Title: Gullible
Author: Rosemary Kubli
Genre: Suspense
Book Blurb:
Siena Ricci is shrewd, seductive, and an expert in the art of deception. Masking her identity behind the guise of Marie Lacroix, a specialist in antiques and objets d’art, she swindles her employer’s wealthy clients out of their valuable possessions. She hasn’t yet met the man she can’t manipulate, but then the con she’s playing on Jonathan Woodward has only just begun.
Jonathan proves to be an easy mark, but he’s also enticingly irresistible. As their relationship heats up, her plot to steal his multi-million-dollar antique treasures begins to unravel. Noticing a subtle change in Jonathan’s demeanor, Marie questions whether she’s still in control of the con or if she’s blindly become the gullible victim of her own scheme.
Excerpt:
Marie removed the earrings she’d purchased from her shopping bag, and said, “Well, girls, I treated myself after all. Do you like the earrings I bought?”
“Oh, they’re so pretty!” Phoebe exclaimed.
“They are awfully nice,” Gwen agreed. She took them from Marie and, swiveling the mirror on the countertop in her direction, held them up to her ears. “Is your birthday in September?”
“No. Why?”
“Sapphire is the September birthstone,” Gwen told her as she handed the earrings back to Marie. “My birthday is in September. One day, when we were at Granddad’s, he showed me this old necklace that’s made of sapphires and diamonds. He said he plans to give it to me when I get married.”
Marie’s lips curled with gratification. Her ploy had worked. Unless Jonathan owned multiple old sapphire and diamond necklaces, Gwen must have been referring to the Somerset Necklace. A little more digging may unearth the information she needed. She placed the earrings back into the shopping bag and, following the girls, exited the store.
“How sentimental of your grandfather to want to give you such a cherished gift on your wedding day,” Marie told Gwen with the hope of weaseling more information out of her. “A vintage necklace can be valuable, especially if it has a history attached to it.”
“What kind of history?” Phoebe asked, appearing to be more interested in the subject than her older sister.
“For example, a famous former owner can increase the value of the jewelry. I’ve seen that happen several times at the auction house where I work.”
“Cool,” Phoebe commented. “Marie, how can we find out if Grandad’s necklace used to belong to a famous person?”
“Oh, I imagine your grandfather is already aware of who the previous owner was. But, if not, that’s when you hire a person like me who deals in antiques to do the research for you.”
“Well, famous former owner or not,” Gwen announced, “I don’t want the necklace. It’s old-fashioned and ugly. I’d never wear it.”
“Tell Granddad to give it to me, then,” Phoebe told her sister. “I think it’s awesome to own something with a famous history.”
“No way.” Gwen’s aloof response demonstrated how closely her personality resembled her mother’s. “I plan to sell it as soon as Granddad dies.”
Marie lowered her head to hide her disgust. Now, foreseeing the fate of the Somerset Necklace, she didn’t feel the slightest bit of remorse over the knowledge that at the time Gwen would attempt to sell her grandfather’s heirloom wedding gift, she’d be shocked to learn the piece was worthless. By then, Gwen most likely wouldn’t remember the woman her grandfather once had a fleeting affair with, nor would she put two and two together and realize her grandfather’s much younger mistress had stolen the necklace years earlier and left a cheap replica in its place.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Barnes and Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gullible-rosemary-kubli/1143179526
What makes your featured book a must-read?
During these cold winter months, what better way to while away your leisure time than to curl up in a cozy chair with a fleece blanket, your favorite beverage, and a riveting page-turner? Gullible is the type of novel you can’t wait to finish, but at the same time you won’t want the story to end.
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Author Biography:
Rosemary Kubli writes the type of books she loves to read - intrigue and suspense mixed with a pinch of romance and a clever plot twist or two. Her professional experiences run the gamut from Human Resources and training to accounting and banking, with publishing being her most recent endeavor. Aside from the seven years she lived in southern California, she has always called the northeast corner of Ohio her home. Discover more about Rosemary at www.rosemarykubli.com.
Social Media Links:
Website www.rosemarykubli.com
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Twitter twitter.com/KubliRosemary