Publication Date: November 3, 2026
In New York City a century apart, two women’s fates are bound by the dark legacy of the Midnight Diamond
2010. Jennie is working as a runner in the Diamond District when a friend’s sudden death leaves her with a cryptic note: “Not Safe.” Her search for answers leads her to an antique jewelry box, a clue to a century-old mystery and the legend of the Midnight Diamond—a rare blue gem rumored to bring ruin to all who possess it. As Jennie is pulled deeper into a world of secrets and danger, she realizes she is not just chasing a lost treasure; she is uncovering a story that was meant to stay buried.
1910. On an ocean liner bound for New York, heiress Marcella Porter returns home after being disgraced by scandal in London. Her path collides with a charismatic nobleman and the magnificent Midnight Diamond, which she unknowingly smuggles into the city. Mesmerized by its brilliance, Marcella feels an irresistible pull toward the diamond, and when the glittering façade of her charmed life begins to crack, Marcella must decide whether the Midnight Diamond is her salvation—or her doom.
Can Jennie break the centuries-old curse before it brings more ruin? Inspired by history’s most captivating gemstone, The Cursed Diamond is a thrilling mystery about fate, obsession, and the deadly costs of ambition.
A mythical blue diamond comes with a complicated legend that threatens doom and gloom.
Author Anna Rasche delivers a fascinating dual timeline featuring two women connected by the fated jewel in The Cursed Diamond.
Marcella Porter, an American heiress returning from a failed effort to land a European title, offers a compelling character in the Gilded Age. She tries to chart a successful future on the stage.
Meanwhile, a century later, Jennie lands a job as a runner in New York City, where she becomes immersed in the jewelry business. Both women find themselves caught up in the mystery of a blue gem that threatens anyone who tries to possess it.
The Cursed Diamond showcases the intricacy of gemology packaged with an historical mystery.
Anna Rasche is an author, gemologist, and historian who has previously worked in the jewelry collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her debut novel, THE STONE WITCH OF FLORENCE, was an October 2024 Indie Next pick, and was recommended by the Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher’s Weekly, BookRiot and many others. Her writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, CrimeReads, and elsewhere.
Her second novel, THE CURSED DIAMOND, is coming November 3rd, 2026 from HarperCollins/Park Row.
