I usually enjoy Fiona's books, but I found this one a little harder to get into. It didn't grab me from the start, but I keep going and finished it. I really wanted to like it and be invested but the characters didn't shine as much as usual for me.

Set in South Africa at the diamond rush era and the Black Hole at Ki,mberley. Clementine arrives in South Africa with her parents who were destined for Australia. sadly Clementine's mother dies of malaria not long after they arrive.... then comes the rumour of the diamond find ...Joseph one shoe a Zulu, races to stake their claim in partnership with Clementine's father. They live a day to day existence in a shack. James turns to drink drowning his sorrows after the death of his wife. one day Joseph discovers the perfect diamond .... as large as a golf ball... Joseph wants James to have the diamond. meanwhile in England, Clementine's grandmother is dying and sends her late husbands bastard son Reggie to encourage James to bring Clementine home.

20+ years later in London meets young Will Axford, while star gazing it brings back memories of star gazing in South Africa and the diamond.

The book is rather exciting at the end, Clementine's character grows on the reader from a precocious little girl to a very determined young lady, who believe everyone regardless of race and colour should be given a chance.

A delightful saga!

Clementine was only young when she left England with her parents in order for her father to make his fortune. On the death of her mother, she is left very much in the care of her father’s partner, Joseph, while her father struggles to cope with mining for diamonds each day. When they finally strike lucky, arrangements are made to return to Clem’s family home in Northern England where she will be able to live the life her mother would have wished for her. Years later, events arise which cause Clementine to try and recall the events of those troubled times and discover the truth of matters which are puzzling her.

This is a beautifully written tale which unfolds in a clever manner to keep the reader enthralled from start to finish in this charming novel. Clementine is a marvellous character who retains her fondness for those who were kind to her in childhood until many years into the future. She is a trusting soul but sooner or later doubts begin to creep into her mind about certain people and events; she isn’t the kind of person to let things go until she has tracked down the truth. This is very much Clementine’s story and it is a charming one but by no means a light one – there is real depth to this book and I enjoyed it very much. Definitely an author to look out for, and I’m both happy to recommend this one and give 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy and to Hope Butler for my spot on this tour; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

4.5 Stars

Written in the best-selling tradition of Dinah Jefferies and Santa Montefiore, Fiona McIntosh’s The Diamond Hunter is an epic tale of secrets, sacrifice and passion readers will struggle to put down.

After the death of her mother, Clementine’s care had been left in the hands of her destitute father who had always had one goal in mind which nobody was going to deter him from: making his fortune in the South African diamond rush. With her father distracted by his quest for riches, Clementine had been mostly raised by their companion Joseph and the two of them had formed an unbreakable bond, However, little did Clementine realise that her life in South Africa was going to come to a sudden end when the two men in her life uncovered a large and flawless diamond that would change all of their lives forever…

The discovery of the diamond could give Clementine’s family everything they always wanted. Yet, when a dark bargain is struck, Clementine is wrenched from everything she knows and sent to England to lead a respectable life far removed from the risk, dangers and jeopardy of the diamond rush. Clementine’s father had believed that the diamond was the answer to all of their prayers and that their future was secure and their lives would at long last be free of all the struggle, anguish and desperation they had to endure for so long. However, they soon realised that freedom will come at a considerable cost…

Years later, Clementine is still haunted by past events and old ghosts. Now determined to confront long-buried memories of her childhood, will she solve the mystery of what happened to her loved ones all those years ago? Can she find the justice she seeks? Or will she spend the rest of her life haunted by regret?

Fiona McIntosh is such a fabulous storyteller who draws her readers into the vivid, colourful and intriguing world she evokes from the very first page. A beautifully written and wonderfully layered tale of old sins, devastating choices, cruel betrayals and dangerous secrets, The Diamond Hunter is a rich, dramatic and emotional tale of courage, despair, love and loss that tugs at the heartstrings and keeps readers glued to its pages.

A stunning historical novel from a very talented writer, Fiona McIntosh’s The Diamond Hunter should be at the very top of everyone’s must-buy list.