ABOUT THE BOOK
Amelie Hampton is a hopeless romantic, which makes her the perfect columnist to answer lonely heart letters in The Marriage Gazette. When Amelie plays matchmaker with two anonymous lonely hearts, she also decides to secretly observe the couple's blind date. To her surprise, the man who appears for the rendezvous is Harold Radcliffe—a grieving widower and a member of Amelie's book club.
Police detective Michael Baker has been struggling ever since his best friend and brother-in-law dies in the line of fire. Because he knows the dangers of his job, he has vowed never to marry and subject a wife and family to the uncertainty of his profession. But when he meets Miss Hampton, he is captured by her innocence, beauty, and her quick mind.
When a woman's body is pulled from the river, Michael suspects the woman's husband—Harold Radcliffe—of foul play. Amelie refuses to believe that Harold is capable of such violence but agrees to help, imagining it will be like one of her favorite mystery novels. Her social connections and clever observations prove an asset to the case, and Amelie is determined to prove Mr. Radcliffe's innocence. But the more time Amelie and Michael spend together, the more they trust each other, and the more they realize they are a good team, maybe the perfect match.
They also realize that Mr. Radcliffe is hiding more than one secret, and when his attention turns toward Amelie, Michael knows he must put an end to this case before the woman he loves comes to harm.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
NANCY CAMPBELL ALLEN is the award-winning author of eighteen published novels and several novellas, which encompass a variety of genres, ranging from contemporary romantic suspense to historical fiction. Her most recent books, which include Regency, Victorian, and steampunk romance, are published under Shadow Mountain’s Proper Romance brand, and the What Happens in Venice novella series is part of the Timeless Romance Anthology collection published by Mirror Press. She has presented at numerous conferences and events since her initial publication in 1999.
Nancy loves to read, write, travel, and research, and enjoys spending time with family and friends. She nurtures a current obsession for true crime podcasts and is a news junkie. She and her husband have three children, and she lives in Ogden, Utah, with her family, one very large Siberian Husky named Thor, and an obnoxious but endearing YorkiePoo named Freya.
REVIEW
This romantic suspense follows the adventures of a rather naïve young matchmaker who inadvertently gets involved in solving a murder. After Detective Michael Baker catches Amelia spying on a couple that she helped match, he enlists her help in getting close to Harold Radcliffe who he suspects of having murdered his wife. Amelia reluctantly agrees hoping to prove Mr. Radcliffe's innocence. What she doesn't expect is finding herself caught between Mr. Radcliffe's charm and Detective Baker's attractiveness. When a second murder occurs, it becomes clear that the risk to both Amelia and Michael and their loved ones is also increasing. If they don't find answers quickly, it may soon be too late.
Amelie and Michael both make for delightful reading. Amelie's romantic nature and touch of naivete made her a bit frustrating at times, but her spunk and determination balanced that out nicely. Michael makes for a solid hero with his dedication to finding the truth and to his family. The secondary characters were great also. Radcliffe makes for an intriguing, dangerous foe while Amelie's cousins, Eva and Charlotte stand as interesting characters all on their own. The plot takes several interesting twists along the way as does the romance. Not only does this book work well as a romance, but it's a fantastic mystery as well with plenty of action and adventure along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would love to run into these characters again.
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