Adventure awaits in 'Red Diamond Justice'

It's a tale steeped in deceit, greed, suspense, murder and international intrigue.

"Really, it started almost four years ago," Jerry Jaeger, co-founder of Hagadone Hospitality Co., told The Press.

Jaeger's world travels, love of the thriller genre and insatiable curiosity set the course for the author to pen his third book, "Red Diamond Justice," which will be released Monday.

A seed of that curiosity was planted in Jaeger's mind with the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 aboard a Boeing 777 in 2014, one of the most mysterious and expensive searches for a missing aircraft in aviation history.

"My first thought was to do the story on that fateful flight," Jaeger said.

As he commenced research, he realized it would be too painful for the families of those lost on that flight to recount a true story that to this day has no real closure.

Still enrapt with the mystery behind that flight gone wrong, Jaeger shifted his focus to create a work of fiction that would include massive airliners, but in a different way: diamond smuggling. He said something just tweaked in his brain when he was researching Malaysia Airlines.

"It was just the idea of, 'What could happen in such an event?'" Jaeger said. "Boeing 777s are fascinating. And it was how they were transporting the diamonds all around the triangle."

The diamond triangle in "Red Diamond Justice" is mapped to points in Africa, Russia and Australia.

"The world’s largest diamond was found in South Africa," Jaeger said.

In the novel, Jaeger takes his readers on a perilous journey alongside Russian oligarch Demitri Denipaska, his granddaughter, Katarina Sokolov, and his righthand man, Richard Chamberlain, as they seek to control the world's diamond market. Readers are transported to faraway places such as Botswana, Moscow and the Australian Outback, not to mention swanky mansions and opulent yachts. It's an enthralling story laden with historical truth and technical knowledge reflective of Jaeger's time conducting research and interviews with industry professionals.

He said his wife, Ellen Jaeger, was incredibly supportive and helpful with the editing process.

"She was my excellent proofreader," he said.

Their good friend and Coeur d'Alene's resident celebrity, Ellen Travolta, provided a note for the back cover. Jerry shares his appreciation for both Ellens on the acknowledgements page.

"The glamour, greed and atrocities that come with a diamond obsession are vivid in Jerry Jaeger's 'Red Diamond Justice,'" Travolta contributed. "His attention to detail makes this journey exciting and riveting. History comes to life in this thrilling cliffhanger."

Jaeger used his personal travel experiences to add intricate details in descriptions, bringing his storytelling to life as readers follow characters into diamond mines, smoky clubs, courtrooms and scenes of foul play.

“I love mysteries and I love twists and turns," Jaeger said. "The book has a lot of those, particularly at the end. It’s quite a surprise what happens."

Jaeger's first two highly acclaimed novels, "The Resort" and "Infinite Justice," were written under his pen name, JJ Hunter.

"Red Diamond Justice," published by Jaeger, will be available at The Coeur d'Alene Resort Logo Shop, the Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn and local bookstores, as well as online on Amazon and Kindle.

"I really enjoyed the research and the writing," Jaeger said. "I hope those who choose to read it will also enjoy it. It’s been a lot of fun."