Amanda Quick’s Til’ Death Do Us Part is a Dark, Gothic Tale with Feminist Sensibilities
I often think of historical romances as “fantasy light”—since they’re set in a whole new world, filled with ball gowns and jewels and unfamiliar social mores. But underneath the beautiful clothes and the witty banter lies a darker truth: historically, women have lacked a lot of the rights we take for granted now.
This is a truth that Amanda Quick (actually a penname for romantic suspense novelist Jayne Ann Krentz) confronts in her newest novel, Til’ Death Do Us Part, with striking results. Quick stares down the inequality between men and women and tackles it head on in this Gothic Victorian romance. There’s much to love in this properly dark tale, including the very sweet romance between two equally compelling characters at the heart of the book. Here are a few of the many reasons why Til’ Death Do Us Part is an immensely worthwhile read for fans of mystery, romance, and just plain great storytelling.
The Gothic mystery is as fun as it is dark. Calista Langley, who I like to think of as the Victorian-era equivalent to the founder of modern online dating, has inherited a sizable and impressive house, but little other money. In a burst of ingenuity, she develops an introductions business, using her home to host salons for singles where they can meet other like-minded singles. She works by referral only, helping her keep her respectable appearance in society and ensuring that no one gets the wrong idea about her business.
'Til Death Do Us Part
Hardcover $27.00
'Til Death Do Us Part
By Amanda Quick
Hardcover $27.00
In fact, business seems to be going well, until Calista begins to receive a series of mourning trinkets left in her home, and she fears that one of her clients may have told the wrong person about her new enterprise. Before long, famous mystery author Trent Hastings’ younger sister Eudora becomes a client of Calista’s, and Trent himself bursts into Calista’s life, hoping to ensure Eudora’s safety from fortune hunters. But when he finds out that Calista might actually be the one in danger, he channels the detective he so often writes about for his books to help her solve the mystery. Of course, the reclusive Trent has his own demons and scars to overcome in the process.
No character is left behind. Trent and Calista sprang off the page immediately, with witty banter and sweetness to spare. In fact, Quick has a way with all her characters—even her side characters have their own goals and their own compelling story lines. I cared just as much about Trent’s sister, who has devoted her life to taking care of him, as I did about Trent. And while Calista’s business problems were compelling, I wanted her brother Andrew to be able to strike out and succeed on his own as well.
Even the list of potential villains were all well-rounded characters, with their own beliefs and goals larger than just those which impacted the main characters: there was no mustache-twirling villain here. Indeed, the mystery aspect of this novel is as solid and compelling as the character-driven romance.
The romance is between equals. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Til’ Death Do Us Part is the unapologetic feminism woven into the narrative. Women during this time period were easy targets, no matter the family they were born into. Some were forced into careers as governesses, with little to no protection. Others were killed for their family wealth by greedy husbands. In fact, the danger posed to wealthy women marrying awful fortune hunters—or worse—is a running theme, as Quick uses these unbalanced power dynamics to capitalize on the fears readers have for the safety of her female characters.
With so many legal and social odds stacked against them, it was all the more inspiring to see the women in Til’ Death Do Us Part flourish through sheer will-power and creativity; be they matchmakers, mediums, or self-taught women, like Eudora, who were able to use their knowledge of psychology or medicine to give meaningful advice and help. (And it didn’t hurt that all of the likeable male characters had progressive views on women’s education and opportunities.)
The readers are in on the jokes. There’s also a running joke involving a female character in Trent’s mystery novels, which really underscores the way women are thought of and treated in this time period. Every person Trent meets has an opinion on this character, and inevitably, the women love her and the men hate her. The women seem excited to see themselves represented as a useful and smart fictional character; while the men fear that at best the woman will be a distraction and, at worst, she will take attention away from the detective.
The inclusion of an a mystery author as a love interest almost feels like a wink to the readers, because of course, we love BOTH the romance and the mystery. And while I can’t speak for Trent Hastings’ stories, Amanda Quick never allows one storyline to overshadow the other, delivering both a sweet romance and an intriguing mystery that will keep you turning pages all the way to the end.
In fact, business seems to be going well, until Calista begins to receive a series of mourning trinkets left in her home, and she fears that one of her clients may have told the wrong person about her new enterprise. Before long, famous mystery author Trent Hastings’ younger sister Eudora becomes a client of Calista’s, and Trent himself bursts into Calista’s life, hoping to ensure Eudora’s safety from fortune hunters. But when he finds out that Calista might actually be the one in danger, he channels the detective he so often writes about for his books to help her solve the mystery. Of course, the reclusive Trent has his own demons and scars to overcome in the process.
No character is left behind. Trent and Calista sprang off the page immediately, with witty banter and sweetness to spare. In fact, Quick has a way with all her characters—even her side characters have their own goals and their own compelling story lines. I cared just as much about Trent’s sister, who has devoted her life to taking care of him, as I did about Trent. And while Calista’s business problems were compelling, I wanted her brother Andrew to be able to strike out and succeed on his own as well.
Even the list of potential villains were all well-rounded characters, with their own beliefs and goals larger than just those which impacted the main characters: there was no mustache-twirling villain here. Indeed, the mystery aspect of this novel is as solid and compelling as the character-driven romance.
The romance is between equals. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Til’ Death Do Us Part is the unapologetic feminism woven into the narrative. Women during this time period were easy targets, no matter the family they were born into. Some were forced into careers as governesses, with little to no protection. Others were killed for their family wealth by greedy husbands. In fact, the danger posed to wealthy women marrying awful fortune hunters—or worse—is a running theme, as Quick uses these unbalanced power dynamics to capitalize on the fears readers have for the safety of her female characters.
With so many legal and social odds stacked against them, it was all the more inspiring to see the women in Til’ Death Do Us Part flourish through sheer will-power and creativity; be they matchmakers, mediums, or self-taught women, like Eudora, who were able to use their knowledge of psychology or medicine to give meaningful advice and help. (And it didn’t hurt that all of the likeable male characters had progressive views on women’s education and opportunities.)
The readers are in on the jokes. There’s also a running joke involving a female character in Trent’s mystery novels, which really underscores the way women are thought of and treated in this time period. Every person Trent meets has an opinion on this character, and inevitably, the women love her and the men hate her. The women seem excited to see themselves represented as a useful and smart fictional character; while the men fear that at best the woman will be a distraction and, at worst, she will take attention away from the detective.
The inclusion of an a mystery author as a love interest almost feels like a wink to the readers, because of course, we love BOTH the romance and the mystery. And while I can’t speak for Trent Hastings’ stories, Amanda Quick never allows one storyline to overshadow the other, delivering both a sweet romance and an intriguing mystery that will keep you turning pages all the way to the end.