The deadly diamond by Mark Greenwood
The Deadly Diamond is one of two History Hunter books released by Mark Greenwood in 2025, to complete the 4-book series which started in 2024 with The dragon's treasure and The vanishing. The final two books in this series are The wonder horse and The deadly diamond, both released in June 2025. Each book is the stand-alone case file of its own unique historical topic.
The History Hunter series is fabulous for middle grade readers, especially those who love a juicy story about true events. This particular volume is also fabulous for those who relish the idea of a real-life curse!
The titular diamond of this book is the Hope Diamond, originally dug out of the earth in India in 1642. But that diamond looked quite different to the one now on display in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. And that diamond was not called the Hope Diamond.
This case file starts over a billion years ago, deep underneath the earth's surface. Heat and pressure combined to compress carbon atoms into a rare blue diamond weighing over 112 carats. The diamond was eventually dug up in 1642 and has been recut twice and had multiple different owners over all the passing years. It is now just over 45 carats and is still the rarest and most famous diamond ever known.
The story of the diamond itself is interesting - following its journey through the years and its changing appearance. But the most fascinating part of the story is the ill-fortune that befell almost every owner of the diamond. From the first buyer (who is said to have died on the streets of Moscow after being attacked by a pack of wolves), to King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette (whose deaths by guillotine are well-documented), to another owner who died with it under her pillow - the idea of a curse adds an extra layer to the enthralling tale of this famous diamond.
The final few pages are a wealth of extra information: Hope Diamond statistics; a detailed timeline from 800 BC to present day; a list of extra resources including books and web links; a glossary; and acknowledgements.
Themes: Diamonds, Mystery, History, Curses.
Kylie Grant