Diamond Solitaire (Peter Diamond Book 2)

Great Peter Diamond mystery story. Poor Peter quits his job as a police detective because,,, well he is a grumpy guy and over reacts to his superiors criticism. No one jumps to rehire him, so poor plump 50 ish old Peter Diamond is forced to take any job he can get. He gets grumpier. Wife and him have to downsize, move to London, tiny flat and he takes a job as a night watchman at a big name store. He figures he can handle this one, until alarms are sounded late at night, the store is searched and he missed something important, a little Asian girl is hiding in the furniture dept. He is fired, again!!!But something is triggered in the tough talking ex detective and he dives into the mystery of who this mute little girl is. As an independent investigator, he takes on the case. This one has everything, Superstar Sumo wrestlers, medical discoveries, American gangsters, flights to Japan, and New York, kidnapping, and murder.Also a mad rush at the end to save the little girl, with her leaving the clues via drawings she left behind.Another really lively Peter Diamond mystery, with lots of twists and turns. Just when I thought I knew which way the plot was going, it switched direction. All the clues are here, you get to solve the mystery along with Diamond. If you like more complex plots set in modern UK, this is a good book, and series for you.

First Sentence: An alert shattered the silence in Harrods, a piercing, continuous note.Ex-CID Peter Diamond missed seeing a small Japanese girl hiding in the furniture department of Harrods, resulting in his being fired. He can't forget the girl, particularly after finding out she doesn't speak, is being labeled autistic and no one has claimed her.Japan's top sumo wrestler offers unlimited funds to Diamond for finding the girl's family, but she is kidnapped by a woman, later found murdered. Diamond is committed to finding the girl's family and learning why is so important to someone.As relevant today as when it was written, Lovesey presents a depressing, but realistic analysis of the pharmaceutical industrial.Peter Diamond is great character. A big, fat man with a soft heart who is self-effacing, loves his very understanding wife, is dogged in pursuit of his case and tough as a diamond when he needs to be.The story was completely engrossing in spite of a couple small bumps. There was an error of equating a derby with a trilby hat (very different styles) and a major premise that was a bit questionable. However, the sense of place, dialogue, suspense and action were very good.I am delighted to know many more Diamond books await me.DIAMOND SOLITAIRE (Unl. Inv.- Peter Diamond-England/NYC/China-Cont) - VGLovesey, Peter - 2nd in seriesMysterious Press, 1992, US Hardcover - ISBN: 0892965355

Diamond Solitaire is the second book in the Peter Diamond series. Peter lost his detective job in the first book. Diamond Solitaire starts out with Peter being a security guard at Harrods on floor seven. Floor seven is the furniture store and computer security goes off regarding movement on that floor. The police arrive and a small Japanese girl is discovered under the cushions. Peter loses his job at Harrods. He and his wife 's standard of living has gone down considerably since the loss of his detective job. Peter is overweight, gruff, with a hidden soft interior and a tenacious personality when he is on the trail of solving a mystery.He becomes involved with finding out who the child is. The child is exhibiting autistic tendencies. The intrigue begins-travel to several countries, a fire, murder and a star sumo wrestler. I enjoyed this read very much and am looking forward to continuing the series. I can see why it is a long lasting series.

The better detective stories, and there are many writing them these days, are believable; there is a high degree of authenticity. Parts of this Diamond novel are intriguing but there are authenticity problems. The idea of the mute girl left in Harrods after closing is compelling as is the work in trying to bring her out of her autism, or to understand it. Then the novel goes off the rails with an denouement that betrays the excellent work that has preceded it.This good story ends with a let down as a sumo wrestler is enlisted to stop the bad guys. The author pushes things in the New York police scenes and seems to give up on his own novel in the Japan scenes. A pity because there is gripping stuff in parts of the novel but it loses believably as it unwinds.Less fussy readers will enjoy it, I think.

It ha a complex main character but is slow and long. I will bur other books in this series.

Well written and intriguing, but parts of it were a bit hard to swallow. It took quite a while for the two threads of the story to come together. Diamond's role as a freelance detective and his acceptance in police circles in New York and Japan based on his past credentials were not very believable. Nevertheless it was an enjoyable read.

I came upon Lovesey quite by accident & have been pleasantly surprised & entertained. I have now read all 8 of the series featuring the curmudgeonly Inspector Peter Diamond & they make for a quick, enjoyable romp. These are not taunt thrillers but tongue-in-cheek good old fashioned murder mysteries, set in Bath, England. Diamond & his team solve their puzzles one piece at a time in the way good Policemen do. I heartily recommend these engaging stories.

Always on the lookout for new authors I found Peter Lovesey and his Peter Diamond detective series. I have just finish Diamond Solitaire and it is, without doubt, one of the best books I have ever read. So glad to see there are plenty more and have just bought number 3.

Whilst this is quite well written I’m not sure it’s for me. For some reason I dislike the names that the author chooses for his characters and the plot is, well, weird. Different but not my kind of detective novel.

I am loving this series of Peter Diamond books. His luck is continuing to evade him, but he uses his detective skills well and his strong moral compass guides him to do the right thing. People do trust and believe in him. A young girl goes missising from a store he's working in and the police are making little progress. Who is she? And why does nobody know her true identity? Add to the fact she has autism, so communication is difficult and you have an intriguing read.I'm so happy there are lots more to read.

The strength of this whole series is the plots. Kept guessing until the end, as usual. Also, the Bath setting is very interesting to me with an enjoyable lead character. There are some descriptions of people that are politically incorrect but I note these change as the years pass later in the series.

Have already read some of the Peter Diamond series particularly those set in Bath which I know and which adds an extra element. This is not set in Bath and I found it a bit slow to get started but once it does the mystery sets in and you want to know the answer.