Curse of the Purple Delhi Sapphire by Rachael Stapleton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sophia Marcil has a secret and it’s a big one. In Rachel Stapleton’s “Curse of the Purple Delhi Sapphire” Sophia time travels, faces death, and finds love. That’s a lot for one book but it is excitingly handled by Stapleton. While this book is Part Two of a series the author wisely offers enough information and detail to bring readers up to speed so the book can stand alone. Besides time travel there is a great deal of international travel in this book as well and I sometimes had a little trouble keeping up with the where and why of the main characters location. Based primarily in Ireland where Sophia becomes engaged to Cullen O’Kelley the story begins with his proposal to the librarian. As he places a rare ring with the missing Purple Delhi Sapphire stone on her finger she is transported back in time. This is where things become really thrilling. Sophia is suddenly part of her ancestor’s lives becoming her great aunt Zafira, and begins the challenge of solving the mystery of a murder. As the adventure continues she eventually returns to her own time where greater mysteries await. It’s sometimes difficult to keep track of the various characters as a few seem to appear and leave quickly. However the primary characters are fascinating and compelling. As the mystery deepens Sophia, Cullen, and his priest brother Liam stand out against a backdrop of Irish family life. Stapleton uses Irish dialect making the characters even more realistic. This is an electrifying story and well worth the read. The surprising twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat and I stayed awake late into the night to find out what was going to happen next. I hope more adventures lie ahead for Sophia and the mysterious Purple Delhi Sapphire.
Between the Beats 