_Tightrope_, Amanda Quick

For context, this is book 3 in the Burning Cove, California series. Characters and settings from the earlier two books play significant and ongoing roles. In addition, the romantic male lead, Matthias Jones, is part of the Jones family of the Arcane universe.

The setting is Interwar coastal California in the small, resort community of Burning Cove, a place where people leave Hollywood to catch a break and still be sure they can see and be seen. Amalie Vaughn and her aunt Hazel buy the villa from an earlier book (previously owned by the turbaned psychic who predicted her own death) and start running it as a bed and breakfast. Vincent Hyde, a down on his luck horror actor and his chauffeur / bodyguard Jasper show up and take rooms, which is a relief because it was looking like they were never going to have any guests due to the steep competition from the hotel — but the relief is short-lived, as he says he is there for the thrilling atmosphere, and that is promptly publicized by gossip columnist Lorraine. Amalie makes the best of it and helps Matthias investigate the death of her only other guest, who died at the same theatre that the psychic predicted her own death at.

SPOILERS

As is common in JAK novels, there are multiple bad guys running around with multiple motives. Unusually, someone actually has and uses a grenade! Excitement! The is a tire blowout on a mountain road, and they pull off and have to hide from someone who comes to “help” them. The heroine’s previous career in the circus as a “flyer” shows up in the story repeatedly, mostly as metaphor for being willing to take a risk if she trusts the other person enough, but also in a couple self-rescues and a stalker from her past.

Also, when a woman who had a falling out or otherwise had a beef with the female romantic lead shows up, it does not turn into something ugly. I really like how that seems to be a real theme in JAK novels, especially in the last decade-ish.

I would not recommend starting to read this author with this book, however, it is a highly enjoyable series entry.

_Universal vs Disney_ not (yet) a review

I have really been enjoying this history of Universal, its relationship to Disney, etc. I particularly wanted the story of the Universal Parks, because I realized I first went on the studio ride some time in the mid 1970s, and now go to the Florida parks twice annually, and have gone to the California parks at least a couple times. Usually, when I do something that much, I read like five books on it and become completely insufferable. And yet, I had not done so here! It is time.

In the corporate history background of the various components of Universal, the book says that Universal Ranch became part of Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood. Roy Disney is buried there (Walt is in forest lawn memorial park Glendale). Still, pretty hilarious!

Having read a number of narrative corporate and/or industry biographies, I often wistfully think how nice it would be, when, say, an author is doing a great job of describing the miserable opening of what became Universal Studios Orlando (lots of technical failures), or the terrible initial marketing of what became Universal Islands of Adventure, the author might note in a short side bar, foot note, end note or parenthetical paragraph whether this kind of thing was typical of business behavior at the time or wildly unusual.

I will post more when I am done.