Diamond City

Art Moran is the commanding police officer of a two-man squad located in Forestdale, New York. In 1955, Art is contacted to handle an emergency in Diamond City. Diamond City is a tight-knit community living uphill from Forestdale led by a spiritual leader named Father Abraham. Art and his subordinate Carl are shocked by the discovery of a murdered teenager. The young woman was the victim of a violent assault before her death. Father Abraham wants a contained investigation, but Art is determined to conduct a thorough investigation. Events begin to spin out of control as the prejudices of the townsfolk of Forestdale are aimed at Diamond City. The actions of the Forestdale government lead to unspeakable tragedy, resulting in death and an unsolved murder. Forty years later, a survivor of Diamond City returns seeking answers, threatening to open up a can of worms.

Diamond City is an unforgettable mystery thriller where the prejudices of an ignorant town lead to crimes on a large scale. Art Moran is a protagonist caught between two worlds, the town he was raised in and the misunderstood citizenry that includes his long-lost love. The intolerance and indifference that characterizes many of the citizenries of Forestdale are comparable to the portions of the Deep South that clung to their segregationist ways in the 1950s-60s. Author Marianna Boncek pens a troubling view of rural Americana and its refusal to accept those with different ideologies and ethnic backgrounds. The mantle of investigation passes from one generation to another as the story progresses, but the narrative continues to impress with its suspenseful turns, the deft plotting, and the vividly drawn and nuanced setting.  Boncek has written a masterful work about prejudice and fallibility; it is psychologically rich and balanced.