The Golden Necklace (A Darjeeling Tea Mystery), by Mitali Perkins

(Hardback, 128 pages, first published in 2025)

National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins crafts a contemporary chapter-book mystery about a Nepali girl who sets out to solve the disappearance of her Bengali friend's missing jewelry. Set within a tea plantation in Darjeeling, readers are transported across the world to a politically and culturally rich setting, following our brave heroine, Sona.

Sona, a 12-year-old Nepali girl, has struck up a friendship with Tara, the niece of the greedy tea plantation manager who has promised Tara's hand in marriage in order to get his hands on her inheritance of precious jewelry. Then Tara's gold jewelry goes missing. The search is on for the culprit, and Sona must use all her wits in order to prove it wasn't her beloved brother, Samiran Daju, who stole it.

Filled with vivid characters against a complex and multilayered political and cultural backdrop, this novel showcases a strong girl protagonist whom readers will root for. The Golden Necklace is award-winning author Mitali Perkins's latest and most compelling story yet.

Storyglory Cautions: There is discussion of arranged marriages and romance, and one episode where three men appear to be drunk.

Recommended Age: 10-12