Colette is a thief, taught by her mother. They steal from bad people for good reason though: to fund the French resistance. The WWII chapters… harrowing, and moving, and tragic. Colette’s young sister disappears, and is found dead, with the bracelet hidden on her gone.

Ninety years later, the bracelet turns up in a museum, and the then 90-year-old Colette is drawn back to reconcile with the past in this splendid novel about courage, survival, and how to accept the past.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau was beautifully written in a dual timeline format. It is historical fiction and gripped me from the beginning with the unique premise of Colette's familial legacy of stealing jewels. This book was the most interesting puzzle that culminated into an ending that surprised me over and over.

4.25 🌟

Such a beautiful Robin Hood book.

I love Kristin Harmel's writing - her ability to write beautiful stories is like no other. I loved the premise of female jewelry theives that steal from the rich and give to the poor. The way the characters come together in this book is heartbreaking and redemptive.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Kristin Harmels writing flows easily even as she writes about the difficult and traumatic subject matter of WWII. The life of Collette Marceau is told in a duel timeline. The chapters are just long enough to give you the opportunity to explore the history behind the story as it relates to the modern day life of Collette. She and her family members are direct descendants of Robin Hood and the secret her mother has told her is that the family must continue Robin Hood’s legacy of stealing from the rich, or in the case evil, to provide for and protect the less fortunate. Collette is taught to steal jewelry by her mother. At an early age during WWII Collette begins to steal from the wealthiest people who are either Nazis or people that are supporting them. Someone has identified her mother as a jewel thief and their home is raided by the Germans. Collette’s mother is taken and beaten to death but does not tell them where the jewels are located. During the raid Collette was told to watch her sister but while trying to save her mother a policeman takes her four year old sister Liliane. Days later Collette is told that her sister’s body was seen floating in the river. Collette continues stealing jewelry throughout the rest of her life as she creates and funds a Holocaust survivors organization with the money from the jewels all the while trying desperately to solve the mystery of what happened to her sister. There is so much more going on in this story that it’s impossible to touch on it all. I’ll be recommending this one to family and friends. This ARC was provided by Gallery Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kristin Harmel does it again!

Although I don't believe this was up there with Winemaker's Wife or Book of Lost Names- it was still wonderful! Kristin Harmel should be named the queen of WW2 historical fiction

The premise of this was unusual and thought provoking for a WW2 book

This is my first Kristin Harmel read but I have many of her books in my want to read list. It didn’t disappoint!
She is very skilled in evoking mystery and building a story. The characters of this book are full of resilience and courage. I wanted to stop everything and stay in the book until the end. Colette was determined and daring but stuck emotionally because of a tragic night from her past. The mix of modern and past timelines are effortless and really compliment each other. Harmel chooses just the right time to take us back to WW2 or stay in the modern timeframe.
I would loved to have seen some drawings of the bracelets that were lost, maybe at the top of each chapter? I couldn’t picture them even with the detailed description and they felt like a character that deserved to be front and center of the story.
I can’t wait to read more.
Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

This story about a family who descends from Robin Hood and steals jewels from those who are making choices that severely harms others and uses the money to aid those under privileged people is one of loss and finding the truth. It takes place around a set of special matching bracelets made for twins during ww2, And then goes back in time to them and then current times was very good!
It felt unique, even though it was set in wwII which has been written about a lot.

I have enjoyed multiple books by this author. This book was engaging but did not have the depth and feeling that I had with her other books.
Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

Told in dual timelines, The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau follows the story of Colette from her early years in Nazi occupied Paris and her later years in a suburb of Boston. Coming from a long line of jewel thieves, Colette followed in the family tradition of stealing from Nazi's to help fund the French Resistance. But one fateful night, her sister Lilianne was taken from them and found later in the Sienne, but the stolen bracelet that had been sewn into the lining of her nightgown was missing.

Years later, Colette is on the hunt for that missing bracelet that matches the one she has. Now with the chance of finding and bringing her sister's murderer to justice, Colette enlists the help of Daniel Rosman, her friend Aviva and Aviva's friend Lucas. But the answers they find are far more intriguing than what they expected.

This is an amazing story. A story of history and fiction, full of suspense and heartache. the author does a fantastic job of weaving two families apart and back together again. It had amending I did not expect. I loved this story and could not put the book down even as I hated reading about WWII Germany. Important we don't forget.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau is an enthralling book about two jewel thieves, a mother and daughter and a priceless bracelet that disappears in Paris in the 1940’s. It is an historical drama that takes place in the 1940’s during and World War ll in Paris and in 2018 in Boston. Collette lives her whole life in search for the missing bracelet and guilt for the death of her sister. When the bracelet appears in an exhibit the story really takes off. It is an amazing story and difficult to put down once you start it. Kristin Harmel succeeds again in writing a bestseller!!

I am a fan of Kristin Harmel & historical fiction. I certainly respect the way she researches her books well & really enjoyed reading about it in her Author’s Note. However, there were a few things in this story that seemed unbelievable. First of all, there were several characters in their late 80s or older who seemed way too active for their ages. I can’t imagine someone still stealing jewels at Colette’s age in the 2018 chapters. This just really hung me up! Also, there were a large number of coincidences in the plot that made it seem almost corny in the end. I really wanted to like it more, but it didn’t seem believable.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC of this book, which will publish next month.

As a casual fiction reader who loves a blend of history, mystery, and emotion, The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau was a thoroughly gripping and heartfelt read. Kristin Harmel delivers a sweeping story that spans decades, centering on a former jewel thief whose past comes crashing back when a long-lost diamond bracelet resurfaces in a museum. The book moves fluidly between wartime Paris and the present day, with just the right mix of suspense, drama, and emotional depth.

What I loved most was how layered and complex Colette’s character is. Her past—marked by resistance, betrayal, and heartbreak—felt vividly real, and I found myself rooting for her not just to solve the mystery, but to find healing. The historical backdrop adds richness without overwhelming the story, and the emotional stakes are high throughout. If you're looking for a novel that combines intrigue with a powerful story of love, loss, and redemption, this is an excellent choice.

Another remarkable take on the resistance efforts during WWII. So many amazingly courageous people during that time. I am happy to learn about them and grateful to the authors, such as Kristin, who bring them to life and remind us of their efforts. If only we knew the stories the diamonds and other precious gems passed from generation to generation hold; "if these gems could talk".

Colette is a thief, has been for most of her life. But her thievery is a bit more complex. As a descendent of Robin Hood, her family has always prided itself on taking from the rich and giving to those who most need help. For Colette as a child, this meant swiping jewels from Nazis and Nazi sympathizers and using those jewels to fund the resistance. As an adult, it’s meant finding people who somehow had a part in the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and using her ill-gotten gains to bring attention to that time. She’s never been able to move past her losses, however. Her mother and sister were killed by the Nazis, and her father abandoned her at a young age. So when a long forgotten bracelet makes its reappearance, she’s certain that it has secrets to tell, secrets that will give her the answers she needs about her sister's fate. This is a wonderful piece of historical fiction. Told in alternating timelines, the author takes us back to Colette’s childhood to give us a glimpse at the events that forever altered her life. Five stars!

This book was AMAZING! This book really made me think about the complexities of theft for the greater good. I loved the story of Collette and her secret life along with the dual timelines as she seeks justice for her sister. A compelling story with a great plot.

Kristin is such a beautiful author. This book draws you into the characters and their heartbreaking stories. But Kristin is always able to flawlessly leave you with a happy ending!

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Not my usual genre but heartwarming ending.
Wonderful storytelling and plotting.
And gorgeous cover!

With thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books/Simon and Schuster for this e-ARC.

I've grown to really love Kristin Harmel's writing. She tends to write a lot of female-centric, WWII-era historical fiction, so they can be heavy reads at times. Her latest novel is no exception! The story centers around Colette, a jewel thief who lives by Robin Hood's rules to take from the rich (or Nazis, in this case) to give to the poor. It wasn't my favorite of her books, but I still enjoyed it.

In The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, Kristin Harmel delivers a gripping, emotionally layered historical fiction novel that blends suspense, tragedy, and moral complexity across dual timelines. The result is a haunting exploration of justice, grief, and identity—and a compelling portrait of a woman shaped by loss and conviction.

Colette Marceau has been stealing jewels for most of her life, trained by her mother, Annabel, in a family tradition passed down for generations: take only from the cruel and corrupt, and use the profits to help those in need. During the Second World War, that code was never more vital. In Nazi-occupied Paris, Annabel and teenage Colette used their skills to fund the French Resistance. But one night in 1942, everything changed. Annabel was arrested. Colette’s little sister, Liliane, vanished during the raid—along with a priceless diamond bracelet sewn into her nightgown. Annabel was later executed. Liliane’s body was found in the Seine. The bracelet was gone.

Seventy years later, Colette—now in her eighties and living a quiet life in Boston—spots the long-lost bracelet in a museum exhibit. After decades of carrying guilt and grief, she sees a final chance for answers. Where has the bracelet been? Who had it all these years? And could uncovering its path finally reveal the truth about what happened to her sister?

As Colette digs into the bracelet’s provenance, secrets surface. A familiar figure from her past steps forward with their own claim to the diamonds, and the search for justice becomes more personal—and more dangerous—than she ever expected.

Harmel crafts a poignant, fast-paced story that switches between 1940s France and present-day Boston. Colette is a standout protagonist: complex, fierce, and deeply human. Her life has been shaped by trauma, but she has remained loyal to her moral compass, even as she walks the line between lawbreaker and freedom fighter.

The novel explores grief, betrayal, and the blurry line between right and wrong. Harmel doesn’t offer easy answers—just real, flawed people making difficult choices. The bracelet itself becomes a symbol not just of loss, but of legacy. How many lives did it pass through? How many stories were tied to its glittering surface?

With The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, Harmel adds another powerful entry to her World War II canon. It’s a tale that lingers, both in its emotional weight and its ethical gray zones. Historical fiction fans—especially those drawn to stories of resistance, survival, and redemption—won’t want to miss it.