Lord Lister No. 0037: De Diamantenkoningin

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Lord Lister No. 0037: De Diamantenkoningin by Kurt Matull and Theo von Blankensee is a pulp crime adventure novella written in the early 20th century. It follows the gentleman-thief John C. Raffles (Lord Lister) and his aide Charly Brand as they outwit crooks and protect the vulnerable, with a diamond‑obsessed diva and a stolen relic at the story’s center. Expect capers, disguises, and a Robin Hood edge as Lister pits his wits against unscrupulous dealers and fashionable vanity.

The opening of the story begins near Rouen, where a hard‑pressed chapel guard is bribed by the flashy antiquities dealer Levison to steal a revered iron glove said to be Joan of Arc’s. Lister and Charly witness the theft, comfort the guard’s impoverished family, and promise to clear him; en route to England, Lister befriends Levison under the alias Count Armani, confirms the relic’s whereabouts, and quietly recovers it. Back in London he mails the glove to the village authorities with a note assuming blame to exonerate the guard, then turns to the “diamond queen” Anna Fleuron, a celebrated singer whose greed has ruined young Lord Clowdon; when Clowdon tries to stab her in despair, Lister intervenes and averts tragedy. Levison next ushers Lister into the orbit of the wealthy collector Mr. Dickson for a grand soirée where the prized “antique” will be unveiled—setting the stage for Lister’s next move.