In New York Times –bestselling author Gerald A. Browne's riveting thriller, a down-on-his-luck American makes one last gamble to reap a fortune in the Colombian emerald business After years of stultifying office work, Joseph Wiley will try anything to get rich in a hurry. He's hustled all kinds of products, but each venture has left him deeper in debt, chained tighter to his office desk. When his latest moneymaker goes up in smoke, Wiley doesn't even bother to quit his job. He takes every cent he has to the airport and flies south, landing in Colombia, where he will make his millions—or lose his life. In the mountains of Colombia, even an amateur can make a mint digging for emeralds, but an all-powerful syndicate, the Concession, controls the gems. Wiley and his new partner, heiress Lillian Holbrook, play a dangerous, double-crossing game with the Concession and its watchdogs because, for different reasons, they're both willing to risk everything for the brilliant green stones.