Louisa Reeve had been happily married to her husband Elliot for twelve years, the only problems being her miscarriages plus the stillbirth of their daughter eight years prior. Elliot was often absent from their home with business meetings in Columbo and working at the nearby cinnamon plantation where he held shares. But Louisa missed him and although she tried not to, she worried of a reoccurrence to their problems of twelve months prior.

While Elliot’s sudden and unexpected death shocked her to the core and drove her into depths of grief she’d not encountered before, it was the discoveries Louisa made about her husband’s life which tore at her. Did she even know her husband at all? Her visit to Cinnamon Hills to enquire about Elliot’s shares opened her eyes even further. Could Louisa unravel the complexity of Elliot’s lies and betrayal? Did she want to know the answers?

Beautifully written, The Sapphire Widow is another outstanding historical fiction novel set in Ceylon in 1935 by Dinah Jefferies. I thoroughly enjoy this author’s work – she is fast becoming a favourite! Complex and poignant, the artfully written words immediately transported me to the streets of Ceylon; I easily smelled the scents of cinnamon and saw the fireflies darting in the darkness. Dinah Jefferies’ colourful writing flows effortlessly – The Sapphire Widow was such a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Penguin UK via NetGalley for my digital uncorrected proof ARC to read and review.

Dinah Jefferies books are so beautifully written and a dream to read. Her books are just amazing and written with so my Love and detail which makes her books just amazing. From the First page to the last page you will live and travel with the story and the characters. I found her lastest book The Sapphire Widow just Brilliant and its one of her best Books so far.
I have been to Ceylon and around this area etc several times, the way this book was written I was travelling back there and I could imagine the colours, the smells and the wonderful atmospheres of this wonderful place. Dinah had captured this very well throughout this book. This book will just take your breath away.......

The Sapphire Widow is set in Ceylon in 1935. Louisa Reeve, the daughter of a successful British gem trader, and her husband Elliot, is a charming businessman. They are a couple who had it all. But deep down they longed for something very precious their own Child. Louisa struggles with several miscarriages, Then, Elliot is increasingly absent, spending much of his time at a nearby cinnamon plantation. After Elliot's sudden death, Louisa is left alone to solve the mystery he left behind.

Big Thank you to Netgalley for the digital ARC for a honest review. I just Loved this book. Big Fat 5 Stars.

I’m afraid I can’t review this, due to the errors I can’t continue to read it. What I have read seems very good and I will seek out the author. The premise of the story is good and I like the style. However, I can’t concentrate due to the continued omission of letters. This is therefore not a review of the book.

I never thought that (with a few classic exceptions) I would read historical fiction willingly. That was until I saw the beautiful cover of this book and wanted to know more! I read the excerpt and wanted to read the book.

Dinah Jefferies’ writing completely transported my imagination to Ceylon in 1935!

The book tells the story of Louisa Reeve, the daughter of a British gem trader, and her husband Elliot, a charming businessman. her relationship with her husband appears perfect but as we all know, looks can be deceiving and so can husbands!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I completely left my comfort zone and feel that I was rewarded with finding such a well written tale.

This is Dinah Jefferies at her best. This book has been well researched and is well written and descriptive. I have been to Galle several times and could imagine the houses and streets and smells of the sea and fish and the town. It is well written and will be a best seller. I enjoyed the description of the places in Colombo and am familiar with the Galle Face Hotel and the alleyway near Cargills Department Store was very plausible and one could imagine shady dealings within this city. It was full of power and the struggles within the family were very true but at the same time, it was a love story with sweeping, breath taking, heart stopping moments and the subsequent betrayal of the main character, proved we don't really know someone till something happens to them. The evocative smells of the forests provided a backdrop to this lovely book, together with the wonderful beaches of Southern Sri Lanka. I'd recommend this book.

The Sapphire Widow is the latest release by Dinah Jefferies and once again I was totally captivated by this storyline. The book is set back in the 1935 in Ceylon and it was easy to visualise the setting, smell the smells and feel the stifling heat thanks to the beautiful vivid descriptive writing. We are introduced to our protagonist Louise Reeve who is married to Elliot a very handsome man and from the outside in they have the perfect marriage but they long for a child and poor Louise has had her heart broken after suffering miscarriages.
Elliot spends a considerable amount of time way from home which he blames on work commitments but when Louise receives the devastating news that her husband has died things start to unravel and she begins to wonder if she ever really knew her husband at all.
For the first time we are reunited with much loved characters from a previous novel of Dinah’s The Tea Planter’s Wife and I loved getting a glimpse of how things have progressed for Gwen and Laurence. Gwen along with Elliot’s sister Margot are a strong support for Louise after the death of her husband. As secrets are unravelled Louise grows stronger and although she is heartbroken she is determined to pick up the pieces and make a new life for herself.
Dinah Jefferies has such an exquisite detailed writing style that pulls you in right from the first page and keeps you engrossed the whole way through leaving you unable to put the book down. There are twists and turns that are all shocking and unexpected but the way she slowly creates the build up around the revelation almost keeping your attention drawn to something else then makes everything seem so much more dramatic.
Louise was such a caring character, her actions were honourable as I am sure there wouldn’t be many people who would do the things she done after what she had discovered and what she had been through. Louise truly deserved to have a happy ever after.
There is not another author whose writing I can compare Dinah’s to, she just has me mesmerised by her beautiful way with words and every book of hers has been a joy to read and this one is no exception.

Another delightful read by Dinah Jefferies.
The writer transports you through far flung locations where we meet Louisa and her husband Elliot who have faced difficulties throughout their married life. When he dies, Louisa finds out that she never really knew him at all and surprises herself.
Definitely recommend this book.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for choosing to read this ARC.

Another great read by Dinah Jeffries set in Ceylon in the mid 29th century.
The story centres around Louisa who is married to Elliot and living Ceylon all seems perfect but when Elliot dies suddenly everything she thought was right starts to unravel. Set against the backdrop of tropical forests and the insular community of ex pats a very satisfying read.

Dinah Jefferies is the author who woke my passion for reading Historical Fiction and this latest book is just as enchanting as her previous ones. There is something special about Dinah’s colourful writing that instantly transports me to the current location and fills me with its sights, sounds and smells. Whether it is a house, street or, as in this book a cinnamon plantation I am right there as each setting is so beautifully described and brought to life.

This story has loss, vulnerability, friendship and love with both villains and heroes. Set in Ceylon, Louisa Reeves is charming, sensitive and caring who at a time when she appears to have lost everything still manages to gather her strength and courage to take responsibility for Connor, a child who is also grieving and very scared.

I have no problem in recommending this book and awarding it 5 Stars as the vivid and atmospheric words are magical.

My thanks to Net Galley for the digital ARC – this is my own opinion of The Sapphire Widow.

I was incredibly grateful to be given an opportunity to read and review an arc copy of this book so thank you to the author and to Netgalley.
I am a huge fan of Dinah Jefferies' novels, both for their captivating stories and for their wonderfully exotic settings. The Sapphire Widow proved to be an equally addictive read as its predecessors.
Louisa and Elliot have had some difficult times in their marriage but have managed to pull through and now have a seemingly idyllic life in Ceylon.
When Elliott is killed in an accident, Louisa starts to uncover the startling truth about her husband. Discoveries which are both shocking and destined to change her life.
This is an amazing story and is beautifully told. Highly recommended.