The Ring of Death

About the Book

In 1868, Jarmon, a young African boy, and his sisters Kindra and Karla struggle to live after the death of their parents. Jarmon, in his spare time and in order to supplement his wages as a thirteen-year-old working in the African diamond mines, hunts for diamonds along the Orange River in Africa. One morning, while hunting diamonds, Jarmon finds he is accosted by the mine owner and is knocked unconscious. The following day the mine owner fires Jarmon, kidnaps his sisters, and plans to take them back to Holland. Finding that he is unable to get his sisters back, Jarmon seeks out a local witch doctor to have a curse placed on the stolen diamonds. In a fit of anger Jarmon seeks out the aid of an African native inyanga to place a curse on the diamonds. It is believed that the curse has caused numerous mysterious deaths of the previous owners of the diamonds. One hundred years later, Grant Powers purchases the diamonds to have made into a thirty-fifth wedding anniversary gift for his wife. In order to save the political life of Grant Powers’s brother, Grant and Marianne Powers agree to adopt and raise the illegitimate child of Grant’s brother. While vacationing the diamond ring is stolen, and the Powers are killed in an automobile accident. The caregiver simply keeps the child and raises her as her own. The true identity of the child and the eventual recovery of the stolen diamond leads to the final removal of the curse.

About the Author

Roland Vincent Boike was born October 28, 1930 at his family home in Madeira, Ohio. He is the son of Dr. Stephen Boike and Ludvica Rensi Boike and is one of seven children. During the Korean War, Roland served in 134th and the 147th Field Artillery as Chief of Section of a 105 Howitzers Battalion. Roland attended Western Kentucky State University, Ohio State Department of Agriculture, and the University Of Cincinnati Department Of Applied Arts. He was awarded a full scholarship to attend Lincoln College of Chiropractic where he graduated in 1962 with a Degree in Chiropractic. Roland practiced Chiropractic in Loveland, Ohio for thirty- five years and was a Staff Physician at Jewish Hospital in Kenwood, Ohio. He served as Team Physician for Loveland High School, Western Brown High School and Wilmington College Girls Soccer Team. Roland served as Mayor and Vice Mayor in Loveland, Ohio, a community of over 10,500 residents. Roland was a founder and Director of The Community National Bank, Loveland, Ohio and Chairman of the Loveland 1976 Centennial Celebration, which produced a live outdoor spectacular, “The History of Loveland”. Roland was a founder, past president and member of the Board of Trustees of The Loveland Chamber of Commerce. He designed the Valentine postage meter stamp and the Logo “There Is Nothing In The World So Sweet As Love”. He was recognized with an award from The National Safety Council for saving the lives of three children in a submerged automobile at Lake Isabella in May, 1964. Roland was honored by the City of Loveland, Ohio for dedicated service to the community with a commemorative marker In the Veteran’s Memorial Park. Roland is a Kentucky Colonel and has received numerous awards for civic achievements.