Kate Gavrill, economic professor and competitive diver, discovers she is a direct descendent of Czar Nicholas II when her mother is murdered. With possession of the priceless Romanov Stone, she will be able to access a fortune left in an English Bank. But Rasputin also has a direct descendent that is willing to help with the search for the jewel. Will he bring her down, just like his ancestor did to the Czar's family?

Gemologist Simon Blake may hold the answers to Kate's questions. ( )

While the concept of this story was interesting, I'm not generally a fan of books that skip between the past and the present. It tends to just annoy me. In addition, his writing bordered on being too descriptive for my tastes. However, the book was well-researched and thought out. I just don't think it was my type of book. ( )

What if Russian Tsar Nicholas II had fathered a child with a Russian ballerina? And, what if the tsar had deposited a veritable fortune in an English bank for the child and her mother which could be claimed only if the heir presented the elusive Romanov Stone whose container is a Faberge jeweled egg? Fast forward to the present and add in a direct descendant of Rasputin, members of the Ukrainian mob, a Colombian jewel thief who wants to retire and a gemologist who falls in love with the only living heir and you have Robert C. Yeager's novel, The Romanov Stone.

In one day Kate Gavrill finds out that her mother has just been murdered, that she herself is a descendant of Nicholas II and that if she can produce the Romanov alexandrite gem she can lay claim to a huge fortune. Kate has a troubled past and she has worked hard not to repeat her previous mistakes. However, she has now been given a chance to reclaim her heritage and to do some good. Her quest for the stone leads her to meeting a New York City gemologist, Simon Blake and their relationship becomes complicated at best. Her search for the stone takes her to Russia where she meets the mysterious and mesmerizing Imre Novyck, Rasputin's great grandson, who offers to help her in her quest. However, everything that can go wrong does. She does find the gem but the story does not end there. There are others who want the stone and are willing to go to great lengths to obtain it. Kate endures kidnappings, being drugged and even being held prisoner at The Khrushchev Arms.

Mr. Yeager has written a fast moving book filled with action, suspense, romance and huge doses of surprise. There is nothing predictable about this story and that is what, I feel, makes it an exceptional story. This is an exciting book and well worth reading.
I received this book at no charge from Author Marketing Experts, Inc. and the opinions expressed are my own. ( )