A summary of "Diamond Endgame" by Elena Mikhalkova

This detective novel was written in 2011. The plot reveals in detail the schemes used to distribute fake diamonds and the methods used to skillfully cut precious stones. The brutal struggle between shadowy magnates in the jewelry market is closely intertwined with the lives of ordinary people. The author accurately conveys the specifics of the work of smugglers and gemologists.

The television premiere took place in 2017. Director Petr Amelin produced a four-part miniseries based on the novel. The adaptation received positive reviews from audiences thanks to its dynamic development and precise casting.

Threats of the smuggling world

Courier Anton Belov secretly transports a shipment of rough diamonds from Yekaterinburg to Moscow. He is carrying out a mission for a major crime boss, Nikolai Khryashchevsky. Belov reaches the capital and skillfully weaves through courtyards. Suddenly, his path is blocked by two armed police officers. They turn out to be hired killers. Anton suffers serious gunshot wounds to the shoulder and thigh, but manages to escape. The wounded man picks the lock of a random apartment with a master key. He hides the stones behind a kitchen baseboard and loses consciousness from blood loss.

The apartment belongs to jeweler Maya Maretskaya. She returns home one evening to find a bleeding stranger. Belov offers half a million for help and silence. Maya enlists her neighbor, Vera, to help. The doctor removes the bullets right on the dining room table. Maretskaya keeps Anton at her place. The woman works at the well-known salon "Aphrodite," owned by businessman Aman Kuptsov. Maya is forced to work there because of a huge debt. Monya Verman had previously lent her money to save her ailing father.

The salon is deftly managed by the astute Verman. The cutting is done by the veteran master Sema Dvorkin. Monya has a phenomenal sense of people. He easily persuades clients to buy frankly questionable jewelry. Sema teaches Maya the tricks of the trade. The old man reveals how to disguise emerald flaws using washing powder. He tells Maya the legend of the enormous "Frenchman Blue" diamond that disappeared last century.

Robbery and fatal substitution

Maya hears a radio report of a daring crime at a jewelry exhibition in Sokolniki. Two robbers, posing as electricians, stole a glass safe containing a rare blue diamond, the "Zeus." Soon, the robbers come to Mona. Danila Kulkov and Kolya Poroshin hope to sell their loot profitably. The boys have long been friends with the chemist Yasha, Verman’s nephew. Sema Dvorkin researches the "Zeus" and quickly uncovers the bitter truth. The bank offered a cheap synthetic replica. The real stone is hidden in a secure vault. The dejected robbers flee in panic to a remote village. The fake remains with Mona.

Meanwhile, Verman himself commits a fatal offense. A modestly dressed girl, Alina, enters "Aphrodite." She brings eight flawless diamonds to create a luxurious necklace. Monya succumbs to a powerful temptation. He replaces the originals with colorless topazes. Soon, Nikolai Khryashchevsky arrives with his sinister entourage. Alina turns out to be his mistress. Khryashchevsky deliberately provoked the jeweler. The crime boss cruelly blackmails the old Jew. Verman is forced to sell the counterfeit stones to his main competitor, Aman Kuptsov. Kuptsov will offer them to the influential media mogul Korzhak. A major scandal will ruin Aman’s reputation forever.

Reprisal and preparation of counter-play

Maya tells Anton about the boss’s troubles. Belov visits Khryashchevsky’s main salon, "Padishah." He sees a ring for sale, one of his own, with a specific stone defect. The courier realizes the scale of the cunning plot. The boss personally orchestrated the assassination attempt to discredit Kuptsov. Khryashchevsky planned to drop security guard Aman’s pistol at the scene of the massacre. A misfire with the surviving courier won’t stop the crime boss. Khryashchevsky will eliminate all witnesses after the combination is complete. Anton decides to join forces with Maya, Monya, and Sema.

Security Chief Dymov briefs his subordinates. Khryashchevsky’s bloodhounds locate Belov’s house. Mercenary Savushkin secretly enters the building, mistakenly believing the courier is hiding with his neighbor Vera. Savushkin cold-bloodedly murders the doctor, slitting her throat. Maya accidentally witnesses the horrific massacre. Anton comforts his distraught friend. Savushkin lies in wait for Anton under the stairs. Belov engages in desperate hand-to-hand combat. The killer’s partner wounds Savushkin with his own knife in the chaos of the dark battle. Anton emerges victorious and saves his life.

A risky maneuver

Belov devises a daring counterattack. He enlists the help of disguise specialist Pyotr Semenovich. Anton disguises himself as a respectable, gray-haired businessman. The courier voluntarily comes to Khryashchevsky’s central office. He lays out a fabricated cover story. Monya allegedly bought the very same "Blue Frenchman" for next to nothing from an old woman, Olkhovskaya. Belov convinces the crime boss that Verman will sell the rarity to a foreign collector. The proceeds will go toward purchasing genuine diamonds for Kuptsov. Khryashchevsky sends his head of security, Dymov, to check on the old woman. Poor Anna Andreyevna treats the guest. Dymov chokes on disgusting Tibetan tea and hard candies. Olkhovskaya brilliantly confirms the cover story.

Khryashchevsky resorts to force. His men kidnap Semyon Dvorkin in broad daylight, right from his salon. The boss demands the blue diamond in exchange for the old diamond cutter’s life. Monya Verman, heart pounding, drives to the bank. Valentin Dymov personally oversees the removal of the stone from the safe deposit box. Verman convincingly plays the trembling coward. Monya hands him a synthetic replica of the "Zeus." Dymov admires the perfect cut of the blue stone, mesmerized. The fake is so masterfully crafted that Khryashchevsky also unconditionally believes in the authenticity of the "Frenchman." Semyon is released.

A clever trap

Anton recruits experienced theatrical con man Mikhail Groys for the operation. Groys brilliantly impersonates the eccentric German millionaire Heinrich Krause. The fake foreigner ostentatiously fencing with a cane in a hotel room and prepares for the meeting. He is ready to hand over ten million dollars immediately. Khryashchevsky meets with the fake German at a restaurant. A lengthy diplomatic bargaining session ensues. The old man skillfully provokes his opponent and accuses him of disrespect. "Krause" categorically threatens to cancel the coveted purchase. Nikolai is afraid of missing out on a huge prize. The mafioso agrees to personally attend the handover of the precious stone.

The exchange is scheduled for a private bank vault. Khryashchevsky arrives with a fake blue stone. Groys-Krause meticulously examines the diamond through a magnifying glass. The German loudly confirms its identity and declares his readiness to transfer the currency. A task force suddenly bursts into the meeting room. The police officers brutally detain the crime boss. Khryashchevsky is caught red-handed attempting to sell the stolen "Zeus" diamond. In the chaos of the arrest, Groys-Krause disappears unnoticed. The old man takes the generous payment in Belov’s remaining diamonds.

The final of the diamond game

Monya Verman travels to Aman Kuptsov with a shipment of cheap Brazilian diamonds. Verman’s nephew, a talented chemist named Yasha, secretly treated the stones with a special experimental polymer. Yasha invented this unique formula while working in Asian laboratories. The polymer reliably masks the structural microcracks of minerals. Gemological analysis is unable to distinguish the modified counterfeit from natural diamonds. In Kuptsov’s mansion, a marinated lamb for a barbecue burns. A frustrated Aman allows the inspection to proceed. An independent expert confirms the exceptional quality of the goods delivered. Aman Kuptsov is completely happy. Monya and Sema retain their lives and impeccable status.

The mortal threat recedes. Anton and Maya go on vacation to a quiet pine forest. The girl throws a golden pine cone and makes a wish. The lovers have won a hopeless match against a powerful enemy. Now they are boldly building a normal life far from the brutal criminal showdowns. Verman continues to work enthusiastically in his cozy salon. He happily sells inexpensive, refined tourmalines to trusting customers, disguised as rare stones. Monya gives his sentimental clients the beautiful illusion of possessing a true melody of spring.