I did like this. It was a quick read for me and I appreciated the two interconnected storylines. I think the cultural and historical aspects were interesting but this was a much lighter read than say The Henna Artist series.

The story switches between Agra, India in 1947, months away from its independance and London, U.K. in 2023. Although both stories are connected, I found their tone quite different. The India part is captivating historical fiction, a retelling of the chaos and organizing process that took place just before the Brits left, written in great detail with quite a few characters and set in a beautiful tropical landscape. The pace is pleasant yet the urgency is clear.
Then there's London in present day, with only two main characters, here to solve the mystery of an event that happened in 1947. I did not connect with either one of them. They were all over the place, split between work, friends and their investigation. The result is predictable, but a nice read overall.

Thank you Netgalley and HQ Digital for the ARC.

Loved this!
Both Lisa (modern day) and Celia (1947) are strong female leads, particularly Celia, who refused to be pushed around by traditional male views and both timelines have an excellent story with the diamond running through both. My only dislike was the intensity of the superstition displayed by Ben...a little too over the top for me!

This was such a beautiful book. The main character was so well written and it was very well researched and written!

India 1947: India is on the eve of Independence from Britain. Fifteen-year-old Celia and her father, British but both born in India, are at odds with each other. It has been eight years since Celia's mother Alice died and her father has never recovered from her loss. Celia doesn't remember much about her mother but she does remember the cherished family heirloom diamond, the Chamakta Sitara, glistening at her throat. Celia's father works for the Civil Service in India and he cannot see his job or life in the country he has known all his life continuing after Independence. His wish is to return to England with his daughter and the prized family heirloom broach. Celia, however, has only one wish, to remain in India with her childhood friend and she questions if the heirloom ever really belonged to the family anyway.

London 2024: Heartbroken after a breakup with her boyfriend, Lisa Statton takes a trip to the Alps with her friend and on the edge of a glacier, she discovers a briefcase containing a sparkling gem and an unopened letter. After reading the contents of the briefcase and the letter, Lisa is determined to find the owner and this leads her into a mystery more devastating that she could have imagined.

I have always loved stories by Kathleen McGurl and this one is a delightful read. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy before the release date.