Recent Reads - The Master Craftsman

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The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart - This dual timeline story combines a modern treasure hunt with a historical drama, with a bit of suspense and a hint of romance thrown in. In the historical timeline, the story follows the great Peter Karl Fabergé. Having risen to fame and success as a jeweler for the imperial tsar of Russia, he finds himself with divided loyalties as unrest pushes Russia closer to the Bolsehvik Revolution. Fabergé has supplied the beautiful jeweled Easter Eggs to the tsar's family for years, but now he secretly creates an Egg to express his dual allegiance. As the danger mounts, he entrusts the secret of the Egg to a trusted master craftsman in his business, Alma Pihl, and asks her to keep the secret safe when she escapes to her native Finland.

In the present-day timeline, Ava Laine finds herself intrigued by the possibility of helping her estranged father complete one last treasure hunt. The great treasure hunter Nick Laine is bedridden and when Ava and her mother go to see him, Ava volunteers to be his 'padawan' or apprentice to find a mysterious Fabergé egg. Her mother Carol and her friend Zak join the team and they head to Russia to track down the clues. In St Petersburg, they connect with two trusted contacts of Nick's and begin the hunt.

The two story lines unfold in alternating chapters, with the historical story following Fabergé, his wife Augusta, and Alma; and the present day story focusing on Ava. The suspense builds as Ava and her team follow the few leads they have, but relying more on Ava's instincts as the days go by. Then when everything in the hunt goes wrong, Ava finds herself in greater danger than she thought possible, and must decide who she can trust in a race for her life and to find the missing Fabergé egg.

This story took some unexpected twists in both timelines, and the complex relationships and personal dilemmas kept me turning pages, as did the rich background of historical context of the Fabergé eggs.

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2022 European Reading Challenge

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This is a book set on at least two continents (#12) for The 52 Book Club's 2022 Reading Challenge

#the52bookclub2022

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