Skip Hollandsworth
A simply riveting whodunit—dramatic, thrilling and sometimes hilarious, as a daring cat burglar in the 1960s outwits the cops and plunders the wealthiest mansions of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Perhaps what’s most amazing is that the story is all true. The veteran journalist Rena Pederson takes us on a wild ride through that now almost forgotten era. After years of research, she also identifies who could have been the King of Diamonds. Pederson has produced a true crime tour de force.
starred review Booklist
"A riveting story. Complex and sweeping."
The Star Tribune
"King of Diamonds is an enjoyable read, in large measure because of Pederson's extensive, high-quality research, obtaining compelling info from and about her subjects. Pederson interviewed more than 200 cops, victims and neighbors. The result is as much a sociology study of upper-crust Dallas society as a true crime story, enlivened by her sprightly writing style"
The Wall Street Journal
In classic cop-speak, the bold, agile perp had a practiced M.O., or modus operandi. He was promptly crowned ‘The King of Diamonds.’ That’s also the title of Rena Pederson’s saga of the master thief’s rampage. Deeply researched and fluidly written. It’s quite a yarn.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer
"An ambitious and necessary work."
The Dallas Morning News
Praise for Rena Pederson
“Writing a biography of a living legend is never easy, especially when the living legend is legendarily inaccessible. A fascinating biography."
Doug J. Swanson
Dallas has long promoted an image of pious country clubbers with big cars and big hair. But the city also has been home to a groaning underbelly of thieves, hustlers, racketeers, and other assorted felons. With King of Diamonds, Rena Pederson has joined these two worlds, and she has done so with verve, style, and astonishing historical detail. Going back decades, she cracks open a long-forgotten vault of amazing cat-burglar grabs and incredible escapades. When it comes to high-dollar jewelry heists, this book is pure gold."
Stephen Harrigan
This book is irresistible, not just because of the waves of suspense and surprise it so expertly surfs, but because it’s such an authoritative summoning of Dallas’s crazy Gilded Age. Rena Pederson is a relentless reporter but such a storyteller that you feel that she’s spinning out this can-you-believe-it tale from a cozy booth at the Cipango Club.
Library Journal
03/01/2024
The 1960s in Dallas, TX, was a time of glitz and glamour. Rich business owners called the shots, and the social sphere was filled with debutante balls. Behind it all was a seedy underground that ran the city, and a thief known as the King of Diamonds robbed heirs and CEOS of their possessions late at night, sometimes even as they slept in their beds. Victims of the King of Diamonds reported witnessing sensational behavior, like hiding in their closets with them nearby or breaking into their homes while they hosted parties; these details kept the thief in the news but elusive to the police. Their identity is still unknown, and the riches they stole were never recovered. Award-winning journalist Pederson (The Burma Spring) sets out to find the identity of the King of Diamonds, uncovering well-kept Dallas secrets and answering some of the most puzzling questions. Her investigation is easy to follow as she takes readers down her research rabbit hole of this real-life whodunit and her conclusions. VERDICT Perfect for true-crime lovers who want a story about sinister thefts that aims to uncover the psychological motivations behind some sensational crimes.—Leah Fitzgerald
