Jenny Andersen

Blue Diamond and Murder

The book this month is Todd Borg’s mystery Tahoe Blue Fire. I read this book with great pleasure and a sneaking feeling that since I am a gemologist as well as a writer, I’m supposed to be familiar with the diamond about which the plot revolves.

I actually took to the internet to see if I could find the beautiful Hope-like stone originally known as The Blue Fire of Florence. No luck, so I’m forced to conclude that Mr. Borg did impeccable research and seamlessly wove his fictional diamond, The Tahoe Blue Fire, and its history into reality. And into his plot. I hate to sound all fan girl, but gosh. I really enjoyed this book.

The diamond comes into the story as a clue in a murder: the victim leaves a cryptic note that says ‘Medici    BFF’. Searching for the best friend forever proves fruitless. Then a story surfaces about the Medici family and a blue diamond that came from the same mine that produced the famous Hope Diamond. A trip to Florence reveals a possibility that the diamond was taken to Tahoe, so it’s back to Tahoe and the search begins in earnest.

Oh, and of course there’s a certain urgency in the search for the murderer. More than one person has died, and the killer has targeted hero Owen McKenna.

Tahoe Blue Fire is number thirteen in the Tahoe series, but it functions perfectly well as a stand alone read. It’s a tense thriller with wonderfully rich plot. If you like mysteries, suspense, diamonds, Italy, gangsters, football heroes, traumatic brain injury, and/or poetry, as well as brave and interesting characters and dogs, this is a good read. [And no, I do not know Mr. Borg nor was I compensated for this post.]

Borg, Todd. Tahoe Blue Fire (An Owen McKenna Mystery Thriller Book 13) (p. 190). Thriller Press. Kindle Edition.