The Worth of a Ruby

by Lya Badgley

Overview

A priceless Burmese ruby leads Mallory Jones on a journey from the remote mountains of Burma to the swelter of Bangkok in search of redemption.

In 1995, Mallory Jones, a Seattle chef, embarked on an adventurous trip to Rangoon, Burma, in pursuit of a dream project. Immersed in a foreign world of beauty, stifling heat, and political turmoil, Mallory's life takes an unexpected turn when she befriends a British diplomat and a charismatic French gem dealer, unwittingly becoming entangled in a treacherous plot to steal a priceless Burmese ruby. Haunted by her traumatic past, Mallory must confront her own capacity for violence and deceit, all while clinging to the elusive hope of a new beginning.

The Worth of a Ruby transports readers to the mesmerizing landscapes of Southeast Asia, where a priceless ruby becomes a powerful metaphor for Mallory's journey of self-discovery. Can Mallory finally break free from the disaster of her former life or will her inner demons consume her? The story is a riveting exploration of the human psyche and the search for one's true worth. Weaving elements of mystery, suspense, and personal transformation, this story leaves readers pondering the true value of the ruby of the heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798891320581
Publisher:	Atmosphere Press
Publication date:	11/01/2023
Pages:	214
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.49(d)

Editorial Reviews

01/29/2024

This life-affirming adventure from Badgley (author of The Foreigner's Confession) follows a Seattle chef, Mallory Jones, through Burma and other enchanting Southeast Asian locales, on a journey of self discovery and unexpected intrigue and danger. Flying to Burma in 1995 to open a new restaurant,a daunting task for a new arrival, Mallory is quickly immersed in the allure of Rangoon’s culture and people, though elements of the city are less welcoming: humidity so strong she could watch “mushrooms sprout on her leather shoes,” plus political instability and the “impression of grand architecture melting into decay.” But her path crossing with a British diplomat, Geoffrey, and a French gem dealer, Thierry, inadvertently entangles her in a plot to steal a priceless Burmese ruby.

Badgley paints a vivid milieu, with welcome attention to Mallory’s perspective as a chef (cooking, for her, is “part chemistry and part magic”) and the sociopolitical realities of Southeast Asia in 1990’s, where “eating certain kinds of food… is a political act.” The fast-paced saga unfolds like an unusually human thriller as Mallory faces one challenge and surprising choice after the next, keeping the pages turning as Mallory discovers what she’s capable of. The local characters are portrayed with empathy, and Badgley’s weaving of history and local traditions through lucid descriptions adds depth.

Mallory seems out of her element, of course—she muses that “there was no chapter in The Lonely Planet Guide” that covers the dark deeds she’s pushed to. But she’s full of surprises and has a way with a knife. Amid its crime narrative and a jaunt to Bangkok, The Worth of a Ruby digs into Mallory’s past, especially an impoverished upbringing marked by trauma and abuse. The ruby itself suggests sinister corruption within as the novel intricately explores the boundaries of morality. This engaging thriller will resonate with anyone interested in a fast-paced saga concerned with material as well as spiritual wealth.

Takeaway: A Seattle chef’s Burmese journey veers into surprising thriller territory.

Comparable Titles: Angela Savage’s The Half-Child, Praveen Herat’s Between this World and the Next.

Production grades Cover: A- Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: A-

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