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Tears of Pearl (Lady Emily #4)

by Tasha Alexander (Goodreads Author)

3.63 of 5 stars 3.63 · rating details · 2,063 ratings · 299 reviews

Set amid the beauty and decadence of the Ottoman Empire, Lady Emily’s latest adventure is full of intrigue, treachery, and romance.

Looking forward to the joys of connubial bliss, newlyweds Lady Emily and Colin Hargreaves, diplomats of the British Empire, set out toward Turkey for an exotic honeymoon. But on their first night in the city, a harem girl is found murdered, str...more

ebook, 320 pages

Published September 1st 2009 by Minotaur Books (first published August 12th 2009)

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Jul 25, 2010 Allison (The Allure of Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series_lady-emily, mysteries-thrillers-crime-horror, own-it, 2009

This is the first book of this series I've actually reviewed since I read the others before joining Goodreads, but that hasn't stopped me from recommending them all over the place! I'm just glad to finally be able to review one with events fresh on my mind.

In this book more than the others, Emily reminded me of Amelia Peabody (and I can't think of a higher compliment!). Even silly things put me in mind to the series by Elizabeth Peters-like the use of the word "ablutions". In any case, Emily's c...more This is the first book of this series I've actually reviewed since I read the others before joining Goodreads, but that hasn't stopped me from recommending them all over the place! I'm just glad to finally be able to review one with events fresh on my mind.

In this book more than the others, Emily reminded me of Amelia Peabody (and I can't think of a higher compliment!). Even silly things put me in mind to the series by Elizabeth Peters-like the use of the word "ablutions". In any case, Emily's character is always willing to plunge headfirst into schemes that she feels are just, and that Amelia-esque attitude is quite charming. (I'm glad the characters aren't real, Colin probably wouldn't appreciate that getting back to Emily, since the side effect of her crazy ideas is usually danger.)

Colin...he is very worthy of his position as the dreamy hero. In fact, he might be a little TOO perfect. Emily obviously has her faults, but Colin (to my memory) has yet to show any. That isn't really a complaint, just an observation. I like my fictional heros a tad too wonderful. It just made it harder for me to swallow the end, I didn't like the thought of him being put through something when he never makes mistakes.

I was thrilled that their relationship didn't get boring after their marriage, too often series get stale once the characters get together. I suppose, however, that life with the Hargreaves could really never be boring.

The mystery plot in this one was also particularly strong. I love this series so much mainly for the characters (and I missed all the side characters horribly in this installment!), but I am always thrilled with the mysteries in this series. I don't really want to talk about anything specific since the fun is in "meeting" all the suspects and trying to figure things out for yourself.

I am surprised this has already gotten so many low ratings, I loved it and definitely consider it a favorite of the series. It IS hard to declare a favorite though, especially when I consider Colin giving Emily all his books in Poisoned Season one of my favorite scenes of all time. But in any case, I adored this one, and am thrilled to see that Tasha Alexander is going strong! I'll definitely be looking forward to the next one. (Also, I really need to befriend her so she can invite me to travel with her when she does book research, she chooses the most interesting locations!)(less)

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Sep 10, 2009 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Jan 15, 2013 Jessi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, appealing-characteristic-story, historical, mystery, part-of-a-series

Lady Emily Ashton has finally married Colin Hargreaves and they are off on their honeymoon. Even though she is worried about her pregnant friend Ivy back at home, she is excited to see Constantinople. On the Orient Express, she and Colin meet Sir Richard St. Clare, who apparently suffers from an overdose of his sleeping medication at dinner. They had just found out the sad story of his life, his wife murdered and his daughter kidnapped many years ago while on an archaeological dig. His son still...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Cris Cunningham rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lady Emily Ashton and Colin Hargreaves are celebrating their honeymoon in beautiful, exotic Constantinople when they discover that a member of the Sultan's harem has been found slain. Since no man is permitted to set foot in the harem, Lady Emily, true to her nature, decides to investigate the incident herself. The dead girl is identified as the daughter of English diplomat Sir Richard St. Clare, a gentleman Emily and Colin met while on board the Orient Express a few days earlier. Emily promises...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery

The Lady Emily Books are well done popcorn books - which is how I tend to describe a fun, quick read. Tasha Alexander takes care with her history. She tweaks what is necessary for the story, of course, but it's obvious she's done her homework. I adore the characters of Lady Emily and Colin. I appreciate how Alexander chose not to artifically drag the "will they or won't they out" forever. And, while it occasionally make Emily a frustrating character, I truly appreciate that Alexander has taken p...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Carolyn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The settings in this series of books are like characters themselves. This time we are taken to the waning days of the Ottoman empire and treated to descriptions of Constantinople. This is what saved the book for me, as the main character has become a real pain. In the first book, And Only To Deceive, we met a woman who was discovering her own intelligence and aptitude. She was intriguing and likable because she was open to discovering new things about herself and others. Now we have a woman who...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the fourth novel in Tasha Alexander's popular Lady Emily series, Lady Emily and her new husband Colin head to Constantinople, the exotic capital of the Ottoman Empire to enjoy a relaxing, unique honeymoon after a rather unorthodox marriage. Everything seems to be going fine and dandy for the young couple until a young harm girl is found dead and a British diplomat discovers that she is his long-lost daughter. The attempted honeymoon quickly becomes a strange mystery surrounding the exotic har...more In the fourth novel in Tasha Alexander's popular Lady Emily series, Lady Emily and her new husband Colin head to Constantinople, the exotic capital of the Ottoman Empire to enjoy a relaxing, unique honeymoon after a rather unorthodox marriage. Everything seems to be going fine and dandy for the young couple until a young harm girl is found dead and a British diplomat discovers that she is his long-lost daughter. The attempted honeymoon quickly becomes a strange mystery surrounding the exotic harem practices of the Ottoman Empire and the unexpected politics within it.

This was my first introduction to Lady Emily and her Victorian crime sleuthing, but I enjoyed it. I don't really read many of these more comfortable, historical mysteries, but Tears of Pearls was very entertaining and enjoyable. Alexander has a clear, detailed voice that pulls in readers and keeps them flipping pages from beginning to end. The strongest aspect of the novel is definitely its exotic scenery -the autumn of the Ottoman Empire seems to be a rarely chosen historical fiction subject, and it was very interesting to learn about harem life through the eyes of a Western woman.

The only issue I have with this novel (and this is being kind of picky) is that, more than likely, back during the real Ottoman Empire it would have been nearly impossible for a British woman to run around the palace and the town (as Lady Emily does) questioning people and trying to solve a murder mystery. This may bother some history enthusiasts, but Tears of Pearls was such a fun novel that I didn't have any trouble forgiving this oversight. The entire point (and fun) of the novel is seeing the intelligent and unorthodox Lady Emily triumphing over the doubting characters around her using her wit and skill as a 19th Century sleuth, and once I came to realize this, the novel became much more fun.

Tears of Pears is a comfortable, witty historical mystery (dashed with some romance) with a strong female lead and unique setting that isn't too involved, but still gives readers enough twists to be enjoyable. I ended up enjoying this novel more than I thought I would, even though I tend to not be a fan of the genre -maybe this experience will change that. (less)

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Mar 06, 2011 kari rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

I'm becoming very disillusioned with this series. Lady Emily, who started out as such a smart and thoughtful person, has devolved into a selfish me-me-me! who can't seem to realize that she isn't going to get life exactly as she wants it. I was so disgusted with her for most of this book that I really didn't want to finish it. And the solution to her dilemma was convenient to say the least.
The mystery here wasn't involving. In this one, I figured out whodunit shortly after the murderer arrived...more

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Nov 09, 2009 Jacqie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tasha Alexander is still coming along as a writer, but I enjoy escaping into Victorian times with Lady Emily and her Colin. In this book, a honeymoon in Constantinople is interrupted by intrigue. There was a lot of lovey-doveyness, but hey, it was a honeymoon, after all. Constantinople may have been the best character in the book; it came to life with all its sights, sounds, and smells. Most of what I enjoyed about the book was seeing Constantinople through Lady Emily's eyes. The mystery was not...more

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Oct 12, 2009 Treasa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, historical-fiction, mystery, victorian

Why is it that stories and series are never as good once the hero and heroine are finally married? That is definitely how I felt about this book. I still love the characters of Emily and Colin, but now that they're married, their relationship isn't nearly as interesting. I also felt that there wasn't as much exploration of Colin's character in this book as I would have liked. We got to hear a lot about Emily, which is fine, but I really would like to know more about Colin.

Nevertheless, I read st...more

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Aug 16, 2009 LJ rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1800s, female_author, historical, mystery, turkey, victorian_1837-1901

First Sentence: It is always a mistake to underestimate the possibilities of a train compartment.

Newly-married Lady Emily and Colin Hargraves are off to Constantinople for their honeymoon. On their way there, they meet a fellow Englishman with a tragic past who has lived there for years. Many years’ prior, he and his family had been attacked while camping. His wife was murdered and his 3-year-old daughter kidnapped. He now finds his daughter again: grown, living in a harem and murdered.

This is a...more First Sentence: It is always a mistake to underestimate the possibilities of a train compartment.

Newly-married Lady Emily and Colin Hargraves are off to Constantinople for their honeymoon. On their way there, they meet a fellow Englishman with a tragic past who has lived there for years. Many years’ prior, he and his family had been attacked while camping. His wife was murdered and his 3-year-old daughter kidnapped. He now finds his daughter again: grown, living in a harem and murdered.

This is a hard one. I loved Ms. Alexander’s previous books, but this one; not so much. I did love the setting and enjoy that the books are almost wonderful travelogues conveying the sights, smells, people and history of the locations.

There was awkwardness in the very beginning that so bothered me, I wrote Ms. Alexander and suggested a simple way to work around it. She was kind enough to understand my point and say she might make the change to the paperback release. Had I not been reading the book to review, I might have stopped at that point.

The plot seems far-fetched in the extreme and began with massive coincidences. I don’t mind some historic liberties, and I understood to reasoning behind those which were taken, but it still bothered me.

The biggest problem I have is with Emily. On one hand, she is getting worried and worrying letters from a dear friend; on the other hand, she puts herself at great risk almost ensuring the resulting outcome. Perhaps had the letters not been there, I wouldn’t have been so bothered. I also found I liked Emily less-and-less as the story progressed.

I really was disappointed in this book and I acknowledge that the problem may be my expectation of what I would like the book to be as opposed to the author’s intent. Alexander seems to have moved away from historical mystery over strongly into the category of romantic historical with a touch of suspense. The focus is on the relationship of the two protagonists and Emily's independence, the latter of which became a bit tiresome.

I absolutely loved the first book in the series, but with each successive entry, I am less enchanted. It's too bad.

TEARS OF PEARL (Hist Rom/Mys-Lady Emily-Constantinople-1892) – Okay
Alexander, Tasha – 4th in series
Minotaur Books, 2009, ARC, ISBN: 9780312382701

(less)

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Jan 31, 2011 Warnie B. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, e-books, historical-fiction, mystery, western-asia

Wow, NOT my favorite of the series, obviously. The first problem I had was the number of coincidences that lead up to Colin and Emily investigating the murder of a harem girl in Constantinople--the entire way they get involved just seemed completely unbelievable to me. And then it also felt obvious to me from the start who the real culprit was, which made it frustrating to have to sit through an entire book waiting for Emily to FINALLY get to the same conclusion, especially when she completely m...more

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Sep 18, 2009 Shanda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Even on her honeymoon with the dashing Colin Hargreaves Lady Emily can't resist becoming involved in solving the murder of a concubine at the Sultan's palace in the exotic Ottoman empire. To complicate matters, Lady Emily thinks she may be pregnant and struggles with losing her freedom to a husband who may become overprotective in this situation.

While I loved the first line of this book,

"It is always a mistake to underestimate the possibilities of a train comaprtment",

the rest just fell flat f...more

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Sep 07, 2009 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 24, 2009 Yukari rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Historical mystery with a bit of romance is my kind of guilty pleasure. And "Lady Emily Mysteries" is one of my favorite guilty pleasures. I especially loved the last one, "A Fatal Waltz". It was thrilling as a mystery, and the romance between Emily and Colin was part of mystery which kept me wondering until the end. After such a satisfying conclusion, I couldn't help worrying about the 4th book becoming boring.
What would Emily and Colin do after they get married?

Well, I am glad to tell you th...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Krista Mercer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery

In this 4th adventure, the newly married Lady Emily and Colin Hargreaves travel to Istanbul for their honeymoon. Shortly after their arrival, they are summoned to one of the sultan's palaces; a harem girl has been murdered, and it is revealed that she is actually the long-lost daughter of a British diplomat. Emily and Colin agree to work in tandem--she, being a woman, is allowed access inside the harem.

I totally enjoyed the exotic setting of this novel, and the varied characters, but I did find...more

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Oct 18, 2010 Malin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. WARNING! CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS FOR A FATAL WALTZ, THE THIRD LADY EMILY MYSTERY!

Lady Emily Hargreaves, formerly Ashton, is on her honeymoon with her beloved husband, Colin. Having earned the disappointment of both Lady Emily's formidable mother and Queen Victoria herself after eloping to Greece to get married rather than have a lavish society wedding in the Queen's own chapel, the couple are enjoying a trip on the Orient Express when a British diplomat keels over at their dining table. The Harg...more WARNING! CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS FOR A FATAL WALTZ, THE THIRD LADY EMILY MYSTERY!

Lady Emily Hargreaves, formerly Ashton, is on her honeymoon with her beloved husband, Colin. Having earned the disappointment of both Lady Emily's formidable mother and Queen Victoria herself after eloping to Greece to get married rather than have a lavish society wedding in the Queen's own chapel, the couple are enjoying a trip on the Orient Express when a British diplomat keels over at their dining table. The Hargreaves help him, and it turns out that he simply misjudged the dose of his sleeping medication, but he is nonetheless very grateful, and promises to help them when they arrive in Constantinople.

An avid study of ancient history and Greek, as well as an amateur sleuth who has solved two murders, including that of her first husband, the Viscount Ashton, Lady Emily wants to see Troy and Constantinople and other famous landmarks. Her husband, a trusted Intelligence Agent for the Crown, wants nothing more than to keep his wife out of danger and pamper her as much as possible. This proves difficult when on one of their first evenings in Constantinople, a harem girl is found murdered, and she is none other than the missing daughter of the diplomat the Hargreaves befriended on the train, stolen from her family by bandits when she was only three years old. The father, who has spent most of his life since her disappearance searching for her, is devastated.

As the girl is half-English, Colin Hargreaves is granted permission to investigate the murder. But as most of the suspect live within the Sultan's harem, Colin has no choice but to let Emily take part in the investigation. She can go where he cannot, and question those he will not be allowed access to. In the course of the investigation, Emily discovers that her preconceptions about life in the Ottoman empire are not at all what she was led to believe, but that there is still a lot of intrigue, and more than one person had a motive to kill the young woman. What at first appears to be sea-sickness may also turn out to be a natural result of her recent matrimony, but remembering her aunt's death during childbirth, and reading the letters from her best friend who is currently experiencing a very difficult pregnancy, Emily is not at all certain she is ready to become a mother. That is, of course, if she survives to unveil the killer.

The Lady Emily Asthon novels may seem very similar to Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Gray series, and on the surface, there share many things in common. Both are mystery novels, set in Victorian times, featuring daughters of Earls, who are both widowed in the first novel of the series. Both widows solve the murders of their husbands, and go on to find love with men who they share their investigations with. Yet the tone and style of the books are very different, and having read the fourth installments of both series back to back, I am struck by the difference between them as well. Colin and Emily do not have the stormy and tempestuous relationship that Julia and Brisbane have, theirs is a much more tranquil and in some ways more romantic partnership. While in Raybourn's books, Brisbane was reluctant to enter into a romantic relationship with Julia because of their difference in social status and wealth, it is Colin who pursues Emily for two novels before she finally accepts and becomes his wife.

Still, fans of one author will undoubtedly enjoy the books of the other. Any fan of historical mystery could do much worse than pick up the books of either Tasha Alexander or Deanna Raybourn, all four books in each of the authors' series have been excellent. Tasha Alexander's fifth Lady Emily novel is out in hardback in about a week, and I am not sure I can wait until it is released in paperback to buy it. (less)

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Jun 29, 2012 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: from-library

This has been an enjoyable series as a woman makes a valiant attempt to exercise her freedom and her mind in a Victorian society that doesn't seem to expect or encourage those traits for the most part. Luckily, as a widow Lady Emily met her husband's best friend, Collin Hargreaves.

He's an agent for the Crown and uncommonly enlightened about a woman's role especially the woman he adores, woos and ultimately marries. In this book we follow the newlywed on the Orient Express (swoon!) and on to Cons...more

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Dec 16, 2010 Pamela rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alexander continues to improve in the fourth Lady Emily (but still, again, has a ways to go). This installment finds our oft-anachronistic heroine on her honeymoon (spoiler for those who haven't read the other books...sorry) in Constantinople but not on vacation from sleuthing. Mystery, it seems, has followed her there and makes its first appearance before she has even alighted from the Orient Express, when an aging British diplomat suspiciously falls ill--an overdose of sedatives--and has some...more Alexander continues to improve in the fourth Lady Emily (but still, again, has a ways to go). This installment finds our oft-anachronistic heroine on her honeymoon (spoiler for those who haven't read the other books...sorry) in Constantinople but not on vacation from sleuthing. Mystery, it seems, has followed her there and makes its first appearance before she has even alighted from the Orient Express, when an aging British diplomat suspiciously falls ill--an overdose of sedatives--and has some official documents stolen. No sooner has he recovered than tragedy strikes again. A young harem girl is found murdered and is then discovered to be the diplomat's long-lost daughter, kidnapped as a small child. To uncover the truth (and potential link between the murder, poisoning, and theft), Lady Emily must navigate the forbidden world of the seraglio, where she must face foreign customs and her own (foreign) femininity. There is also the requisite omnipresent danger and Suspense.

I liked this almost as much as A Fatal Waltz. The mystery was the most satisfying one yet--complex, deftly plotted and paced, and clearly explained. I could have done without all the romance though. I know that this is a honeymoon book and, as such, one should expect there to be a good deal of hanky-panky, but does the author really need to document each and every amorous encounter, every canoodle in a corner? It's not that her descriptions were vulgar, because they weren't. Cliché, yes; graphic, no. They were just giggly and superfluous and distracted from the actual plot. I love a good bodice-ripping in its place (i.e. in a bodice-ripper). Perhaps I just don't like chick-lit? But I digress...

Alexander has also come a ways with Emily's character. Though she still suffers from being overly modern, overly self-confident, and overly viewed by all who meet her as Practically Perfect in Every Way, she's finally starting to be less reactionary and adolescent and more of a grown up. This is very much a book about parents and children. With marriage comes at least a discussion of maternity, and Tears of Pearl finds Emily wondering if that's something that she wants. If, after all her port-swilling, cigar-smoking flouting of convention, there aren't some parts of society and tradition that she desires. Perhaps these questions will be answered in the next book.

But now my head cold has subsided into lingering sinus headache, which means that it will soon be time to return to Weightier Tomes. So thanks, escape reading, it's been fun. :) Until pestilence strikes again...(less)

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Nov 20, 2011 Meaghan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Another rousing success by Tasha Alexander! In my previous review I was impressed with how thoroughly Lady Emily was allowed to fail. In this book I was impressed with the way in which Tasha Alexander addressed pregnancy and children and their role in Victorian life. She focused on the dangers women faced in pregnancy and in giving birth in a way that was somehow different from other books I have read. I can't say that I learned anything new through what she wrote, but something about the way in...more

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Feb 14, 2010 travelgirlut rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read the first three books in this series a while ago, and I remember really enjoying them. This book, not so much. It was overly sentimental, especially since they are on their honeymoon in the book. Too much schmooz and lovin'. The bad guy is made to be too perfect and nice, which automatically cues you into the fact that he is the bad guy. And all the people who you are supposed to think are the bad guy but really aren't have so many bad things happen you know they can't really be the ones...more

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May 02, 2012 Babs rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-suspense, mystery, mystery-historical

I hate to say it, but after enjoying the first three books very much, this was a let down and a bit of a disappointment. I think this was partly due to the setting - the Ottoman Empire of the Victorian era; not a culture that holds a lot in interest for me. Unfortunately, the lead characters, Lady Emily and her new husband, Colin Hargreaves, were also disappointing.

Lady Emily is still set on maintaining her independence and becoming a partner to her husband in investigations and service to thei...more

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May 23, 2011 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery, series

In Tears of Pearl, Emily and Colin are on their honeymoon in Constantinople. Instead of the relaxing vacation they were expecting, they come across a murder of a harem girl who happens to be the missing daughter of an English diplomat.

Tears of Pearl was more serious than the previous Lady Emily novels, though it fits since she's now married and has experienced a lot since And Only To Deceive. The secondary plot involving her fears of having children was really well written and there were some tr...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, historical-fiction

Alexander's strength is her ability to really paint a picture of the setting. In the last Lady Emily novel it was Vienna in winter. Now Emily is in Turkey and I felt like I could see, smell, and taste it. Th story itself was not as strong as some of the others. It took a really long time to get where it was going. I still really enjoyed Emily's interactions with Colin and Margaret, but they were all too fleeting in this story. Also, through no fault of Ms. Alexander's this story was too similar...more

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May 10, 2011 Bree T rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, library-reads, mystery, series

Lady Emily and Colin are now married, having eloped apparently at the end of #3 but as I knew that’s where they were heading anyway, it didn’t worry me so much. They’re undertaking their wedding journey, a train from Paris to Constantinople. On their very first night in the city a harem girl is found murdered in a courtyard – and she turns out to be the long-lost daughter of Sir Richard St Clair, an Englishman who works at the embassy in Constantinople and who happened to be on the train with th...more Lady Emily and Colin are now married, having eloped apparently at the end of #3 but as I knew that’s where they were heading anyway, it didn’t worry me so much. They’re undertaking their wedding journey, a train from Paris to Constantinople. On their very first night in the city a harem girl is found murdered in a courtyard – and she turns out to be the long-lost daughter of Sir Richard St Clair, an Englishman who works at the embassy in Constantinople and who happened to be on the train with them. Knowing Colin’s reputation, he begs them to investigate and find justice for his murdered daughter.

Colin does gain permission to make some enquiries but because the murdered girl was from the harem of the Sultan, he cannot enter the harem and question any of the other girls. In of course, steps Lady Emily to assist with the investigation. As a woman she can enter the harems and has the support of the Valide (mother of the Sultan) to question the girls. She is soon suspicious that much is being hidden from her and when there are two more murders, things are looking very bad for their friend Sir Richard.

The murderer then inserts himself into a scheme Lady Emily is involved in to set free one of the concubines and kidnaps her. Unless Lady Emily comes to meet him, he will murder her as well. With Colin away and unable to come to her rescue, it’s going to be entirely up to Lady Emily to save not only the concubine but herself as well.

I didn’t love the first novel in this series but I thought the second installment was a marked improvement. Unfortunately, this one seems to be on par with the first. There are too many weird co-incidences, or things that are not adequately explained for my liking. The most glaring is that of Sir Richard’s daughter. Sir Richard’s wife was murdered and his 3yo daughter kidnapped. He sent his son, who escaped/survived/whatever back to England and devoted his time to searching for his daughter. Some twenty years goes by only for him to discover (by way of finding her body) that she has been in the same city as he the whole time. Although we have the added ‘twist’ of having her in the harem, which is presumably, why he hasn’t seen her. But with an unusual name (Ceyden) you’d think that if he were making inquiries around the area, someone would’ve known of her existence. She’d been in the harem quite some time. It seems rather odd that no one could help him after so long searching!

There are some other inconsistencies, to list them all would take some time but I wasn’t entirely in love with the dynamic between Lady Emily and Colin in this one either. Their exchanges fell flat in this novel with Colin kind of relegated to a sidekick husband despite his superior qualifications. Lady Emily herself doesn’t seem as interesting as she was in the first two novels, she seems more preoccupied with wondering just how much freedom she can have now that she’s married – the answer is actually a rather huge amount. She seems to ignore the fact that she’s married someone who enjoys her for her independence and wit. There’s too much internal dialogue about maternal instinct (or lack of it) and Lady Emily resolutely ignoring 732 glaringly obvious signs that she is pregnant. Rather impressive considering they’re supposed to be on their honeymoon and I’m unsure of how much time has passed between their elopement and their undertaking of this journey. For propriety’s sake, I’m going to guess a couple of months!

It’s quite possible that I judge these somewhat harshly against another series that I absolutely adore and can barely find fault with but I do feel that there are some glaring errors in the writing when it comes to actually having a reason for characters drawing conclusions or for incidents in the novels. It was obvious in the first novel, where the romance (several varieties) was just stated, never actually created and spun out and something the reader could get behind and enjoy. Whilst I do enjoy the character of Colin at times (often I wonder what he sees in Emily) he is far too much a background character at times, kind of a ‘yes man’ and often shows no real backbone. I like my men a bit more forceful!

Not the best volume in this series, I’m beginning to wonder if #2 was the abnormality!(less)

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Mar 31, 2013 Lydia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chik-lit, mystery-thriller, historical-fiction

I was a little disappointed in this book. It wasn't as good as the second and third in the series, though I'd probably say it was still better than the first. One thing that really bothered me: Emily spent the whole first half of the book preoccupied with thoughts of when she could next hook up with her husband. That's understandable since they were on the honeymoon, but for some reason we had to be reminded of this fact almost constantly. Then, in the second half the book she was obsessed with...more

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Oct 05, 2010 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tears of Pearl, by Tasha Alexander, is a suspenseful mystery which takes place in the late 1800's. Husband and wife duo, Colin and Emily Hargreaves, are on their honeymoon traversing the world when they meet a man named Sir Richard while traveling to Constantinople. Misfortune hits their new found friend, and thus, the Hargreaves find themselves amidst a plot of murder and intrigue which leads them through the city and harems of the surrounding area. While trying to solve the case at hand, Lady...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, historical-fiction, mysteries, social-commentary, women, suspense

In the fourth installment of the Lady Emily mystery series, Tears of Pearl, Tasha Alexander takes us on an exciting journey to Constantinople, where Lady Emily and her now-husband Colin Hargreaves (I’m so glad they finally tied the knot!) attempt to relax on a peaceful honeymoon away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. However, Lady Emily can’t seem to catch a break, as mystery and suspense seem to have traveled with her (and her luggage) to Constantinople. Following an evening at the oper...more In the fourth installment of the Lady Emily mystery series, Tears of Pearl, Tasha Alexander takes us on an exciting journey to Constantinople, where Lady Emily and her now-husband Colin Hargreaves (I’m so glad they finally tied the knot!) attempt to relax on a peaceful honeymoon away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. However, Lady Emily can’t seem to catch a break, as mystery and suspense seem to have traveled with her (and her luggage) to Constantinople. Following an evening at the opera, Emily and Colin are witnesses to the discovery of a murdered harem girl’s body. As the ranking English citizen at the scene, Colin is assigned to the investigation, and is able to secure the Crown’s permission to have Lady Emily assist in the case. The Crown is a little hesitant in allowing her to help Colin, but realize they need a female to gain access to the women of the harem. Even with their misgivings it appears to be an excellent choice, as Lady Emily prepares to do what she does best: solve seemingly impossible mysteries. She explores the harem girl’s family history and discovers that her father is a British diplomat, and that she had been abducted from his care many years prior. She goes on to find even more interesting facts about harem life, all which make the murder seem not quite so out of the blue. Add to all of this the possibility that Emily could be pregnant and you’ve got one hell of a story to follow.

While still a solid book, Alexander’s Tears of Pearl felt like it lost a bit of its shine at some points. Emily spends most of the book wondering whether or not she could be pregnant and reeling with thoughts on what having a child could do not only to her independence, but also to her ability to work with Colin. While these were realistic things for her to be thinking about, the constant thought of “Could I be pregnant? Could I be pregnant?” got old after a while. If she’s intelligent enough to solve murders and learn multiple languages in a short amount of time, I’m pretty sure that she could figure out conclusive signs of being pregnant. It felt at times like the mystery was being put into the background while we dealt with the possible pregnancy.

Aside from this debate the remainder of the book is wonderful. Its lush portrait of Constantinople had me eagerly adding Turkey as a destination to visit on my bucket list. Not only were the descriptions of Constantinople’s palaces and temples wonderful, but the dialogue about their social customs was intriguing as well. I’ve said in the past that these novels made me feel smarter upon completion. Tears of Pearl is no different; the conversations that Emily has with the women of the harem are fascinating! You get to hear what others thought about the strictness of British society on women, and how they found it stifling. Of course I found this comical (as did Lady Emily), coming from women living in a harem. Yes, they were allowed an education, but the highest social position that they could rise to was a position entitled Valide Sultan. All this meant was that you were the sultan’s mother, and as such had more control than other women did. The debates between Emily and the harem women on how their social customs were better than each other’s were enlightening conversations that have led me to do more research on the customs of the Ottoman Empire.

Historical fiction novels that are meticulous in research are my favorite kinds. Not only do they offer you an escape from the world we currently live in, but they offer you a chance at learning about another, entirely different, frame of time. Alexander’s books fit the above description to a T, and as such have earned a spot on my “favorites” shelf. They’re obviously scrupulously researched and offer insight into social customs, art, literature, and so much more. If you’re looking for intelligent adventures with mystery and sleuthing thrown in, then the Lady Emily series is the best choice!

Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
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Jun 01, 2010 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the 4th book in the Lady Emily Ashton series. I was afraid that I would like these books less once Emily and Collin were married, but I think I like them more now. Collin is present more than he has been in previous books and I enjoy seeing more interaction between the two.

This one takes place on the couples honeymoon, which begins on the Orient Express and takes them to Constantinople. They are immediately caught up in a mystery when one of the harem girls is found dead. Lucky for Emily...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Monica Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lady Emily and her husband Colin Hargreaves are on their honeymoon in Turkey. They stumble upon the murder of one of the harem and Lady Emily cannot resist investigating. Her search brings her into the insidious world of the harem where women have few rights and where power plays. The mystery is interesting and cleverly done and keeps twisting and turning and surprising the reader along with Lady Emily. This series has a nice balance of interesting historical setting as well as well drawn fully...more

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About Tasha Alexander

Tasha Alexander is the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Emily series and the novel ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE. She attended the University of Notre Dame, where she studied English and Medieval History. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards and has been translated into more than a dozen languages. She and her husband, novelist Andrew Grant, divide their time between Chicago an...more

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Tears of Pearl (Lady Emily #4)

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