The Property of a Lady [Paperback]

Elizabeth Adler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1991

The magnificent Ivanoff emerald: It surfaced at  Christie's at Geneva, "The Property of a  Lady"--a lady now sought by powerful men intent on  seizing a legacy that could tilt the world balance of  power . . .

The terrifying Ivanoff secret: She  lived like a pauper with a royal ransom in gems,  determined to carry her secret to the grave . . .  until an act of love and a public auction brought  the world--and the curse--to her door . . .

The  last of the Ivanoffs--pawns in a deadly game: The  royal gems are merely the lure to the hidden  billions for which nations are willing to kill. The last  of the Ivanoffs should have died in 1917. Now,  two generations later, they are the prize--and the  prey . . .
From war-torn Russia to New York's  teeming Lower East Side . . . from Ziegfeld's Broadway  and the Hollywood of the moguls to contemporary  Washington, Geneva, and Berlin, Elizabeth's Adler's  novel of passion, power, and royal privilege will  command your attention to the very last  page.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From the author of Leonie and The Rich Shall Inherit comes thiseventful novel of romantic intrigue, briskly plotted and wellresearched, centering on a fabulous emerald--a maharajah's gift to aRussian prince on the eve of the Revolution. Fleeing in 1917 withtheir gems, Princess Anouska Ivanoff, her children and their Englishguest Verity ("Missie") Byron, 18, had been waylaid in a snowy wood bydrunken Bolshevik peasants. Brutally raped, Anouska had died. her sonAlexei was adopted by a kindly officer and raised as aCommunist. Missie, however, took Anouska's daughter Xenia to America,became a Ziegfield girl and Hollywood star. Now white-haired, Missielives in Maryland among her rich memories; her flashbacks eventuallyilluminate contemporary events. Meanwhile, three drinkers in a Genevabar want to find the eponymous "lady" who put up the newly cut emeraldat auction: Genie Reese, the Washington newswoman assigned to thestory; likable Bronx-born politician Cal Warrender; and CommunistValentin Solovsky, elegant cultural attache to Washington, who isreally Prince Ivanoff's descendant. But Valentin's malevolenthalf-brother Boris, head of the KGB, is bent on destroying Valentinand the mysterious lady. A boozy gem-cutter in Bangkok, a captivewife, a murderer in Dusseldorf add to the story's zesty cast, whoselives come together in its surprising conclusion.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

YA-- A sweeping romantic epic. An emerald from an aristocratic Russian family tiara, missing since the Bolshevik Revolution, turns up in Geneva and provides the key to an international cat-and-mouse game of intrigue and espionage. Filled with vivid descriptions of characters and places, the book is at once a love story, a mystery, and a spy thriller that will transport YAs to such exotic locales as Russia, Istanbul, and the teeming streets of New York's Lower East Side. The search for the mystery lady who put the gem up for sale will absorb readers until the novel's conclusion, when all of the characters and events come together in a rich and fulfilling resolution.
- Roberta Lisker, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Dell (January 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440210143
• ISBN-13: 978-0440210146
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,489,733 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still a favorite 15 years later, March 8, 2007

By 

Apple (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Property of a Lady (Paperback)

Property of a Lady is a twist on the story of Anastasia. It takes place from 1917 to the 1990s and, while I don't normally care for books that jump between decades, this one works.

It begins on the eve of the Russian revolution, an Ivanoff princess is fleeing with her two children, Alexei and Xenia; their English teenage nanny, Missie Byron; and a fortune in jewels, including a very famous emerald. The party is attacked by Bolshevik peasants and after losing sight of Alexei and seeing the princess killed, Missie escapes to America with Xenia to live in hiding.

There are rumors an Ivanoff child has survived, but no one ever comes forward. Two generations later, the emerald mysteriously reappears at auction listed as "The Property of a Lady." American politician Cal Warrender, Washington reporter Genie Reese and Russian attache Valentin Solovsky set off a chase to find the lady to whom the stone belongs.

I first read this book in high school and it remains an all-time favorite. It's part Cold War spy story, part Russian and American history, part romance, glamour and intrigue. And Elizabeth Adler has done a wonderful job of weaving it all together. Five stars.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good plot, writing style lacking, August 12, 2010

By 

E. S. Charpentier (Brainerd, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Property of a Lady (Paperback)

In the midst of the Russian revolution, a very rich prince and his family were targets of the revolutionaries. The prince and princess were killed and the rest of the family were presumed dead. However, they have survived and the granddaughter of Prince Ivanoff has sold an emerald that could only be one of the Ivanoff jewels. The KGB, the CIA and one other mysterious player are hot on the trail of this granddaughter, believing she will lead them to the Ivanoff billions that are in a Swiss bank, and the deed to some very important mines.
The story is told partly in the present day and partly in flashback. The history of practically everyone involved with the emerald and the missing Ivanoffs is laid out in this book. Sometimes flashbacks can be either confusing or boring, but these are neither. In fact, the action and characters in the present day pale in comparison with those of the past.
The sentence structure is sometimes awkward and confusing. Pronouns are overused to the point that it's hard to tell to whom the pronoun is referring, especially in the beginning of the book. Also some clauses are misplaced so that the subject and verb agreement is somewhat stultified. As I got interested in the story, however, I didn't notice it as much unless I really couldn't figure out who or what they were referring to.
The climax of the novel is exciting and satisfying, although there was one element, which I can't reveal, that I thought rather unnecessary. Actually, it seemed a little like the author changed her mind about how the book would end at the last second, but it still works.
I would recommend this book to fans of family saga novels, but probably not mystery and suspense novels.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Ever!, March 26, 2000

By 

Tommy (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Property of a Lady (Paperback)

I am an avid reader and have gone through most of the really big novelists. I like tension, intrigue and all the usual sort of stuff. This book I must confess is not big on tension or suspense but for some funny reason, I consider this the best book I have ever read. It reads as smoothly as fine scotch and is written in one of the most beautiful styles I have ever read. Its touching and absolutely absorbs you. It does what good stories are meant to do, that is it draws you in completely. You go with Adler into these lives she has created and feel everything they feel and share their every pain and joy. ITs a ge! ayone who says otherwise should be prosecuted for complete tastelessness!