India, 1947. Celia Foforbes-White rembers little about her beloved mother, but she will never forget how the family's prize diamond, the Chaamakta Sitara, listened at her throat, The diamond had been part of her family for as long as she could remember, but growing voices begin to ask whether it should have belonged to them at all?

London, 2024. Heqartbroken and desperate for an escape, Lisa Statton retreats to the comfort of the Alps. But when she stumbles across a sparkling gem and an unopened letter embedded in a glacier, Lisa finds herself thrust into a mystery more devastating than she could ever imagine,

This story has a dual timeline that's told in the past - Agra, India, 1947, and the present day - London 2024. This is an intriguing read. The two stories intertwine perfectly. It's descriptively written, the pace is steady and the characters are well-portrayed. There was just the right amount of mystery and suspense. I enjoyed both stories equally.

Published 27th February 2025

I ewould like to thank #NetGalley #HQ #HQDigital and the author #KathleenMcGurl for my ARC of #TheLostDiamond in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This is a dual timeline story.

It’s 1947 and riots have started and Wilfred feels that it’s not safe for him and his daughter to continue living in India’ and to travel back to England. The diamond he has isn’t just a stone, there’s talk of it having a curse.

Now it’s 2023, and following the end of her relationship we meet Lisa who goes to the Alps with her friend hiking. She uncovers a briefcase, which is buried in the snow, what seems like a long time ago.

When Lisa opens it, reading the documents inside it, she realises that it’s been there since 1947. But, that’s not all she finds, there’s a broach which has a large diamond.

When she tries to find out more about what’s inside the briefcase, she discovers that there was a plane crash back in 1947, which is maybe when the case was buried. Now, she wants to make more enquiries about the broach and why it was put in the case.

I highly recommend this book.

This is a great story, told over two timelines, present day and 1947, just before India declares independence from Britain. I thought Celia was a magnificent, strong, young woman, and Lisa is also a likeable, relatable, heroine. Having been to India, I can attest that the descriptions are both accurate and fantastic; they transported me right back to the sights and smells. I wasn’t so keen on the ‘curse’ aspect of the book, apart from this it is a perfect read.

My rating:

Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Writing: 5 out of 5 stars
Character development: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Historical Fiction

Review:

This is a beautiful, vividly written dual time line story The book takes you on a journey to interesting and exotic places, this was especially true for the historical timeline set in 1947 India. It is one of those books that has the right amount of mystery and suspense, It captures you from the start and slowly pulls you in until you can’t stop reading, you have to know what happens next and before you know it, you have finished it. The characters are interesting and well developed. The two time lines each center around a strong woman, their stories are linked by the lost diamond at the end the two timelines are nicely interwoven into a satisfying conclusion. A great book worth reading!

Another lovely, well written, well researched, dual timeline book from this author.

When Lisa and her friend make a surprise find walking in the Alps, what follows is a tale of discovery, of moving on and new friends. We flash back to the past and meet Celia and her family and friends and learn of her life in India, as they move to Independence,

As ever the two stories run side by side, intertwine and come together perfectly.

The settings and timelines are described so well, you could visualise everything that was happening, now and in the past.

The story set a good pace, the urgency of their various situations, but also giving the story and characters time to develop. as you read you become invested in all of their stories, hoping for happy ending for them all.

I was really hoping I had worked out the ending correctly, and I had, which was a perfect finish to this book. The author really does know how to keep you reading and then bring the storylines together.

Another must read.

Another fabulous read from Kathleen. Her books always deliver and this one set In India brought the sights and sounds alive. A compelling story and very addictive. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Stunning historical novel! I was unable to put the book down as I wanted to know what was going to happen! I love the dual story line with the past and the present, and the historical setting was beautiful. The characters were well developed and the plot was interesting. Highly recommend!

<i>The Lost Diamond</i> is a dual timeline story of a hidden jewel, a buried past, and a secret waiting to break free.

I found the story so intriguing when it wasn't dragging on and on for pages and pages of explanations. In the London 2024 storyline, Lisa instinctively knew, understood, recognized, or realized things throughout the book. No one had to tell her. She just knew, which made her seem psychic. And, all too often, I had to remind myself of all of the characters' ages in both storylines, as their actions and words sometimes felt younger or older than what their ages were supposed to be.

The story was fascinating but the book needs some editing. Having the characters speak and act more age-appropriately, and doing something about those long long explanations would make <i>The Lost Diamond</i> unputdownable for me.

Thank you HQ Digital for providing this book for review consideration. It has an expected publication date of February 27, 2025. All opinions are my own.

I very much enjoyed this dual time line book, the descriptions of the turmoil in India during the move to independence were really interesting and really brought the setting to life. The story was well thought out and well told. I would recommend.

A dual timeline historical novel set in both India and England. On a hiking vacation in the Alps, the main character in the present, finds a briefcase embedded in ice. Finding letters and a diamond piece in it, she is determined to find out who the briefcase belonged to and how it came to its resting place. Jumping back to the past at the end of the British rule in India, the reader meets a British man and his daughter with the links to the briefcase. I always enjoy reading about history and the situation In India as the author describes it was very informative. Although it has a predictable ending, I did enjoy and will recommend it.

The Lost Diamond is a dual timeline story with the first timeline taking place in 1947 in India, during the last days before Indian independence from Britain, with Celia and her father preparing to move back to England. Both were born in India although English citizens; her father Wilfred is looking forward to the move, while Celia is dreading it. The "lost diamond" of the title is a diamond brooch called the Chamakta Sitara which is owned by Wilfred but had been purchased by his family after it was looted during the first Indian uprising about 75 years prior. The novel begins with Wilfred on a plane with the diamond in his briefcase when the plane crash lands in the Alps. The second timeline is that of Lisa in 2023, who finds the battered briefcase during a walking tour in the Alps. After finding out who owned the diamond in the past, she returns it to the family and at the same time, meets Ben, the diamond owner's son, a man who could change her life - if only the diamond didn't have a curse attached to it! The two timelines were interwoven quite skillfully and about half way through the book, I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I was totally engrossed in this book. Two interconnected stories presented side by side, each as enjoyable as the other, with the history and mystery of the diamond and the fate of its keepers slowly revealed. I absolutely loved it and spent several nights sitting up until late, unable to put it down. A very well deserved 5 stars.

This excellent dual timeline story set in India, 1947 just before independence and in the UK, 2023 starts when a briefcase is found by one of the main characters while on a climbing holiday in the Alps. When a diamond brooch is found in the case along with various papers hinting at a possible curse linked to the brooch, what follows is a mystery to try and find out fact from fiction. Another really enjoyable read from this author.

The Lost Diamond by Kathleen McGurl is a compelling dual-timeline book that blends historical intrigue with modern-day mystery. Set against the backdrop of India in 1947, the story introduces Celia Fforbes-Whyte, a young girl who has vivid memories of her mother and the family’s prized diamond, the Chamakta Sitara. The diamond, long a symbol of the family’s wealth and status, comes under scrutiny as growing tensions surrounding Indian independence raise uncomfortable questions about its origins.

As danger looms on the eve of independence, Celia’s father makes the drastic decision to hide the diamond, setting off a chain of events that creates a curse that will haunt the family for years to come.

Fast forward to 2024, where Lisa Statton, heartbroken and in search of solace, retreats to the Alps. While exploring the glacier, she uncovers a sparkling gem and an unopened letter—discoveries that thrust her into a mystery tied to Celia’s past, one that has remained hidden for decades.

McGurl deftly intertwines the two timelines, building suspense as Lisa works to uncover the secrets of the past. The story’s mystery unfolds with surprising twists, and the way the events of 1947 and their consequences echo through the present is handled with great skill. Both threads of the narrative are equally engaging, with each offering its own set of challenges and revelations. The book offers a richly layered reading experience, full of emotional depth, historical intrigue, and a fascinating mystery that ties the past to the present in an unforgettable way.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

What can I say I loved thisbook it just grip me i love the writting style your pulled into the plot just a beautiful story lots of research would have been done i recommend to you all

A lovely book, even if a bit predictable, but one I would wholeheartedly recommend. It is set in India in 1947 which is a part of history I don’t know a huge amount about and found it very enjoyable learning about some of the intricacies of the end of colonial rule.

In 2023 Lisa Stratton just over a break up with her boyfriend takes comfort in the Alps as she goes hiking with her friend up Mont Blanc. While there she discovers a metal briefcase that has been buried in the ice and snow. Upon opening she finds papers that indicate it has been lying there since 1947. However, there is more to what she finds...a beautiful broach holding a very large diamond. In her endeavor to find out what lies inside the metal case, she learns there was a plane crash in 1947 which explains the buried case. With her interest challenged she is on the hunt to find out about the broach and about the mystery behind it.

In 1947 Wilfred Fforbes-Whyte decides he must leave India as Independence is near and there have been riots in Agra and it isn't safe for him and his daughter; they must go back to England.. There is more to the diamond than just a pretty stone, there is a "supposed" curse about it. I found the story interesting, especially the pages about India and the story it told. Highly recommended. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did like this. It was a quick read for me and I appreciated the two interconnected storylines. I think the cultural and historical aspects were interesting but this was a much lighter read than say The Henna Artist series.

The story switches between Agra, India in 1947, months away from its independance and London, U.K. in 2023. Although both stories are connected, I found their tone quite different. The India part is captivating historical fiction, a retelling of the chaos and organizing process that took place just before the Brits left, written in great detail with quite a few characters and set in a beautiful tropical landscape. The pace is pleasant yet the urgency is clear.
Then there's London in present day, with only two main characters, here to solve the mystery of an event that happened in 1947. I did not connect with either one of them. They were all over the place, split between work, friends and their investigation. The result is predictable, but a nice read overall.

Thank you Netgalley and HQ Digital for the ARC.

Loved this!
Both Lisa (modern day) and Celia (1947) are strong female leads, particularly Celia, who refused to be pushed around by traditional male views and both timelines have an excellent story with the diamond running through both. My only dislike was the intensity of the superstition displayed by Ben...a little too over the top for me!