Rena Pederson, the author of “The King of Diamonds”

Rena Pederson, the author of “The King of Diamonds”. This is a true crime mystery of a Dallas jewel thief who got away with millions in missing jewels during the swinging, oil-rich Sixties. Read her book!

Rena Pederson, a trail blazer for women in journalism in Texas, is the author of four books. Her current book project The King of Diamonds — The Search for the Elusive Texas Jewel Thief was published by Pegasus Books and distributed by Simon and Schuster in April 2024.

Ms. Pederson served on the Pulitzer Prize Board for nine years and received national recognition as Vice President and Editorial Page Editor at The Dallas Morning News for 16 years. During her tenure at the newspaper, Texas Monthly named her as one of the most powerful women in Texas.

Some of the world figures she has interviewed range from Margaret Thatcher to Fidel Castro to Princess Grace and Julia Child. Her first book “What’s Next?” was featured on the Oprah Winfrey television show and her opinion pieces have appeared in The American Interest, The Weekly Standard, Christian Science Monitor, The Huffington Post, and The Washington Post.

In addition to writing books, Pederson recently has taught at Southern Methodist University and previously was Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications at the U.S. Department of State, serving as a senior speechwriter.

“The King of Diamonds” is the true crime mystery of a Dallas jewel thief who got away with millions in missing jewels during the swinging, oil-rich Sixties. It was a time when debutantes partied like jet-setters, and TV ads proclaimed, “If you don’t have an oil well, get one!” A daring jewel thief dubbed “The King of Diamonds” took advantage of this golden opportunity. He was so brazen that he slipped into the homes of Dallas millionaires while they were asleep or having a party downstairs.

The thief stole from heiress Margaret Hunt Hill, oil tycoon Clint Murchison, corporate superstar Jim Ling of LTV, Herman Lay of Lay’s potato chips, and dozens more. These were not just some of the richest people in the city; they were some of the richest people in the country, if not the world. The Dallas police and the FBI pursued the jewel thief for more than a decade. Scotland Yard, the French Surete, the Mexican Federal Police, and Interpol were all on the lookout. But the cagey cat burglar was never caught or identified — until now.