This is Dinah Jefferies at her best. This book has been well researched and is well written and descriptive. I have been to Galle several times and could imagine the houses and streets and smells of the sea and fish and the town. It is well written and will be a best seller. I enjoyed the description of the places in Colombo and am familiar with the Galle Face Hotel and the alleyway near Cargills Department Store was very plausible and one could imagine shady dealings within this city. It was full of power and the struggles within the family were very true but at the same time, it was a love story with sweeping, breath taking, heart stopping moments and the subsequent betrayal of the main character, proved we don't really know someone till something happens to them. The evocative smells of the forests provided a backdrop to this lovely book, together with the wonderful beaches of Southern Sri Lanka. I'd recommend this book.

The Sapphire Widow is the latest release by Dinah Jefferies and once again I was totally captivated by this storyline. The book is set back in the 1935 in Ceylon and it was easy to visualise the setting, smell the smells and feel the stifling heat thanks to the beautiful vivid descriptive writing. We are introduced to our protagonist Louise Reeve who is married to Elliot a very handsome man and from the outside in they have the perfect marriage but they long for a child and poor Louise has had her heart broken after suffering miscarriages.
Elliot spends a considerable amount of time way from home which he blames on work commitments but when Louise receives the devastating news that her husband has died things start to unravel and she begins to wonder if she ever really knew her husband at all.
For the first time we are reunited with much loved characters from a previous novel of Dinah’s The Tea Planter’s Wife and I loved getting a glimpse of how things have progressed for Gwen and Laurence. Gwen along with Elliot’s sister Margot are a strong support for Louise after the death of her husband. As secrets are unravelled Louise grows stronger and although she is heartbroken she is determined to pick up the pieces and make a new life for herself.
Dinah Jefferies has such an exquisite detailed writing style that pulls you in right from the first page and keeps you engrossed the whole way through leaving you unable to put the book down. There are twists and turns that are all shocking and unexpected but the way she slowly creates the build up around the revelation almost keeping your attention drawn to something else then makes everything seem so much more dramatic.
Louise was such a caring character, her actions were honourable as I am sure there wouldn’t be many people who would do the things she done after what she had discovered and what she had been through. Louise truly deserved to have a happy ever after.
There is not another author whose writing I can compare Dinah’s to, she just has me mesmerised by her beautiful way with words and every book of hers has been a joy to read and this one is no exception.

Another delightful read by Dinah Jefferies.
The writer transports you through far flung locations where we meet Louisa and her husband Elliot who have faced difficulties throughout their married life. When he dies, Louisa finds out that she never really knew him at all and surprises herself.
Definitely recommend this book.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for choosing to read this ARC.

Another great read by Dinah Jeffries set in Ceylon in the mid 29th century.
The story centres around Louisa who is married to Elliot and living Ceylon all seems perfect but when Elliot dies suddenly everything she thought was right starts to unravel. Set against the backdrop of tropical forests and the insular community of ex pats a very satisfying read.

Dinah Jefferies is the author who woke my passion for reading Historical Fiction and this latest book is just as enchanting as her previous ones. There is something special about Dinah’s colourful writing that instantly transports me to the current location and fills me with its sights, sounds and smells. Whether it is a house, street or, as in this book a cinnamon plantation I am right there as each setting is so beautifully described and brought to life.

This story has loss, vulnerability, friendship and love with both villains and heroes. Set in Ceylon, Louisa Reeves is charming, sensitive and caring who at a time when she appears to have lost everything still manages to gather her strength and courage to take responsibility for Connor, a child who is also grieving and very scared.

I have no problem in recommending this book and awarding it 5 Stars as the vivid and atmospheric words are magical.

My thanks to Net Galley for the digital ARC – this is my own opinion of The Sapphire Widow.

I was incredibly grateful to be given an opportunity to read and review an arc copy of this book so thank you to the author and to Netgalley.
I am a huge fan of Dinah Jefferies' novels, both for their captivating stories and for their wonderfully exotic settings. The Sapphire Widow proved to be an equally addictive read as its predecessors.
Louisa and Elliot have had some difficult times in their marriage but have managed to pull through and now have a seemingly idyllic life in Ceylon.
When Elliott is killed in an accident, Louisa starts to uncover the startling truth about her husband. Discoveries which are both shocking and destined to change her life.
This is an amazing story and is beautifully told. Highly recommended.