MY REVIEW:
The Master Craftsman is a dual timeline novel that takes its readers to the famous House of Fabergé, home of the famous Fabergé eggs, to modern day Florida where a dying treasure hunter Nick Laine, sends his daughter Ava with a hand picked team on an exciting trip to Russia to find the missing Fabergé egg.
With its steady plot that moves from one era to the other at just the right points, The Master Craftsman offered an interesting education on the history of the House of Fabergé as well as the political climate in Russia during that time. The search for the missing egg presented an exciting mystery with unexpected twists and turns as well as danger and adventure.
A story of loyalty and betrayal, The Master Craftsman kept me turning the pages because I really needed to find out how everything would be resolved. This is an excellent book for those who enjoy a little history along with their adventure.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
In 1917, Alma Pihl, a master craftsman in the House of Fabergé, was charged to protect one of the greatest secrets in Russian history–an unknown Fabergé Egg that Peter Karl Fabergé secretly created to honor his divided allegiance to both the people of Russia and the Imperial tsar’s family. When Alma and her husband escaped Russia for their native Finland in 1921, she took the secret with her, guarding her past connection to the Romanov family.
Three generations later, world-renowned treasure hunter Nick Laine is sick and fears the secret of the missing egg will die with him. With time running out, he entrusts the mission of retrieving the egg to his estranged daughter, Ava, who has little idea of the dangers she is about to face. As the stakes are raised, Ava is forced to declare her own allegiance–and the consequences are greater than she could have imagined.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kelli Stuart is the author of the Carol Award-winning Like a River from Its Course, as well as A Silver Willow by the Shore and Life Creative: Inspiration for Today’s Renaissance Mom (with Wendy Speake). Stuart has written for The Huffington Post, 5 Minutes for Mom, Tonic.com, Disney, American Girl, The MOB Society, Extraordinary Mommy, God Size Dreams, Short Fiction Break, and (in)courage. Kelli is a storyteller at heart, fluent in the Russian language, and has spent the last two decades studying the Russian and Ukrainian culture. Kelli lives in Tampa, Florida, with her husband and five children.
