Diamonds for the Dead

Midnight Ink, 2010

Finalist, Agatha Award, Best First Novel

When Josh Handleman returns to his boyhood home in Reston, VA to sit shiva for his estranged father, he gets the shock of his life: his frugal dad was a diamond collector worth millions. Now the gems are missing, and Josh begins to suspect his father’s death may have been murder, not an accident.

Hounded by grief and remorse, Josh resolves to find his dad’s diamond stash. His emotion-laden treasure hunt throws him into the middle of a feud between two stubborn old Russian Jews—and puts Josh squarely in the sights of his father’s killer.

Praise

“…thought-provoking debut…”
—Publishers Weekly

“A neat mystery…”
—Library Journal

“Alan Orloff’s superior storytelling skills shine in his tension-filled debut…”
—Mystery Scene Magazine

“A good read, with an ending I never saw coming.”
—Suspense Magazine

“Diamonds for the Dead is a little gem.”
—Reviewing the Evidence

“Diamonds for the Dead can be read as a wonderful whodunit but the many psychological and sociological aspects are equally or even more compelling…Five Stars out of Five.”
—The Examiner

“Make room on your shelves for a fresh new voice in mystery writing. Alan Orloff’s Diamonds for the Dead has it all: compelling plot, great characters, and the kind of tension that keeps you screwed into your seat for a one-sitting read.”
—John Gilstrap, New York Times bestselling author

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