The Pearl Thief

Description

From the internationally acclaimed bestselling author of Code Name Verity comes a stunning new story of pearls, love and murder - a mystery with all the suspense of an Agatha Christie and the intrigue of Downton Abbey. Sixteen-year-old Julie Beaufort-Stuart is returning to her family's ancestral home in Perthshire for one last summer. It is not an idyllic return to childhood. Her grandfather's death has forced the sale of the house and estate and this will be a summer of goodbyes. Not least to the McEwen family - Highland travellers who have been part of the landscape for as long as anyone can remember - loved by the family, loathed by the authorities. Tensions are already high when a respected London archivist goes missing, presumed murdered. Suspicion quickly falls on the McEwens but Julie knows not one of them would do such a thing and is determined to prove everyone wrong. And then she notices the family's treasure trove of pearls is missing. This beautiful and evocative novel is the story of the irrepressible and unforgettable Julie, set in the year before the Second World War and the events of Code Name Verity. It is also a powerful portrayal of a community under pressure and one girl's determination for justice.

Elizabeth Wein was born in New York, and grew up in England, Jamaica and Pennsylvania. She is married with two children and lives in Perth, Scotland. Elizabeth is a member of the Ninety-Nines, the International Organization of Women Pilots. She was awarded the Scottish Aero Club's Watson Cup for best student pilot in 2003 and it was her love of flying that partly inspired the idea for her internationally acclaimed novel Code Name Verity.

A hugely enjoyable novel with an intriguing, page-turning plot * Guardian * A romantic and acutely observed historical mystery * Metro * I defy anybody to be disappointed in a book by Elizabeth Wein. She's both a subtle and an expansive writer and she draws you in with great skill ... The Pearl Thief is a pleasure to read, it really is * Bookbag * A highly charged, atmospheric novel with a masterful heroine and plenty of intrigue and mystery * Parents in Touch * I just finished The Pearl Thief, by Elizabeth Wein. Felt like both a warm bath on a cold night, and camping in spooky woods. A total treat -- Melinda Salisbury