Told in chapters that alternate between past and present, between Nell’s story and the Jazz-Age 20s, THE NECKLACE offers many riches: snappy dialogue, family secrets, forbidden love, rich people behaving badly, and excellent whiskey.

When the family starts to suspect the necklace is worth far more than its former storage suggests, Nell’s understanding of her own past-who she is, and what she ultimately wants in life-is called into question. For years, the Quincys have treated Nell and her mother like black sheep-so while her cousins are gifted cars, furniture, paintings, and the family mansion itself, it’s no surprise that the only item of the vast estate bequeathed to her is a necklace that has been stored for years in a Crown Royal whiskey bag.īut there’s more to the necklace than meets the eye-besides its being spectacular in a way Aunt Loulou would only describe as gauche (diamonds, pearls, rubies, and definitely the biggest sapphire any Quincy has ever seen). Nell’s life-carefully constructed to keep her frosty family at arm’s length-is interrupted when her great aunt passes away and the family gathers to divvy up the inheritance. This existential foment primed me to quickly sympathize with Nell Quincy in the pages of Claire McMillan’s delicious family mystery THE NECKLACE. Every day for two months felt like the first day of school: Will my new team like me? Is there food in my teeth? How many ways can I ask the same question before my boss regrets hiring me? For the first time in a long time, almost everything about my daily routine was different, and it got me thinking about how one of the only constant things in life is change. Last fall, I started a new job after almost seven years at my previous company.

The necklace by claire mcmillan