"The thrilling story of a brazen, uncatchable jewel thief who sneaked into the homes of Dallas high society in the Swinging Sixties. As the string of high-profile jewel thefts went unsolved in mid-century Texas, the press dubbed the elusive thief "the King of Diamonds" because he eluded police and the FBI for more than a decade. Like Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief, the King pulled off his thefts with great skill. He climbed trees or crawled across rooftops to get into sprawling mansions. He took jewels from heiresses, oil kings, corporate CEOs. These were not just some of the richest people in Texas; they were some of the richest people of their time. Scotland-Yard and Interpol were on the look-out. But the thief was never caught and the jewels never recovered. Rena Pederson, then a young reporter at United Press International, was intrigued by the mysterious jewel thief. Fifty years later, she began following his tracks again. She interviewed more than two hundred people, from veteran cops to strippers. She went to pawn shops, Las Vegas casinos, and a criminal hangout--and discovered that beneath the glittering façade of debutante parties in Dallas was a world of sex trafficking, illegal gambling, and political graft. When one of the leading suspects was found dead in unusual circumstances, the story darkened. High society crashed head-first into Mickey Spillane. The odd psychological aspects of this thief made these burglaries a different kind of crime story. Detectives were stumped: Why did the thief break into houses when his targets were inside, increasing the risk of being captured? Why did he hide in their closets? Many times, he was so close he could hear their breathing as they slept. As one socialite put it, "It was a very peculiar business." Now, after more than half a century, the true identity of the King may finally be revealed..."-- Front flap.