La Quinta author Jerald J. Jaeger's world travels inspired 'Red Diamond Justice'

Jerald J. Jaeger has always been a fan of mystery. So much so, that when he semi-retired four years ago, he attempted to write a book about the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that disappeared on March 8, 2014.

After a great deal of research, however, he realized that writing such a book could be harmful to the families who lost loved ones. Instead, he decided to use his newfound knowledge for another story.

"I had all this research on the Boeing 777-300, and I just decided to use the airplane in a different way," the author said. "It became part of this novel in which it was used to transfer illicit diamonds to avoid customs and taxes."

Third time's the charm

Jaeger received a great deal of positive feedback on his first two novels, "The Resort" and "Infinite Justice," but he's never written anything as intense as his latest book, "Red Diamond Justice," which was released in December.

One reader, actress Ellen Travolta, summed it up as follows, as printed on the back of the book: "The glamour, greed and atrocities that come wtih a diamond obsession are vivid in Jerry Jaeger's Red Diamond Justice. His attention to detail makes the journey exciting and riveting. History comes to life in this thrilling cliffhanger."

Jaeger, a seasonal La Quinta resident, has long been fascinated by Russia — way before the current war with Ukraine, he noted — and so naturally, he landed on a story centering on a corrupt Russian oligarch, a "treacherous fellow" named Demitri Denipaska, who aims to corner the world's diamond market with his granddaughter.

Unlike his first two books that were written under the pen name of JJ Hunter, this novel is the first to bear his government name, and Jaeger took the process of writing it quite seriously.

Writing is something he's enjoyed since his sophomore English teacher helped motivate him in high school. She'd have the students read Reader's Digest, he recalled, and while turning those pages, something clicked. Although his eventual career was in business — Jaeger is the co-founder of a hospitality company based in his other seasonal home of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho — he's written columns that have appeared in newspapers, industry magazines and several other publications.

"While I was actively working every day, I really didn't have a lot of time (to write), but I still wanted to do it," Jaeger said. "And so the first two, they were done while I was working full time, which took a while because I couldn't devote as much time as I wanted to."

This time around, however, Jaeger had recently taken a step back from the business he founded with his wife and the late publishing and resort magnate Duane Hagadone, which gave him more time to focus on "Red Diamond Justice."

An extensive research process

Jaeger is nothing if not detail-oriented. The research process for this book took four years because he was determined to get it right, but even though it was a huge challenge, he said he sincerely enjoyed it.

"It was very laborious. It took a lot of time because Soviet law is totally different than ours ... and I'm not a lawyer," Jaeger said. "I talked to three airline pilots when I was researching the airplane, and I talked to a couple of attorneys. So it was challenging and difficult, but it was also really rewarding. I think it adds to the book."

Jaeger and his wife, Ellen, are avid travelers who have been to the majority of places mentioned in the novel, and they even went on a few trips during Jaeger's research phase to add a layer of authenticity and "local flair."

During a research trip to Istanbul, the couple hired a personal guide to show them the famed Spoonmaker's Diamond, an 86 carat, pear-shaped diamond housed in the Imperial Treasury exhibitions at the Topkapi Palace Museum.

"He was a pretty well-positioned person over there, and he was able to get access to some places that really weren't open to the general public," Jaeger said of their guide. "During the second day, he said 'now what is your interest in the Spoonmaker's Diamond?' ... And I said, 'Well, to be honest, you've been very helpful to me, and I plan to steal it.' You wouldn't believe the look on his face. ... I said 'well, in a novel," and he said 'oh, well don't use my name!'"

How to purchase: If you'd like to read "Red Diamond Justice," you can purchase a print copy online at barnesandnoble.com, or amazon.com, or in e-book form on scribd.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: La Quinta author's world travels inspired 'Red Diamond Justice'