(PRESS RELEASE) On Sept. 12, 2023, Camel Press will release Slay It With a Diamond, the third book in the Diamond District Mystery Series, written by award-winning diamond and jewelry industry journalist and commentator Rob Bates.
Bates’ follow-up to the critically-acclaimed A Murder is Forever and Murder is Not Girl’s Best Friend includes all the characters from the first two books, in a whole new mystery set in New York City’s 47th Street Diamond District, and the world of luxury retail.
The book, which can be read as a standalone work, revolves around some compelling questions: would you buy a cursed diamond? Why do people believe objects have curses? And why are people so fascinated by diamonds and luxury?
“My books all examine different aspects of the diamond industry, and this one zeroes in on luxury and the mindset behind it,” says Bates, who has written about the diamond industry for three decades.
“It started with the idea that people will believe that a gemstone is cursed, but they would scoff if you talked about a cursed paper towel. That’s because people perceive gemstones as special, and packed with meaning. And that led me to consider why people are so attracted to diamonds and other luxury objects, and the psychological need that they fill.”
The book, inspired by classic gothic fiction, also features Succession-style intrigue involving a famed jewelry family.
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“I examined many world-renowned jewelry names, and in just about all of them, eventually there was some kind of dispute between heirs,” said Bates. “The stories were generally very sad and unique but I found some commonalities between them, and they helped inform the story.”
In the book, New York City diamond dealer Max Rosen buys a supposedly cursed, famous gemstone. He doesn’t believe in curses. But that was before the wife of the famous jeweler who sold him a supposedly “cursed” gem ended up dead.
Soon, Max’s daughter—journalist-turned-amateur-sleuth Mimi Rosen—and her policeman boyfriend are drawn into the dark history of the jeweler’s powerful family. The trail leads Mimi to their opulent mansion, where she uncovers long-buried scandals, a bitter family feud, plus surprising evidence the curse is real—and might kill her next.
Fun and fast-paced, and filled with heart and humor, Slay It With a Diamond not only puts the diamond and jewelry industry under the microscope, but tackles the age-old question of why sparkly objects enchant us so.
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