Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite

Tsarina's Jewels by Jerena Tobiasen is the second book in The Nightingale and Sparrow Chronicles, preceded by book one, Tsarina's Crown. The story is set in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, where Simon Temple returns to England with his wife Mary, formerly Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna. They long for a quiet life far from the chaos they escaped, but peace proves short-lived. A relentless adversary from their past, Ivan Vasiliev, resurfaces, now stationed in Türkiye under the guise of diplomatic duty. Obsessed with the lost Romanov crown jewels, he believes the couple holds the key to finding them. Meanwhile, Simon’s reckless brother Richard disappears under suspicious circumstances, taking with him confidential government documents and much of Mary’s remaining fortune. With danger closing in from all sides, Simon and Mary are drawn back into the secrets, betrayal, and danger they hoped they'd left behind forever.

“It’s kinda odd, I think, but Uncle Ivan says one of the dead Romanov princesses is missing. He thinks maybe she lived, and you know something about it.” Jerena Tobiasen's Tsarina's Jewels is a wonderful work of historical fiction. The backdrop of post-Russian Empire turmoil is beautifully intertwined with the very personal lives of Tobiasen's characters within the broader political contexts. The author does well in creating a textured atmosphere without forcing it, and the result is deep suspense that grows organically through careful dialogue and events. The historical grounding of the story and significant moments, be it the Bolshevik execution of the Romanovs or the global impact of the Spanish flu, are what make the book work as a whole. The writing is clear and effectively pulls us into the story, and the multiple points of view give us a full and satisfying fly-on-the-wall perspective in a fantastic reinterpretation and fictionalization of the time. Very highly recommended.