Pursuit of the Deadly Diamonds
 Front cover of UK edition | |
| Author | J. J. Fortune |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Bill Sienkiewicz (Map by Giorgetta Bell McRee) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Race Against Time series |
| Genre | Juvenile |
| Publisher | Dell Publishing (US), Armada (UK) |
Publication date | 1984 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 139 pp (paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-440-97181-0 |
| OCLC | 10399282 |
| LC Class | CPB Box no. 2802 vol. 20 |
| Preceded by | Duel for the Samurai Sword |
| Followed by | The Secret of the Third Watch |
The Pursuit of the Deadly Diamonds is book 6 of the Race Against Time series written by J. J. Fortune.
Plot summary
When Mr. and Mrs. Lane invited charming French woman Annette Reynaud to their brownstone for dinner with the family, they had no idea that she was a jewel burglar whose real name was Michelle, and that Mrs. Lane's younger brother Richard Duffy had known Michelle from his past.
Richard privately warned Michelle from having any ideas about his sister's home, but she assured him she was retired, having come to USA to get away from those who demanded she work for them.
Shortly afterwards though, he got a strange phone call from her hinting she was in trouble but could not speak freely. The clues she gave in her talk were 'nice', 'park' and 'au revoir'. That got Richard and his nephew Stephen Lane to fly to Nice, booked into a Hotel Parc and saw from binoculars that Michelle was on board a yacht named Au Revoir.
Faking a chance meeting, Richard learned that Michelle was being compelled to stage a diamond heist for a gang, whose mastermind's name she was hoping to learn to trade with the police. They even got ready imitations for Michelle to replace the real stones during the heist.
With no other recourse available, Richard and Stephen could only keep a close watch on Michelle while trying not to be discovered. Their only ally was the police inspector Armand Duval, who was only prepared to take a chance on their crazy story because there was really a gang of thieves operating in the area, having stolen some very precious stones. The gang was likened to a hydra, and so far, the police only managed to get hold of the lowly footpads but had no inkling about the mastermind.
Non-recurring Characters
- Annette Reynaud, a name used by Michelle when befriending Mr. and Mrs. Lane.
- Michelle La Blanc, a jewel burglar whom Richard got to know seven years before in Paris.
- Armand Duval, a Nice policeman approached by Richard for help.
- Bonaparte, prefect of police in Nice, Duval's superior.
- Sylvia Borgia, Italian ex-actress who married Duke of Wentworth.
- Charles Wentworth, English duke, one of richest British and a high-stakes gambler in Monaco.
Chapter headings
- Brewing up a Storm, Saturday, 4:23 P.M., Monaco
- A Lady from the Past, Friday, 8:30 P.M., New York City
- Two Crazy Americans, Saturday, 5:14 P.M., Monaco
- The Fireworks Begin, Saturday, 9:39 P.M., Monaco
- On the Run, Saturday, Saturday, 10:46 P.M., Monaco
- Getting the Message, Saturday, 11:02 P.M., Monaco
- Down and Dirty, Saturday, 11:33 P.M., Monaco
- The Big Bang, Saturday, 11:55 P.M., Monaco
- Fasten Your Seat Belts, Sunday, 12:31 A.M., Monaco
- A Smashing Good Time, Sunday, 1:12 A.M., Monaco
- TV Special, Sunday, 3:00 A.M., Monaco
- Bonaparte Takes Command, Sunday, 4:03 A.M., Monaco
- A Tight Spot, Sunday, 4:23 A.M., Monaco
- Raking in the Chips, Sunday, 4:31 A.M., Monaco
- The Late, Late Show, Sunday, 1:03 P.M., Monaco