About the Book
On Sale Date: June 3, 2025
9780778310945
Trade Paperback
$18.99 USD
320 pages
USA Today bestselling author Kimberly Belle returns with an exhilarating new thriller about an American expat whose startling discovery plunges her into the glamorous but deadly world of Amsterdam’s diamond industry, and the one woman who may hold the answer.
Rayna Dumont is getting a fresh start in Amsterdam. Following a nasty divorce, she takes a jet-setting new job and embraces the single life. All seems to be going well until she wakes up in the bed of Xander van der Vos, her one-night stand from the night before, only to find him brutally murdered in the room next door. To make matters worse, millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds are missing from his safe. Quickly, Rayna becomes the prime suspect and is thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse with forces beyond her wildest imagination.
From her lavish home in the heart of the city, Willow Prins is enraptured by the case. The wife of Thomas Prins, CEO of the House of Prins and Xander’s former boss, Willow is too familiar with what it’s like to be the outsider in the elite world of luxury goods. But as the House comes under scrutiny, tensions rise in her already strained marriage and Willow starts to wonder if Rayna might be the solution she’s been looking for.
As both women dive into the dark underbelly of the diamond industry, their hope for survival hinges on navigating a web of power and revenge. And as Rayna fights to clear her name, will she unravel the truth or find herself another victim?
My Thoughts
This is a slow burn suspense and a murder mystery with two female protagonists who need to find the truth in order to survive the fallout. Rayna and Willow are both Americans living in Amsterdam. Rayna has escaped a scandal in the U.S. since her rich spouse divorced her and publicly humiliated her. Willow is married to the head of a major diamond company in Amsterdam. Her last name, Prins, is synonymous with wealth and diamonds, but she is barely treading water to keep her marriage afloat with all kinds of secrets that she is slowly uncovering. Willow’s priority is their young son Sem, so for his sake, she is holding onto a loveless marriage and hoping that Thomas will at least notice that she is still his wife. The scene is set for high drama when Rayna has a one-night stand with gemnologist Xander and discovers his body in the shower the next morning. Xander once worked for the Prins, so the stage for a murder mystery with plenty of suspects is set. I really enjoyed the slow burn as I tried to figure out the clues and the red herrings. I liked the interactions between the two protagonists, with their obvious differences and their subtle similarities. The plot was compelling and kept me engaged from beginning to end, with dual narrators and a story that dovetailed together seamlessly in the end. The characters were believable, somewhat relatable and uniquely portrayed in their roles as the possible next victims as both women were holding tightly to secrets that could lead them into the deep waters of a diamond industry where all is not as it seems. I really liked the character of the detective investigating the case. Boomsma was an intrepidly determined man who wanted to solve the crime and keep the city safe from the crime that seemed to revolve around the Prins family and their new acquaintance Rayna.He was dogged in his pursuit of the truth no matter where it lay and was not intimidated by the wealth and influence of the Prins. This book is a must-read for fans of great mysteries and well-written character studies where the characters themselves are part of the mystery.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
About the Author
Kimberly Belle worked in marketing and nonprofit fundraising before turning to writing fiction. A graduate of Agnes Scott College, Kimberly lived for over a decade in the Netherlands and currently divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam. She is the bestselling author of over eight novels, including The Marriage Lie, Dear Wife, The Personal Assistant, and The Paris Widow.
SOCIAL LINKS:
Author website: https://www.kimberlybellebooks.com/
Facebook: @KimberlyBelleBooks
Twitter: @KimberlySBelle
Instagram: @kimberlybellebooks
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