Close Up
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4.6 • 32 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Welcome to Burning Cove, California where 1930s Hollywood glamour conceals a ruthless killer…
Vivian Brazier never thought life as an art photographer would include nightly wake-up calls to snap photos of grisly crime scenes or headshots for aspiring male actors. Although she is set on a career of transforming photography into a new art form, she knows her current work is what’s paying the bills.
After shooting crime scene photos of a famous actress, the latest victim of the murderer the press has dubbed the “Dagger Killer,” Vivian notices eerie similarities to the crime scenes of previous victims—details that only another photographer would have noticed—details that put Vivian at the top of the killer’s target list.
Nick Sundridge has always been able to “see” things that others don’t, coping with disturbing dreams and visions. His talent, or as he puts it—his curse—along with his dark past makes him a recluse, but a brilliant investigator. As the only one with the ability to help, Nick is sent to protect Vivian. Together, they discover the Dagger Killer has ties to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood royalty and high society. It is a cutthroat world of allure and deception that Vivian and Nick must traverse—all in order to uncover the killer who will stop at nothing to add them to their gallery of murders.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Quick demonstrates her mastery of sexy and sophisticated romantic thrillers with this superb fourth installment to her Burning Cove series, set in the golden age of Hollywood. Uninterested in a society marriage, heiress Vivian Brazier leaves San Francisco to build a career as an art photographer in L.A., paying the bills by taking headshots for beefcake wannabe actors and racing to crime scenes to shoot exclusives for the dailies. When her knowledge of photography comes in handy in helping the police identify the so-called "Dagger Killer," Vivian unwittingly makes herself a target of someone who may be the murderer's accomplice. Private investigator Nick Sundridge is hired by a mysterious third party to protect her, and together they hatch a plot to catch the killer using Nick's special ability to "see things" in visions and psychic dreams. Quick expertly balances the paranormal intrigue of their investigation with the building attraction between Nick and Vivian while making time for delightful historical details. Readers will revel in the gripping mystery and 1930s glamour of this expertly crafted romance.
Customer Reviews
Another Quick winner
When I realized Amanda Quick’s historicals were more “modern” I wasn’t sure they would be as interesting as her other more historical tales. I definitely discovered there was no cause for concern! Regardless of the era in which her books take place Quick always writes a story that grips my imagination, right from the first few sentences.
The characters in “Close Up” are just as fresh and just as intriguing as those in any of her other books, as is the premise. I marvel at how she manages to keep them all unique; it is just one of her many talents.
The introductions to both Vivian and Nick are classic Quick; we quickly learn the main points about both—the challenges they face as well as their strengths. From the beginning these are people about whom I am interested, and I know immediately I am going to like them!
Once again, another Amanda Quick story went by far too quickly and ended much too soon, even for a 300 page book. But that is always the case when I start any of Ms Krentz’s books.