The Perfect Poison

Lucinda Bromley has a reputation, and not one that ladies in Victorian England aspire to - not quite a black widow, if only because she's never actually been married. An expert in plant-based poisons, Lucinda's called in when a wealthy gentleman dies under suspicious circumstances. Lucinda identifies the poison - and realizes she has a problem. The poison that killed him bears traces of a rare plant specimen stolen from her greenhouse, a plant that, as far as she knows, no one else in London possessed. She's going to need a detective versed in strange goings on. Good thing she knows of one.

Caleb Jones has a strong talent. It's kept him in and out of trouble for most of his life, but he's afraid it's driving him mad, a family curse. He's show more never been tempted to settle down. Not, that is, until he meets the woman society knows as "Lucrezia" Bromley. Now he just has to catch a killer and convince the lady. Three guesses as to which will be more difficult!

Classic Quick. Predictable, but charming for all that she's written better. show less

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 show more 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? show less

In this Arcane Society book, Lucinda Bromley’s reputation is absolutely ruined after she’s accused of poisoning her fiancé months earlier. She’s a highly-adept botanist who can feel and see the power of the plants around her, and she can sense the presence of any poison, especially if it’s plant-based. After one of her rare ferns is stolen and used as a poison to murder someone, she seeks help from Caleb Jones.
Caleb comes from the powerful Jones family. They trace their lineage back to Sylvester the Alchemist, the founder of the Arcane Society, and every member of the family for generations is known to have incredible psychical powers. Caleb, however, is cursed to fall into madness and take his own life. He fights the curse show more every day, but after meeting Lucinda, he realizes there’s more to life than solving puzzles and mysteries.
Lucinda is my favorite heroine from the series, so far. She’s a strong woman due to the terrible loss and ordeal she’s suffered, and if not for the fortune she’d inherited, she likely would’ve been homeless on the street.
Caleb is stubborn, obsessive over his work, and so dense at times you just want to slap him. He knows how to behave in the polite society, but he often chooses not to because he doesn’t have the time to bother with niceties. His attitude was actually refreshing.
Lucinda’s cousin Patricia, and Caleb’s friend Fletcher, are great additions to the story. I really liked them and would’ve loved to read more about their romance. Lady Victoria returns with her matchmaking efforts. Unfortunately, Harrow from the previous books didn’t return in this one, and he’s one of my favorite characters.
The writing is good, but the book is wordy and there are lots of taglines. The series continues into the contemporary setting under the author name Jayne Ann Krentz, and I look forward to reading how the new characters will connect to the Jones family from the first three books.
4 Stars

Note -- Even though this book is considered number 6 in the Arcane Society series, it’s technically number 3 if you read the books in chronological order (not publication date). Personally, I read all of the Amanda Quick (historical) books first, then the Jayne Anne Krentz (contemporary) books, and lastly the (futuristic) ones by Jayne Castle. For readers who don’t know, these three authors are the same author, and she uses different names for each time period.

Disclaimer – I bought this book for my own enjoyment. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape, or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion. show less

If you can suspend reality, and consider this book a paranormal mystery instead of a historical romance, then it is very good. The mystery had a good plot, but the constant references to the special talents of the society bothered me a little.

Long story short, I liked this one much better than "The Third Circle." I am still not thrilled about the lack of a true ending with these books though. The way that Amanda Quick/Jayne Anne Krentz, etc. wrote these, is that you have to read contemporary and regency books in order to follow this series. I tried to read one of the contemporary novels before, and I was not a fan. So I just tend to stick to the Amanda Quick titles.

This book follows Lucinda Bromley and Caleb Jones. Readers should be familiar with Caleb by this point since he has appeared in the previous Arcane Society books written by Amanda Quick. I have to say that I liked his character in those books, gruff, and didn't seem to be about any nonsense that I could see. show more

Lucinda is still weathering the gossip that says that she poisoned her father and fiancee. Lucinda is a member of the Arcane Society and has the psychical power to know what poisons if any were used on a living being. She is also gifted with plants. So I guess you can think of her like Poison Ivy.

Caleb was discussing setting up a psychical investigation agency after the events in "The Third Circle" and appears to have done so now. He is called upon to work for Lucinda when she realizes that a recent poisoning by a high member of Society is linked to one of her rare plants.

The mystery aspect of the book really didn't appeal to me. If you have read these books you already for the most part know who the bad guys are, and Ms. Quick always includes chapters/sections that show you who the bad guys are, so you as a reader are waiting for the hero/heroine to catch up and catch the bad guys. I read these for the romance aspect of it. I think that Ms. Quick did a better job of setting up the romance between Lucinda and Caleb. It was a definite slow burn and I loved it. Probably because Lucinda is a woman of independent means, she really didn't need Caleb for anything. And I liked that she didn't let him keep her from investigating and still doing what she did. I hate it in romance books when the hero tells the heroine to stay out of trouble and then she is kidnapped and he has to save the day. I loved the fact that Lucinda saves herself in the book over and over again.

There is a secondary romance included in this book, but I don't think that Ms. Quick did a great job of setting it up. I wish she had and excerpted the sections dealing with the villains.

We also get some glimpses of former characters. I really hate though that we only get the men interacting with the main characters in this book for the most part.

The ending though we do get our Happily Ever After (HEA) just sets up another cliffhanger/chase that I am not sure I am going to keep reading. I do know from a friend that there should only be two more books for me to complete the Arcane Society Historical books so I may get back to them eventually. show less

I have to admit that this series of paranormal Victorian romances/mysteries has me hooked. Third in the series, this one can be read out of order, although I think some toss-away references to earlier books will be missed. Still, they aren't essential to the enjoyment of the book.

This romance does have some steamy scenes, but they don't overwhelm the story. I liked the leads in the story and they made sense to me. Lucinda is smart and charming while Caleb is brooding and dark (and smart). While the mystery is a bit predictable, the fun in romances is how one gets from point A to point B, and this one is enjoyable.

Recommended for fans of paranormal romances with a hint of mystery.

The Perfect Poison
4 Stars

Synopsis
Lucinda Bromley is a botanist with the unique ability to detect any poison but she also has a notorious reputation following the suspicious death of her fiance. When a man is poisoned by a rare fern, Lucinda fears becoming the prime suspect and requests the help of Caleb Jones, a man known for being able to decipher any clue. Soon Lucinda and Caleb are immersed in a case of murder and conspiracy and must stop a relentless scientist and a deranged madman in their quest to perfect the deadly Founder's Formula.

Review
On the whole, the Arcane series has been a mixed bag for me but The Perfect Poison is more of a hit than a miss. This part of the series comes full circle with explanations for several ideas show more found in the contemporary books, such as the origins of Jones & Jones and the society's matchmaking service as well as the true nature of Caleb's ability (and by extension that of his descendent, Fallon Jones).

Caleb and Lucinda are wonderful together and their romance is passionate and powerful. Lucinda is the most compelling of the three historical heroines in the series - her intelligence, charm and wit are appealing on many levels, and the fact that she accepts her attraction to Caleb so completely only adds to their chemistry. Caleb has the darkest temperament and struggles to cope with the true nature of his abilities but he brings this intensity to his relationship with Lucinda, which makes it absolutely perfect. One a side note, the explanation of Caleb's mental anguish is particularly fulfilling, especially for fans of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose - just love the intertextuality.

The mystery is where the book falls short as it lacks the intrigue and intensity of previous installments. The plot itself is contrived and there is no atmosphere of urgency or excitement. Moreover, the climax is predictable and uninspired.

Overall, an easy and entertaining read with a gorgeous tortured hero and a spirited heroine. The series continues with the Dreamlight trilogy and I look forward to continuing with it. show less