New York Times bestselling author Kristin Harmel returns with a “dazzling diamond of a novel” (Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of Before Dorothy) about two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder.
Colette Marceau has been stealing jewels for nearly as long as she can remember, following the centuries-old code of honor instilled in her by her mother, Annabel: take only from the cruel and unkind, and give to those in need. Never was their family tradition more important than seven decades earlier, during the Second World War, when Annabel and Colette worked side by side in Paris to fund the French Resistance.
But one night in 1942, it all went wrong. Annabel was arrested by the Germans, and Colette’s four-year-old sister, Liliane, disappeared in the chaos of the raid, along with an exquisite diamond bracelet sewn into the hem of her nightgown for safekeeping. Soon after, Annabel was executed, and Liliane’s body was found floating in the Seine—but the bracelet was nowhere to be found.
Seventy years later, Colette—who has “redistributed” $30 million in jewels over the decades to fund many worthy organizations—has done her best to put her tragic past behind her, but her life begins to unravel when the long-missing bracelet suddenly turns up in a museum exhibit in Boston. If Colette can discover where it has been all this time—and who owns it now—she may finally learn the truth about what happened to her sister. But she isn’t the only one for whom the bracelet holds answers, and when someone from her childhood lays claim to the diamonds, she’s forced to confront the ghosts of her past as never before. Against all odds, there may still be a chance to bring a murderer to justice—but first, Colette will have to summon the courage to open her own battered heart.
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The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau is an acclaimed novel praised for its engaging storyline, captivating characters, and seamless readability. Customers highlight the book's historical drama and the emotional depth of its narrative.
"Kristin Harmel is an amazing writer this book is very good and hard to put down" — Angus
"This book was amazing, the characters are believable and the storyline compelling." — Karen S.
"Thoroughly enjoyed the book with a modern day Robin Hood." — B. K.
Reviews
Entertaining WWII Fiction
"This is a WWII historical fiction novel that imagines the life of a female jewel thief who is descended from Robin Hood. She and her mother steal to support the French resistance and other worthy causes, but only from people who they deem deserve it. It is told in two timelines and as with any WWII story there are deaths, horrific people and family upheaval. While the coincidences pushed credibility a tad, it was still a very entertaining read. 4/5 stars!"
— Mpcacher1 (4/5)
Exceptional
"Kristin Harmel is one of my favourite authors, everything I have read from her has been 5 stars. When an author can evoke so much emotion from the readers with their stories and characters you have to love them. Thank you to Simon & Schuster Audio for allowing me to listen to this read from one of my faves. The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau was a bit of a different read than the other two I have read by this author. This one had that our main character Colette and her family were descendants of Robin Hood and continued on with the legacy of stealing from the rich to give to the poor, and in this context stealing back family jewels from Nazi’s who had stolen them during war times. Our mai character used those jewels to help save people and fund anti nazi museums and funds. Our story spans quite a few decades and we meet different characters that are all intertwined together. And like a classic Kristin Harmel story there’s always a twist and usually it’s a happy twist and they make me bawl everything. There was also some romance sprinkled in the story. I really feel like the multiple narrators woke wonders for this audiobook. I loved how each accent was authentic and the voices matched the characters to a T. As I said earlier any author who can make me laugh and cry from being so connected to the characters deserves the 5 Star. I would 1000% recommend this book and any of the books I have already read by Kristin Harmel."
— JustineVandale (5/5)
The stolen life of Colette Marceau
"Kristin Harmel is an amazing writer this book is very good and hard to put down"
— Angus (5/5)
Loved the book cover
"Thoroughly enjoyed the book with a modern day Robin Hood."
— B. K. (5/5)
The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau
"The title of this book takes on 2 meanings. . . . . Kristin Harmel does it again keeping our heart bursting with so much love as we rad on. About a family with tragic loss, love and the choices we make. I did not want to put the book down. I wanted to keep reading even though the story had ended. an incredible read!"
— Joan M. (5/5)
Exciting book
"This book is a wonderful example of this authors talents in writing historical fiction. Real Life events are weaved into her stories making them exciting. You feel like you’re witnessing the events in real time. A real Page turner!"
— Caron (5/5)
Fantastic read!!
"Be prepared to sit and read because you will not be able to put this book down. The ending will blow you away!"
— Kathy (5/5)
Compelling read
"Was wonderfully written. Intriguing story and great characterization. i loved it!"
— Polly (5/5)
The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau
"A good story and very different. The ending was just too tidy and coincidental."
— Mary B. (4/5)
The stolen Life of Colette Marceau
"A well written book where the main character steals jewels to save Jewish people during the war. She is on the hunt for the reason her young sister was murdered and who did it. It is one of the best books I have ever read. The book concentrates on Collette’s hunt for the murderer of her sister and the surprise ending makes for a wonderful story. Collette is a strong character who takes in and raises a young girl who helps her uncover the true loss of the sister she lost."
— Frances T. (5/5)
Q&A
Published date: Mar 31, 2026
Language: English
No. of Pages: 416
Publisher: Gallery Books
ISBN: 9781982191740
Dimensions:
5.313" W x
1.2" L x
8.25" H
“Colette’s feisty spirit—both as a young girl and later as an older woman reassessing her life and her choices—makes this story joyous and ultimately triumphant. I loved it.”
Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, The Paris Daughter, The Forest of Vanishing Stars, and The Book of Lost Names. She is published in more than thirty languages and is the cofounder and cohost of the popular web series, Friends & Fiction. She lives with her husband and son in Orlando, Florida.
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