Any Old Diamonds
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4.4 • 13 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
Lord Alexander Pyne-ffoulkes, the younger son of the Duke of Ilvar, holds a bitter grudge against his wealthy father. The Duke intends to give his Duchess a priceless diamond parure on their wedding anniversary—so Alec hires a pair of jewel thieves to steal it.
The Duke's remote castle is a difficult target, and Alec needs a way to get the thieves in. Soldier-turned-criminal Jerry Crozier has the answer: he'll pose as a Society gentleman and become Alec's new best friend.
But Jerry is a dangerous man: controlling, remote, and devastating. He effortlessly teases out the lonely young nobleman's most secret desires, and soon he's got Alec in his bed—and the palm of his hand.
Or maybe not. Because as the plot thickens, betrayals, secrets, new loves, and old evils come to light. Now the jewel thief and the aristocrat must keep up the pretence, find their way through a maze of privilege and deceit, and confront the truth of what's between them...all without getting caught.
Customer Reviews
Excellent in every way
Very engaging story that I read in on go. The entire cast of characters have been well developed and the relationship between the romantic pair was scorching. From the very start we are pulled into a mystery and thankfully, all is revealed and there is HEA ending.
Alec and Jerry sitting in a tree
I love every KJ Charles book I have read, which is, in fact, all of them. But I don't suppose that I have ever been so taken, so quickly with a tale's protagonist as I was with Alec. From the very first line of the book "How ought one dress to hire a thief?" I was intrigued. By the end of the first chapter I was smitten.
Equally delicious is Jerry, Alec's literal partner in crime, among other things (if you know what I mean). Jerry's motivation is more murky than Alec's and the uncertainty of his feelings, and sometimes his character, keep you on your toes.
Quick breakdown: Alec commissions Jerry and his partner Templeton, the Lily White Boys, to help him rob an evil duke. Shenanigans ensue.
And what an evil duke he is. The Duke of Ilvar, and his damnable Duchess, are terrible, very bad, no good people. At times my palm actually itched in response to their unrelenting need for a slap.
The plotting of the book is brilliant, it's a romp from start to finish. And when the thing happened that I didn't see coming (which never happens to me, ever) it was just exactly the perfect thing.
There are some familiar faces here from the Sins of the Cities series, which hurrah! Just another layer of joy on joy.
In short, you should read it. As soon as is reasonably possible. This may top An Unsuitable Heir as my favourite of the author's books. It's stunning and you shouldn't miss it.
I received an ARC for an honest review.