<p><strong>The true story of a luxury steamship lost in 1912, and its haunting curse, inspire a tale of fatal desire, theft and greed.</strong><br />
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Praise for <em>Jewel Sea</em>:<br />
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&lsquo;<strong>Kelly</strong> conveys the rich history of the colourful pearling trade in north-western Australia with gusto and charm&hellip;.The myth of the cursed jewel has recurred for centuries in storytelling, but Kelly may be the first to have this beautiful and powerful object speak for itself.&rsquo; &ndash; <em>Sydney Morning Herald</em><br />
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&lsquo;The narrative is breathtaking and the characters are well drawn. I read this book in just two sittings, which is testament to my unwillingness to put the book down.&rsquo; &ndash; <em>Mrs B&rsquo;s Book Reviews</em><br />
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&lsquo;a many layered, little gem of Australian historical fiction. I could feel, hear and smell the isolated, underpopulated coastal towns of the early 1900&rsquo;s and the cruise liner <em>Koombana</em> in which it is set.&rsquo; &ndash; DM Cameron, acclaimed author of <em>Beneath the Mother Tree</em>.<br />
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<em>The whole of the harbour was touched with gold &ndash; the tops of the quiet waves, warehouse roofs, the bulging folds of sails at rest, the tips of seagull wings &ndash; giving him one sweeping glimpse of beauty just as he was leaving, a vision of things as they ought always to be just as they were not&hellip;</em><br />
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March, 1912. A sultry Indian summer hangs over the west coast of Australia and aboard the luxury steamship SS <em>Koombana</em>, three tales entwine.<br />
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Irene Everley longs to leave her first-class fishbowl existence, secretly penning a gossip column as her life spirals out of control into soulless liaisons and alcohol, the long shadow of a tragedy clouding her view.<br />
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James Sinclair, an investor on his way to Broome is not the man he says he is but can he be trusted?<br />
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Abraham Davis, a wealthy dealer whose scandalous divorce is being dragged through the press, prepares to take the gamble of his life: to purchase an infamous, stolen pearl along the journey north.<br />
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Perfectly round, perfectly pink, this pearl comes with a curse and with a warning &ndash; destroying all who keep it from returning to the sea.</p>