Sweetie's Diamonds

Wow! My wife bought me this novel because she knew I liked The Man with the Red Tattoo. That was, of course, a James Bond novel. So, my childhood biases were there to make me buy it in the first place. Having this other R.B. novel in front of me, I decided to give it a read. I was not disappointed. The characters and story are well-developed, and you are drawn to them and the action of novel as soon as you pick it up. I really think that R.B. is a talented storyteller. You will not be disappointed.

This is one of the best thrillers I've read in years. The protagonist Diane and her son David (who has a rare disease) are vulnerable, yet likable and real. The villains are formidable and menacing. The supporting characters are memorable. The background (the pornography industry) makes for dark atmosphere, which the writer mines expertly. There are a number of plot twists, and as the story proceeds (at a brisk clip), the protagonist and her son are thrown into increasing peril. Once you start this one, you'll have difficulty putting it down. Highly recommended.

This is my third book by Raymond Benson and by far the best. Everytime you think you have this book figured out, it changes gears on you, and you are led down a completely different path...then are left simply breathless in the end. The main character and her son are tremdously strong characters, despite various medical and personal weaknesses. The supporting characters are fantastic and there is edge-of-your-seat action in several different locations. After reading Sweetie's Diamonds, my only complaint is I don't know which of Benson's books to start on next! -- Jackie Fiest

Great story! Lots of Bond-like excitement in an environment more familiar to average readers. A high school teacher in the Chicago suburbs and single mom, with a secret past in the porn business, has an adventure involving stolen diamonds, murder, kidnapping, and a few surprises. I had to complete it in two gulps!

I was interested in this book when I learned that one of the characters (a teenage boy) has Marfan syndrome. I have Marfan syndrome, and you don't get too many novels with characters who have Marfan syndrome! I was pleasantly surprised. It's a fast-moving (I couldn't put it down) thriller that begins innocently enough but takes off like gangbusters. When the teenage boy finds out his mom was a porn star from way back, there's a domino effect of people finding out... and then the bad guys come in. Sort of a chase-thriller that begins in the Chicago suburbs and ends in Los Angeles... and a cool twist that makes you go "wow." Also liked the supporting character Belgrad, who should probably have his own series.