In August 1811, George, Prince of Wales and the Prince Regent is horrified to find his mistress Sarah, Marchioness of Creeve dead in his bed, strangled by the string of pearls around her neck. The Prince realises what a scandal could come out of a dead married woman (not to mention his younger brother's mistress) so he has Tam Eildor, masquerading as a Scottish lawyer, investigate the murder. Tam's investigation is interrupted by an attempt on his life - and the Prince's discovery that the Stuart Sapphire has gone missing. Tam's search for the killer and the thief puts his life in danger. Amidst a cast of royally quirky, entertaining, and psychologically complex characters, Tam needs to figure out his purpose in the Prince Regent's service, find the killer thief, and get home before time does away with Tam's memory of home, or someone does away with Tam.

Early twentieth-century Singapore is a place where a person can disappear, and Harriet Gordon hopes to make a new life for herself there, leaving her tragic memories behind her--but murder gets in the way. Singapore, 1910--Desperate for a fresh start, Harriet Gordon finds herself living with her brother, a reverend and headmaster of a school for boys, in Singapore at the height of colonial rule. Hoping to gain some financial independence, she advertises her services as a personal secretary. It is unfortunate that she should discover her first client, Sir Oswald Newbold--explorer, mine magnate and president of the exclusive Explorers and Geographers Club--dead with a knife in his throat. When Inspector Robert Curran is put on the case, he realizes that he has an unusual witness in Harriet. Harriet's keen eye for detail and strong sense of duty interests him, as does her distrust of the police and her traumatic past, which she is at pains to keep secret from the gossips of Singapore society. When another body is dragged from the canal, Harriet feels compelled to help with the case. She and Curran are soon drawn into a murderous web of treachery and deceit and find themselves face-to-face with a ruthless cabal that has no qualms about killing again to protect its secrets.

Prepare to be dazzled by this shining and sumptuous visual guide to the world's greatest treasures. Feast your eyes on glittering gemstones, kaleidoscopic minerals, and famous trinkets in this comprehensive exploration of Earth's finest jewels. Following a foreword from Aja Raden, hundreds of pages take a lavish look at precious stones, precious metals, and organic gems in all their natural wonder. From agate to zoisite, everything under the Sun is encapsulated in spectacular photography and accessible text. Trace the history of gemmology and get the inside story on our planet's most famous and fabulous gems, including the mysterious Hope Diamond, the stunning Koh-i-Noor of the Crown Jewels, and exquisite Fabergé eggs. Find out their physical properties, check the price tags, and discover the most remarkable record-breakers. This exceptionally extravagant book is a picture-packed, fact-filled celebration guaranteed to bring sparkle to your life and your library.

As a nation, we like to think we know everything about our Kings and Queens. William I conquered in 1066, Henry VIII had six wives and Queen Victoria was ‘not amused’... But do these ‘pub-quiz facts’ provide a genuine picture of what our monarchs were really like as living, breathing people? As the reader shall find, there is a treasure-trove of wit, wisdom and wonder waiting to be discovered. Crowning Glory wipes away the cobwebs of fuddy-duddy facts and breathes new life into this surprisingly addictive aspect of history. It challenges our basic understanding of the subject by introducing readers to a colourful cast of characters and revealing little-known insights. This book reminds us that, behind the formality of the crown, are real human beings. Like you and me, they have known success, failure, sorrow, and laughter. The lives of our kings and queens are so much more vivid than boring, old dates, figures, and facts.

When Harriet Gordon receives word from a friend about a tragic death, she and Inspector Curran are thrust into a web of family secrets that threatens to destroy them both in this all-new mystery from the author of Singapore Sapphire. Singapore, 1910—Harriet Gordon has found fulfillment at last. Her young ward, Will, has settled into his new home with Harriet and her brother, Julian. And Harriet’s employment as a typist at the Straits Settlements Police Force has given her an intriguing way to occupy her time and some much-needed financial independence. But when her friend and employer, Inspector Robert Curran, is called to the scene of a brutal murder and Harriet is asked to comfort the victim’s family, her newfound sense of contentment is abruptly shattered. Sylvie Nolan, the new and much-younger wife of Lieutenant Colonel John Nolan, has been bludgeoned to death in her bedroom. The tightly knit military community in Singapore quickly closes ranks to hinder Curran’s investigation, and Harriet realizes that her friendship with the colonel’s sister might prove useful. But to get close enough to the family’s secrets, Harriet must once again face her painful past, and Curran is forced to dredge up some long-buried secrets of his own. And when more shocking deaths occur that all seem linked to Sylvie’s murder, Harriet and Curran discover that they too are in the sights of a callous killer. . . .

An illustrated guide to gemstones and crystals, the myths and stories behind them, and the world's most celebrated jeweler Discover the history of precious, semiprecious, and organic gemstones, their key properties, their symbolic and mythical powers, and their traditional uses. Humans have been beguiled and fascinated by gemstones and crystals since prehistory and made use of them for everything from currency and ceremonial decoration to tokens of love or power. But why have some been considered more significant than others-rare or otherwise? Learn all about the key properties of precious and semiprecious stones and discover the science behind some of their more unusual and mysterious properties, and the various ways in which they have taken on powerful symbolic meanings. How did the Vikings use iolite to help them steer their ships, for example? And why did the Ancient Greeks and Romans believe sardonyx pendants could protect them in battle? Encounter some of the most famous or celebrated gemstones and jewels along the way-from a turquoise-studded pectoral worn during Aztec ceremonies, to the diamond necklace that helped bring about the French Revolution-in this glorious celebration of precious, semiprecious, and organic stones in all their beauty and variety.