The Elephant’s Sapphire
by SJT Riley
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Pub Date Mar 28 2023 | Archive Date Apr 19 2023
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Description
It’s late Autumn, 1950. Robert Lynnford, star crime-reporter for The London Herald, is alerted to the theft of an extremely valuable exhibit from the Queen’s Fine Art Museum in London - the Elephant’s Sapphire, a much-coveted historic heirloom from Nepal which has been held by the museum since the 1880s.
A desperate curator asks Lynnford to recover the jewel before knowledge of its loss becomes public and the international reputation of the museum is damaged. A constitutional crisis in Nepal and the Prime Minister’s imminent visit to London for urgent talks with the British government add a diplomatic imperative to Lynnford’s task.
Murder, double-dealing, and betrayal in London’s Docklands and world of fine art surround the sapphire’s disappearance from the museum, and Lynnford needs all the help he can muster to track it down. When rival gangs lock onto the hunt, the search becomes a deadly race that will lead him around Britain and across the Channel, with only his reporter’s instincts to protect him. And his friends!
THE ELEPHANT’S SAPPHIRE is a stand-alone story within a detective mystery series based on the investigations of Robert Lynnford. Ideal for fans of the more retro-detective crime, this story will take you back to the past where a mystery was solved with the mind instead of technology.
A Note From the Publisher
Marketing Plan
Compelling retro-detective mystery novel that harks back to old-fashioned cosy crime
Ideal for fans of quiet understated dramas set in the 1950s
Compelling retro-detective mystery novel that harks back to old-fashioned cosy crime
Ideal for fans of quiet understated dramas set in the 1950s
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781803137858 |
| PRICE | £3.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 344 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
jean luc e, Librarian
The theft of the Elephant's Sapphire in a museum and its subsequent substitution by a fake are at the center of a vast spiderweb of deceit, lies and murder.
Set in London in the early 50s, this compelling and very entertaining whodunit is also a captivating fictional journey into the murky world of stolen art treasures, art forgeries and the criminal gangs that fence the stolen goods.
Cleverly plotted with enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat and blessed with a terrific cast of exquisitely drawn characters, this dark and sophisticated tale of criminal shenanigans and greed really deserves to be discovered and enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever!
Many thanks to Matador and Netgalley for this great ARC!
Maxine M, Reviewer
London 1950, Lynnford, the crime reporter for the London Herald, is approached by the curator of the Queen’s Fine Art Museum. A very valuable jewel, known as the elephant’s sapphire, had been stolen and replaced with a replica. To protect the museum’s reputation, the curator doesn’t want to involve the police and hopes Lynnford can find the jewel. With no hint as to when or by whom the stone was stolen, Lynnford has his little to go on but how can he refuse with a story this potentially huge.
The Elephant’s Sapphire, a historical mystery, by Sjt Riley, opens well and has decent pacing until around the middle when it drags for a bit. But, in the last few chapters, it really picks up momentum and ends satisfactory ending. Overall, not a bad read.
3.5
I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review
Librarian 431790
There's a lot of potential in this story and I think that it could be a 5 start with some more editing.
The blurb is intriguing and the story starts strong, drags in the middle, and the last part is gripping and highly entertaining.
3.5 upped to 4
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
Robin P, Reviewer
The author brings to life the London of 1950, still scarred from the war, with its docklands rife with smuggling and the type of villain you wouldn't want to bump into on a dark night.
Robert Lynnford is a journalist and an amateur sleuth. He's ably assisted by Jack Worth, a particularly endearing character, who seems willing to undertake just about anything to help his friend.
Anyone who likes books by Edgar Wallace and John Buchan will enjoy this gently-paced thriller with its nighttime dash to Scotland, and then a splendid showdown in an old windmill on the Norfolk Broads.
Reading this was a bit like watching an old black-and-white film and admiring the quality of the writing rather than looking for any special effects.
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