encontrar algo, y no lo he hecho. Y no ha sido lo típico que a veces pasa que crees que vas a encontrar algo y luego te sorprenden con otra cosa y te gusta más todavía, no. Lo que me ha faltado ha sido romance, y eso para mí, en este tipo de novelas, es algo básico.
Profile Image for Cherry's Books.
286 reviews60 followers
June 23, 2017
Quick sabe retratar a la perfección la época victoriana, este libro esta plagado de detalles que demuestran su minuciosa documentación y que te sumergen en la narración haciendo que viajes al Londres victoriano durante la lectura. Los temas que se tratan en Hasta que la muerte nos separe son diversos, desde “la cultura de la muerte”, tan presente en la época victoriana, como los problemas de ser un autor de éxito, pasando por el concepto de matrimonio y lo que suponía para una mujer por aquel entonces, hasta la psicología de un asesino.
El romance no es algo principal en el libro ¿existe? Si, por supuesto Calista y Trent tienen sus escenas amorosas pero es un aspecto totalmente secundario en esta novela y he de decir que no se echa a faltar que Quick le dé más protagonismo porque la historia tiene tantos giros argumentales y te mantiene tan intrigada desde el principio que con eso ya tienes una lectura deliciosa. El libro me ha durado muy poco, otro punto positivo, ya que cuando me duran poco significa que me han enganchado y no lo he podido soltar.
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