The Flaming Jewel

"The Flaming Jewel" by Robert W. Chambers is an early 20th-century story about a guy named Mike Clinch, who's mixed up in some shady stuff with criminals and the police. The whole story spins around a super rare gem that everyone wants, called the Flaming Jewel; it makes everyone do crazy things and question what's right and wrong. Right away in the book, we meet Mike, and it seems like his life is tied to some international bad guys, José Quintana and Emanuel Sard, and a sneaky character named James Darragh. We find out Mike has had a rough life, that Quintana is a danger, and things around Mike are super messy, especially since the cops are watching him. Also, Mike's stepdaughter, Eve, gets pulled into all the drama. The opening really builds up the excitement with secrets, love, and the idea of finding a way to be good, even when surrounded by crime.