Diamond Fever!
A True Crime Story in the Wild West
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected 12 May 2026
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
A fun, high-stakes true crime story story set in the Wild West, featuring spot art and comics throughout. Perfect for fans of MONA LISA VANISHES!
"Steve Sheinkin is more than an author—he’s a time traveler whose deep research and fabulous writing whisk readers on thrilling rides through history. Kids will be transfixed by this unbelievable-but-true story of Gilded Age diamond hunters, swindlers, and train robbers. It is one of my absolute favorites!" —Lauren Tarshis, bestselling author of the I SURVIVED series
"A rollicking—and well-researched—adventure story... A sparkling accomplishment. " — Kirkus, starred review
Late one night two travel-weary miners, Philip Arnold and John Slack, show up at a businessman’s office in San Francisco. The miners seem nervous. They’ve got something that needs to be locked in a safe overnight. What is it? Well, that really has to stay secret, but it’s…
DIAMONDS! And lots of them.
Had these two miners just discovered America’s first diamond mine? Well, this is the Gold Rush era after all. Plenty of people are striking it rich. Anything is possible.
When word of the find hits the streets, diamond fever sweeps the country. Wealthy investors are desperate to elbow Arnold and Slack aside and seize control—but can they persuade the miners to reveal the location of their bonanza? At the same time, thousands of prospectors fan out across the mountains and deserts of the West—will one of them find the site before greedy bankers grab everything for themselves?
In this page-turning, high-stakes western adventure, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Steve Sheinkin tells the true story of the Great Diamond Hoax of 1872, a rollicking tale of heists and hijinks, scams and scoundrels—and the last-minute triumph of a most unlikely hero.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Keen details and immersive scene work turn a 150-year-old historical event into a suspenseful account of the notorious duo who, in an elaborate money-making scheme, pulled off the Great Diamond Hoax of 1872. Cinematic storytelling by Sheinkin (Impossible Escape) introduces cousins Philip Arnold and John Slack, both prospectors from Kentucky who, upon arriving in San Francisco in 1870, inform mining investor George Roberts that they found a diamond field. As Roberts recruits wealthy partners to fund excavations, the relatives hoodwink similarly affluent businessmen into believing this claim, including engineer Henry Janin and congressman Benjamin Butler, the latter of whom backs new mining legislation to the cousins' benefit. In 1872, after receiving several payouts totaling $300,000, the pair leads Janin to southwest Wyoming, where the engineer confirms the validity of the diamond site. As news of the mine breaks, the race to file a claim is on. At the same time, geologist Clarence King, doubtful of the prospectors' claims, sets out to see the site for himself. Wry narration expertly builds tension and proffers key details across a six-part structure that's punctuated by b&w comics from Chad (The Divmulti Ray Dilemma) depicting the events with Wild West flair. References to well-known figures of the era help situate a rollicking caper that offers historical hijinks and freewheeling fun in spades. Ages 9–14.
