The River Knows

Everytime I hear the title The River Knows by Amanda Quick, I am reminded of the Gordon Lightfoot song about Lake Superior - with the line "never gives up her dead". In this case however, body of water is the river Thames, and it does give up it's dead - but they are listed as suicides. Not very acceptable in Victorian times. The book starts out with the death of three respectable women and it becomes clearer that their cases are indeed related.

Louisa Bryce and Anthony Stalbridge run into each other at a high society party. Sounds lovely? Did I mention the fact that they are both snooping into their host Elwin Hastings's bedroom? In order to escape the bodyguard - they feign a lover's kiss. Stalbridge wants to know why he keeps running into Louisa while he's investigating, what is she up to? She believes that Hastings has connections to a brothel and she is trying to dig up the truth to expose him - she is a secret newspaper correspondent. It turns out Stalbridge thinks that Hastings has a connection to his fiance' s death. The authorities said it was a suicide - but Anthony does not believe it.

They join as partners in this investigation. Anthony has a bad reputation since his fiance died - and he is noted to be from an eccentric family. Louisa is supposed to a be a quiet dull widow - but Anthony learns that there is much more to her than meets the eye. As they discover more clues and questions, they learn more about each other, and their hidden pasts and their attraction grows.

Come join the adventure - with a stalwart "modern" heroine and a hero worth cheering for.
Another one of Quick's finest. A very fun read.