Star of the East

A Lady Emily Christmas Story

De: Tasha Alexander

Narrado por: Bianca Amato

From New York Times best-selling author Tasha Alexander comes Star of the East, a Lady Emily holiday story that will enchant listeners and keep them guessing until the very last tick... 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 500 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?

©2014 Tasha Alexander (P)2014 Macmillan Audio

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.

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!

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

Fun family visit

What did you love best about Star of the East?

The relationship with the mother .. nothing changes.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

This is my introduction to the series. The plot was good but, fell in love with the family.
I now what to read the frist book to see how they came to be.

Any additional comments?

This was my first introduction to Lady Emily.
Will now order the first full novel.
Enjoyed the husband wife relationship description of children .

Cute little holiday novella

This is a very PG-rated whodunit that is devoid of murderous fiends and dead bodies. The Nancy Drew-esque mystery begins when a cursed ring disappears at a holiday gathering. The case is rather curious since the small pool of suspects have no motive for pilfering the priceless piece of jewelry. It’s up to Lady Emily to interrogate her fellow houseguests and ferret out the thief before Christmas morning. This is a nice little taste of the Lady Gray series, which is quite delightful. This book is best paired with a most pleasant glass of hot cocoa—whipped cream and all!

Delightful

Just what was needed. A lighthearted break with the family spending the holiday with Emily’s dragon of a mother!

A theft and lighthearted solving of the mystery with great characters added and a fun with the boys!

Delightful

I loved this story set during Christmas time. It was well done as usual and quite entertaining. I find this author's work highly diverting.

It Did What Audible Wanted It To

This short novella, picked up "for cheap" during the member appreciation sale, got me hooked. Never heard of this author or character (Lady Emily) before, but really enjoyed this brief taste, and am now set to try one of the full-length books in the series. Not a particularly compelling mystery (it involves a theft, there's no murder), but the strained interplay among family members gathered perforce for Christmas in the country is all too resonant.

I think it's reminiscent of the early entries in Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody series, which I intend as high praise. Bianca Amato is one of the top-drawer female readers, not quite matching Barbara Rosenblat's narration of the Peabody books (which is fantastic), but coming awfully close.

Hope Audible is able to offer the first few books in this series soon!