The Last Tiara
Family secrets, lies, love and intrigue, all wrapped up in one neat, bejeweled package? Yes, please! You’ll have stars in your eyes after reading The Last Tiara (Blue Box Press), the latest fiction novel by New York Times bestselling author, M.J. Rose. Using one of history’s most notorious mysteries as her backdrop, Rose tells the story of two women a generation apart as one tries to unearth secrets the other had hoped to keep buried.
After her mother dies in an accident in 1948, architect Isobelle Moon is left with nothing but unanswered questions. Questions about her father, her mother’s life in Bolshevik Russia, and especially about the contents of a box Isobelle finds hidden in the wall of Sophia Moon’s bedroom in New York. The tiara’s silver frame resembles nothing of its past glory, or so Isobelle imagines, but if there’s one thing Isobelle hates, it’s a secret. When she discovers the jewels were sold to fund the furniture and art restoration business Sophia and her Aunt Lana began when Sophia first arrived in America, Isobelle knows there’s only one thing to do. Armed with only the frame and the help of the grandson of the jeweler who purchased the stones, Isobelle sets out to discover the truth behind both the tiara and her mother’s past.
If that already sounds good to you then you’ll love Sophia’s story. Told in alternating points of view (and with just enough mystery to keep you turning pages), this novel gives the reader a glimpse into the real story behind the tiara. Sofiya Petrovitch’s life in Russia during World War I is anything but ideal. Serving as a nurse to injured soldiers in a war-torn country would be impossible if not for Olga and Tatiana, two of Sofiya’s friends who just happen to be the daughters of the Tsar and Tsarina. But everything changes when Sofiya meets one particular soldier, a man who has lost his memory and needs her help to reclaim his identity. As the battle rages on outside, Sofiya must fight the war in her heart and learn not only how to survive the truth about the man she loves, but also how to protect the one gift that she holds dear.
DELIGHTFUL STORY TWISTS, STRONG HEROINES
You’ll want to devour all the delicious details in this story. Rose tells us just enough in each chapter to leave you craving more and, when you think you’re finally there, she’ll throw in a gold nugget of a twist that will leave you clapping your hands in delight. Romance isn’t the subject, but rather the glue that binds the action, giving the characters breadth and depth in a way that will leave you fascinated all the more.
I’m a sucker for a strong heroine (who isn’t?) and Rose delivers not one, but two engaging female leads in her novel. Not only does Rose give Isobelle a career that’s little-held by a woman in the ’40s, but she pairs it with a kind of resilience and persistence that doesn’t overwhelm Isobelle’s sensitive nature. It’s a perfect blend that parallels similar traits in her mother. We don’t only learn who Sophia is in her chapters, but also through her daughter’s eyes as Isobelle describes the many layers of the woman who raised her. A woman haunted by a difficult past who still managed to be present. A mother who taught her daughter how to dream with two feet planted firmly on the ground. Both women are survivors who find their way against all odds.
There are lots of things to love about this novel, but its value for me is in learning that sometimes a secret has both the power to hurt and heal. Is there buried treasure hidden at the end of this rainbow? You’ll have to read it to find out, but ultimately Rose ensures we know that uncovering the truth can be so much more precious than the finest gem.
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The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose (2015)
1890s Belle Époque Paris. Sandrine Salome flees New York for her grandmother’s Paris mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds there is even more menacing. The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insists it’s dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night-world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground, and Sandrine’s deepest desires. Then darker influences threaten — her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She’s become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend, and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse.
Watch BookTrib’s YouTube interview with the author
The Collector of Dying Breaths by M.J. Rose (2014)
1533 Florence: An orphan named René le Florentin is plucked from poverty to become Catherine de Medici’s perfumer. Traveling with the duchessina from Italy to France, René brings with him a cache of secret documents from the monastery where he was trained: recipes for exotic fragrances and potent medicines — and a formula for an alchemic process said to have the potential to reanimate the dead. In France, René becomes not only the greatest perfumer in the country but also the most dangerous, creating deadly poisons for his Queen to use against her rivals.
The present, Paris, France: A renowned mythologist, Jac L’Etoile becomes obsessed with René le Florentin’s work — particularly when she discovers the dying breaths he had collected during his lifetime. Jac’s efforts put her in the path of her estranged lover, Griffin North, a linguist who has already begun translating René le Florentin’s mysterious formula. Together they confront an eccentric heiress in possession of a world-class art collection, a woman who has her own dark purpose for the elixir … for which she believes the ends will justify her deadly means.
Learn more about this book
Read BookTrib’s interview with the author
Watch BookTrib’s YouTube interview with the author
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About M.J. Rose:
M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice. … Books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it.
Rose is a New York Times, Wall St. Journal, USA Today and international bestselling author. She has published more than nineteen novels and 3 books on marketing. She has been published in more than 30 countries and sold over 1.5 million books. Rose is also a founding member of International Thriller Writers, founder of the first marketing company for authors, AuthorBuzz, and the co-founder, with Liz Berry of 1001DarkNights.com.
