DIAMOND HARD by Andrew MacAllan

Orphaned twins Arabella and Jamie Baird dream of leaving the grimy streets of Manchester to start a new life. Still in their teens, they set sail for Cape Town with the resolve to grow so rich that no one will ever humiliate them again.South Africa is in the grip of diamond fever and jobs are few, but quick wits and determination earn Arabella and Jamie enormous wealth. At a price. For they discover that the champagne sparkle of every diamond conceals a dark and fearful side and that some who deal with them are forever plagued by deceit, betrayal and death.From humble beginnings, the twins gain power and fortune.

They circle the globe from Europe to Africa to Tsarist Russia and meet characters who shape history. And on the way they learn to become hard – diamond hard – in order to survive…