3+ starsThis fourth and last Vanza book is only loosely tied to the series as a whole. The Hero, Ambrose Wells, is a student of Vanza and his master was John Stoner. Stoner was the rogue Vanza student of the master Lorring - Stoner was the one sent by Lorring to kill or hinder Edison Stokes in the 2nd book.We've moved into the Victorian period, and Stoner is now an older man - late middle-aged to older. He doesn't make a real appearance in the book until much later, but his presence is felt early on, because it's his house that Ambrose uses to house and protect Concordia Glade and her four young pupils Edwina and Theodora Cooper, Hannah Radburn, and Phoebe Leyland.Concordia and her pupils were housed in an old castle in northern England. But Concordia knew something wasn't quite right; she was engaged to teach these four girls (15-17), told that it was a special young ladies school that she would be headmistress of. But why were there so many men around the castle? Men who looked to be guarding rather than servants? And what happened to her predecessor? The girls think something awful must have happened, because their last teacher left behind her new gloves - expensive gloves, something a teacher on a modest salary would never do, even if she was dismissed.So Concordia and her students plan an escape that employs explosions and a getaway in the dead of night on horses. Except that Ambrose appears in the middle of their getaway and saves them all, allowing them to truly get away. He takes them to an inn for a meal and beds, and then helps them get to London and to Stoner's house, using a clever ruse of changing their clothes mid-way on the train. When they entered the train, they were dressed as proper young ladies; when they exited, they looked like tough street urchins.Ambrose has been engaged to find out what happened to a young woman who worked in a bathing house. Nellie was found dead in the men's pool, but her sister insists that Nellie was a good girl and that she worked on the women's side - she had no reason to be on the men's side. Ambrose, it seems, is a private inquiry agent, who keeps his identity to his clients a secret; he uses darkness as his cover, so that his clients never see his face. And his fee isn't money - it's favors. When Concordia discovers Ambrose's involvement and that he's a private inquiry agent, she asks him to find out what was really going on at the castle. What was the purpose of having 4 well-bred girls there and why were their reputations so important that they must have a proper teacher and chaperone? The rumors say that there was some sort of auction planned for the girls - were they to become expensive courtesans to the highest bidder against their wills?And so Concordia and Ambrose start with the information they have on hand about what the girls have in common. All are orphans, all went to school at the same school (Winslow) before being taken to the castle, and all were taken to the castle by the same man-of-business. Since the girls all hated their school and its headmistress who cruelly locked them in the dark cellar for days when they broke the rules, none questioned being taken away.Untying the knots of the mystery are difficult. There aren't many clues to go on, and the "why" behind the auction and what was to happen to the girls remains a mystery until the very end.But once again, we have the employer-employee banter going on between Concordia and Ambrose. To have some part of the investigation, Concordia tells Ambrose that since she is employing him, she must be involved and informed. But Ambrose handles it differently than Artemas did in the previous book, so while it still wears thin, at least there's something new.Initially, Concordia got the impression that Ambrose was John Stoner's lover, which depressed her because she felt an attraction to him. But Ambrose quickly dispells that notion. And here's the rub: These Vanza men who have mastered their emotions seem to lose it almost instantly when meeting their "love". It's a love-at-first-sight kind of thing with these men. Attraction, yes; lust, yes. Love? To be fair to them, the Vanza men do try to tell themselves it's nothing more than attraction and lust, but even they feel shaken to their core by the depth of emotion towards their "woman". And so, naturally, involved kissing happens right away. Not long after, some sort of sexual encounter occurs, when the man discovers the woman is still a virgin and is chagrined because he didn't know. And the author provides some humor in that, because the man ends up losing his control before much action takes place. (I find it funny that in most romances, the man can go forever and hold back until he's thoroughly pleasured the woman. In these books, the man loses it - is unmanned - something that a man would never admit to. Luckily the women are so inexperienced, they don't know the difference!)ANYWAY... while I felt the chemistry between Concordia and Ambrose, and while neither of them fits the typical Hero/Heroine mold, I was still annoyed at their sexual encounters. If you're going to write them to this degree, at least make the steam worth reading! This book was better than the 3rd in that way, but still... not very satisfying for the readers. Rather rushed and routine from the start, IMO.But the relationship between Concordia and Ambrose has much more promise, IMO, than the 3rd book - as much as the 1st and 2nd books. But even this book isn't as good as the 1st. And while there's some sense of resolution and moving forward (even with Vanza, now being taught to girls) at the end of this book, I still can't help but feel as if the author or the publisher just decided to tie together four loosely-associated stories by the Vanza thread. IF there'd been at least one more book, even with a Vanza Heroine, I might have felt the series was worth it. As it is, the 1st book was wonderful and brought something new to the historical-romance-mystery genre, the 2nd and 4th books were good, and the 3rd was simply OK.Not sure if I'll continue reading more Amanda Quick... might give another book a try, just to see if it can rival the 1st book in this series. Maybe this author just doesn't do series well?
I really enjoyed Lie by Moonlight, and I think a huge part of its charm was listening to it on audio. The narrator has a great voice, she speaks with an English accent, and she modified her voice for the various characters, based on class, gender, and personality. I like how she captured the Victorian feel--both a mystery vibe and a romantic in a classic way vibe. She showed the chemistry that Concordia and Ambrose shared, and also she conveys the sense of family between Concordia and the girls, Edwina, Phoebe, Hannah, and Theodora. How they become a big family along with Ambrose, Mr. Stoner, and Mrs. and Mr. Oates.The storyline was good. I liked that although Concordia is a woman who carries herself with respect and maturity, she does own up to her rather unconventional upbringing without letting it define her as a person. I really appreciate heroines who are independent, but also rational and thoughtful in their decision-making. Concordia never goes off like a loose cannon, which always seems to invalidate a heroine's intelligence and self-sufficiency to me when I read that in a book. Concordia also showed a lot of heart and integrity in how she protected the young girls in her care. I personally like heroines who believe in doing the right thing and helping those who have been oppressed, disenfranchised, or who are disadvantaged. Although Quick doesn't beat the reader over the head with the history of the Victorian times and how women were treated, especially orphans with no money or status, I could see that as the background for this story. I respected that although Concordia's parents shared one set of values, she didn't feel like she had to adopt their own values for herself when they obviously weren't valid or healthy to her. Ambrose was a man of mystery and I liked that about him. I liked seeing how his background shaped his future and how he uses his skills to help people, even though he gets a personal high out of shadowy feats of espionage. It was clear that he fell for Concordia fast, but it was also organic how his feelings evolved with each moment he spent with her. I was rooting for Concordia to ask him to marry him, and I loved how he put that ball in her court because he knew she needed to have that sense of authority in her life.The suspense and mystery elements were good. I didn't truly guess what was going on until the end. I thought things would go in one direction, but with the excellent plotting, Ms. Quick was able to bring the story to a resolution that made sense for the story. This is my second read by Amanda Quick, Second Sight being the first. I liked Second Sight, but I really liked this one. I am glad I have several other books by Ms. Quick in my collection to read, and I will definitely avail myself of the Quick books on audio at the library when I can.I do recommend this one on audio. The narrator adds so much to the charm and appeal of this book. Thumbs up from this reader.Overall rating: 4.25/5.0 stars.
What do You think about Lie By Moonlight (2006)?
An enjoyable read and an intriguing mystery.Amanda Quick seems to get better with each new book. She also seems to be one of the few romance writers who can come up with a heroine -- Concordia Glade, in this story -- who is more than just the usual Lady Doormat. Concordia has a backbone without being a b**ch, is sensitive without being simpering and intelligent without over-apologizing for it. She's a woman with modern ideals trapped in a time where that and her unusual upbringing are scandalous to proper society. She has to hide who and what she is just to survive and to do what she loves, to teach.Ambrose Wells could easily have been the Lord Neanderthal of so many other bad romance novels, tall, dark, overbearing and condescending. But Ms. Quick doesn't allow him to degenerate into that cliché. Of course he has a mysterious past and he's incredibly handsome, but he respects Concordia instead of trying to dominate her. He works *with* Concordia, not around her in order to protect her young pupils and to solve the multiple murder mystery. Like any man of the time he would certainly prefer it if she didn't put herself in so much danger and allowed herself to be protected more, but once he realizes she's not the type of woman to cry for help and hide behind a man, he learns to accept that and her, and to love her for who she is instead of despite it.The mystery itself is a good one. Why were the girls taken from orphanages and tutored like Ladies? The answer isn't as easy as it first seems, although Concordia's conclusions were logical given the information she had. I certainly didn't see the bigger picture until she and Ambrose were able to dig further into things. The story moves along at a fast pace and there are some genuine surprises along the way, twists in the plot I never saw coming.I'd actually recommend this book to people as good fiction, and since I usually mock romances for fun, that's saying a great deal.
—Liz
With every Amanda Quick book I read I seem to find my new favorite couple but Concordia Glade and Ambrose Wells have got to be the absolute best couple (or at least equal with Lavinia Lake and Tobias March). She is intelligent (of course), resourceful, perceptive and a fierce protector of her students. He is the embodiment of the knightly virtues. It is a joy to watch them fall in love.The wit and humor in Lie by Moonlight had me literally laughing out loud. The mystery of Aldwick Castle and the intentions of the villains toward the four young girls kept me guessing. The characters, even the secondary ones, are quite vivid. In fact, I could easily see this being adapted as a theatrical release.The Vanza Society is not as central to the story as in the other books in the series but it warmed my heart to read in the conclusion that Mr. Stoner would be instructing the girls in the arts of Vanza.
—Kathi Sharp
(aku menyelesaikan buku ini tadi malam sekitar jam 24.44. Jadi kukira itu sudah termasuk Tgl 13 ini kan ya. Tapi aku masih menganggap 'sehari')Concordia (OK, aku aneh dengan nama ini) bersama empat murid perempuannya dikejar oleh seorang penjahat dari kalangan atas, bersama mereka, Ambrose (ya, aku juga merasa aneh) yang seorang detektif swasta bersedia dikerjakan oleh Concordia untuk membantunya.mencari siapa penjahat itu.Seperti kata Hannah, salah satu murid Concordia, yang sangat menyukai roman, ternyata di balik suatu kasus pembunuhan selalu ada intrik cinta didalamnya.Tak seperti aku membaca karya JL atau JQ, bukan bermaksud membandingkan, selama aku membaca novel ini, aku mendapati diriku sering tidak fokus, sulit untuk fokus (berbeda ya) dan terkadang merasa bosan. Karena itu aku hanya memberikan tiga bintang.N.B. Dan mengapa juga setelah ciuman menggairahkan, mereka masih bisa mengobrol tentang 'bisnis' mereka dengan 'biasa' saja. Hmm.
—Red
