BOOK REVIEW: Tightrope by Amanda Quick

A quick, enchanting read, Tightrope tells the story of a former trapeze artist who has changed careers to run an inn after surviving an attempted murder. Now she finds herself drawn to the man investigating a murder at her inn.

About the Book (Goodreads)

An unconventional woman and a man shrouded in mystery walk a tightrope of desire as they race against a killer to find a machine that could change the world.

Former trapeze artist Amalie Vaughn moved to Burning Cove to reinvent herself, but things are not going well. After spending her entire inheritance on a mansion with the intention of turning it into a bed-and-breakfast, she learns too late that the villa is said to be cursed. When the first guest, Dr. Norman Pickwell, is murdered by his robot invention during a sold-out demonstration, rumors circulate that the curse is real.

In the chaotic aftermath of the spectacle, Amalie watches as a stranger from the audience disappears behind the curtain. When Matthias Jones reappears, he is slipping a gun into a concealed holster. It looks like the gossip that is swirling around him is true—Matthias evidently does have connections to the criminal underworld.

Matthias is on the trail of a groundbreaking prototype cipher machine. He suspects that Pickwell stole the device and planned to sell it. But now Pickwell is dead and the machine has vanished. When Matthias’s investigation leads him to Amalie’s front door, the attraction between them is intense, but she knows it is also dangerous. Amalie and Matthias must decide if they can trust each other and the passion that binds them, because time is running out.

Overview

I didn’t actually realize this was the third in a series when I read it but I was able to jump right in. I did go check a few other reviewers once I realized this and those who have read the full series said that while it may have a few characters here and there that overlap, this can be read as a standalone and the series itself can be read out of order. Thank goodness because I definitely would love to read more!

Set in the 1930s, the story centers around Amalie Vaughn, a former trapeze artist who escaped an attack from notorious serial killer nicknamed “The Death Catcher” and who specifically targeted trapeze artists. Amalie has used her family inheritance to purchase a villa in California resort town Burning Cove, with the goal of turning it into an inn. When her first guest is murdered by the very robot he invented during an exhibition, Amalie worries about it damaging the reputation of her inn, especially since there was another famous death at the villa before she purchased it. When the attractive and dangerous Matthias Jones arrives to investigate the most recent death, things get a bit more interesting around the inn.

Reflection

This is a quick and easy read. The writing style is very straight forward (in a good way) which makes it easy to read. It starts with the attempted murder of Amalie then moves six months into the future when she is settled into her new life in Burning Cove. The structure of the book follows multiple POV (largely from the two leads Amalie and Matthias). The pacing was relatively quick and consistent.

Sometimes books from certain era can have leads who feel a bit dated but I didn’t find that to be the case with Amalie and Matthias. Amalie is a savvy business woman (where she learned to do this after a career as a trapeze artist I can’t say; maybe a bit of razzle dazzle). I did at times find the dialogue to be a bit of a weak point. It was at times contrived and repetitive. I also didn’t find Matthias to be as well-developed as he probably needed to be. The book is more plot-driven than character-driven.

Overall and quick and easy read, though nothing groundbreaking. Historical mystery fans who like a bit of romance will enjoy!