The Jeweled Daughter

by Anne Maybury

The Hong Kong residence in which she is staying is called the Pavilion of Apricots. It is a beautiful palace filled with an extraordinary art collection, but for Sarah Brent, it has become a prison, the scene of events over which she has no control, which threaten to overwhelm her career, her great love--and even her life.

Genres: Romance, Gothic, Historical Fiction, Fiction

183 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1976

About the author

Edith Arundel Buxton
aka Edith Arundel, Anne Maybury & Katherine Troy.

Her maiden surname was Arundel. Her ancestors were said to have come to England with the Norman Conquest and she was proud of the heritage which did seem to imbue her with a perceptive appreciation of history. The love of poetry which remained with her always was inherited from her father, a distinguished poet of his time. Her mother was a musician who died at an early age.

She was a writer of romantic suspense whose novels earned her world-wide acclaim and an enormous following. She was particularly popular in the United States. Her finest gift was for lyrical prose and she used her delight in colour and drama to such effect that the reader was immediately plunged into the story and held enthralled.

Her early novels were written also under the pennames of Edith Arundel and Katherine Troy, but it is as Anne Maybury that she will be remembered. She was a true professional who did not believe in wasting time. A promised deadline was adhered to and all social engagements regretfully cancelled. She developed early in life the profound interest in human behaviour and intrigue which was to prove a valuable asset to her writing. Also in good measure she retained the attribute so necessary to an author, a lively curiosity. She travelled widely and brought a sense of adventure into her books derived often from personal experiences of a bizarre kind. She seemed to attract excitement and used to say that she had met more than one murderer during her travels around the world. As a writer she was stylish, and this quality extended to her personality, which was full of vivid charm, lightened by a sparkling sense of fun.

Generous with her time to aspiring writers, she also loved literary chat with her peers. She was interested in new writing as well as the classics and read widely, keeping up with developments. She was a vice-president of both the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. Almost until his death she regularly attended meetings and gave time and care to helping the members and the causes in which they believe. She was a remarkable writer and a good friend and companion.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this offering by Maybury. It was a near perfect blend of suspense and romance, and provided a good deal of interesting information relating to the jewelry trade (especially with regards to jade). The heroine was a stong, successful professional woman and wasn't a doormat like you'll sometimes find in this genre. Loved the evocative and vivid descriptions of Hong Kong and the surrounding enviroment. Good twist at the end (at least it was for me, although I admit I'm not very good at spotting them).

Maybury's best to date.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tale of a headstrong British jewelry designer raised in Hong Kong whose work as an art consultant for a wealthy patron threatens her marriage and involves her in danger, "The Jeweled Daughter" recycles elements from some of Anne Maybury's previous novels: a fascination for Hong Kong ("Green Fire"), a headstrong, wealthy woman ("The Midnight Dancers"), a doctor interested in alternative medicine ("The Brides of Bellenmore") and the eternal tension in relationships between independence and indifference among couples who marry out of sexual attraction rather than out of deep love ("Farrowmonde," "Ride a White Dolphin," "The Minerva Stone," again "The Midnight Dancers," among many others). It makes for an exercise in deja vu; and the fairly simple plot that unrolls over the course of the brief novel feels abruptly rushed at the end. Maybury's vivid descriptions of place, and the knowledge of jade and jewels she passes along, compensates for the sense that she doesn't really believe in a happy ending for her characters and that her youngish heroines learn lessons about people that they won't soon forget that shatter their youthful dreams. That rather sour note at the heart of this book is one increasingly present in her 1970s romantic suspense novels.

[Emily Griswold Bunty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun mystery novel set in 1970s Hong Kong with two well-rounded female characters. I enjoyed it, especially the author’s lush descriptions of the landscapes and the plot twist involving an unexpected character at the end.

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Priceless jade, stolen from a tomb, desired by many, but is it worth dying for?
You'll have to read the book to find out!
:)

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always good.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

a really good book

[Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to read old books with good stories, I love to read stories that take place in other countries also. This one is based in Hong Kong Sarah's favorite city, Sarah is a gemologist and is working for Viscountess Theodora Paradine, they ride around in a Rolls Royce, so I'm thinking here is another story with wealthy people as the main characters, I am getting bored with books about rich people, like they are the only people worth writing about. But this one is a nice surprise, Sarah is not about to let Theodora get away with pushing her into situations of a suspicious nature.

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the first time I quit reading a book when I only had 5 or 6 pages left to ready. It was boring and predictable. I was desperate for something to read.

[Vicki Lanzendorf]

Interesting story. Mystery, intrigue. Quick read.