Publication Date: June 17, 2025
Colette Marceau has been stealing jewels for nearly as long as she can remember, following the centuries-old code of honor instilled in her by her mother, Annabel: take only from the cruel and unkind, and give to those in need. Never was their family tradition more important than seven decades earlier, during the Second World War, when Annabel and Colette worked side by side in Paris to fund the French Resistance.
But one night in 1942, it all went wrong. Annabel was arrested by the Germans, and Colette’s four-year-old sister, Liliane, disappeared in the chaos of the raid, along with an exquisite diamond bracelet sewn into the hem of her nightgown for safekeeping. Soon after, Annabel was executed, and Liliane’s body was found floating in the Seine—but the bracelet was nowhere to be found.
Seventy years later, Colette—who has “redistributed” $30 million in jewels over the decades to fund many worthy organizations—has done her best to put her tragic past behind her, but her life begins to unravel when the long-missing bracelet suddenly turns up in a museum exhibit in Boston. If Colette can discover where it has been all this time—and who owns it now—she may finally learn the truth about what happened to her sister. But she isn’t the only one for whom the bracelet holds answers, and when someone from her childhood lays claim to the diamonds, she’s forced to confront the ghosts of her past as never before. Against all odds, there may still be a chance to bring a murderer to justice—but first, Colette will have to summon the courage to open her own battered heart.
The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel is historical fiction at its best. Leading up to and during World War II in France, and then jumping forward to the 2018 Boston area. It held my interest from the first page to the last.
Colette has inherited the family legacy of being a jewel thief from her mother, Annabel. Her father is not happy with his wife’s pastimes or hers. Her mother stole jewels from Nazis and their sympathizers and used the money to help the resistance. Later in life, Colette continues to do good with the items she steals.
The narrative seamlessly transitions between the two time periods, never missing a beat. Several stories are depicted, and a multitude of characters are introduced, enriching the story. While there is a lot of loss and suffering, there are also unexpected connections and surprises along the way.
Ms. Harmel recounts a story of untold losses during a horrific time yet showcases the resilience of many of the characters. She also emphasized the importance of family and friends, as well as being there for one another. Some losses are felt bone deep, but through it all, Colette held firm to her beliefs and her upbringing by her mother.
The loss of Colette’s sister at a young age affected her greatly, as did promises she made and tried to keep. There was a hint of romance throughout, and it was nice to see at least one of them come to fruition.
This book was an emotional read that had tears streaming from my eyes at times. The prologue nicely sets the stage, and the epilogue gives closure to Colette and some of the other characters.
The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau is historical fiction that had me turning the pages to see what would happen next. It was hard to put down because the characters came to life as they told their tale.
Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels including The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, The Room on Rue Amélie, and The Sweetness of Forgetting. She is published in more than thirty languages and is the cofounder and cohost of the popular web series, Friends & Fiction. She lives in Orlando, Florida.
