The Queen’s Necklace
Adrienne Chinn’s latest novel is a dual-time narrative which explores the relationship between Anne and Mary Boleyn in the Tudor court of the 16th century, and the idea that the iconic B necklace could have survived and passed down through the family and into the hands of contemporary actress Bryher Finch. Anne and Mary are fleshed out wonderfully as sisters and rivals as they move through the royal court and as each is lifted up and cast down in turn.
Meanwhile, Bryher’s life has been turned upside down by a faked video appearing to show her cheating on her husband. She is hounded by the media and shut out by her husband; the only relief coming from a chance to explore her family tree and her connections to the Boleyn family, and to meet a distant cousin in England. When Bryher loses her job as a recurring character on a popular show, she is adrift. Offered the chance to play Anne Boleyn in a new miniseries, Bryher accepts and reluctantly moves in with her cousin; soon the idea of Anne and the Boleyn necklace becomes all-consuming.
The dual timeline is used very effectively, and Chinn’s storytelling is fast-paced and exciting. This is Chinn’s first foray into Tudor fiction, and I hope it won’t be her last. An ideal read for fans of Philippa Gregory and Joanna Courtney.
