Find out the latest indie author news. For FREE.

ADVERTISEMENT

Formats
Paperback Book Details
  • 11/2023
  • 9798891320581 B0CLQQR689
  • 214 pages
  • $15.95
Ebook Details
  • 11/2023
  • 979-8-89132-085-7 B0CM56LVLC
  • 214 pages
  • $7.99
Lya Badgley
Author
The Worth of a Ruby
Lya Badgley, author

Adult; General Fiction (including literary and historical); (Market)

It’s 1995 and Mallory Jones, a Seattle chef, embarks on an adventurous journey to Rangoon, Burma, in pursuit of a dream project. Immersed in a foreign world of beauty, stifling heat and political turmoil, Mallory's life takes an unexpected turn when she befriends a British diplomat and a charismatic French gem dealer, unwittingly becoming entangled in a treacherous plot to steal a priceless Burmese ruby. Haunted by her traumatic childhood, Mallory must confront her own capacity for violence and deceit, all while clinging to the elusive hope of a new beginning. In "The Worth of a Ruby" readers are transported to the mesmerizing landscapes of Southeast Asia where a priceless ruby becomes a powerful metaphor for the protagonist's journey of self-discovery. Can Mallory finally free herself from the trauma of her past? Or will those demons destroy her forever? The story is a riveting exploration of the human psyche and the search for one's true worth. This captivating novel weaves together elements of mystery, suspense, and personal transformation, leaving readers pondering the true value of the ruby of the heart.
Reviews
This life-affirming adventure from Badgley (author of The Foreigner's Confession) follows a Seattle chef, Mallory Jones, through Burma and other enchanting Southeast Asian locales, on a journey of self discovery and unexpected intrigue and danger. Flying to Burma in 1995 to open a new restaurant,a daunting task for a new arrival, Mallory is quickly immersed in the allure of Rangoon’s culture and people, though elements of the city are less welcoming: humidity so strong she could watch “mushrooms sprout on her leather shoes,” plus political instability and the “impression of grand architecture melting into decay.” But her path crossing with a British diplomat, Geoffrey, and a French gem dealer, Thierry, inadvertently entangles her in a plot to steal a priceless Burmese ruby.

Badgley paints a vivid milieu, with welcome attention to Mallory’s perspective as a chef (cooking, for her, is “part chemistry and part magic”) and the sociopolitical realities of Southeast Asia in 1990’s, where “eating certain kinds of food… is a political act.” The fast-paced saga unfolds like an unusually human thriller as Mallory faces one challenge and surprising choice after the next, keeping the pages turning as Mallory discovers what she’s capable of. The local characters are portrayed with empathy, and Badgley’s weaving of history and local traditions through lucid descriptions adds depth.

Mallory seems out of her element, of course—she muses that “there was no chapter in The Lonely Planet Guide” that covers the dark deeds she’s pushed to. But she’s full of surprises and has a way with a knife. Amid its crime narrative and a jaunt to Bangkok, The Worth of a Ruby digs into Mallory’s past, especially an impoverished upbringing marked by trauma and abuse. The ruby itself suggests sinister corruption within as the novel intricately explores the boundaries of morality. This engaging thriller will resonate with anyone interested in a fast-paced saga concerned with material as well as spiritual wealth.

Takeaway: A Seattle chef’s Burmese journey veers into surprising thriller territory.

Comparable Titles: Angela Savage’s The Half-Child, Praveen Herat’s Between this World and the Next.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

Formats
Paperback Book Details
  • 11/2023
  • 9798891320581 B0CLQQR689
  • 214 pages
  • $15.95
Ebook Details
  • 11/2023
  • 979-8-89132-085-7 B0CM56LVLC
  • 214 pages
  • $7.99
ADVERTISEMENT

Loading...