A peculiar diamond sale pits Captain José Da Silva against his cousin
It is an ancient scam: Offer a wealthy American a massive diamond for a bargain price, have a jeweler confirm the stone is genuine, and swap it for a fake as soon as the money changes hands. At first, Captain José Da Silva assumes Senator Hastings has been taken in by an ordinary conman, but the diamond is all too real. There is a more elaborate con in progress here, and only one man in Rio would be daring enough to execute it. He is Da Silva’s cousin Nestor, and he is a true genius of crime.
According to Nestor’s scheme, the senator was supposed to sail that afternoon on the Bolivar, along with three other targets of the plot. But Senator Hastings deviated from the plan and left the boat at the last minute, which means Da Silva still has a chance to set things right—assuming he’s quick enough to outwit his own flesh and blood.
Robert L. Fish, the youngest of three children, was born on August 21, 1912, in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended the local schools in Cleveland and went to Case University (now Case Western Reserve), from which he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. He married Mamie Kates, also from Cleveland, and together they have two daughters. Fish worked as a civil engineer, traveling and moving throughout the United States. In 1953 he was asked to set up a plastics factory in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He and his family moved to Brazil, where they remained for nine years. He played golf and bridge in the little spare time he had. One rainy weekend in the late 1950s, when the weather prohibited him from playing golf, he sat down and wrote a short story that he submitted to Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. When the story was accepted, Fish continued to write short stories. In 1962 he returned to the United States; he took one year to write full time and then returned to engineering and writing. His first novel, The Fugitive, won an Edgar Award for Best First Mystery. When his health prevented him from pursuing both careers, Fish retired from engineering and spent his time writing. His published works include more than forty books and countless short stories. Mute Witness was made into a movie starring Steve McQueen.
Fish died February 23, 1981, at his home in Connecticut. Each year at the annual Mystery Writers of America dinner, a memorial award is presented in his name for the best first short story. This is a fitting tribute, as Fish was always eager to assist young writers with their craft.