Star of the East

A Lady Emily Christmas Story

By: Tasha Alexander

Narrated by: Bianca Amato

From New York Times bestselling author Tasha Alexander comes STAR OF THE EAST, a Lady Emily holiday story that will enchant readers and keep them guessing until the very last page...

Emily and Colin Hargreaves make it a rule to spend as little time as possible with her parents in Kent, but are unable to refuse Lady Catherine Bromley's invitation to join them for a pre-Christmas party that includes the family of Ala Kapur Singh, a powerful Punjabi maharaja who has come to England after receiving the Order of the Star of India.

Lady Bromley, quite taken with the exotic beauty and spectacular jewels of the maharani and her daughter, Sunita, throws herself with abandon into her own version of Indian culture, planning a feast she is certain will be more spectacular than any seen on the sub-continent. When a priceless diamond maang tika and a simple gold bangle disappear from Sunita's room, a diplomatic incident seems imminent, particularly after the maang tika turns up in Emily's possession.
Emily may have what appears to be the more valuable of the two pieces, but the maang tika cannot be worn without the bangle, upon which is engraved the words necessary to ward off a curse placed on the set five hundred years ago by a princess forced to forsake the man she loved. Sunita must wear the maang tika at her wedding but cannot do so without the bangle. Can Emily convince the maharaja that she is not a thief? And, more important, can she and Colin find the bangle?

Short

Make sure you know this is a short story or like me, you will be disappointed that the story ends so soon!

Short but fabulous!

Everything I would expect from Tasha Alexander. Another great mystery for Lady Emily. Not short on depth and interesting details

Great "short story?"!!

Excellent writer. Great narrator! Not too much of a Christmas story, though. I'll certainly look for more from this author!

Should have been a full-length story!

I adore Sebastian Capet in this short story. He was the shining light of fun and mischief that kept an otherwise ho-hum story going.
I wish it had been a full-length story so we could hear more below stairs stories or more about the nursery or more about royalty in India. Those details would have made this better.

Affordable audiobook for Lady Emily fans

I've been reading the Lady Emily series for years, but am new to Audible. I was looking for an affordable audiobook to purchase to hold me over until I received my monthly Audible credit, and this fit the bill perfectly! Bianca Amato's narration was not how I had previously imagined Emily's voice, but within a few minutes I was completely engrossed by the story and won over to Amato's mature and sophisticated portrayal of Lady Emily. Although I found it easy to predict who the guilty party was, the final reveal of the motives was an excellent surprise! I highly recommend this listen to all fans of Lady Emily and audiobooks. AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY