Possible Discussion Questions on The King of Diamonds for Book Clubs
What made this case so different?
What makes the story a “whydunnit” as well as a whodunnit?
Why didn’t police use fingerprints or DNA to identify the thief?
What was the role of women in the story?
What did gambling sites like Top O’ Hill and the Cipango Club have to do with the jewel thief?
How did organized crime – including the Dixie Mafia -- fit into the case?
Does the book succeed as an alternative history of Dallas, a portrait of the “underside,” as well as a true crime story?
Which of the many larger-than-life figures – such as H.L. Hunt, Nancy Hamon, Stanley Marcus, or Evelyn Lambert -- was the most memorable for you?
How might the dichotomy between the low-income police and the wealthy victims have influenced the investigation?
Why was the story like a real-life game of “Clue” – and did you agree with the author’s conclusion who the thief was? Who do you think was the thief?
Could the story have happened anywhere else than Dallas?
What lessons might be learned from the story that apply to life today?
King of Diamonds Quiz for Book Clubs
QUESTIONS:
True or false: The jewel thief sometimes left diamond-shaped shoe prints at crime scenes.
True or false: One of the burglary suspects was associated with a famous stripper.
True or False: Jack Ruby owned the Colony Club downtown.
True or false: Police should have used DNA to catch the thief.
True or false: Dallas children liked to dress up like the King of Diamonds for Halloween in the 1960s.
True or false: The secret Top O’ Hill casino was a former “teahouse” that hosted women’s social events with finger sandwiches and petit fours.
Which oilman had a swimming pool so large that it was dubbed “the Gulf of Mexico”?
Which burglary victim had an indoor swimming pool?
Which Dallas pizza restaurant was a popular hangout for gangsters during the King of Diamonds era?
At what nightclub did “millionaires sip Scotch older than their dates”?
Where did Clint Murchison Jr. hatch his plans for the Dallas Cowboys?
Who helped the piano player at the Cipango Club sing “Over the Rainbow” one night?
Which suspect claimed she was the Marquesa del Barrio?
Which social figure rode into one of her parties on the back of an elephant?
What percent of the burglary victims were oil millionaires?
What did Dallas women like to say about their “big hair” look?
Which famous architect designed one of the suspects’ home?
Which famous architect designed one of the victims’ home?
Whose wife described her marriage to a gambler as “chicken one day and feathers the next”?
What percentage of the King of Diamonds’ stolen jewels were recovered by police? 25% 50% None
Which fictional detectives or actors did the author compare police Detective Paul McCaghren to?
How many total burglaries did the King of Diamond commit?
What were some of the criminal undercurrents connected to the King of Diamonds story?
Name as many of the people suspected as being the King (or Queen) of Diamonds that you can.
What happened to the main characters in the book?