"Jewel thieves and danger in romantic India"
Reviewed by Clare O'Beara
Posted January 18, 2015
Romance Historical
Jamie Kinross can't bear to stay on the farm in Sweden
where his beloved wife has died in childbirth. He leaves
his new daughter with family and departs. The story picks
up in India in May 1759. Jamie has come to Madras in
order
to learn about the gem trade, and heat prickles on his
skin
as he awaits the MONSOON MISTS.
A priceless talisman made of a red diamond and a sapphire
has been delivered to Jamie's gem merchant friend with
orders to take them to a place called Surat. But the
frightened merchant believes that the gems have been
stolen
from a maharajah who will be seeking them. Dacoits and
thieves are common. Jamie - rashly - decides to carry the
gems while a decoy is more visibly delivered. The Rajah of
Nadhur is indeed missing his family talisman, more so
since
he cannot marry his intended bride without the talisman as
part of the ritual. His Grand Vizier uses the opportunity
to sow dissent between the Rajah and his brother. Trouble
ahead!
Among the English community Jamie meets a lady who is of
two races, Zarmina Miller, given respectability by the
fact
that her late husband was English. The lady has no
intention of becoming friendly with men, but Jamie can't
help his interest. Zarmina has a stepson who is in the gem
trade, though he's not an expert yet... can he be the
contact Jamie is supposed to meet with the talisman?
I enjoyed the exotic settings as we learn more about gems.
The four Cs, still used today to judge quality, are
colour,
clarity, carat and cut. Jamie has adopted cooler local
dress and learnt passable Hindi, which he uses while
dealing with money changers in the crowded markets. The
bustling, layered society is well displayed, even to the
extent of a child thief and her scruffy dog taking up
residence with Jamie, who has shown her kindness.
Piracy, murder and spies add to the heady mix. This is an
entertaining read by any standards and lovers of travel
tales or historical romance will relish the adventure.
The previous
book about Jamie's relatives is called Highland Storms,
and
MONSOON MISTS gives Jamie his own story. I must say he
deserves to have it told.
SUMMARY
t’s 1759 and Jamie Kinross has travelled far to escape his
troubled past – from the pine forests of Sweden to the
bustling streets of India. In India he becomes a gem trader, but when his mentor’s
family are kidnapped as part of a criminal plot, he vows
to
save them and embarks on a dangerous mission to the city
of
Surat. There he encounters Zarmina Miller a rich and beautiful
widow whose haughtiness has earned her a nickname: 'The
Ice
Widow'. When they meet, Jamie is instantly tempted by the
challenge she presents. But when it becomes clear that Zarmina’s step-son is
involved in the criminal plot, Jamie begins to see another
side to her – a dark past to rival his own and a heart
just
waiting to be thawed. But is it too late? Monsoon Mists is the final in the series about the lives
of
the three Kinross men. Trade Winds is the first in the
trilogy followed by Highland Storms. All three can all be
read as stand-alone novels. Christina's prequel to this novel won the 2012 Historical
novel of the year award. Her novel The Scarlet Kimono won
the Big Red Reads Best Historical Fiction Award and was
short listed for the Festival of Romance Best Historical
Read Award 2011. The Gilded Fan is shortlisted for the
2014
UK's Historical Romantic Novel Award.
ExcerptThe smile Mr Kinross sent her this time was nothing short of
dazzling. Zar was glad she was sitting down as it definitely
did something strange to her innards. Then a teasing glint
flashed in his eyes.‘So have you thought any more about my proposition?' he asked. ‘Which proposition would that be?' Zar frowned, caught
off-guard by his question. ‘To, er ... amuse you if you're in need of a diversion.' Zar couldn't stop her mouth from falling open, but shut it
quickly again as she sent him her most quelling glance.
‘Really, Mr Kinross, I don't know to what you are referring.' ‘Oh, I think you do.' He was still smiling and Zar felt unaccountably hot all of a
sudden. But she was also outraged. She would make it clear
to him she was not that kind of woman. ‘I'll have you know I'm a respectable widow. Neither you,
nor anyone else, will ever set foot in my bedroom and I'd
thank you not to refer to such things again.' She turned to stare out the window while she tried to force
her breathing to return to normal. For some reason she was
having trouble inhaling enough air and it was making her
chest heave unbecomingly. ‘Now that sounds distinctly like a challenge to me. Would
you like to bet on it?' ‘What?' Zar swivelled round and stared at Kinross. The
effrontery of the man. ‘I'll wager one hundred rupees that I will. Set foot in your
bedroom, that is.' He raised his eyebrows at her, as if
daring her to accept. ‘Say, within the next two weeks?' he
added, a teasing note in his voice. ‘I don't believe I'm hearing?' ‘Very well, two hundred rupees. Deal?' ‘Now see here, Mr Kinross?' ‘You drive a hard bargain, Mrs Miller. Three hundred it is.' Zar almost stamped her foot in frustration, but managed to
restrain herself at the last minute. ‘I'm not making a wager
with you!' ‘Ah, you're afraid you'll lose. I thought so.' His smug expression made Zar see red. She clenched her fists
by her side and scowled at him. ‘I am not.' ‘Well, then, you almost certainly stand to gain three
hundred rupees. That can't be bad, can it?' Zar took a deep breath and tried to think, but Kinross's
quicksilver gaze held hers and jumbled her thought
processes. He was right. It would be the easiest money she'd
ever earned. But then why was he even proposing such a
thing? There must be a catch ... For the life of her, she
couldn't think of one though. ‘Oh, very well, I
accept your wager. But I'm not meeting you anywhere private
for you to hand over my winnings, is that clear?' ‘Perfectly.' He bowed. ‘I will allow you to decide entirely.
If you win, of course.'
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