The Great Jewel Robbery by Elizabeth McKenna

Emma and Grace are Chicago Tribune editors. Grace is assigned to cover the annual charity ball and auction held at a lakeside mansion of the Brauns. She is heartbroken when her boyfriend bails out on her. So, she decides to take Emma. Grace’s family and the Brauns are friends so Grace knows the Brauns well, including their son Jackson.

Mrs Ivy Braun reminds Emma of her nana. The sweet and charming lady shows the main attraction at the auction – Art Deco diamond and ruby necklace with matching bracelet and earrings. As the celebrations begin, Emma finds the host’s brother (Edward) unconscious in the study and is rushed to the hospital. After the auction, when Ivy takes the winners to the study to show them the diamonds, she finds it missing! The Brauns are worried that their name will be tarnished by this incident. Grace, who dreams of being an investigative journalist, promises Ivy to find the missing diamonds and catch the culprit.

The Great Jewel Robbery is the first book in Elizabeth McKenna’s Front Page Mystery series. Two best friends, missing jewels, handsome hunks, a party and fireworks, this story is sweet, spice and everything nice!

The characters are likeable. Emma might be a weirdo of sorts but very likeable. Grace and Emma’s friendship is well portrayed throughout the story. As the story begins, Emma knows that Grace is vulnerable, after all, her boyfriend just broke up with her that morning, so she’s wary of what words to put front – so that Grace doesn’t burst into tears. How sweet is that!

Then there is the handsome hunky detective Ryan O’Mara. Green eyes that mesmerize! Woo-hoo! Emma certainly goes gaga over him! Jackson and his friend chad were the perfect examples of spoiled brats! Ivy, Walter, and Edward had some secret of their own – as the story ends, things become clearer here.

The story is well-paced and the suspense is well-maintained throughout the book. There were one or two tiny clues in between – somewhat related to the mystery and it was obvious why such a thing happened. For example, Grace’s camera goes missing and the reason was pretty obvious. She finds it within minutes though…

The identity of the perp was surprising. Especially their behavior! All charms and sweetness was nothing but a mask! Hmph! There’s a bit of romance too and it makes you go aww a bit. With a handsome man like Ryan around, that was bound to happen!!

Overall, as a cozy series debut, this book has managed to capture my attention. I am surely going to look forward to reading more of Emma and Grace’s adventures. Hopefully, someday, Grace might fulfill her dream of winning a Pulitzer!

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There’s a giveaway for this tour. If you like to win a $25 amazon gift voucher, then do participate in the giveaway. Details here.

Many thanks to Lori for giving me an opportunity to be a part of this blog tour.

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