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Today I have a review of Tightrope by Amanda Quick! Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the invitation to read this book!

About the Book:

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.

My Thoughts:

Tightrope is the third book in the Burning Cove series. While I’ve read the first book, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, also, I think Tightrope can be read as a standalone. 

Amalie Vaughn is a former trapeze artist. Her move to Burning Cove is for a fresh start. She spends her inheritance on a mansion with the plan to turn it into a bed-and-breakfast; however, she finds out the mansion is cursed. 

In fact, her very first guest, Dr. Norman Pickwell, is murdered by his robot invention while onlookers are watching, which further makes the the curse seem real. 

Amalie then sees a stranger from the audience slip behind the curtain, and then reappear, placing a gun into a holster on himself. The man’s name is Matthias. 

Matthias is investigating Pickwell, believing he stole a cipher machine, which has now vanished. Matthias ends up at Amalie’s front door, and the two are instantly attracted to each other. They have to decide if they can trust each other enough to work together. 

Overall, this was a quick, immersive read. The setting was just plain fun and picturesque in a coastal California town in the 1930s. I felt the tension as the suspense built, and I had to keep reading until the clever resolution. Amalie was a phenomenal main character, and I loved her story! 

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions my own. 

Have you read Tightrope, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR