Preface

            This is the story of a wedding ring. Except for the ancient Babylonian inscription, it is an ordinary gold wedding band. It is an old ring, 2,490 years old to be exact, made of pure gold. What makes it an item of special interest is its history. It was the ring given by Persian King Xerxes to his new Queen on their wedding night. His new Queen was the Biblical Esther. This ring was said to have special, magical qualities, which apparently failed the night King Xerxes slipped it onto Esther’s finger. Ever practical Esther called her new husband superstitious and lured him to their wedding bed.

The ring was lost to history for 2,207 years until 1723 A.D. when an Ottoman General presented it to Russian Czar, Peter the Great. Peter was told of the legend but the magic was absent for him too.

The ring ended up in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia in the small room containing the wax effigy of Peter. It was a minor item in the great history of Russia and most people didn’t notice it on its tiny table under an unsecured glass case opposite the door to the room.

Then, one day not long ago, the museum suffered a power failure and between the time the lights went out and the emergency lights came on, the ring was stolen.

The mysterious theft baffled the Russians and they sought assistance from an American investigator named Hammer Spade. Spade was brought to their attention by underground information about Spade’s success in a South African diamond smuggling case and his work in bringing down an international drug dealer.

Spade had a team of men and women who were gifted in their own right and his specialty was providing solutions tailored to the needs of his customer. Spade’s solutions were not cheap, but they were signally effective and he didn’t leave messes and loose ends for somebody else to clean up.

This case was to prove a most difficult challenge for Hammer, Jack Kane, Dave Quigley, and a new team member, Rachel Clark. Locating and recovering the Ring of Fire would test their ingenuity to the fullest as they traveled, first to Russia, then to Greece, Belgrade, Istanbul, Rome, Somalia, Damascus and Kuwait.

The Ring: It is an ordinary looking wide woman’s wedding band in yellow gold. It has a few handling scratches. It has not been mistreated or damaged. The metallurgy is original. It is very old and has an ancient Babylonian cuneiform inscription.

The wording on the ring:

Sumerian: (Phonetic) kum nam ki aga ke ma ab mul

English: The warmth of thy love makes me glow.

Sumerian: he em la ki ag za ba zu

English: Wear me and thy lover will know.

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Early Reviews

Review of Hammer Spade and the Ring of Fire

Rina Hutchinson

 I have devoured many books over the years and, up until recently; mystery novels have not been a part of my diet.  Hammer Spade and the Ring of Fire, by E. B. Alston, was my first voyage into the crime solving world and it was not disappointing.  The characters, history and locations kept me intrigued, as well as the twists and turns in the plot.

            The group of characters, which the reader is introduced to throughout the novel, is well rounded and intriguing with personalities that compliment each other and the mission.  Through the dialogue that is exchanged among them the reader develops a clear view of each character.  All of the main characters are interesting studies but the most surprising character is Rachel, a housewife who takes on a completely different personality once the mission is underway. Rachel steals the spotlight.

            The history behind the ring is fascinating and whether the rings mysterious power works or not is also discovered, which satisfied my curiosity as a reader.  Also, the history surrounding the many places the team must travel, and the historical figures who had visited before adds to the air of believability and made me feel as though I had stepped back in time with Hammer and his group.

            The journey that takes place to locate a seemingly simple ring will keep any reader riveted, wanting to continue the journey and see it to its end.  It has given me a new appreciation for a genre I had not encountered before but will continue to discover for many years.

Judy Jacobs 

You have never read a detective story like this one. It is an adventure of the mind, the spirit, and there are action scenes exciting enough for anybody’s taste.

How does one go about finding a needle in a haystack?  This is, in effect, the task set forth for Hammer Spade in this novel.  A wedding ring has disappeared out of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.  There is no apparent motive and no known suspects.  For assistance in finding and recovering the ring, the Russians have turned to Hammer Spade, a private investigator from North Carolina who is gaining in international recognition.

In their quest for the missing ring, Hammer and his team are required to think creatively.  They pay a huge price to a most unusual consulting source in Greece and then find themselves solving extraordinary clues couched in rhyme.  Jack Kane and Dave Quigley accidentally drop in on a sheik's harem in Somalia and in a banquet in his tent, as guests of honor, they are offered a local delicacy consisting of sheep's eyes. Performing some devious sleight of hand tricks is how they dealt with a treacherous lecher in Kuwait who had gained possession of the ring. Their last hurdle  convincing the Russians they had located and returned the correct ring. In a surprising fashion, Alonia comes to Hammer's aid. 

This is the fourth time we have met Hammer Spade.  In his previous appearances, his marksman skills were at the forefront.  This novel played up his intellect and logic skills.  He and his crew are quick-witted, well-read, great conversationalists and they make some very shrew observations about human nature in the performance of their tasks.  

Alston has the habit of bringing some of his more memorable characters from other books into his stories. This time he chose Rachel Clark from his romantic comedy, The Deal of a Lifetime. She certainly adds grace and wit to this one, and without her clever mind Hammer would not have recovered the ring.

This is the fourth of an eight-book series and the characters are so well developed and appealing that you can't wait to read the next one..

Judy Jacobs 

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November 25, 2007