A Writer of Quick Gothics

[Brandon Dodge]

Amanda Quick, whose real name is Jayne Ann Krentz, has been writing Gothicesque thrillers for over 15 years. Although bookstores shelve them as "historical romance" they are truly Gothics, just without the standard "spooky castle in the distance and screaming lady running through the countryside" on the book cover. As a male reader there are lots of things to love about Gothics, but the one I found to be the most interesting when it comes to Quick is the easy style of writing she has equiped her stories with. I finished Second Sight , which is the first in a series called "The Arcane Society", in about 5 hours. Spooky settings, supernatural occurences and strange townsfolk inhabit several of her novels. Her earlier books may be more strightlaced romance than the later books, but the "Gothic" feel is present. The Arcane Society series actually contains novels from both her names; Jayne Ann Krentz (contemporary) and Amanda Quick (gothic), and there are currently four total in the series. Second Sight and The Third Circle by Quick are two.