First century private detective Jake Jezreel is drawn into a mysterious case involving a rare black jewel. The case begins rather simply with a request by James, the head of the Jerusalem church, to locate a missing fellow minister in the church. This puzzling disappearance has the entire Christian church in Jerusalem concerned and praying for their missing pastor. Soon, the investigation for the missing person diverts Jake into a more elaborate course, that of trailing after a jewel known as The Black Diamond. Detective Jake Jezreel had never heard of The Black Diamond. And yet this mys-terious object will plunge him and his wife, Hannah, into an adventurous investigation like he had never experienced before. What kind of power did this lustrous, gorgeous diamond have over men? How could it make men hate and attack each other to own it? Will Jake be drawn into the powerful, magnetic influence this black beauty possesses? Only a nerve-racking climax at the Hip-podrome in Caesarea can bring the answers Jake is searching for.

It all began for detective Jake Jezreel with the discovery of an ancient letter. A lost, never-before-seen letter. The inscription was a message from Jake’s father from fifteen years before. Happiness and sorrow were intertwined in that note. But deep within the cipher rested a hidden menace from the dark past. The menace was a criminal only identified as Strawman. In fifteen years, where had Strawman hidden himself. Jake hadn’t a clue what had happened to Strawman. But in short order Jake Jezreel was about to find out. And he will also discover that Strawman has a much more grandiose crime in mind than all his previous penny-ante criminalities. Soon after this discovery, Jake is hired to deliver a pastoral letter for the Senior Pastor in the Jerusalem church, Pastor James. The letter would later become known as The Epistle of James. The first destination for the letter is the coastal city of Caesarea, the capital of Judea. Upon arrival, Jake encounters someone with a distant association to his past. And in the process, the detective uncovers a devious plot to assassinate one of the key personalities in the city during the Roman holiday celebration of Parilia. Time is running out. Jake is called in by the local authorities to discover and thwart the unseen, unknown perpetrators. But Jake has only a day and a half to ferret out the murderous gang before the Parilia celebration begins. There is only one mysterious note as a clue. It is signed – Strawman.

A robbery of 10, 000 denarii from the Temple in Jerusalem has just shocked the whole city. One high ranking Pharisee has disappeared after being badly injured during the robbery. Now, an innocent man is being accused of murder. Detective Jake Jezreel desperately attempts to ferret out the truth and help clear the innocent man of the crime. Jake will do anything to help the innocent man, because they are the closest of friends, even to the point of hiding out his friend to protect him from the angry mob. There are twists and turns in this tale involving deception, an angry gang, and a frantic, climactic chase on top of the wall of Jerusalem. This story exemplifies the power of personal loyalty between friends, especially Christian friends.

First century Private Detective, Jake Jezreel has been thrown into a confusing investigation. Wealthy and well-connected Pharisees have hired the detective to track down a mysterious character they claim is “dangerous”. Their accusation stems from their assessment that the mystery man is forming an army of ravenous followers. They believe that this rebel leader wants to overthrow the Jewish government. Then, in succession, he and his army would topple the Roman strangle hold on Israel. The Pharisees fear that such an insurrection would completely destabilize the country. The Romans would counter attack with devastating consequences. Jake must figure out a way to defuse this volatile situation before it blows up in his face. And the heat in the investigative cauldron, stoked by the religious leaders, is boiling hotter and fierier. Jake begins to realize that he has been swept up into the middle of a vicious blood-vengeance against the “rebel”. Jake is trapped in the middle. It is quite apparent that the religious leaders are demanding that he must do their bidding no matter what the cost. And Jake can feel their icy fingers clutching at him, forcing him. But Jake is shocked by another startling fact, jumping out at him in the midst of his initial investigation. Tangled up in all the twists and turns of his fact-finding probe, the detective uncovers a disturbing truth. Flying in the face of everything he had ever been taught, Jake unearths indisputable evidence that there was not just one Adam. There were two! There was a Second Adam! How can he explain that to the religious leaders? The religious leaders want results from their detective. They are squeezing him hard to deliver the incriminating facts they salivate for. How can Jake reveal all the disturbing facts he has uncovered to the vengeful religious leaders. He’s discovered only good and marvelous evidence about the ‘rebel’. And now the undeniable truth that there actually was a Second Adam! What dire consequences will come crashing down upon Jake when he unloads his final report upon the religious leaders? Only a shocking, unimaginable conclusion can answer that fearsome question.

This successful and captivating plot revolves around the strong and charismatic protagonist Abner, who is constantly indigent and does various manual jobs to keep himself and whatever family he happens to be with alive. The story comprises many "classic" characters, from a drunk Irishman to an irritable gamekeeper, providing endless entertainment. The Black Diamond tells the story of a laborer working on the aqueduct in the region around Knighton. The novel was originally inspired by the construction of Birmingham Corporation's Elan Valley Reservoirs from 1893–1904. Young was an incredibly famous writer of his day. "The Black Diamond" was one of his biggest successes. It is an exciting tale with all the elements of a 21st-century bestseller like infidelity, drunkenness, death, poverty, explicit coverage of human flaws and longings. This plot-driven novel is filled with numerous intriguing descriptions of English football, fairs, mining, eating, drinking, and culturally impressive accounts of farming, poaching, laying pipes.

The third installment in thed elightful, internationally acclaimed series featuring Chief of Police Bruno. Something dangerous is afoot in St. Denis. In the space of a few weeks, the normally sleepy village sees attacks on Vietnamese vendors, arson at a local Asian restaurant, subpar truffles from China smuggled into outgoing shipments at a nearby market—all of it threatening the Dordogne’s truffle trade, worth millions of dollars each year, and all of it spelling trouble for Benoît “Bruno” Courrèges, master chef, devoted oenophile, and, most important, beloved chief of police. When one of his hunting partners, a noted truffle expert, is murdered, Bruno’s investigation into the murky events unfolding around St. Denis becomes infinitely more complicated. His friend wasn’t just a connoisseur of French delicacies, he was a former high-profile intelligence agent—and someone wanted him dead. As the strange crimes continue, Bruno’s detective work takes him from sunlit markets to dim cafés, from luxurious feasts to tense negotiations—from all of the paradisial pleasures of the region to its shadowy underworld—and reunites him with a lost love, an ambitious policewoman also assigned to the case. Filled with an abundance of food and wine (including, bien sûr, many, many truffles) and a soupçon of romance, Black Diamond is a deliciously entertaining concoction that delivers all the complexity and delights of the Dordogne itself.

Diamond and Mica have been best friends since grade school, and have always watched each other’s backs. After Mica moves out of their drug-infested neighborhood, they have a scandalous falling out and lose touch. It isn’t until Diamond hooks up with one of North Philly’s most notorious drug dealers that she’s able to leave the place that she’s always called home. Under extreme circumstances, Mica and Diamond meet up and are back on the map as the Laverne and Shirley of the ghetto, but unfortunately, both friends have ulterior motives for rekindling their friendship. The two plot to get rid of the dealer and hit the road with his fortune, but one of them has her own sinister plan that could leave the other staring death in the eye. Jealousy and greed create plenty of drama for Diamond. Even when she thinks she’s on her way to a happily-ever-after ending, she finds herself fighting against foes she never saw coming. Will her “I rule the world” disposition keep her on top, or will Diamond lose the things she cares about the most?

"While I've found most mystery/thrillers to be rehashes of the same old plot line, this was refreshingly new/original." - Jack Murphy, New York Times bestselling author of Reflexive Fire Charlotte Halliwell has a secret. Before she has the chance to reveal it to her sister, Audrey, she's found dead. At first glance, it appears to be nothing more than an accident, until poison is found coursing through Charlotte's body. Audrey hires Sloane Monroe, a sassy, headstrong private investigator. As Sloane works to solve the case, a second body is found. With the killer aware that Sloane will stop at nothing to find him, he tracks her every move. Will Sloane uncover the truth before he strikes again? If you're a fan of Sue Grafton and Mary Higgins Clark, you'll enjoy this fast-paced, page-turning mystery. A New York Times and USA Today bestselling series. Readers are saying: "The tone reminds me of Robert B. Parker's novels." "The characters are interesting, and the plot kept me hooked." "The end caught me off-guard. It was perfect!" "Great characters, entertaining dialogue, and great plot development."

Black Diamonds is a novel by Mór Jókai. In this fascinating romantic story, we encounter a fusion of love, drama, and an exciting science adventure for the protagonists of the piece.