Solitaire

by Graham Masterton

'A robust, stirring, and though-provoking tale.' - Publishers Weekly

Kimberly, South Africa 1868: a frenzy of violence and adventure; a fever of greed and competition, of men and women obsessed with the pillage of the greatest diamond field in the world.

Here two brothers find the Natalia Star. Huge, brilliant and hypnotic, it is 350 carats of flawless, shimmering beauty worth more than a million dollars in blood and betrayal, passion and tragedy, soaring joy and lifelong grief.

Graham Masterton, bestselling author of the Katie Maguire thrillers, takes his readers on an epic journey in this enrapturing historical saga.

Reviews

'Engrossing... A multifaceted and fascinating story.' - The New York Times

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

576 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 1982

About the author

Graham Masterton was born in Edinburgh in 1946. His grandfather was Thomas Thorne Baker, the eminent scientist who invented DayGlo and was the first man to transmit news photographs by wireless. After training as a newspaper reporter, Graham went on to edit the new British men's magazine Mayfair, where he encouraged William Burroughs to develop a series of scientific and philosophical articles which eventually became Burroughs' novel The Wild Boys.

At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.

Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.

Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.

He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.

Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.

He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.

Reviews

[wally · Rating 4 out of 5]

finished this yesterday 16th may 2021 good read four stars really liked it kindle library loaner first from masterton really enjoyed the ball-breaking obstacles overcome. i think this was in the suspense section digital library. go figure. yeah, some suspense. people are crazy.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging story that gives a glimpse into the beginnings of the diamond industry in Sth Africa. Barney, an American Jew, gives up his families tailoring business and goes off to Africa to join his brother and make his fortune. He has a burning ambition and drive to succeed and isn't afraid to work hard to that end. After years of toil, many betrayals,much prejudice, lots of disappointment and the loss of his greatest love he succeeds. He becomes wealthy but the finding and loss of the 'Natalie Star' haunts him always.

[Jetha Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible, is the only word that comes to mind here. Masterton weaves a gripping tale about love, family, success and race in a way that was quite frankly shocking to me as a younger reader.

Through the lens of a Jewish-American man trying to make a name for himself amongst the white-dominated diamond industry in racially-charged South Africa, Masterton asks the reader, how far should you be willing to go in the name of success, and what should really matter to you in the end?

A great romantic tragedy.

[Curlyhair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this when I read it years ago. Any book with over 400 pages I devoured, especially if it had a good story.

[Mark Sutcliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favourite book so far this year

[J KEEGAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Africa, heat, struggles and passion

A tale of the diamond industry and the passion surrounding it. Intrigue, love, treachery and the Natalia diamond. Highly recommend.

[Sherry Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and read until after midnight because I couldn't put it down. Historical fiction at its best. Very well researched the story of the discovery of diamond in Kimberley, South Africa and the Jewish man from NY who competed with Cecil Rhodes (as in Rhodes scholar) to create a monopoly in the 1870s and 1880s. As well, it's a brilliant love story.