Throughout her career, Rena Pederson has received positive recognition for her writing. Some of those reviews include:
early praise for the king of diamonds
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
“Dallas. The 1960s. A jewel thief strikes while homeowners sleep. The rich dined on marble tables surrounded by water. Parties with snow flown in. Pederson interviewed hundreds to tell the story. Beyond cars, houses and clothes, she presents the underside-gambling, mafia, drugs, strippers. Two distinct worlds and the police whose own stories prove just as enigmatic.”
“In classic cop-speak, the bold, agile perp had a practiced M.O., or modus operandi. He was promptly crowned ‘The King of Diamonds.’ That’s also the title of Rena Pederson’s saga of the master thief’s rampage. Deeply researched and fluidly written. It’s quite a yarn.”
“As Cary Grant remarks in To Catch a Thief, ‘I never stole from anybody who would go hungry.’ Rena Pederson uses that line as the opening epigraph of her intriguing and highly readable thriller The King of Diamonds. Pederson’s writing is at its sharpest when she says of one fellow that “he was the kind of man who looked as if he slept in a tuxedo and, some evenings, did.”
“This riveting investigation from Pulitzer finalist Pederson probes a series of unsolved Texas jewel thefts from the 1950s and ’60s. With a novelist’s gift for description and a detective’s keen eye for evidence, Pederson considers suspects ranging from gigolos to interior designers and jewelers. It’s a pleasure to watch her cross them off her list one by one until she resurrects a convincing theory that the case’s original investigators were unable to pursue. This is a must-read for any true crime buff.”
“A simply riveting whodunit—dramatic, thrilling and sometimes hilarious, as a daring cat burglar in the 1960s outwits the cops and plunders the wealthiest mansions of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Perhaps what’s most amazing is that the story is all true. The veteran journalist Rena Pederson takes us on a wild ride through that now almost forgotten era. After years of research, she also identifies who could have been The King of Diamonds. Pederson has produced a true crime tour de force.”
“This book is irresistible, not just because of the waves of suspense and surprise it so expertly surfs, but because it’s such an authoritative summoning of Dallas’s crazy Gilded Age. Rena Pederson is a relentless reporter but such a storyteller that you feel that she’s spinning out this can-you-believe-it tale from a cozy booth at the Cipango Club.”
“Dallas has long promoted an image of pious country clubbers with big cars and big hair. But the city also has been home to a groaning underbelly of thieves, hustlers, racketeers, and other assorted felons. With The King of Diamonds, Rena Pederson has joined these two worlds, and she has done so with verve, style, and astonishing historical detail. Going back decades, she cracks open a long-forgotten vault of amazing cat-burglar grabs and incredible escapades. When it comes to high-dollar jewelry heists, this book is pure gold.”
“I was absolutely gripped by The King of Diamonds. This true story about a thief who looted priceless jewels is ripped from a Cary Grant movie. The cops and the FBI couldn’t catch him — but Rena Pederson seems to have cracked the case!”
“Where is the phantom jewel thief who got away with terrorizing Big D in the 1960s? And where are the jewels? The only place you’ll find the King of Diamonds is in this marvelous book.”
“Rena Pederson has written a book she spent seven years researching as if she’d reached in her pocket and pulled it straight out, fully formed. Dallas in the 1960’s now belongs to her, complete with its pawn brokers, strippers, casino owners and oil-rich millionaires who supply their sharp-dressed wives with diamonds that they often lose to a slippery burglar — who may well be a neighbor. Don’t make other plans when you start reading The King of Diamonds.”
Praise for The Burma Spring
The Burma Spring captures Aung San Suu Kyi's courageous fight for democracy in Burma, including her nearly two decades of unlawful imprisonment under an oppressive and violent regime. Aung San Suu Kyi's strength and perseverance brought hope to so many Burmese who now see the possibility of reform, and her story will continue to inspire future generations around the world longing for freedom in the midst of tyranny and darkness."
— Senator John McCain
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is one of the towering figures of our age: a tireless champion of democracy, freedom and reconciliation. Rena Pederson captures Suu Kyi as few others have, producing a vivid account of the life of this remarkable woman. The Burma Spring is a valuable resource for anyone interested in contemporary Burma."
— Senator Mitch McConnell
Impressively researched and compellingly written, Pederson has woven together the epic journey of Aung San Suu Kyi with the turbulent story of her country in a fascinating and inspiring way."
— Benedict Rogers, Human Rights Activist and Author of Burma: A Nation at the Crossroads
Writing a biography of a living legend is never easy, especially when the living legend is legendarily inaccessible. Rena Pederson has managed to break through the difficulties to publish a thick, fascinating biography of Aung San Suu Kyi, a legend in the closed-off nation of Burma (sometimes called Myanmar), who became a legend worldwide because of winning the Nobel Peace Prize."
— Steven Weinberg, Dallas Morning News Book Section
Even Aung San Suu Kyi's harshest critics will learn from Rena's reporting on one of the world's most important politicians. Detailed and fascinating."
— Chuck Mertz, WNUR-FM, Chicago
Pederson evokes the quiet, stubborn dignity of this rather improbable political icon. She draws a deeply nuanced portrait of the enigmatic, inspiring leader."
— Kirkus Reviews
Journalist Pederson delivers a penetrating portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of the Burmese National League for Democracy party, in a thoughtful biography that reveals the 'moody, temperamental' side of its charismatic and visionary subject."
— Publishers Weekly
The riveting story of Suu Kyi's brutal imprisonment, deplorable maltreatment, astonishing inner strength, and ultimate survival is told with a historian's appreciation for context and circumstance by journalist and former State Department speechwriter Pederson in a complex and sweeping history of Burma's centuries-old struggle to maintain a closed society, yet manifest its power on a global scale."
— Carol Haggas, Booklist Starred Review
“...an ambitious and necessary work, for it harvests the available materials and presents them, together, as a kind of illuminating dossier about a heroic woman and a nation walking, slowly, toward a freer land."
— Cleveland Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com
“Writing a biography of a living legend is never easy, especially when the living legend is legendarily inaccessible. Rena Pederson has managed to break through the difficulties to publish a thick, fascinating biography of Aung San Suu Kyi, a legend in the closed-off nation of Burma (sometimes called Myanmar), who became a legend worldwide because of winning the Nobel Peace Prize."
— Dallas Morning News
Praise for What's Next?
"Tart and witty...Ms. Pederson's book shines."
— Novelist Shelby Hearon, The Review
"I hope she will write several more books...Pederson is a brilliant editor of material she accumulated. Her own distinctive voice blends so well with others..."
— Robert Morris, Amazon Vine Voice
"This wonderfully inspirational and compelling book is a must-read and a special gift for women in the prime of life and career."
— Sen. Elizabeth Dole
"A book full of wonderful experiences."
— Former Governor Ann Richards
"Inspiring Anecdotes." — Publishers Weekly
Praise for The Lost Apostle
"Engagingly written and intelligently documented, this book is recommended as a worthy contribution."
— Library Journal
"A compelling case...a fascinating behind-the-scenes look...and engaging narrative."
— Karen Jo Torjeson, Dean of Claremont Graduate University's School of Religion
"Very readable."
— Carolyn Osiek, U.S. Catholic
"Fascinating."
— Dwight Moody, Dallas Morning News
"Well-honed journalist skills."
— Michael McTeer, Toronto Star
"A strong case."
— Jim Jones, McClatchy Newspapers