The Pride of the Peacock

by Victoria Holt

A young woman uncovers her family's dark secrets in this mystery and her connection to a famously cursed gemstone in this Victorian gothic thriller from an internationally bestselling author
To secure her inheritance, Jessica Clavering agrees to a marriage of convenience, but will her handsome new husband's desire for her ever surpass his obsession with a famously cursed opal?
Raised in the shadow of her family's financial ruin, Jessica has never felt as though she fit in. When her only friend, an elderly neighbor, offers her the chance at a new life, she's eager to take it. His only condition: she must marry her son, Joss.
The newlyweds inherit a fabled opal mine in Australia. It's only once they arrive on the faraway continent that Jessica starts to uncover her family's dark past and her connection to the Green Flash, an exquisite and spellbinding opal. The stone arouses a dangerous desire in anyone who sees it—even her husband.
Blending historical romance with elements of the paranormal, The Pride of the Peacock is an exhilarating tale from the Queen of Gothic Romance. Fans of Susanna Kearsley, Daphne Du Maurier, and Kate Morton will be spellbound by classic story of an overseas voyage, a cursed opal, and forbidden desire.
Other Titles from Victoria Holt
The India Fan: Drusilla's glamorous neighbors gift her a priceless family heirloom—a beautiful fans with a terrible curse
The Shivering Sands: Caroline Verlaine's sister has gone missing and no one can tell her why. The only option is to go where Roma was last seen—an estate with a deadly history.
The Time of the Hunter's Moon: According to legend, a girl will see her future husband at the time of the hunter's moon. But when the handsome stranger revealed to Cordelia Grant disappears after an all-too-brief encounter, she has to wonder: Was he merely an apparition...or something more?
What readers are saying about The Pride of the Peacock
"The heroine is adventurous, the hero is brooding, and the twists and turns of the story are unexpected, culminating in a surprise but satisfying ending."
"It's suspenseful, full of relationship tales, uplifting, and I had a hard time putting it down!"
"I couldn't put it down. The twist at the end is surprising and reminiscent of Agatha Christie's style. Definitely a classic."
"One of Holt's best books."
"I loved this book. I have read it over and over again—along with every novel ever written by Victoria Holt!"
What reviewers are saying about The Pride of the Peacock
"The mysteries drew me in and kept me guessing right up to the end..."—The Good, the Bad, and the Unread
"This is just story telling at its finest."—Romancing the Book
What everyone is saying about the Queen of Gothic Romance Victoria Holt
"Victoria Holt's writing is captivating"—Bookfoolery
"She spins history with romance and intrigue and always leaves me wanting more."
"Holt's stories are spell binding....page turners."
"I love her books! I have read all of them again and again. She is a wonderful storyteller."
"One of the supreme writers of gothic romance, a compelling storyteller whose gripping novelshave thrilled millions."—RT Book Reviews

• ISBN10: 1402277466
• ISBN13: 9781402277467
• Publish Date: 7 February 2014 (first published 2 September 1976)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[MurderByDeath]

My rating is an attempt at objectivity.  Objectively speaking, this is a very well-written romantic suspense, heavy on the romance.  I believe it to be everything that was beloved of romances in the 60's and 70's.  It was very well plotted and a great deal of care was taken with both atmosphere and characterisations.   Thus ends objectivity.  I disliked this book.  It is the embodiment of everything I find tedious in romances, in spite of wanting to enjoy them.  The whole misunderstanding / lack of communication trope makes me want to set fire to the book as I'm reading it.  It would take an emotionally neglected and abused protagonist to find the romantic interest in this book romantic or heroic in the least.  He was vain, arrogant and stupid.  She was just stupid, although I give her credit for being a smart-ass.   The setting for the first half of the book was England, and the second half in an Australian opal mining town, during a time before combustion engines and electricity were a thing (no specific date is ever named in the book).  I thought at first this would be a saving grace, because I'm moderately interested in opals.  But Holt was apparently obsessed with them, and her characters were mad about them.  There was so much obsessing and evangelising about the damn opals.  Holt was too heavy handed and went too far; by the end she'd almost killed any interest I had in them at the start.    A true connoisseur of the romance genre might enjoy this for the nostalgia if not for the good story behind it (and it is a good story).  Me, I'm going back to my wheelhouse of murder and mayhem for awhile, before getting back up on this genre-horse.