Don't Look Back - Hardcover

Quick, Amanda

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0553802003 ISBN 13: 9780553802009

Publisher: Bantam, 2002

Synopsis

In this most entrancing tale of mystery and romance by the New York Times bestselling author AMANDA QUICK, lovers and partners-in-crime investigators Lavinia Lake and Tobias March continue their exciting newfound relationship, with its delicious mix of risky business, rising passion, and now--murder.

As if a head for business and a nose for trouble aren’t enough to distinguish fiercely independent Lavinia Lake from the other women of London’s fashionable Claremont Lane, there is one more feature to set her apart. Lavinia is also well versed in the practice of mesmerism, an extraordinary gift that far surpasses mere charm and physical appeal. Nobody knows this better than the usually coolheaded Tobias March, who seems to have fallen hopelessly under her spell. Fortunately for all, however, Lavinia uses her powers for good. And ever since a tragedy involving one of her subjects, she has even retired them in favor of her work with Lake and March, a joint venture providing “discreet private inquiries for individuals of quality.” Celeste Hudson, the stunningly beautiful young wife of a family friend and fellow mesmerist, would surely count herself among such individuals--were she still alive, that is. While mythology’s Medusa could turn men to stone, lovely Celeste was more accustomed to turning them to jelly. In fact, unbeknownst to her husband, Howard, the ambitious Celeste was planning to use her talents to forge a new future in Society--one that would not include him. Sadly, her plans were cut short when she was murdered. Only a gentleman’s cravat wound around her lovely neck remained for evidence--small compensation for the strange and priceless bracelet that may have been snatched from her wrist as she drew her last breath.

As a result, Lake and March are soon in Howard Hudson’s employ on the trail of the killer. But Tobias is convinced the dashing widower is more interested in tracking down the missing relic. If so, Howard is not alone. Any number of ruthless types are after the very same antiquity, whose centerpiece is an unusual blue cameo of inestimable value and supposed legendary powers--powers of immeasurable worth to anyone in Howard’s line of work.

Together, Lake and March undertake a tantalizing investigation that leads them from the glittering ballrooms of the ton to London’s seediest taverns to a mesmerist whose therapies include treating ladies suffering from “hysteria” is a a most unconventional method--and, not least of all, to the darkest reaches of men’s psyches. Along the way, Don’t Look Back becomes a completely mesmerizing read as the irrepressible Lavinia and Tobias mix business with pleasure....

About this title

About the Author

AMANDA QUICK, a pseudonym for Jayne Ann Krentz, is a New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of contemporary and historical romances. There are nearly thirty million copies of her books in print, including Seduction, Surrender, Scandal, Rendezvous, Ravished, Reckless, Dangerous, Deception, Desire, Mistress, Mystique, Mischief, Affair, With This Ring, I Thee Wed, and Wicked Widow. She is also the author of Slightly Shady, the debut novel featuring Lavinia Lake and Tobias March. She makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Frank.

From the Back Cover

“If you start an AMANDA QUICK book in the late afternoon, you’ll probably spend the night with it.”
--The Denver Post

“A witty, gripping, ABSOLUTELY MUST-READ for those who love mystery with a passion.”
--Elizabeth Lowell

“I had a wonderful time reading [Don't Look Back]....What fun, what fun, what fun! This action-packed tale, brimming with witty characters, vivid historical detail, and tautly woven intrigue kept me guessing until the very end. I loved the book and can't wait to brag to my mother that I've already read the latest AMANDA QUICK.”
--Lisa Gardner

“AMANDA QUICK delivers a heady and satisfying mix of romance and suspense. Nobody does it better!”
--Kay Hooper

“Everything AMANDA QUICK writes is an instant classic. I love this author!”
--Iris Johansen

Reviews

Adult/High School-In this second volume of a romance-mystery series, discreet inquirers Lavinia Lake and Tobias March (Regency-era private detectives) team up to search for a murderer and thief as they investigate the death of Celeste Hudson and the disappearance of the ancient Blue Medusa bracelet. Teens fascinated with the history of hypnosis will be interested in this story as Lavinia's past as a mesmerist is important, but it was the victim who used her mesmeric skills unscrupulously. They will also meet a "doctor" who treats wealthy female patients with a machine to induce orgasms. The novel is full of witty dialogue that will evoke smiles as the males compete with the females, and the ladies try to be independent in a society that frowns on such behavior. Quick describes the era with accurate details in a fast-moving mystery with surprising twists.
Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In this sequel to last year's Slightly Shady, bestseller Quick brings back the winning detective duo of Lake and March for another mysterious romp through Regency London. Settling in to a partnership both professional and personal, Lavinia Lake and Tobias March take on a case deeply intertwined with Lavinia's own past. An old family friend, the mesmerist Dr. Howard Hudson, introduces the couple to his beautiful young wife, Celeste, and not long after, Celeste is brutally murdered. Was she murdered for the sake of an ancient jewel, the Blue Medusa, reputed to confer upon the wearer mysterious powers? The Blue Medusa is missing, stolen from the household of the senile nobleman who last possessed it. As the investigation proceeds apace, both Lavinia's niece Emmeline and Tobias's brother-in-law, Anthony, insist that they wish to become investigators, too, apprenticing themselves to the older couple despite objections. A secondary romance between the younger couple offers a charming counterpoint to the growing relationship between Lavinia and Tobias. While Tobias endeavors to protect Lavinia from the danger looming from her own past, Lavinia goes about solving the case in her own way, resulting in a dramatic confrontation with the killer. Though the suspense is low-key throughout, Quick nevertheless pulls the reader along with her eminently readable blend of humor, sharp dialogue and well-paced plotting. Readers can only hope that they have not seen the last of Lake and March.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

The ever-popular Quick rekindles the romance between two wonderful characters in another genre-bending romantic whodunit. Lavinia Lake and Tobias Marsh have joined forces in providing "discreet private inquiries for individuals of quality." In other words, they're PIs for upper-crust Londoners. When an old family friend and his much-younger bride, Howard and Celeste Hudson, visit Lavinia, she is reminded of her past as an accomplished mesmerist (one of her many professional incarnations) and its unfortunate end. But there's no time to wallow, as the couple is beckoned to launch an investigation when Celeste is found strangled by a gentleman's cravat. Could Howard be a murderer? Inquiries reveal that the motive behind the crime is an antique bracelet said to possess legendary powers. Only a few collectors even know about the bracelet's existence, and all become suspects. Quick deftly makes her heroine's past life as a mesmerist and current life as an investigator come together in exciting, humorous fashion. The romantic charm that makes Quick so revered is much in evidence here--her Regency-era characters are worldly beyond their time, and yet they fit the period exquisitely. Expect demand from both romance and mystery fans. Mary Frances Wilkens
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Continuing the lively personal and professional relationship begun in Slightly Shady, Lavinia Lake and Tobias March once again find themselves embroiled in a mystery with links to the past. When the scheming wife of an acquaintance is found strangled, possibly because of an ancient bracelet with a carved blue cameo she had in her keeping, Lavinia and Tobias accept the request to find the culprit. As they get closer to the truth, they end up becoming targets of the killer. Quick spins a fast-paced, delightful tale that combines her classic humor and adventurous, wonderfully anachronistic heroines and take-charge heroes with elements of greed, ancient lore, and the practice of mesmerism. Quick, who also writes as Jayne Ann Krentz and Jayne Castle, is a best-selling author who lives in the Seattle area.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

One

Tobias watched Lavinia walk up the steps of Number 7 Claremont Lane and knew at once that something was very wrong. Beneath the deep brim of her stylish bonnet, her face, always a source of intense fascination for him, showed signs of an odd, brooding tension.

In his admittedly limited experience, Lavinia rarely brooded over a problem or a setback. She was more inclined to take immediate action. Much too inclined to do so, in his considered opinion. Reckless and rash were words that came to mind.

He watched her from the window of the cozy little parlor, every muscle in his body tightening with a battle-ready tension. He had no patience with premonitions and other such metaphysical nonsense, but he trusted his own hunches, especially when it came to matters concerning his new partner and lover. Lavinia looked nothing short of shaken. He knew better than most that it took a great deal to rattle her composure.

"Mrs. Lake is home," he said, glancing at the housekeeper over his shoulder.

"About time." Mrs. Chilton set down the tea tray with an air of enormous relief and bustled toward the door. "Thought she'd never get here. I'll just go and help her with her coat and gloves. She'll be wanting to pour the tea for her guests, I'm sure. Likely be looking forward to a cup herself."

From what he could see of her face in the shadow of the bonnet, Tobias had a feeling that Lavinia was more in need of a healthy dose of some of the sherry she kept in her study. But the medicinal dose of spirits would have to wait.

The guests waiting for her here in the parlor had to be dealt with first.

Lavinia paused at the front door, searching through her large reticule for her key. He could read the signs of strain around her fine eyes quite clearly now.

What the devil had happened?

During the affair of the waxwork murders a few weeks ago, he thought that he had come to know Lavinia rather well. She was not easily flustered, overset, or frightened. Indeed, in the course of his own occasionally dangerous career as an investigator, he had met very few people of either sex who were as cool in threatening circumstances as Lavinia Lake.

It would require something quite dramatic to put that grim expression in her eyes. The prickle of unease that drifted through him had a chilling effect on both his patience and his temper, neither of which was in especially good condition at the moment. He would look into this new situation just as soon as he could get Lavinia alone.

Unfortunately, that would not be for some time. Her guests appeared prepared to converse at some length. Tobias did not care for either of them. The tall, elegantly lean, fashionably attired gentleman, Dr. Howard Hudson, had introduced himself as an old friend of the family.

His wife, Celeste, was one of those extraordinarily attractive females who are only too well aware of their effect on the male of the species and not the least hesitant to use their gifts to manipulate men. Her shining blond hair was piled high on her head, and her eyes were the color of a summer sky. She wore a gossamer-thin muslin gown patterned with tiny pink roses and trimmed with pink and green ribbons. There was a small fan attached to her reticule. Tobias considered that the dress was cut quite low for such a brisk day in early spring, but he was almost certain that the deep neckline was a carefully calculated decision on Celeste's part.

In the twenty minutes he had spent with the pair, he had reached two unshakable conclusions. The first was that Dr. Howard Hudson was a charlatan. The second was that Celeste was an out-and-out adventuress. But he suspected he would do well to keep his opinions to himself. He doubted that Lavinia would welcome them.

"I am so looking forward to seeing Lavinia again," Hudson said from the chair where he reclined with languid ease. "It has been several years since we last met. I am eager to introduce her to my dear Celeste."

Hudson possessed the rich, resonant voice of a trained actor. It had a deep, vibrant quality that one associated with well-tuned instruments. The sound grated on Tobias's nerve endings, but he had to admit that it commanded attention in an almost uncanny fashion.

Hudson cut a decidedly fashionable figure in an excellently tailored dark blue coat, striped waistcoat, and pleated trousers. His neckcloth was tied in an elaborate and unusual manner that Tobias thought his brother-in-law, Anthony, would have admired. At one-and-twenty, Anthony was at the age when young men paid acute attention to such things. He would no doubt also approve of the unusual gold seals that decorated Hudson's watch.

Tobias mentally calculated that the doctor was somewhere in the middle of his forties. Hudson was endowed with the distinguished, well-modeled features of a man who would no doubt always turn ladies' heads, regardless of his age. His wealth of dark brown hair was silvered in a striking manner, and he wore his clothes with an authority and aplomb that would have done credit to Brummell himself in the heyday of his social reign.

"Howard." The strain evaporated from Lavinia's green eyes as she swept into the parlor. She held out both hands in unmistakable and enthusiastic welcome. "Forgive me for being late. I went shopping in Pall Mall and misjudged the time and the traffic."

Tobias was fascinated by the change that had come over her in the past few minutes. If he had not caught that brief glimpse of her expression when she came up the steps, he would never have guessed now that she had been troubled.

It annoyed him that the mere sight of Dr. Howard Hudson had had such an uplifting effect on her mood.

"Lavinia, my dear." Howard rose and took both her hands in his long, well-groomed fingers, squeezing gently. "Words cannot express how wonderful it is to see you again after all this time."

Another wave of disturbing, albeit inexplicable, unease washed through Tobias. Hudson's most arresting features, aside from his riveting voice, were his eyes. An unusual combination of brown and gold in color, they had a compelling effect.

Both voice and gaze were no doubt extremely useful in his profession, Tobias thought. Dr. Howard Hudson was a practitioner of the so-called science of mesmerism.

"I was so very pleased to receive your note yesterday," Lavinia said. "I had no notion that you were in London."

Hudson smiled. "I was the one who was delighted to discover that you were in Town. Imagine my surprise, my dear. The last I heard, you and your niece had gone off to Italy as companions to a lady named Mrs. Underwood."

"Our plans changed quite unexpectedly," Lavinia said smoothly. "Emeline and I were obliged by circumstances to return to England sooner than we had anticipated."

Tobias raised his brows at that understatement, but he wisely kept silent.

"Well, that is certainly fortunate as far as I am concerned." Howard gave her hands another little familiar squeeze and released her. "Allow me to introduce my wife, Celeste."

"How do you do, Mrs. Lake," Celeste murmured in dulcet tones. "Howard has told me so much about you."

Tobias was briefly amused by her manner. The almost theatrically gracious inclination of Celeste's head did not conceal the cold assessment in her pretty eyes. He could see her measuring, weighing, and passing judgment. It was obvious that she immediately dismissed Lavinia as no threat and of no consequence.

He was amused for the first time that afternoon. Dismissing Lavinia was always a mistake.

"This is, indeed, a pleasure." Lavinia sat down on the sofa, arranged the skirts of her plum-colored gown, and picked up the teapot. "I had no notion that Howard had married, but I am delighted to hear it. He has been alone much too long."

"I had no choice in the matter," Howard assured her. "One look at my beautiful Celeste a year ago and my fate was sealed. In addition to making me a lovely wife and companion, she has proven herself quite adept at handling my business accounts and appointment book. Indeed, I do not know how I would get by without her now."

"You flatter me, sir." Celeste lowered her lashes and smiled at Lavinia. "Howard has attempted to teach me some of his skills with mesmerism, but I fear that I have no great talent for the science." She accepted the cup and saucer. "I understand my husband was a dear friend of your parents?"

"He was, indeed." A wistful expression crossed Lavinia's face. "He was a frequent visitor in our home in the old days. My parents were not only exceedingly fond of him, they counted themselves among his greatest admirers. My father told me on several occasions that he considered Howard to be the most accomplished practitioner of mesmerism he had ever met."

"I take that as a very great compliment," Howard said modestly. "Your parents were both extremely skilled in the art themselves. I found it fascinating to watch them work. Each had a unique style, but each achieved amazing results."

"My husband tells me that your parents were lost at sea nearly a decade ago," Celeste murmured. "And that you lost your husband that same year. It must have been an extremely trying time for you."

"Yes." Lavinia poured tea into two more cups. "But my niece, Emeline, came to live with me some six years ago and we do very nicely together. I am sorry that she is not here to meet you this afternoon. She is with friends attending a lecture on the monuments and fountains of Rome."

Celeste managed an expression of polite sympathy. "You and your niece are alone in the world?"

"I do not think of it as being alone," Lavinia said crisply. "We have ea...

Edition details

• Publisher: Bantam
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0553802003
• ISBN 13: 9780553802009
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336