Heart Of Diamonds
By Dave Donelson
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Podcast Description
In this podiobook: Corruption at the highest levels of government, greed in the church, and brutality among warring factions make the Congo a very dangerous place for television journalist Valerie Grey. Amid the bloody violence of that country's endless civil war, Grey uncovers a deadly diamond-smuggling scheme that reaches from the heart of the Congo to the White House by way of a famous American televangelist. Aided by an altruistic doctor, Grey is pursued by the soldiers of the country's dictator, the mercenaries of the mine's owner, and the rebels seeking control of the country. HEART OF DIAMONDS is a fast-paced tale of ambition, avarice, betrayal, and love.
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
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1 |
1. Heart Of Diamonds 01 - Heart Of Diamonds | In the small diamond-mining village of Mai-Munene, Dr. Jaime Talon treats boy soldier Christophe, a victim of the Congo's civil war, and hears yet another story of the war's depredations. As he finishes, a Congolese army convoy brings missionary Thom | 2/7/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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2. Heart Of Diamonds 02 - Heart Of Diamonds | In New York, TV journalist Valerie Grey loses a promotion to anchor the MBS-TV Evening News and complains to her lover David Powell about the way it was handled. To bury her troubles, she decides to go to the Congo to co | 2/6/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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3 |
3. Heart Of Diamonds 03 - Heart Of Diamonds | Valerie interviews Congolese President Moshe Messime at his palace in the capital city of Kinshasa, then survives a mortar attack with her producer, Nancy and videographer, Bobby. | 2/5/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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4. Heart Of Diamonds 04 - Heart Of Diamonds | Valerie meets Jaime Talon in Brazzaville, where he has gone to raise money for his clinic. A few sparks fly as he tells her about the diamonds mine owned by American televangelist Gary Peterson and the missionary who runs it. Valerie decides to go to | 2/4/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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5. Heart Of Diamonds 05 - Heart Of Diamonds | The commander of the rebel army, the Lunda Libre, is nowhere to be found in Tshikapa, so Valerie goes to Mai-Munene to do a story about the diamond mine owned by the American televangelist. | 2/3/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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6. Heart Of Diamonds 06 - Heart Of Diamonds | Valerie and her crew start to shoot their story at the mine, but are stopped by Congolese captain Yoweri, the fierce commander of the troops guarding the facility. Thomas Alben reluctantly intervenes and gives them a tour that ends at a school where | 2/2/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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7. Heart Of Diamonds 07 - Heart Of Diamonds | A little girl runs into the school where Valerie is filming her story about the nkisi and reports that rebels have killed her mother. Valerie and her crew steal Alben's vehicle and rush from Mai-Munene to find the killers. | 2/1/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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8 |
8. Heart Of Diamonds 08 - Heart Of Diamonds | Jaime treats the wounds Valerie received chasing the killers through the bush. Once home in New York, she stalls David Powell when he proposes to her. Meanwhile, U.S. President Billy Baker announces he's sending American troops to the | 1/31/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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9. Heart Of Diamonds 09 - Heart Of Diamonds | Before Valerie can return to Africa to resume reporting on the Congo War, she is forced to attend a charity gala in New York. Jaime Talon is there and a few more sparks fly. | 1/30/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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10. Heart Of Diamonds 10 - Heart Of Diamonds | Valerie and David meet Jaime the next morning in Central Park and the two men spar over African politics-or is it over Valerie? | 1/29/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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11. Heart Of Diamonds 11 - Heart Of Diamonds | On her way back to the Congo, Valerie clashes on camera with televangelist Gary Peterson about his diamond mine. Later, she and her producer Nancy confront U.S. Presidential advisor Charles Hook about a shipment | 1/28/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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12. Heart Of Diamonds 12 - Heart Of Diamonds | Jaime returns to Mai-Munene to discover Christophe has returned and the village is full of refugee children.Valerie begins her Congo coverage with another interview with Moshe Messime, who refuses to allow her to leave t | 1/27/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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13. Heart Of Diamonds 13 - Heart Of Diamonds | Valerie and her crew stay just a few steps ahead of American agent Steve Scavino as they make their way toward Mai-Munene through the war-ravaged countryside. | 1/26/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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14. Heart Of Diamonds 14 - Heart Of Diamonds | On the way to Mai-Munene, Valerie stops at the refugee camp in Bukedi, run by an American aid worker who looks a lot like her. Not long after they leave, Scavino arrives in the camp and mistakes the camp director for his target, Valerie Grey. | 1/25/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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15. Heart Of Diamonds 15 - Heart Of Diamonds | Valerie meets Jaime's assistant Pieter Jakobsen in Tshikapa with supplies for the children at the clinic. There she hears official news reports that she was killed at Bukedi. In Washington, David Powell is devastated by | 1/24/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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16. Heart Of Diamonds 16 - Heart Of Diamonds | Once back in Mai-Munene, Valerie takes twin boys Juvenal and Kenda to their grandmother Kafutshi, who is making dolls for Alben. One of the boys steals a nkisi that he later stashes in a hammerkop nest. Christophe sees him hiding the doll, then obser | 1/23/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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17. Heart Of Diamonds 17 - Heart Of Diamonds | Bobby is captured by Scavino in Kinshasa. When the agent learns Valerie is still alive, Bobby tries to lead him on a wild goose chase. Meanwhile, in Mai-Munene, Valerie discovers diamonds inside the stolen nkisi. When Alben finds one of the dolls is | 1/22/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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18. Heart Of Diamonds 18 - Heart Of Diamonds | Valerie and Jaime escape into the night with Nancy, Christophe, and Kafutshi's grandchildren. In Washington, David decides he must go to the Congo and retrieve Valerie's body. | 1/21/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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19. Heart Of Diamonds 19 - Heart Of Diamonds | David makes his way to Bukedi, where he learns Valerie is still alive. Scavino tortures Bobby until he confesses that Valerie is at Mai-Munene. When the agent arrives in the village, he forms an uneasy alliance with Alben to chase her down. | 1/20/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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20. Heart Of Diamonds 20 - Heart Of Diamonds | Valerie and her companions evade Scavino's helicopter attack on the river then hide out with a local fisherman. In a rare moment of peace, Valerie and Jaime yield to their growing passion. | 1/19/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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21. Heart Of Diamonds 21 - Heart Of Diamonds | Leaving the children with the fisherman's family, Valerie and the rest walk through the bush to find a villager with a truck to take them to Tshikapa. The Lunda Libre have been there before them, however, and Scavino and Alben arrive soon thereafter. | 1/18/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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22. Heart Of Diamonds 22 - Heart Of Diamonds | Valerie and Jaime escape in an old pickup truck with Christophe and Nancy, only to be pursued by Alben and Yoweri. They make it to Tshikapa, but tragedy strikes on the way. | 1/17/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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23. Heart Of Diamonds 23 - Heart Of Diamonds | Valerie is reunited with David and boards a U.S. Army helicopter bound for Kinshasa. After one more bloody surprise, she goes on the air to reveal the truth about the televangelist and his diamond mine. At home in New York, she reaches a decision abo | 1/16/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 23 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Exciting Story, Donelson Knows His Stuff
Dave Donelson's Heart of Diamonds is a well-crafted, well-informed story of fictional, but highly likely events in the Congo. Donelson captures the government corruption that prevents the Congo (and all of Africa) from rising to the position among nations that this resource-rich country could attain were it not for the history of exploitation by outsiders. The story is exciting, you care what happens to the characters. The rape and amputations and exploitation of child soldiers and general brutalization of the people by the military and by rebel forces is drawn straight from current reality, as is the power of greed to make people do the most terrible and idiotic things.
My only complaint is this is another story of white people set in Africa. It would be more compelling were the main protagonists African, perhaps wealthy sons and daughters of the elite sent to the US for college who return to do exactly what Valerie and Jamie do in this story. This is a small quibble, however, Donelson can write best from a perspective that he truly understands and his readers/listeners are mostly westerners who can better relate to the characters than if they were Africans.
You should listen to this book for a great story, but also to get some understanding and realization of the terrible conditions that prevail in West Africa today.
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- Category: Literature
- Language: English
- © Some rights reserved, 2004-2005. Dave Donelson
