The Expat Affair by Kimberly Belle plunges readers into the glittering yet perilous world of Amsterdam’s diamond trade, where wealth and power hide a web of deceit, betrayal, and murder.
Title: The Expat Affair
Author(s): Kimberly Belle
Narrator(s): Jennifer Jill Araya, Marni Penning
Published by Harlequin Audio on June 3, 2025
Length: 11 hours 7 minutes
Genre(s): Crime Fiction, Thriller
Source: Netgalley, Scribd
Format: Audiobook, eArc
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
Rating:
An American expat‘s startling discovery plunges her into the glamorous but deadly world of Amsterdam’s diamond industry.
Following a nasty divorce, Rayna Dumont came to Amsterdam for a fresh start. She’s never been the type for a one-night stand, but this move is all about adventure, and Xander is handsome and successful and more than willing to go along for the ride. Until the morning after, when Rayna finds him dead on the shower floor and millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds missing from his safe.
From her lavish home in the heart of the city, Willow Prins is captivated by the news. Her husband is Xander’s former boss and heir to a diamond house, and the scandal strains their already-rocky marriage. As the house comes under scrutiny, Willow wonders if her life is about to implode—and how much of the blame she can place on Rayna. Soon, Willow and Rayna are dragged into the dark and dangerous underbelly of the diamond market, where they’ll have to uncover the truth to survive. Who killed Xander? Where are the missing diamonds? And who can you trust in a strange and unfamiliar city thousands of miles from home?
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but for Rayna Dumont, they bring nothing but trouble. Fresh from a rough divorce, she arrives in Amsterdam looking for a fresh start. One wild night with a stranger end in murder, missing diamonds, and Rayna caught in a scandal way over her head.
Then there’s Willow Prins. On the surface, she has it all—wealth, status, the perfect life—but cracks are showing. Her husband was the boss of the guy Rayna found dead, and their already shaky marriage starts falling apart. Willow watches the scandal unfold but she’s no innocent bystander. She’s smart, suspicious, and definitely hiding something.
What really hooked me was how Rayna and Willow’s lives end up tangled together. They couldn’t be more different—one’s starting over, the other’s trying to hold on to a crumbling life—but they’re both caught up in the same deadly mess. Neither really trusts the other, but they have no choice if they want to get to the truth.
The pacing was just right. Fast enough to keep me hooked but slow enough to take in Amsterdam’s flashy yet dangerous diamond scene. The tension stays high, with plenty of glamour hiding some serious dark secrets. The author makes the city feel real and full of mystery.
The story grabbed me and kept me guessing, and I really liked the way the author showed both the glamour and the danger of Amsterdam’s diamond world. The characters felt real, and the setting was fresh and interesting. There were a few spots where I wished for a little more detail, but if you like suspense with a strong sense of place, this one’s definitely worth checking out.
Jennifer Jill Araya and Marni Penning did a great job narrating The Expat Affair. They gave the characters distinct voices and captured the emotion without overdoing it, which really brought the story to life.
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About Kimberly Belle
Kimberly Belle is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of six novels, including the forthcoming Stranger in the Lake (June 2020). Her third novel, The Marriage Lie, was a semifinalist in the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Mystery & Thriller, and a #1 e-book bestseller in the UK and Italy. She’s sold rights to her books in a dozen languages as well as film and television options. A graduate of Agnes Scott College, Belle divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam.
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