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by Claire McMillan
For readers of The Nest, Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, and The Rules of Civility, a sparkling summer read about the wealthy but dysfunctional Quincy family, and two Quincy women past and present - one a bewitching Jazz Age beauty, the other a young lawyer - bound by a spectacular and mysterious Indian necklace.
Always the black sheep of the tight-knit Quincy clan, Nell is cautious when she's summoned to the elegantly shabby family manor after her great aunt Loulou's death. A cold reception from the family grows chillier when they learn Loulou has left Nell a fantastically valuable heirloom: a stunningly ornate necklace from India. More than just a piece of jewelry, the necklace links Nell to a long-buried family secret. As predatory relatives begin circling and art experts begin questioning the necklace's provenance, Nell turns to the only person she thinks she can trust - the attractive and ambitious estate lawyer who definitely is not part of the old money crowd.
Ambrose Quincy brought the necklace home from India in the 1920s as a dramatic gift for May, the woman he intended to marry. Upon his return he discovers May has married his brother Ethan, the "good" Quincy, devoted to their father. As a gesture of friendship, Ambrose gives May the necklace anyway - reigniting their passion and beginning a tense love triangle.
From a robber baron's Midwestern manor to a maharaja's palace, from a 1920s lawn party to a modern-day speakeasy, The Necklace is the intelligent, intoxicating story of long-simmering family resentments and a young woman who inherits a secret much more valuable than a legendary necklace.
"With an expansive cast of vivid characters, McMillan weaves a complex and compelling narrative that balances intensity and levity. Written with wit, compassion, and a meticulous attention to period and cultural detail." - Kirkus
"In McMillan's (Gilded Age) charming new novel, the historical narrative shines (Ambrose is a winning character) and the modern setting crackles with wit, as Nell outmaneuvers her kin with ease and maybe finds true love herself. Kate Morton fans will enjoy." - Library Journal
"Claire McMillan's The Necklace has everything I love in story: a rich family drama, an enthralling mystery, exotic settings and gorgeous historical detail. McMillan writes in assured and often witty prose, and her characters came to life on the very first page. An enchanting, intoxicating book." - Cristina Alger, author of The Darlings and This Was Not the Plan
"At the center of this passionate novel of inheritance and betrayal lies the titular necklace - with mysterious origins, a tragic past, and an uncertain future. Deftly spanning the globe and a century, McMillan's sharp writing explores whether it is possible to undo our wrongs across generations - or if we are doomed to repeat ourselves." - Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, New York Times bestselling author of Bittersweet and June
"The Necklace is a delicious, delicious adventure." - Ramona Ausubel, author of Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty and No One is Here Except All of Us
This information about The Necklace was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Claire McMillan is the author of Gilded and The Necklace. She practiced law until 2003 and then received her MFA in creative writing from Bennington College. She grew up in Pasadena, California and now lives on her husband's family farm outside of Cleveland, Ohio with their two children.
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