"A mesmerizing story of blackmail, romance and deception."—Associated Press on The India Fan

An overseas voyage. A cursed opal. Forbidden Desire.

Raised in the shadow of her family's financial ruin, Jessica Clavering has never felt as though she fit in. When her only friend, an elderly neighbor, offers her the chance at a new life, she's eager to take it. His only condition: she must marry her son, Joss.

The newlyweds inherit a fabled opal mine in Australia. It's only once they arrive on the faraway continent that Jessica starts to uncover her family's dark past and her connection to the Green Flash, an exquisite and spellbinding opal. The stone arouses a dangerous desire in anyone who sees it—even her husband.

What readers are saying about The Pride of the Peacock:

"I couldn't put it down. The twist at the end is surprising and reminiscent of Agatha Christie's style. Definitely a classic."

"One of Holt's best books."

"I loved this book. I have read it over and over again—along with every novel ever written by Victoria Holt!"