The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein

British paperback, Bloomsbury

Code Name Verity fans will be overjoyed to learn that Elizabeth Wein has written a brilliant prequel to her bestseller spy thriller. The Pearl Thief is set in 1938 Scotland, where 15-year-old Julie is spending one final summer on her deceased grandfather's estate. This parlor mystery is far more innocent and sweet than Wein's World War II novels. The Pearl Thief reads like an Agatha Christie mystery for young teens, but the gorgeous writing, Shakespearean themes, and historical details would appeal to adult readers too.

Due to the 1930's British setting, The Pearl Thief reminded me of a favorite classic, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. Once again we have a formerly wealthy family living on an estate with a crumbling castle, which mirrors their reversal of fortune. There's a clash between teen-idealized romance and the carnal desires of adults. The lyrical writing style and bucolic setting are similar, but it's the eloquent girl protagonist, who yearns for a grander life, that makes these books unforgettable.

The Pearl Thief's central plot is a missing man mystery. Police dredge the river for a body when a museum scholar, hired to catalogue the grandfather's treasures for auction, vanishes while digging for pearls. Julie was the last to see the scholar alive, but she was hit on the head and can't remember what happened. Having devoured many mysteries as a teen, I guessed the main culprit in the early chapters. That didn't spoil the story because most of the suspense comes from worrying if Julie will string the clues together in time and act sensibly.

American hardcover, Disney Hyperion

Julie has trouble controlling her impulses, leading to risky behavior. She's a beautiful girl full of dualities: revelling in silk ballgowns and rare river pearls but also envious of her brothers' freedom. Once her hair is cut short, Julie tries on gender identities playfully like Shakespearean costumes. The bisexual undertones in Code Name Verity are further explored in this progressive prequel while still adhering to the conservative morality of the time period and of her aristocratic class. The most controversial part of The Pearl Thief is Julie's crush on a middle aged man, who encourages her flirtations.

Rebellious Julie bulks against societal norms to befriend a deaf librarian with facial deformities and a family of Travellers. She has to overcome her own prejudices to earn their trust. Wein makes all her characters realistically flawed: the Travellers and the deaf woman are also prejudiced against each other. No one is perfect, but characters can learn from their mistakes and change.

American paperback

Over the course of The Pearl Thief, Julie grows into the young woman who will become the spy Verity. This delightful prequel feels like it was written first, and the books could be read in either order. I appreciate Code Name Verity all the more for understanding the backstory, and I hope Elizabeth Wein writes another Julie novel. Julie/Verity is one of my favorite YA heroines. Code Name Verity (2012) is available now in paperback. The Pearl Thief will be released on May 2nd in the USA & Canada and on May 4th in the UK.

My reviews of other historical YA novels by Elizabeth Wein:
Code Name Verity
Rose Under Fire
Black Dove, White Raven

Reviewer's  Disclosure: Since I've reviewed other novels by Elizabeth Wein, Disney Hyperion USA offered me the ARC of The Pearl Thief. The digital galley had formatting errors, making it unreadable, so I requested a print galley from Bloomsbury UK (I'm on sabbatical in England.) Borrowing a clue from the mystery, the Bloomsbury galley came with (fake) pearls in the envelope! Elizabeth Wein is a blog buddy and my favorite historical YA author. One of her editors, Kate Egan, is a friend of mine too.

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@Barrie Summy