Property of a Noblewoman: A Novel

by Danielle Steel

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In Danielle Steel’s thrilling novel, a woman’s legacy—shaped by tragedy, fortitude, and undying devotion—transforms lives and hearts long after she is gone, and fulfills at last her most precious bequest.
 
Faded photographs of a glamorous couple in postwar Europe. Old letters hinting of tragic loss. And a breathtaking array of magnificent jewelry, spectacular stones in exquisite settings. These are the contents of a safe-deposit box long abandoned in a New York City bank. If no heir can be identified, the jewelry will be auctioned. But who was the woman who left such a fortune and no will?
 
Two people, drawn together by chance, begin to unravel the mystery. Jane Willoughby is a law clerk at the surrogate’s court and Phillip Lawton a fine arts expert for Christie’s auction house. They are simply doing their jobs when they come to the bank to inspect the contents of the box. But for both Jane and Phillip the search turns personal—and their efforts to reconstruct an enigmatic life will lead from New York to London and Paris, to Rome and Naples, and a series of stunning revelations.
 
Eighteen-year-old Marguerite Pearson left America with a broken heart in the shadow of World War II. She found a new life in Europe but forever mourned what she left behind. As the truth about Marguerite’s extraordinary history—her forbidden love affair and her family’s treachery—is slowly revealed, more people are drawn into the puzzle that Jane and Phillip have pieced together, and one among them will inherit the most unexpected gift of all.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Chick Lit, Adult Fiction, Adult, Audiobook

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.

Facebook.com/DanielleSteelOfficial
Instagram: @officialdaniellesteel

Reviews

[Kati Polodna · Rating 1 out of 5]

This could have been a short story in 30 pages or less. Why do I torture myself reading this? Because. Jewelry. A safe deposit box. And a family mystery. But still. Way too long. Horrible writing. No character development, no plot. The "mystery" is revealed way too early.

[Suzzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

I really liked just reading a standalone novel where everyone had a happy ending. Sometimes you just need a quick, light read. This was a great story of the depths of family and legacies. It was predictable, but I did not go into this book expecting a twisting mystery. It was the light hearted read I wanted.

[Leigh Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed. Maybe it's because I have been reading a lot of thrillers lately with twists and turns and unexpected plot lines, but this story was just too predictable. I felt like I always knew what was coming and it seemed a little cookie-cutter. Also, there weren't even any hot love scenes to spice it up. The best part to me was the description of some places I'd also traveled to in Italy. That was fun.

[Shannon Houser · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story was repetitive. This story said the same thing over and over again. The story seemed to repeat its self.
Yep. Just like that!
Could have been a novella instead of a full novel and there was no mystery or romance. It was very dull.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank the lord it's finished. Whoever described this book as "thrilling" needs to spend a minute with a dictionary.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Typical DS novel - I think she has resorted to phoning them in to her publisher. Everything is important, everyone is handsome and all the women have great figures. All the main characters find love, money and happiness and voilà, the story wraps up tidily.

Seriously, the book could have been so much more had she written the story of the jewels from Marguerite's historical viewpoint, rather than just telling it through letters.

With all her success, she hasn't learned how to write! Yes, she can tell a story, but her writing is extremely repetitive, and at times very dull.

Over the years, I've read (way) too many of Ms. Steel's books, and each one is just a bit worse than the last.

[EssentiallyMeagan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be rather disappointing. It sounded promising and interesting. But it ended up being predictable and rather blah. I haven't read a Danielle Steel book in a long time, I just might not be used to her writing style. It seemed old fashioned and the characters were all a little boring-they could have been so much more.

[Lana M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

February was definitely a reading slump for me. And the four books I read did not help AT ALL.

Most of what I read seemed to have a very good story plot idea, then the writing and delivering slowly went down the hill taking my brain with it.

I feel drained from books this month and disappointed.

This one made a good promise in the beginning. History of some antique and rare jewelry? A fairytale love story in the 1840’s AND it’s a mystery? Elements I enjoy immensely.

Things that didn’t work for me: the amount of repetition was just way too much and this book could’ve been much shorter. The unreal staged conversations. The lack of depth and emotional complexity EVEN tho the story was complicated and emotional. The mystery was revealed way too soon to hold my curiosity and everything became too predictable.

I tried to love this, but I just skimmed through the last 100 pages. I couldn’t bear the torture anymore.

⭐️: 2/5

[Sciarpina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Volevo leggere, in questo periodo per me un po' impegnativo, un contemporaneo leggero che non mi assorbisse troppe energie cerebrali e l'ho proprio trovato. C'era anche la curiosità di capire come mai Danielle Steel, a quanto dice il risvolto di copertina, è l'autrice più venduta al mondo. E anche questo credo d'averlo capito. Per il resto la trama, su cui non mi soffermerò a lungo, intreccia la vita di vari personaggi in un gioco in cui caso e fortuna (un culo pazzesco, passatemi il termine! :D ) hanno un ruolo determinante. E dagli States si vola nella vecchia Europa e ritorno alla ricerca dell'eredità più preziosa: quella del cuore! E ne gioisce taaanto anche il portafoglio!

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars (liked it)

I was inspired to try my first Danielle Steel novel during a recent book store shopping trip with a friend who told me Steel was one of her favorite authors. Until then, I had wondered whether her contemporary fiction would live up to my (which I am the first to admit are often unrealistically high!) expectations but I was happily surprised to find I generally enjoyed this novel. I chose this particular one based on my interest in the concept of learning more about people in history through their personal belongings (photos, letters, artistic valuables, etc.) as well as my own love of jewelry. Although the writing was a bit basic at times and a couple plot elements were a little predictable, I thought this novel was generally well developed. I found myself becoming connected to the characters, invested in the unveiling of the past jewelry owner's family relationships and international life, and interested in the appraisal/auctioning process of the jewelry. I have since looked at other Danielle Steel novels and have selectively added to my list a few others that appear to have some plot substance and international flavor as options for quick light reads as a nice change of pace.

[Laura Wonderchick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lil different style for DS. A truly unique story concept that left me turning pages very quickly to see how it was going to go. Always a treat to read a DS!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again Danielle has written a fabulous story, I just couldn't put it down, you can tell she has research well, on the subject. I know that her fans will love it just like me, can't wait until the next book. Thank you I don't have to wait to long.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love jewelry so this was a fun read... Just a bit predictable and simplistic as a story. However, I'm a big fan of this author because there is great comfort to read the happy endings to these sweet stories free of explicit language.

[Stephanie Miceli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light easy reading although her books can be somewhat repetitive.

[Els · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice relaxing read.

[Ashley Daviau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did and it was quite a pleasant surprise. The whole idea of the safety deposit boxes going up for auction after being unclaimed for a time was incredibly interesting and the story they developed from that was great! I felt like I was solving the mystery along with the characters and I got really invested in the story. I thought the ending was just perfect, it played out in just the right way!

[Charmaine Saliba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it. A fast read and couldn’t put it down. Only Danielle Steel can take me to a world, made of tragedies, lost and betrayed and at the same time make me feel like I just entered a magical world.
Jane works as a court clerk and was assign to take care of an abandoned safe deposit. It took her breath away when she saw what was inside the safe box, even though she doesn’t know much about jewels she was certain that they are unique. But what hunt Jane wasn’t the jewels but the story behind them and the woman who owned them. From the pictures of the mysterious woman, one can easily figure out that she led a glamour life but still she wore a sadness in her eyes that made Jane wonder what had happen to her. Soon enough the mysterious woman will can alive and her story will touch not only Jane but all those who are working on her estate.

[Joy D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather innocuous story of the search for an heir to the contents of an abandoned safety deposit box. A very light, positive mystery that could serve as a “palette cleanser” between heavy or dark reading.

On the plus side:
• Learned what happens legally when a safety deposit box is abandoned
• A few of the characters were interesting and well-drawn, such as the “bohemian artist” and the “curmudgeonly sister”

On the minus side:
• Irritatingly repetitive, almost as if the author thinks her audience suffers from short term memory loss
• Several bland and shallowly-written characters
• Lots of coincidences that rarely occur in life
• Appears to overlook some of the technology available in present day

[demondelusions · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the story but it could have been half as long. Everything was repeated over and over and it got old really quickly. We don't need to read a chapter and then on the next chapter have that character tell another character everything we just read.

I skimmed the last 60 pages because I was burnt out by the end. Not the first time a newer DS book has felt like this at the end. It feels like she had a great story but needed to reach a word/page limit with her editor and didn't know what else to add.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! What a great story!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up on one of Audible's daily deals a while back. I used to enjoy books like these when I was a very young woman. A little history, a little mystery, a little romance (thankfully without a bunch of cheesy sex scenes). They're a bit silly and implausible, but very easy listening for a long drive. My only real complaint is that the mystery was solved too quickly and the story got rehashed a few too many times in the final hours of the book.

[Anissa Papadakos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL
Tragic story of mother being separated from her daughter
The daughter never knowing that her mother is not her true mother until destiny happens and an abandoned safe deposit box in New York is opened to reveal a stunning range of exquisite jewellery
Valerie's son is contacted my a court clerk to appraise the jewels
The appraisal leads to a range of events to occur - destiny
Every single characters lives is changed forever as soon as the safe deposit box is opened
Please read this book and find out
YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED
11/10

[Fahri Rasihan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sudah hampir satu tahun buku ini ada dalam tumpukan TBR saya. Dan pada akhirnya saya pun memutuskan untuk membacanya karena memang dari dulu saya sudah sangat penasaran dengan tulisan seorang Danielle Steel. Ternyata cerita yang ditulis oleh Danielle Steel terhitung cukup berbeda dan unik. Di mana Steel memadukan drama, misteri, dan cinta menjadi sebuah kesatuan cerita yang menarik. Melihat judul dan sampul bukunya saja telah sukses menarik minat saya untuk membacanya. Gambar sebuah kalung dengan batu zamrud berwarna hijau serta aksen berlian di sekitarnya sangat berkolerasi dengan judul bukunya. Saya suka dengan pemilihan sampul ini, mengingat tidak jauh berbeda dengan sampul versi luar negeri. Sampul versi terjemahan terlihat lebih simpel, tapi elegan di saat bersamaan.

Pada awalnya saya mengira jika tema novel ini lebih condong ke drama keluarga atau misteri, tapi ternyata unsur romance lebih mendominasi. Pencarian pemilik sekaligus ahli waris perhiasan di awal cerita sebenarnya sudah sangat menarik. Namun sayangnya, penulis mengganti arah cerita menjadi lebih dramatis dan kompleks dengan unsur romance yang lumayan kuat. Padahal premis ceritanya sudah menarik, tapi sayangnya penulis seperti kehilangan arah di pertengahan menuju akhir cerita. Jika saja penulis lebih berfokus pada sejarah dan pencarian pemilik perhiasan, sepertinya jalan ceritanya akan lebih seru dan unik. Menjelang pertengahan saya mulai bisa menebak ke mana arah cerita akan dibawa. Dan ternyata tebakan saya tepat, plot-twist yang mungkin pada awalnya disiapkan untuk mengejutkan pemabaca jadi terkesan biasa dan mudah ditebak. Tadinya saya berharap jika ahli waris dan latar belakang pemilik perhiasan bisa lebih misterius dan sulit untuk diterka. Akan tetapi Danielle Steel gagal mengeksekusinya, alih-alih misterius malah terlihat lempeng dan datar.

Tokoh Jane Willoughby digambarkan sebagai seorang mahasiswi magang di pengadilan warisan. Jane memiliki sifat yang cerdas, praktis, dan cekatan. Semua sifat Jane tergambar dari cara dia menangani kasus kotak jaminan Marguerite Pearson. Lalu ada tokoh Phillip Lawton yang merupakan seorang juru taksir perhiasan di balai lelang Christie's. Phillip memiliki karakter yang bebas, cuek, dan dewasa. Selain itu hubungan Phillip dan ibunya pun sangat dekat. Sehingga sulit baginya untuk mendapatkan kekasih karena menjadikan ibunya sebagai patokan. Terakhir ada tokoh Valerie yang merupakan ibu dari Phillip. Valerie memiliki pemikiran yang terbuka, ceria, dan berjiwa bebas. Maka tak heran di usianya yang sudah 74 tahun, Valerie masih terlihat muda dan enerjik. Selain ketiga tokoh tersebut ada pula tokoh Winnie yang sinis, Marguerite yang sendu, John yang egois, dan masih banyak lagi. Cara penyampaian karakter para tokoh di dalam novel ini terbilang sangat baik. Penulis memberikan latar belakang yang lumayan kuat untuk setiap tokohnya. Saya sendiri suka dengan tokoh Valerie yang enerjik. Di mana di usia senjanya masih bisa melakukan berbagai aktivitas.

Novel ini menggunakan sudut pandang orang ketiga melalui hampir semua tokoh yang ada. Namun fokus utamanya hanya pada tiga tokoh, yaitu Jane, Phillip, dan Valerie. Perpindahan sudut pandangnya terkesan baik, meskipun tidak terlalu rapi. Alur ceritanya berjalan sedikit lambat, tapi cukup mengalir. Gaya bahasanya sebetulnya sudah bagus, tapi sayangnya penulis terkesan bertele-tele di beberapa bagian cerita. Banyak sekali deskripsi kegiatan para tokohnya yang terlalu mendetail. Seharusnya kegiatan-kegiatan tersebut bisa dipersingkat atau bahkan dihilangkan. Terjemahan bukunya sangat baik dengan kosakata yang beragam dan mudah dimengerti.

Konflik yang terjadi dalam novel ini terbagi menjadi dua bagian. Konflik pertama terjadi saat pencarian sosok pemilik kotak jaminan berisi perhiasan-perhiasan mewah. Konflik mulai terjadi saat Jane dan Phillip menyelidiki sosok Marguerite Pearson yang memiliki sejarah hidup yang kelam dan mengharukan. Lalu konflik selanjutnya terjadi saat terbongkarnya sebuah rahasia yang mengungkap ahli waris perhiasan-perhiasan tersebut. Sebenarnya saya sudah mulai betah dan nyaman saat membaca konflik pertama akan pencarian latar belakang Marguerite Pearson. Namun sayangnya, saat terjadi konflik kedua di mana sang ahli waris ditemukan, jalan cerita seolah jalan di tempat. Perkembangan ceritanya terkesan lambat bahkan tidak ada sama sekali. Setelah mengetahui sang ahli waris jalan cerita menjadi melempem. Penyelesaian konfliknya pun terkesan mudah dan biasa saja. Padahal konflik di awal cerita sudah menjanjikan, tapi sayangnya penulia tidak bisa mengembangkannya.

Pengalaman yang seru sekaligus mengecewakan bagi saya saat membaca karya Danielle Steel untuk pertama kalinya. Ekspektasi saya mungkin terlalu tinggi sehingga merasa kecewa. Premis yang dibangun penulis sebetulnya sudah menarik, hanya saja penulis seperti kehilangan arah saat pertengahan menuju akhir cerita. Malah ceritanya terkesan dipaksakan dan dipanjang-panjangkan. Semua detail yang diceritakan terlalu banyak dan diulang-ulang. Jujur saja saya sempat bosan membaca berbagai aktivitas para tokohnya yang terbilang tidak terlalu penting. Mungkin takdir bisa terkesan tidak masuk akal. Hanya saja banyak keterkaitan dan kebetulan yang terjadi dalam ceritanya. Secara keseluruhan Property of a Noblewoman merupakan sebuah novel dengan premis yang unik dan menjanjikan dengan bumbu romance yang mengecewakan. Semoga karya-karya Danielle Steel berikutnya bisa lebih mengesankan untuk saya baca.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have to admit this was my favorite Danielle Steel story in quite some time. There was a great mix of intrigue and mystery along with the normal romance that really raised the bar for me. The ending was a bit blah and had it ended differently might have received a higher rating. Really enjoyed this one--8 out of 10.

[Mari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read it because it was on the NYT bestsellers list. Not impressed. Story would've been more interesting but the predictable storytelling and writing, and undeveloped characters really detracted from the plot. Shame. 2/5

[Crista McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book in a day. Haven't done that in a while. Good page turner a bit outside of her norm. Really enjoyed this one.

[WM D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the book to be very entertaining . It was the best book so far

[Dani · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely horrible. The writing was not great, the story was boring, and I don't know how I managed finishing it. Very disappointing.

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seorang janda kaya raya tak dikenal meninggalkan kotak depositnya tak tersentuh sampai dirinya meninggal 6 bulan lalu. Sang janda ini, Marguerite Pearson meninggal berusia 91 thn. Jane Willoughby, panitera di pengadilan warisan, dan Phillip Lawton, juru taksir karya seni di balai lelang Christie's, melakukan tugas saat memeriksa isi kotak jaminan tersebut.

Hal ini membawa misteri siapakah anak kecil di foto dlm kotak tsb. Ternyata dia adalah Valerie, ibu Philip. Masa lalu ini dikorek dari pengasuh Valerie yg sudah sangat sepuh juga. Dan takdir membawa Valerie dan Philip pada cinta sejati mereka.

Setelah nyaris satu dasawarsa tidak membaca buku author, ternyata novel ini author memang spt ini ya ciri-cirinya, agak membosankan krn banyak direpetisi, kebanyakan narasi dan nyaris gak ada plot konflik drama. Baca novel ini lurus aja, lempeng, dan terkesan semua pihak yg antagonis sekalipun bisa menerima dgn baik segala perubahan yg terjadi. Semuanya beres dan sempurna.

Tadinya saya kira ada cerita history atau misterinya, tapi ya ternyata semua sudah diungkap di pertengahan buku. Lumayan menarik sih cerita ttg melelang perhiasan bersejarah di Christie's ini. Novel ini cocok dibaca ketika kamu gak butuh banyak mikir, agak sakit tapi butuh bacaan spy agak semangat. Sehari juga kelar bacanya. Tapi kalau mau bacaan menantang, author yg sudah nenek-nenek ini sptnya gak cocok dgn plot cerita speedy, berkelok-kelok dan penuh rintangan. Jadi saya maklumin dah kenapa gaya nulisnya spt ini.

[J Jahir · Rating 5 out of 5]

buen libro, una novela muy bonita. No es dramática, es más ligera, apenas para pasar el rato, pero es bueno. Este libro nos enseña que nunca es tarde para volver a amar a pesar de la edad, y que el amor en todos los aspectos es lo más bonito que puede llenar tu vida, y lo vemos con Valerie, después de haberse enterado de la verdad acerca de su familia y que tenía relación con la lujosa herencia que extrañamente apareció en el lugar donde Phillip y Jane trabajaban. las historias tendrán una conexión más allá de lo esperado.