Cartier’s Hope by M. J. Rose
Genre: Historical mystery
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: January 28, 2020
From M.J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author of Tiffany Blues, “a lush, romantic historical mystery” (Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale), comes a gorgeously wrought novel of ambition and betrayal set in the Gilded Age.
New York, 1910: A city of extravagant balls in Fifth Avenue mansions and poor immigrants crammed into crumbling Lower East Side tenements. A city where the suffrage movement is growing stronger every day, but most women reporters are still delegated to the fashion and lifestyle pages. But Vera Garland is set on making her mark in a man’s world of serious journalism.
Shortly after the world-famous Hope Diamond is acquired for a record sum, Vera begins investigating rumors about schemes by its new owner, jeweler Pierre Cartier, to manipulate its value. Vera is determined to find the truth behind the notorious diamond and its legendary curses—even better when the expose puts her in the same orbit as a magazine publisher whose blackmailing schemes led to the death of her beloved father.
Appealing to a young Russian jeweler, Jacob Asher, for help, Vera is unprepared when she begins falling in love with him…and even more unprepared when she gets caught up in his deceptions and finds herself at risk of losing all she has worked so hard to achieve.
Set against the backdrop of New York’s glitter and grit, of ruthless men and the atrocities they commit in the pursuit of power, this enthralling historical novel explores our very human needs for love, retribution—and to pursue one’s destiny, regardless of the cost. (from Amazon)
My thoughts
I had high hopes for this novel. The cover was gorgeous, the description beguiling, the opening pages intriguing. It seemed like I was fated to like this novel. Unfortunately, I didn’t really care for it.
Characters
The main issue was Vera, the first person point of view narrator. I really didn’t care for her. While I can handle an unsympathetic protagonist, Rose intends Vera to be sympathetic. Yet I found her self-absorbed, with an over-regard for her own ideas and importance in others’ lives.
She can be manipulative and judgmental toward others, including her own family. Especially her own family. She uses her position as an anonymous society columnist to “embarrass” her mother and sister into leading charities. Cringe.
While I understand her desire to get revenge, I think blaming the blackmailer for her father’s death is a stretch. I feel similarly about how she blames her mother for a certain incident later in the book. She blames her mother for choices she, Vera, a thirty-year-old woman, makes independently and willingly. Without sharing spoilers, I can’t say more. Yes, her mother played a role in the choice she had to make. Yet Vera made multiple decisions of her own free will, too. Saying her mother put her “life in danger” is a bit much.
However, there were enjoyable characters. Jacob Asher, for example, the jeweler Mr. Cartier’s assistant. His motivations made sense. As a Russian-born Jew, prejudice and violence dog his steps. I also liked Stephen, her lawyer cousin, and Pierre Cartier, the jeweler. Jack, her brother-in-law, is also interesting.
Historical research
The stories surrounding the Hope diamond are fascinating, as are the details about jewels, their history, and jewelry making. Rose has done her research into this. She also researched the historical period. Most of what she shares is interesting and informative. But after a while, the sharing became oversharing. At points, the story slowed to a crawl while I read yet more facts and anecdotes that have little to do with the main narrative.
It also tended to make the story feel scattered. Was this novel about early feminism? Abortion rights? Homosexuality? Females in journalism? At various points, all became a focus. The blurb promises a story about the Hope Diamond. But other stories compete for attention; I struggled to remember which story was the main one. If there was a mystery, it was lost, too.
Writing
Rose does have a lovely way with words; she often chose to describe things by their scent. Smell is such a powerful sense and many novelists don’t use it effectively. Honestly, Rose does a great job describing things in this unusual way that I don’t think we need nearly as many of the facts to bring the time period to life.
Recommended, maybe
Overall, this book disappointed me. I wanted the story to be more focused and the protagonist more sympathetic. Obviously, it wasn’t my cup of tea.
Yet there are plenty of rave reviews from people who loved Cartier’s Hope. So if the blurb intrigues you, go ahead and give it a try. Sometimes it’s me and not the book that’s the issue!
Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of Cartier’s Hope in exchange for an honest review.