Kirsty Manning – The Lost Jewels (Literature Review)

“Why would someone bury a bucket of precious jewels and gemstones and never return?”

That’s what Kate Kirby hopes to find an answer to when she travels from Boston to London to view the long-lost Cheapside Jewels of 1912. Little does she know that delving into the mystery of these hidden jewels will lead to her own journey in self-discovery.

I discovered Australian author Kirsty Manning’s work through her second novel, The Jade Lily and loved her writing style. But in her latest novel, The Lost Jewels, Manning has seemingly outdone herself.

As much as I loved The Jade Lily (and Manning’s 2017 debut The Midsummer Garden), The Lost Jewels is a hundred times better. As much as Manning has always been great at creating lifelike, vivid characters and novels steeped in history, intrigue and even a little romance, in The Lost Jewels her talent is at its best, in my opinion.

In this novel, Manning seems to have challenged herself even more. While The Midsummer Garden and  The Jade Lily take place mainly over two dual narratives, ultimately linking up at some point in the story, The Lost Jewels is spanned over various timelines and has even more of an intercontinental feel than Manning’s previous work.

One minute, we’re following Essie Murphy as she struggles to care for her family in London’s Cheapside in 1912. The next we’ve jumped to the present day as Kate Kirby explores the mystery behind the Cheapside Jewels, with Kate travelling to India as she gets ever closer to unravelling the clues that will lead her to the answers she seeks. There are also flashbacks to 1665 and 2002 as the story continues on, delving ever deeper into the characters’ history (and how it links to actual events) as we follow them on their journey.

With such an expansive timeline to deal with, one would be forgiven for thinking this novel is difficult to read. In fact, the opposite is the case. Just as with Manning’s previous novels, historical facts are threaded through the story seamlessly, not overwhelming the reader as can happen with some books in the historical fiction genre. The interweaving timelines flow with the plotline, not against it. This, along with the enhanced cross-continental journey we follow Kate and her photographer Marcus on as they in turn follow the mystery of the Cheapside Jewels only enriches the story, making it even more compelling to read.

Of course, the characters are just as realistic as always, with relationships we can fully invest ourselves in. They’re not flawless characters, and that makes them even more human throughout the story. While there is that hint of romance one can come to expect from Manning’s work, it’s not at all forced but rather a natural progression. And it’s these characters combined with the history that make Manning such a great writer in my opinion.

I believe The Lost Jewels is Kirsty Manning’s best novel yet. It’s only just been released and already I can’t wait for more. At a time when the world seems to have gone mad, we look for escapism. And this is the perfect book for just that, whether you’re a lover of historical fiction, or just looking to try something new.

The Lost Jewels is published by Allen & Unwin. To find out more about Kirsty Manning and her work, visit her website.