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The King of Diamonds: A True Crime Mystery

"The King of Diamonds" is the true crime mystery of a Dallas jewel thief who got away with millions in missing jewels during the swinging, oil-rich Sixties. It was a time when debutantes partied like jet-setters, and TV ads proclaimed, "If you don't have an oil well, get one!" A daring jewel thief dubbed "The King of Diamonds" took advantage of this golden opportunity. He was so brazen that he slipped into the homes of Dallas millionaires while they were asleep or having a party downstairs.
The thief stole from heiress Margaret Hunt Hill, oil tycoon Clint Murchison, corporate superstar Jim Ling of LTV, Herman Lay of Lay's potato chips, and dozens more. These were not just some of the richest people in the city; they were some of the richest people in the country, if not the world. The Dallas police and the FBI pursued the jewel thief for more than a decade. Scotland Yard, the French Surete, the Mexican Federal Police, and Interpol were all on the lookout. But the cagey cat burglar was never caught or identified — until now.

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Other books by Rena

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The Burma Spring

AUNG SAN SUU KYI AND THE STRUGGLE FOR THE SOUL OF A NATION

Discover how this astonishingly brave woman stood up to a brutal military regime and changed the history of her country. It is also the untold story of covert efforts to help her behind the scenes. This book is a new and important update to her story, told by an award-winning writer who has interviewed Aung San Suu Kyi and other key figures in Burma at considerable risk over the years.

Featured selection Los Angeles Book Festival 2015
Featured selection Texas Book Festival 2015
Featured Overseas Press Club of America Book Night, New York, 2015

Listen to an audio sample here or take a look at some of the critic reviews.


The Lost Apostle

In the New Testament book of Romans (16:7), the apostle Paul says "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives, who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles and they were in Christ before I was." In this same chapter, he mentions a number of other women as well — Phoebe, Prisca, Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, Julia. Paul held all of these women of the early church, it appears, in high esteem. How does this fact fit with Paul's other teachings on the subordination of women? Was there a disconnect between teachings attributed to Paul and his actual practice? What roles did women play in the early church? What are the implications for Christians today.

Based on extensive research, international travel, as well as discussions and correspondence with top historians and biblical experts, Rena Pederson has pieced together a story not just of Junia but also of women of the early church — women like Prisca, Nympha, Thecla, Mary of Magdala — and given us new insights on scripture, history, and the life of the first Christians. We can use those insights to make a stronger church today, one that truly and fully calls upon the gifts and abilities of women and men.


What’s Missing?

What's Missing? engages women in a conversation on the nature of faith from various traditions. Includes insights from First Lady Laura Bush, Diane Sawyer, Karen Armstrong, Patti LaBelle, Judy Collins, Peggy Noonan, Zina Garrison, Naomi Harris Rosenblatt, Rabbi Janet Marder, Linda Alvarado, Anne Graham Lotz, Beth Moore, Hind Jarrah, Sister Joan Chittister, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and many others.


What’s Next?

In an inspirational handbook, a journalist examines the lives of successful women who have redefined themselves and found fulfillment in midlife and provides a series of thought-provoking questions and helpful advice to help readers make the right choices for their own future.