Excerpt: 'Garden of Lies' by Amanda Quick
Amanda Quick (aka Jayne Ann Krentz) shares an excerpt from her latest, Garden of Lies.
First, here's the blurb about Garden of Lies (courtesy of G.P. Putnam's Sons):
The New York Times bestselling author of Otherwise Engaged and The Mystery Woman presents an all-new novel of intrigue and murder set against the backdrop of Victorian London…
The Kern Secretarial Agency provides reliable professional services to its wealthy clientele, and Anne Clifton was one of the finest women in Ursula Kern's employ. But Miss Clifton has met an untimely end—and Ursula is convinced it was not due to natural causes.
Archaeologist and adventurer Slater Roxton thinks Mrs. Kern is off her head to meddle in such dangerous business. Nevertheless, he seems sensible enough to Ursula, though she does find herself unnerved by his self-possession and unreadable green-gold eyes…
If this mysterious widowed beauty insists on stirring the pot, Slater intends to remain close by as they venture into the dark side of polite society. Together they must reveal the identity of a killer—and to achieve their goal they may need to reveal their deepest secrets to each other as well…
Amanda sets the scene for us …
Amanda: Meet Mr. Slater Roxton. Having been entombed alive on a mysterious island for some time, he is rumored to have developed several interesting eccentricities. But a client is a client, and Ursula Kern, proprietor of the Kern Secretarial Agency, cannot afford to be too choosy. Below she discusses Roxton with her assistant.
EXCERPT
"Mr. Roxton is not mad." Ursula reflected briefly. "A trifle eccentric, perhaps, but I'm quite sure he isn't mad. I think it's safe to say there's nothing wrong with his nerves, either."
"The latest issue of The Flying Intelligencer reports that Roxton practices exotic sexual rites on unsuspecting females," Matty announced.
Ursula stared at her, genuinely shocked for the first time. "Good heavens. I must admit I hadn't heard that particular tidbit."
"Evidently Roxton is in the habit of kidnapping innocent, respectable ladies right off the street. He takes them to a secret chamber where he performs the rituals."
"Is that so? Have there been a number of complaints from the victims of these exotic sexual rituals?"
"Well, no." Matty looked disappointed. "The victims never remember exactly what happens during the ceremonies because he hypnotizes them to make them forget."
"Really, Matty, you know you can't believe everything you read in the papers."
"They say he has returned to exact vengeance," Matty added on an ominous note.
For the first time since the conversation had started, a chill slithered down Ursula's spine. A great many tales and legends swirled around the mysterious Mr. Roxton. She would not be surprised to learn that a few of them were true.
Find out more about Amanda and her alter egos and their books at www.krentz-quick.com.