Try Googling the N-number. I did that on my current airplane. In addition to the usual stuff (FAA data, FlightRadar tracks, etc.), I found forum posts from former renters.
When I had a chance to see the logbooks, I Googled the A&P names I found. I was able to contact one and find out more details about the airplane that added to and confirmed what the owner was telling me.
AviationDB.com is also a good website that aggregates all FAA info in one convenient site.
