Plot to steal the Hope Diamond
Reviewed by Phee Paradise
Eye of the God by Ariel Allison
I enjoy a good crime drama with international intrigue and tough characters. I don’t even mind when the heroes have questionable ethics, if Good triumphs in the end. In Eye of the God, Allison makes a good attempt in that genre. Suave and cunning jewel thieves plot to steal the Hope Diamond from the beautiful woman who is ultimately responsible for it. The book has action, mystery, romance and just a little violence.
As the plot moves forward in unexpected twists, the characters surprise us. We get hints that Abby, the heroine, may be more than she seems. Some of the other characters are even more mysterious, but there are clues to their identities, if you look for them. My one complaint is with the men in charge of the security of the diamond. For professionals they were too casual about their responsibility and I actually found myself hoping the thieves would succeed because of it. I don’t think men in their position would make such foolish decisions and it felt like that part of the plot was forced in order for the rest of the scheme to work out.
One of the best things about the book is that the history of the diamond is told as a story within the story. As the conspiracy develops, the reader learns about different people who have owned it over the centuries, and the tragedies they have suffered because of this cursed jewel.
I don’t think I’m giving away the end if I tell you that Good does triumph, though it will surprise you how it happens. And Allison gives us one little fact that promises another book. It will be fun to see what intrigue Abby will face next.
Pros: Fast paced drama with lots of intrigue. In the midst of this, the reader is given insight into the characters and we get to see them resolve some of their emotional issues while solving a crime.
Cons: The dialogue is a little stiff and the situations don’t always seem realistic, particularly the administration of the Smithsonian Institution.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Allison is a published author who lives in a small Texas town with her husband and three young sons. She is the co-author of Daddy Do You Love Me: a Daughter’s Journey of Faith and Restoration (New Leaf Press, 2006). Justin Case, the first of three children’s books will be published by Harvest House in June 2009. Ariel is a weekly contributor to www.ChristianDevotions.us and has written for Today’s Christian Woman. She ponders on life as a mother of all boys at www.themoabclub.blogspot.com and on her thoughts as a redeemed dreamer at www.arielallison.blogspot.com.
From Ariel:
I am the daughter of an acclaimed and eccentric artist, and given my “unconventional” childhood, had ample time to explore the intricacies of story telling. I was raised at the top of the Rocky Mountains with no running water or electricity (think Laura Ingles meets the Hippie Movement), and lived out the books I read while running barefoot through the sagebrush. My mother read to me by the light of a kerosene lantern for well over a decade, long after I could devour an entire novel in the course of a day. Authors such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, George MacDonald, and L.M. Montgomery were the first to capture my heart and I have
grown to love many others since.
ABOUT THE BOOK
eye of the god takes the fascinating history surrounding the Hope Diamond and weaves it together with a present-day plot to steal the jewel from the Smithsonian Institute.
We follow Alex and Isaac Weld, the most lucrative jewel thieves in the world, in their quest to steal the gem, which according to legend was once the eye of a Hindu idol named Rama Sita. When it was stolen in the 17th century, it is said that the idol cursed all those who would possess it. That won’t stop the brilliant and ruthless Weld brothers.
However, they are not prepared for Dr. Abigail Mitchell, the beautiful Smithsonian Director, who has her own connection to the Hope Diamond and a deadly secret to keep. Abby committed long ago that she would not serve a god made with human hands, and the “eye of the god” is no exception. Her desire is not for wealth, but for wisdom. She seeks not power, but restoration.
When the dust settles over the last great adventure of the Hope Diamond, readers will understand the “curse” that has haunted its legacy is nothing more than the greed of evil men who bring destruction upon themselves. No god chiseled from stone can direct the fates of humankind, nor can it change the course of God’s story.
To read the prologue and first chapter of eye of the god, cllick HERE
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