Product Description

Victorian London holds many secrets. But none are so closely guarded as those of the shadowy Arcane Society. In her suspenseful new novel, New York Times-bestselling author Amanda Quick delves into this underworld of passion, greed, and powers that lie beyond this realm . . .

P lagued by rumors that she poisoned her fiancé, Lucinda Bromley manages to live on the fringes of polite society, tending her beloved plants-and occasionally consulting on a murder investigation. For the notorious botanist possesses a unique talent: She can detect almost any type of poison, especially ones that have their origins in the botanical kingdom.

But the death of a lord has shaken Lucinda to her core. At the murder scene, she picks up traces of a poison containing a very rare species of fern. So rare, in fact, that only one specimen exists in all of England-and it was stolen from her conservatory just last month.

To keep her name out of the inquest and to find the murderer, Lucinda hires fellow Arcane Society member Caleb Jones who runs a psychical investigation agency. A descendant of the founder of the Society, Jones is very skillful at protecting its secrets-and frighteningly good getting at the truth. Immediately, Lucinda senses both a raw power and an undeniable intensity in the imposing man.

But as a nearly overwhelming desire blooms between Caleb and Lucinda, they are drawn into the dark heart of a deadly conspiracy that can be traced to the early days of the Arcane Society -and to a legacy of madness that could plunge Caleb into the depths of his own tortured soul. . . .

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10250 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780399155802
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Quick (aka Jayne Ann Krentz) delivers her reliable blend of sex and suspense in her latest Arcane Society novel. In Victorian London, spinster botanist and psychic Lucinda Bromley meets her match in Caleb Jones, a member of the Arcane Society and descendant of an alchemist family that makes him the stuff of myth and legend. Together, this paranormal pair of snoops sets out to track down a thief who made off with a dangerous plant implicated in the death of a wealthy lord, but wind up uncovering a sinister secret order. Quick invents two dazzling 19th-century sleuths who combine paranormal prowess and raw sexual heat. But if they excel at fooling Mother Nature, it's their all too human nature that brings this uncommon Victorian duo to life. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
If Lucinda Bromley doesn’t discover who stole her fern, she could end up being charged with murder. Lucinda frequently used her unusual psychic gift to discern death by poisoning to help the London police, but when a nobleman is poisoned by a compound containing elements of a rare fern, one that can only be found in her conservatory, Lucinda knows she better act quickly. To help her find the real murderer, she hires Caleb Jones, a “psychical investigator.” Believing there is a connection between Lucinda’s fern thief and a deadly dangerous secret society, Caleb agrees to take the case, but he never expected to become so distracted by his new partner in detection or to find himself flummoxed on so many fronts. New York Times best-seller Quick delivers another fascinating addition to her original and spellbinding Victorian-era series about the Arcane Society, a 200-year-old secret organization founded by an alchemist and devoted to paranormal research. Once again, Quick (one of Jayne Ann Krentz’s alternative identities) expertly, even magically, dispenses delectably witty dialogue, simmering sexual chemistry, and a plot laced with secrets, dangers, and surprises. --John Charles

Review
"Amanda Quick . . . deftly distills intrigue, romance, and a dash of the paranormal."
-Chicago Tribune

Customer Reviews

The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick
Historical romance readers will be very, very happy with Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle's newest 'Arcane Society' novel, "The Perfect Poison". This is the long awaited story of Caleb Jones, founder of Jones & Jones Investigations. As a long-time and fervent (rabid might be more truthful) fan of the author, I loved how she contrived connections, both written and implied, to her contemporary 'Arcane Society' books and her Jayne Castle Harmony/St Helens books. But even if you've not been following any of those books, "The Perfect Poison" is a perfect delight.

Lucinda lost her father, his business partner, and her fiance within two horrible months a year and a half ago. However, it was the fiance's death that caused Lucinda's infamous notoriety. You see, when the fiance of an expert botanist dies...well, rumors run rampant; and the ton loves nothing more than a good, juicy scandal! Lucinda is also a member of the Arcane Society and assists a certain local police inspector (also a Society member) in determining death by botanical means. So when she's called to assist in the inspector's latest case, and discovers the means of death was not only poison--but poison from an extremely rare plant that was recently stolen from her conservatory... well, she calls upon the unique services of Caleb Jones, psychical investigator.

Caleb has his hands full with his new agency. As a strategic and hunter 'talent', his skills make him uniquely qualified, and quite gratified, to do this type of work...if he just didn't have to deal with PEOPLE. Caleb also has another little problem. You see, he's pretty sure he's inherited the insanity that comes with his particular family talent and fears his descent into madness is closer than ever. But it only takes a few minutes in Lucinda's company for Caleb to realize something amazing...she calms his tension and invigorates his passion. And for a man who can't pass up a puzzle, she's the most interesting puzzle he's ever seen.

But there's trouble ahead for these two. A group of power hungry talents have created their own society within the Society. Their aim is to recreate a dangerous drug that can enhance psychic talents...but also kills. It's up to Caleb and Lucinda (despite Caleb's protests) to stop them.

There's so much I enjoy about Quick's writing. Her historical novels have lots of sensual tension, but the actual deeds themselves are few and mostly PG-rated. Not to say I'm averse to hotter, but it's still a fairly easy gauge for me...if it's a Quick novel, it's PG. Also, her wonderful and witty dialogue always lures me into another chapter...and another chapter...and another chapter...until I look up and find myself done with the book and wanting to go back and read it again! There's humor, passion, suspense, very little real violence, a tidy mystery, and always a happy ending. Who can resist?

Perfect Poison
Lucinda Bromley, a botanist, has been ostracized by polite society since she was accused of murdering her fiance. As she can detect and identify almost any kind of poison, even on a dead body, she is often called on by the police to determine if a person has been killed by poison. She was very upset to discover that a Lord has been poisoned by a very rare fern, one stolen from her conservatory just a month ago. She verifies that he was indeed murdered, but does not identify the poison for the police. To protect herself, she hires fellow Arcane Society member, Caleb Jones, to track down the thief.

He does identify the thief, a doctor for whom he has been searching as the doctor is attempting to copy a drug which enhances one's paranormal powers. It was originally made by a Jones ancestor, but no antidote was named. It is extremely addictive and eventually kills the user if withdrawn.

Although Caleb and Lucinda are drawn to each other, he knows that insanity runs in the men of his family who have the same kind of power he has and has decided he will never marry.

Although the doctor escapes, the men who had sponsored him are vanquished. She finds that the men in the Jones family have been slowly poisoned to cause the insanity.

It all ends well. (Of course!)

I really like this series. This is the sixth of the 'Arcane Society' paranormal/mystery/romance stories. Although 'Perfect Poison' is a series book, each book stands alone. (There are often references to people mentioned in the previous books, but it is not distracting.)

Great Read
I wish Jayne wrote more often under the Amanda Quick stories. The Arcane Society books are great!! Keep them coming....