Colette Marceau is a descendant of Robin Hood and follows the family tradition of stealing from the rich to support the poor. In Colette’s case, she steals jewels from Nazis to fund the French resistance and Holocaust remembrance.

The reemergence of a unique diamond bracelet, missing since World War II in France, helps unlock and resolve the mystery of Colette’s little sister and heal the wounds of World War II.

I love Kristin Harmel's books, and this book is classic Kristin Harmel - mentally gripping, with unique World War II stories. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an early read in exchange for a fair review. It was a true honor to read Kristin Harmel’s new book. I loved it. 5 stars.

I feel like I'm going crazy because this book is getting great reviews and I just didn't find it very engaging. I did enjoy Colette's back story and don't mind the thieving at all. I thought her relationship with Tristan was sweet and felt realistic. Her interactions with literally everyone else were weird and didn't make sense. Don't even get me started on the scenes were they visit the man in the assisted living home. I felt myself physically recoil while reading them. But of course everything wraps up with a pretty bow at the end and 80 years of angst and guilt is magically gone.

My thanks to Net Galley and Gallery for this arc.

This book was sheer perfection! I've found another fantastic author I hope to experience more from!

A stolen bracelet unites 90 year old jewel.thief Colette Marceau with loves and losses of her past from 76 years ago. Great story, great characters, great everything!

A can't put down WWII mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. I can't believe Colette is as old as she is. Just a fun book to get lost on this summer.

Thank to Netgalley for a the ARC

Kristin Harmel is a favorite author and a master of historical fiction. The Stolen Life of Collette Marceau is another masterpiece and I loved almost every bit of it. Collette Marceau comes from a family of jewel thieves, a trade passed from female to female for generations. It all goes wrong one night in 1942 when her mother is arrested by the Germans and her sister disappears from their room. Her body is later found in the Seine but the stolen bracelet that set the night in motion is no where to be found. Seventy years later, it turns up in a museum exhibition. This finding sets Collette on a journey to find out what really happened that night in her childhood and hopefully bring her closure.

The characters in this book are so well written that you really feel like you know them. Told in dual time lines, the story alternates between WWII and present day, following Collette throughout her life from learning to steal, growing up in Nazi Paris, and her philanthropy later in life. It is a tale of bravery, heartbreak, and ultimately love. Some of the story points were not believable to me (Robin Hood??) but part of reading is to suspend your disbelief and this book was really engaging. It's hard to find books set in the WWII era that have a new, fresh story to tell but Kristin Harmel has done it again. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book ahead of publication.

This book has a great story about a missing piece of jewelry. It depicts resilience and hopefulness.

"Kristin Harmel, the New York Times bestselling author who “is the best there is at sweeping historical drama” (Kelly Harms, author of The Seven Day Switch), returns with an electrifying new novel about two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder."

When Germans raid the Marceau home, teenage Colette leaves the bedroom to help her parents and her four-year-old sister Liliane is kidnapped through an open window, her body found in the Seine, and a priceless bracelet missing from the hem of her nightgown.

In 2018 America, Colette has been living with the guilt of leaving her sister alone for seventy six years. She has spent her life redistributing wealth by stealing jewels and money from unscrupulous individuals and giving it to various causes that do good in the world. Will she ever get answers to what happened to her family on that fateful day?

Kristin Harmel has done it again - created an emotionally gripping novel that is pure perfection with the right amount of detail and flawless character development. Historical fiction that includes Paris, WWII, a kidnapping and murder mystery, jewel heists, a family saga, and a romance? Yes, please! Be sure to add this to your summer TBR s'il vous plait!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Kristin Harmel for the advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Another five star book from Kristin Harmel! I was fascinated by this WWII story. There were parts that dragged a bit, so it took me a little longer to get through, but overall, it was a fascinating and captivating story that I highly recommend reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

I have been in a historical fiction kick, particularly WW2 era. but I especially enjoy stories that don’t focus exclusively on the horrors of the holocaust, and give us some side stories or other perspectives.

Kristin Harmel does this really well and this book was no different. I thought the flashbacks and present day were well executed and we weren’t confused with so much back-and-forth.

It also made me think about how so many families were stripped of everything including heirlooms and unique pieces that were meant to carry family history.

I enjoy characters who have a little morally grey in them and liked that Collette was a thief with a conscience who stole to make the world a better place 🤣 I do feel like her character lacked a bit of depth, even though she is likeable. There are also some romance subplots that I didn’t mind, but just in case that isn’t your thing, be aware.

I would recommend this book for readers who like the intersection of romance and historical fiction, and those who are looking for historical adjacent plots in books.

4/5⭐️ for me

Kristin Harmel is one of my favorite authors, and The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau is without a doubt one of my top reads this year. Emotional, thrilling, and layered with mystery, this novel is set across two timelines of World War II and the present day, and it absolutely delivers.

Colette, now in her late 80s, has lived a remarkable life. But a long-buried secret from her past resurfaces when a bracelet is discovered and prepared for exhibition at a museum. With the support of her friends, Aviva and Marty, Colette embarks on a journey to uncover long-hidden truths and maybe even find long-awaited closure.

Kristin Harmel’s writing shines in this book. I loved that the central character is an older woman. Colette’s strength, vulnerability, and voice make this story unforgettable. There are painful, heartbreaking moments that grip you completely, and I was fully immersed.

The author's note is powerful and not to be missed. Just like the precious jewels in the story, this book is a true gem.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted copy!

My favorite Kristin Harmel book to date!

I loved this dual timelines historical fiction novel set during WWII and 2018. It is a mystery, a romance, a family drama and a historical look back to Paris in the 1940s during the German occupation. The story centers around a family of jewel thieves who use their “skills” to steal from Nazis and fund the escape and protection of Jews during WWII.

Harmel’s writing is absolutely beautiful. The mysteries that kept revealing themselves kept me turning the pages. Both the past and present timelines were equally engaging. Highly recommend for all lovers of historical fiction!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for inviting me to read this beautiful book early. In exchange for my honest review. Will post my review elsewhere on the publication date.

Kristin Harmel? Say no more. Once again, Harmel writes an engaging, heartfelt, historical story sure to entertain and to educate. This novel has all the necessary pieces that, to me, make a fabulous novel.....history, mystery, thievery. The perfect trifecta! A story woven around a family's belief that they could make a difference by taking from the evil rich and giving to those that needed it. From stealing from Nazi sympathizers in the current day to benefit local charities, to stealing from the wealthy German Nazis during WWII in order to fund hiding, relocating, and re-documenting endangered Jews. And make a difference they did! I'm sure all will enjoy this fabulous novel. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to pre-read and review this novel.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau completely swept me away. From the very beginning, I was pulled into Colette’s story and didn’t want to let go. Kristin Harmel has such a beautiful way of blending historical detail with raw emotion, and this book hit me right in the heart. Colette’s journey is full of loss, strength, and quiet resilience, and I found myself feeling every moment right alongside her. The writing is tender and powerful without being overly dramatic, and by the end, I was honestly a little wrecked in the best way. If you love historical fiction that really makes you feel something, this one’s a must-read.

Kristin Harmel did it again. This was a great historical fiction novel that connects the past to the present with the discovery of a bracelet that has been missing for 75 years. People reconnect to the past by trying to figure out where the bracelet has been all these years, and who took it, because the person who took it may have been a murderer.
I really enjoyed the connections in this book and the memories the characters have of the past. The ending wrapped up beautifully, and unexpected.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau (previously released as All the Diamonds in Paris) is a heartfelt and powerful WWII novel set in Paris, told in dual timelines — past and present. With its stunning revamped cover (isn’t she gorgeous?), this story delivers a moving tale of forbidden love, family, resilience, and survival. Rich in emotion and beautifully written, it’s a triumph of historical fiction that will stay with you long after the final page.

Dual timeline book set during WWII and 2018. I guessed some of the mysteries but I was enjoying the story so much that it did not matter to me. A must read for lovers of historical fiction. It also had some romance. I like the fictional story that was interwoven with real historical events and places.

This is an outstanding book! I have never been disappointed by Kristin Harmel's books, and I think this one is my new favorite.

In the present, Aviva is shocked when she finds out that Collete is a jewel thief. Who would suspect this seemingly demure old lady who volunteers for charitable causes? Colette only steals from wealthy Nazis and Nazi collaborators, and she donates the proceeds to worthy charities, such as the Boston Center for Holocaust Education, which she anonymously helped to found. She takes no personal financial gain from her theft, in the tradition of Robin Hood, but uses the stolen jewels to help those who have been wronged.

The story is set in alternating timelines of young Colette during WWII and older Colette in 2018. Now a nonagenarian, Colette is trying to settle old scores and finally return jewels to their rightful owner. Also, she aches to find out what happened to her sister, who went missing and was presumed murdered at the age of four, many years ago, so that adds a mysterious aspect to the story. There are some fantastic twists and turns that make this story exciting!
A sincere thank you to Gallery Books for providing me with an Advance Reader Copy through #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau is a craftily and skillfully written book about a young woman, a teenager, Colette, who follows in the footsteps of her mother, Annabel. From her mother, Colette, learns to stealthily steal priceless pieces of jewelry from cruel, unkind, and obscenely wealthy people. Once Colette has these pieces, she, like Robin Hood, gives them to those who can desperately use the value of the jewelry for good. Colette follows this self-appointed task, and uses her skills for the good of the poor throughout her life.

The book uses the conceit of dual time periods, beginning the action in the 1940s and taking it up again in 2018 when Colette is almost 90 years old. Colette is still distraught about the death of her mother in a concentration camp during WWII, and she has never forgotten that her four-year-old sister, Lilliane, has died at about the same time, and that half a priceless bracelet set was taken from the hem of her sister's nightgown. When the bracelet appears in an exhibition which Colette sees roughly 70 years later, she knows she must ascertain what happened to her mother and sister, and she wants to be reunited to her past.

The book focuses on mystery, family, and drama linked to Colette's lifelong quest to take valuables that can be recycled for the good of those in need. Later in life, Colette reunites with her past, and there is also a late-in-life love story that creates a tidy and lovely ending for the book.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this compelling book.

Throughly enjoyed the mystery of this book and the dynamics of the characters. I felt the ending was a little rushed and I wish there was more talk of Colette’s life and thievery throughout the years but still a good historical mystery read.

Thank you Netgalley, for the digital ARC of this incredible book!

What a story. This is an emotional rollercoaster, a mystery, a love story, a family drama, a look into history - full of hatred and greed and vengeance, and a book of hope.

Just read it. It's so good.