Don't Look Back

Amanda Quick
aka Jayne Ann Krentz

When Lavinia Lake was younger she had been a mesmerist. Then she was married, then widowed, and went back to practicing mesmerism. A woman under her care committed suicide a couple years ago. The woman's husband ran her out of town. Since then she took over the care of her niece Emeline, went to Rome, returned, fell in love with widower Tobias March and now has started an new occupation as a private investigator. Working women in Victorian England get little respect or clients. Lavinia works with Tobias "on occasion" and they have a wealthy patron who also likes to be involved with their cases.

Two men from Lavinia's past show up. She passes the man whose wife committed suicide. He doesn't appear to have seen her and she believes he is in London on business. An old family friend, Howard Hudson, and his wife Celeste are now in London. They visit Lavinia while Tobias is there for Howard to renew his acquaintance and for Lavinia to meet his wife. Within the next day or two Celeste is murdered for a stolen antiquity bracelet she has hidden.

Howard comes to Lavinia to discover who killed his wife and where the bracelet may be hidden. Tobias refuses to let her investigate by herself. Plus, Tobias' young brother-in-law Anthony and her niece Emeline have also decided to joint the private investigation business. Are there too many people getting involved in this search? Tobias sends Anthony on another quest as well on an investigation he keeps from Lavinia.

Their investigations lead them into the slums, the high class gentlemen's clubs, private museums, antiquities stores, prostitute's and private homes and a mesmerist's office. Meanwhile, Tobias and Lavinia are trying to decide where their relationship is going next. They're enjoying what they have but next what?

Yes, Don't Look Back seems somewhat involved. On occasion I had to refer back to remember who a character was. But it flows through well and is straight forward from beginning to end. It's interesting when the characters try to pull in the powers of hypnotism (mesmerism). Amanda Quick had already introduced her readers to Tobias, Lavinia, Anthony, and Emeline in the first book. It was fun to follow Lavinia and Tobias' romance, both the love and the jealousies.

This is nicely written, heart warming, and a fun historical romance. While not one of Quick's/Krentz' best, it still has her deft romantic touch.

Notice:  Strong sexual content

Slightly Shady
Don't Look Back
Late for the Wedding

Absolutely, Positively by Jayne Ann Krentz

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