Editorial Content for The Expat Affair
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Reviewer (text)
Take a trip to Amsterdam in this action-filled novel about two Americans whose lives are upended when a diamond merchant is killed.
Kimberly Belle provides just enough information to give us hints that something else is going on when Xander is brutally murdered in his luxe penthouse apartment while Rayna Dumont is sleeping in his bed. The other expat, Willow Prins, is married to Xander's former employer, but we also get hints that Willow has some dealings with Xander. We aren't privy to what they are; we just know they will be important.
"THE EXPAT AFFAIR is a perfect beach book. It is easy to read and has a delightful mystery that is fun to try to figure out."
The narrative for Rayna and Willow is first person, and we like these American transplants, each of whom has a difficult personal history. While Willow has married into a family of stupendous wealth and privilege, Rayna has divorced her monied husband and ends up with nothing. She's barely eking out a living in Amsterdam, and the only person she knows is her roommate, Ingrid.
How the women meet (it's not accidental) and what they manage to accomplish is cleverly done. They don't trust many people, and we understand why, but they do end up trusting each other. All the necessary details about the diamond trade, lab-grown diamonds, and the inflated price of "real" mined diamonds is so fascinating, and it's always enjoyable when a novel is both informative and extremely entertaining.
In addition to a gripping storyline and an intriguing setting, the characters are multi-faceted and real. And while the bad guys are truly evil, there are many individuals here who are just human with normal frailties and faults. Rayna and Willow are far from perfect, but they also are adept at determining what needs to be done and how to do it.
THE EXPAT AFFAIR is a perfect beach book. It is easy to read and has a delightful mystery that is fun to try to figure out.
Teaser
Following a nasty divorce, Rayna Dumont came to Amsterdam for a fresh start. She’s never been the type for a one-night stand, but Xander is more than willing to go along for the ride. Until the morning after, when Rayna finds him dead on the shower floor and millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds missing from his safe. From her lavish home in the heart of the city, Willow Prins is captivated by the news. Her husband is Xander’s former boss and heir to a diamond house, and the scandal strains their already-rocky marriage. As the house comes under scrutiny, Willow wonders if her life is about to implode --- and how much of the blame she can place on Rayna. Soon, Willow and Rayna are dragged into the dark and dangerous underbelly of the diamond market, where they’ll have to uncover the truth to survive.
Promo
Following a nasty divorce, Rayna Dumont came to Amsterdam for a fresh start. She’s never been the type for a one-night stand, but Xander is more than willing to go along for the ride. Until the morning after, when Rayna finds him dead on the shower floor and millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds missing from his safe. From her lavish home in the heart of the city, Willow Prins is captivated by the news. Her husband is Xander’s former boss and heir to a diamond house, and the scandal strains their already-rocky marriage. As the house comes under scrutiny, Willow wonders if her life is about to implode --- and how much of the blame she can place on Rayna. Soon, Willow and Rayna are dragged into the dark and dangerous underbelly of the diamond market, where they’ll have to uncover the truth to survive.
About the Book
An American expat's startling discovery plunges her into the glamorous but deadly world of Amsterdam’s diamond industry.
Following a nasty divorce, Rayna Dumont came to Amsterdam for a fresh start. She’s never been the type for a one-night stand, but this move is all about adventure, and Xander is handsome and successful and more than willing to go along for the ride. Until the morning after, when Rayna finds him dead on the shower floor and millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds missing from his safe.
From her lavish home in the heart of the city, Willow Prins is captivated by the news. Her husband is Xander’s former boss and heir to a diamond house, and the scandal strains their already-rocky marriage. As the house comes under scrutiny, Willow wonders if her life is about to implode --- and how much of the blame she can place on Rayna. Soon, Willow and Rayna are dragged into the dark and dangerous underbelly of the diamond market, where they’ll have to uncover the truth to survive.
Who killed Xander? Where are the missing diamonds? And who can you trust in a strange and unfamiliar city thousands of miles from home?
Audiobook available, read by Jennifer Jill Araya and Marni Penning
