Review of Stolen Obsession

[Emily Meadows]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Stolen Obsession" by Marlene M. Bell.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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"Stolen Obsession" by Marlene M. Bell is a suspenseful novel that combines elements of mystery, romance, danger, and international travel to create a thrilling story. The book revolves around Annalisse, an antiquities valuator, who is helping her client and friend, Generosa Zavos, launch the Zavos Gallery in Manhattan. Annalisse becomes entangled in a web of intrigue when her best friend is brutally murdered shortly after buying an antique bracelet from an estate sale. Generosa is so captivated by the bracelet’s design that she had a necklace version made. The jewelry becomes the focal point of the plot; it's rumored to be cursed.

At the grand opening party for the Zavos Gallery, Annalisse gets reacquainted with Generosa’s son, Alec Zavos. She warns Alec that the bracelet was cursed, that she suspects his mother’s necklace is the real thing (not a copy), and that it might also be cursed. Alec is skeptical that the necklace will bring bad luck, as is his mother. But bad things start happening right away, and soon Alec starts to wonder if Annalisse is right. Plus, Alec and Annalisse are attracted to each other, but Annalisse isn’t looking for a relationship with a rich guy who is frequently in the tabloids with beautiful women. Life intervenes, and Alec and Annalisse are soon working together to unravel a life-or-death mystery that is important to them both.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was described as a suspenseful romance, and it delivered on that promise. In the book, the author skillfully built urgency and tension as Annalisse and Alec raced to escape the danger that surrounded them. It became difficult to understand who they should trust because everyone around them seemed to have conflicting motives. The author did a nice job with the quickly-paced plot and also succeeded in developing the main characters well. My favorite character might have been Boris the cat; he was a fun feline addition to the book.

While I enjoyed the book, some elements and plot points got confusing. There were good security guards and bad ones, some CIA and some FBI. The Russian (Chechen) mafia was involved, and the plot took the characters to the island of Crete and then into Turkey. And the cursed but valuable necklace was most likely from Iraq. It got a bit muddled when trying to figure out who was killing whom. I believe the author could have delivered a great romance thriller with half of the “bad guys.”

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I thought it was a fun book to read with a great plot, but the twists and turns could have been woven together a bit better, so it was less confusing for readers. I would highly recommend "Stolen Obsession" to people who appreciate reading books with a blend of genres and who are looking for a suspenseful story with unexpected twists. Readers who enjoy antiques and estate jewelry would especially find this book interesting.

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Stolen Obsession
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[NetMassimo]

Romance is not my thing but the mystery seems interesting with a story full of twists with some antiques at its center, so I might read it. Thank you for your great review!

[Ohmy Book]

This sounds complicated but interesting. I would like to give it a try. Thank you for such a great review!

[Anil Baade]

You've explained very well about the book and you have mentioned the content of the book very nicely. I'll definitely start reading this book.