The Diamond Master

The Diamond Master, published in 1909, is Jacques Futrelle's thriller about a man who appears to have solved the problem of synthesising diamonds. When he offers five flawless stones to a New York jeweller at an impossibly low price, the diamond industry mobilises to discover his method while the police investigate whether the gems are stolen. Futrelle — best known for his Thinking Machine detective stories and his death on the Titanic — delivers a brisk, ingeniously plotted novel that combines scientific mystery with the intrigue of the Gilded Age gem trade.