The Pindar Diamond
In 1604 a travelling band of entertainers arrive at an almost deserted village in southern Italy. A dissolute man offers them the prospect of making a fortune if only they will take a young woman, mute and crippled, along with her newly born child off his hands. The child is deformed, in the fashion of a mermaid. Compassion for their pitiable situation leads the troupe to take the pair on their travels.
The action shifts to Venice where Paul Pindar, recently returned from Constantinople, mourns the loss of his sweetheart, Celia Lamprey. An inveterate gambler, Paul is seduced by the promise of a unique diamond, the Sultan’s Blue. All he has to do is win at the gaming table. Pindar is convinced there is a connection between the diamond and his lost love, and the gamble is irresistible. Mysterious forces are at play here, and it seems more than likely that this will not be a fair contest but a ruse to lead Pindar to ultimate ruin.
This novel is the follow up to The Aviary Gate, and it is a fast-paced tale of passion, avarice and loss and restitution. It is historical fiction at its best and I look forward to more from this accomplished author.
