Diamond Fever! A True Crime Story in the Wild West

Gr 5-8–Cousin prospectors Phil Arnold and John Slack walked into financier George Roberts’s office in San Francisco in ­November 1870 and asked him to hold a bag of stones for them overnight. And thus, began what came to be known as the Great Diamond Hoax. Arnold and Slack soon had a group of investors eager to purchase the land on which the so-called diamond mine existed. Circumstances of the time permitted the cousins to pull off the crime by “salting” a remote corner of land—­planting ­fragments of purchased rough diamonds and rubies—along the border of Wyoming and Colorado. Hundreds of people ­became involved directly or indirectly through newspaper reporting and rumors, further driving the diamond fever. Only the efforts of ­geologists interested in protecting their reputations led to the hoax’s discovery. Using his extensive research into the people involved, as well as the time and place in which it occurred, Sheinkin presents readers with a compelling story of bold lies, pervasive deal-making, and surprising gullibility. Reading like a crime novel, readers will eagerly turn the pages looking for answers. The inclusion of short graphic novel introductions to each of the six sections of the book adds to the feeling of immediacy. ­Extensive back matter includes source notes, a bibliography, and an index, along with a glimpse into the author’s research activities.