The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, Kristin Harmel (Review by Kristin Kurek)

Prepare for suspense combined with historical fiction in this new novel by Kristin Harmel.

Colette Marceau was raised to carry on the tradition of her ancestors: stealing from the rich to serve the poor. In 1942 Paris, there are many, many in need of Colette’s skillset. Colette and her mother steal from Nazi collaborators to fund resistance activities. One night, Colette’s life comes crashing down as her mother is arrested and her sister is taken from their room with half of a bespoke bracelet sewn into her nightgown. Her sister’s body is found in the Seine, but the bracelet is gone.

Many decades later, the unique and distinguishable bracelet appears at a jewelry exhibition. Is this the breakthrough that Colette needs to find out what happened to her sister? Is this her opportunity for revenge?

Kristin Harmel weaves a story that kept me on the edge of my seat. Colette has an excellent cast of characters as her support system while she searches for information on her sister. She meets a number of people who also survived the war. Each of their stories is unique and insightful. Each character lives by their own code of ethics and makes difficult choices based on their situation. Harmel writes about Paris with such intensity that I could almost hear the sound of the Seine lapping on its banks and smell the baguettes baking at the boulangerie. I could also feel my heart pounding with every heist that Colette undertakes. It was an immersive reading experience.

I did struggle with Colette’s code of ethics regarding stealing. I also struggled with the indoctrination of young children into a life of crime. But, there is nothing more satisfying than a morally grey character. Kristin Harmel weaves a story of mystery, suspense, jewel heists, World War II history, and the lengths that a woman will go to avenge her sister. I deeply enjoyed reading this page-turner!