In this exciting sequel, twelve-year-old Jason Carter travels with his friend Charlotte and her little brother Squid to seventeenth-century Luxembourg, where they meet an innocent man about to be hanged. They embark on a fantastic journey to the tiny kingdom of Luxembourg in the late 1600s. Ruled by French conquerors, its people have never forgotten their ancient language or their hopes of regaining independence. Outside the city of Luxembourg, the kids befriend a group of craftsmen - people who help keep alive the ideal of independence. When the city's rich people visit on market day, Jason and his friends are asked to play their musical instruments. Assisted by the bugle's magic, they make marvellous music, and are invited to stay with the great engineer, General Vauban, who is building a vast series of tunnels under the city. But Fabian, one of Vauban's officers, is secretly involved with an international ring of diamond thieves. He organizes a daring robbery and the people in the camp are blamed. Jason, Charlotte, and Squid have to prove their friends' innocence to save their lives. With the help of the bugle and a mysterious mermaid, Melusina, who holds in her memory the long and tragic history of Luxembourg, they uncover secrets hidden deep in the tunnels.But the odds are against them. Will they be enough of an advantage to save the day?

“Unforgettable. . . . An outstanding adventure in its lyrical, utterly compelling, and heartbreaking investigations of the world of diamond smuggling.” —Aimee Nezhukumatathil For nearly eighty years, a huge portion of coastal South Africa was closed off to the public. With many of its pits now deemed “overmined” and abandoned, American journalist Matthew Gavin Frank sets out across the infamous Diamond Coast to investigate an illicit trade that supplies a global market. Immediately, he became intrigued by the ingenious methods used in facilitating smuggling particularly, the illegal act of sneaking carrier pigeons onto mine property, affixing diamonds to their feet, and sending them into the air. Entering Die Sperrgebiet (“The Forbidden Zone”) is like entering an eerie ghost town, but Frank is surprised by the number of people willing—even eager—to talk with him. Soon he meets Msizi, a young diamond digger, and his pigeon, Bartholomew, who helps him steal diamonds. It’s a deadly game: pigeons are shot on sight by mine security, and Msizi knows of smugglers who have disappeared because of their crimes. For this, Msizi blames “Mr. Lester,” an evil tall-tale figure of mythic proportions. From the mining towns of Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth, through the “halfway” desert, to Kleinzee’s shores littered with shipwrecks, Frank investigates a long overlooked story. Weaving interviews with local diamond miners who raise pigeons in secret with harrowing anecdotes from former heads of security, environmental managers, and vigilante pigeon hunters, Frank reveals how these feathered bandits became outlaws in every mining town. Interwoven throughout this obsessive quest are epic legends in which pigeons and diamonds intersect, such as that of Krishna’s famed diamond Koh-i-Noor, the Mountain of Light, and that of the Cherokee serpent Uktena. In these strange connections, where truth forever tangles with the lore of centuries past, Frank is able to contextualize the personal grief that sent him, with his wife Louisa in the passenger seat, on this enlightening journey across parched lands. Blending elements of reportage, memoir, and incantation, Flight of the Diamond Smugglers is a rare and remarkable portrait of exploitation and greed in one of the most dangerous areas of coastal South Africa. With his sovereign prose and insatiable curiosity, Matthew Gavin Frank “reminds us that the world is a place of wonder if only we look” (Toby Muse).

A ninth-grade genius with a reputation for being a nerd wreaks revenge on his tormentors using his latest science project, by which he can invade their homes via their television screens.

In the heart-pounding pages of "The Diamond Heist: A Detective's Pursuit of the Mastermind," embark on a thrilling journey into the world of mystery, crime, and unyielding determination. Detective Michael Reynolds, renowned for his unwavering pursuit of justice, finds himself entangled in the web of a notorious criminal empire. At its center lies a stolen diamond, a priceless gem that holds the key to uncovering the secrets behind a meticulously planned heist. As Reynolds follows the trail of clues and contradictions, he becomes immersed in a race against time. Every step reveals a web of deception, an enigmatic mastermind who lurks in the shadows, orchestrating a game of cat and mouse. Unraveling the mastermind's web proves to be no easy task. Reynolds must navigate through a labyrinth of criminal connections, infiltrate secret hideouts, and decipher cryptic messages. With every revelation, the stakes rise higher, as friends turn into foes and loyalties are tested. Driven by desperation, Reynolds finds himself confronting a dangerous alliance of crime and corruption. The lines blur between right and wrong as he uncovers the dark history that surrounds the diamond—a history that has led to lies, alibis, and the art of deception. But amidst the chaos, a silent witness emerges, holding a clue from the past that could shatter the secrets of the diamond's tangled threads. Reynolds must untangle the truth from the red herrings, racing against misdirection and misery to unveil the twist in the tale. With the heist unraveled, Reynolds's pursuit intensifies, leading him to the hidden safe where secrets within secrets await discovery. The mastermind's grip tightens, threatening the detective's very existence. In a deadly pursuit, Reynolds must navigate a dangerous underground network, exposing criminal connections that lead to the true price of greed. As the stakes reach their zenith, a silent whistleblower emerges, uncovering forgotten truths and unearthing a double cross that tests Reynolds's loyalties. The detective's desperation pushes him to the brink, as he battles shadows of betrayal and fights to escape the clutches of the mastermind's criminal empire. In the heart-pounding climax, Reynolds faces a vanishing act that challenges his resolve. Chasing ghosts and breaking free from danger, he must confront the unseen hand that has manipulated events from the shadows. Only then can justice be served, as the detective triumphs and brings closure to those affected by the heist's legacy. "The Diamond Heist: A Detective's Pursuit of the Mastermind" is a riveting tale of suspense, where the pursuit of truth intertwines with the darkest corners of human nature. Prepare yourself for a thrilling rollercoaster ride as Detective Michael Reynolds fights against the odds to unravel a conspiracy that threatens to shatter his world and redefine justice itself.