Diamond Dust

Peter Diamond #7

by Peter Lovesey

Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond is confronted with a crime that comes too close to home. His beloved wife has been killed, apparently just the most recent victim in a series of murders of police spouses. Despite his superior's orders to leave the solution of this crime to other members of the force, he is determined to find the killer himself.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Procedural, British Literature, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

343 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 2002

About the author

Peter Harmer Lovesey, also known by his pen name Peter Lear, was a British writer of historical and contemporary detective novels and short stories. His best-known series characters are Sergeant Cribb, a Victorian-era police detective based in London, and Peter Diamond, a modern-day police detective in Bath. He was also one of the world's leading track and field statisticians.

Reviews

[Kirsten Mattingly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am hooked on the Peter Diamond detective series. If you like police procedural stories, I recommend reading Diamond Dust. It’s 7th in the series but I think it’s accessible to someone who hasn’t read any of the previous books in the series.

Like all the books, it takes place in Bath, England, and the descriptions are vivid and interesting and give the reader a feel for the city.

This book has a few big shocks and lots more character development of Detective Diamond. I bought this book with one of my Audible credits and I liked the narration.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

No, I have not been reading Peter Diamond books in order. Finally...I found this book to be available as library loan and got to read of the murder of his first wife. It was a lot about detecting and police procedure and less about Bath. And to think this murder was a result of his wife wanting to organize a 50th birthday party for her husband. It turns out to be a complex series of events.

[Valleri · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a shocking start Diamond Dust has! I wondered if the rest of the book would be worth reading, although I shouldn't have worried. Mr. Lovesey managed to keep Diamond his crusty, disagreeable self, while still showing how devastated Diamond was by the permanent blow he suffered. There was a smorgasbord of red herring suspects, including Diamond as the prime suspect! This leaves him appalled and grieving.

[Snap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably more a 3 1/2 stars, but I'll give it the whole 4. Peter Diamond is a very human detective...never more so than in Diamond Dust. Fully dimensional characters, juicy plotting, emotionally wrenching. Murder. Betrayal. Tension. Diamond Dust has it all.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Lovesey cannot go the distance with his recurring female characters. Book 5 has the sudden departure of Julie Hargreaves, a talented officer who is a great counterpoint to Diamond. Diamond takes her for granted and sensibly she takes a better job in a different area. I'm used to long-suffering detective duos though and her realistic break from Diamond was jarring. I miss her. She's been replaced by Keith who is quite competent but doesn't handle Diamond with the delicious finesse that was such a great thing with Julie.

And now in book 7 Lovesey kills off Diamond's lovely big-hearted, strong wife. And it was so upsetting! At least Julie is called into the stories now and then. But not Steph. No more working at the charity shops or talking through the cases with Diamond or telling him when he's wrong-footed himself so badly that he's twisted his legs into pretzels.

I'll be reading the next in the series but I'm not sure I'll like Diamond the bachelor with constant foot-in-mouth disease and no one to cure him with a well timed quip. The only woman left in the series is his boss who's been present for two books now. She orders him around and does her bossly best but she's removed from his day to day nonsense and can't be expected to have the same impact.

So now about this particular book. I guessed that the ending would be a huge twist. I still expected a different one than what happened. So high marks for unpredictability. Diamond was isolated as well he would be since he was specifically prohibited from investigating. He called Julie three times for advice and I give him a lot of credit for listening to her. She's a good egg and he treats her better now that she's at a distance. I was heartbroken for Diamond for a good third of the book. Then time passed. So much time. With very little progress and it turned into a regular investigation. Lovesey did not do a good job maintaining the emotional side particularly at the end. Especially at the end when we finally know everything and it's all stupid and meaningless just like real life can be. Diamond is angry but I expected a return of his initial sadness and horrible sense of loss. The situation warranted it and it would have been something of a tribute to that warm wonderful woman.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Inspector Peter Diamond of the Bath CID is turning fifty and his wife is planning a surprise party for him. Peter has recently solved a crime of murder and after watching the man sentenced for life, he is assaulted on the courthouse steps by the convicted man's girlfriend who scratches his face with her long nails and then starts hitting him causing him to fall down. As she continues pummeling him, he realizes he is being watched and does not retaliate for fear someone will snap a picture. Then when he reports to the CID, his Assistant Chief Constable tells him he is transferring him to Bristol to form part of an organized task force. Although he is disappointed, he rushes to a murder scene and discovers the victim is his wife Stephanie. One would think this would surely end his streak of bad luck, but next he is being investigated for her murder. He swears to find her killer even though he is barred from the case and partners up with a cop from a previous precinct. When another wife of a policeman is found murdered with two shots to the head like his wife, he realizes he is facing major crimes to solve. Peter Lovesey is among the top of crime novelists and his intricate plots and witty dialogue make him irresistible to readers of this genre.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Lovesey but because I read ahead in the series, I knew his wife died. I didn't know how. Now I do, and it is painful. The crazy back-and-forth of the senseless death of a loved one is what makes one absolutely rigid at times with anger. But ultimately, no one's death is as any of us would wish--only useless and stupid and hurtful.

This is the story of finding the killer of a wonderful wife and beloved partner of a crotchety old police detective. He is forced to use his unusual abilities to catch criminals on his home turf.

Lovesey the writer had an unbeatable description somewhere along the way: "He angled forward in the chair until the tips of his shoes pressed against the carpet." In other words, he was ready to run...

[Nell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a while to get into this, but after the first half I got more engaged. As a citizen of Bath who might depend on the police department to solve a serious crime, it would give me pause that most cops don't seem sharp enough to figure out the answer. But it is fiction, after all, and a tricky plot. I miss Hargreaves and am glad that she and Diamond stay in touch. Can we hope that they'll become professional partners again?

[ElaineY · Rating 3 out of 5]

REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; OCTOBER 24, 2018
Narrator: Steve Hodson

I don't like it when authors kill off their protagonist's spouse so I'm taking away a star, or this would be 4 stars. I guess it's better than killing a protagonist's dog...

Other than it being Stephanie who was offed, this was a good installment.

[Alejandrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best detective stories in recent times. Lovesey threads several story lines so expertly you really have no clue where the thing is going until almost the very end; characters are very credible.

[Corny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this one was the best in the series so far with its multiple twists and turns. A shocking event occurs early in the book, something totally unexpected. Thereafter Diamond hunts for the perpetrator overcoming a number of obstacles. There is a wonderful subplot as well, involving a jewel heist. I found the story enjoyable from start to finish. Added bonuses in this series is an education in British slang and much about the history of Bath.

[zenbren · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first introduction to DI Peter Diamond and the writer. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience and will be searching more of this series. Well paced thriller,hard to predict plot outcomes and cleverly weaves characters. A perfect crime book.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a good read. Tragedy strikes Peter Diamond when his wife, Stephanie, is found shot dead in the park. The questions soon start mounting and when Peter is prevented from leading the investigation he becomes increasingly frustrated over the lack of progress being made. He starts his own parallel enquiries and finds himself drawn to his old life in the Met and into the investigation of another murder in the south. Superintendent Diamond is an old school man but somehow manages to keep his head above water despite his attitude towards his superiors. He remains, however, much liked by the other officers. As the web closes around the guilty party there are endless red herrings and twists that make it a tremendous read. Must make 4.5 stars.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder strikes too close to home for Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond, and he is determined to know why, no matter what it takes. A well written, suspenseful read with numerous twists, but for me, there was an essential improbability in the eventual, surprising solution.

[Francesco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average yellow book with a good plot didn't like how the mistery was solved all at once near the end of the book just because someone used another name for the same person. Good narration, good characterization, good description, even good plot apart from this last fact

[Jenny Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not going to lie the beginning of the book made me cry!!!

[Milly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good mystery

[John Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me say at the outset that I have a vested interest. Since discovering these books I have become an addict and have all of the books in the series. As a UK author of a crime series, I think Peter Lovesey is number two for me behind only the DI Priest books of Stuart Pawson. There the one-a-book, memorable laugh-out-loud line that is worked into the script, just give them the edge.

But back to this one. I had a horrible feeling in the first chapter that this was going to degenerate into one of those dark and nasty type of books with Mrs Diamond being the victim of kidnapping in a revenge attack. My worries were quickly disspelled and the crime novel got underway.

I like to have a go at solving the cases in the books that I read but here I am not sure that would have been possible. Having said that, the way the story unfolded made it worthy of the 5* still.

Great characters , great story telling.
For the first half of the story I was convinced it had to do with a 'liaison' with another officer from a previous book in the series but nothing was said about the incident. Did I dream it?

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the shocker in which Peter Diamond is called to the scene of a murder and finds his own wife, Stephanie, shot in the head. Of course, he's not allowed anywhere near the investigation, but of course he conducts his own. And then he has to be ruled out as a suspect, so much endure the questioning, the search of his house, and the confiscation of his service revolver. He is the first one to connect Stephanie's murder to another case, and aside from her killing, it's pretty predictable but also heart-wrenching.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected turn of events in this book with Peter Diamonds wife being murdered, sidelined from the investigation but not to be put off following his own line of investigations, Peter sets out to find out who murdered his wife and why. Lots of twists and turns and a bittersweet but enjoyable plot. As always the character of Peter shines through, I am curious to see how he is going forward as a widower.

[Louise Culmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Diamond is called to a murder scene and finds that the victim is his own wife, Stephanie. I wasn’t altogether surprised by this, it was evident that Peter Lovesey had been getting bored with Stephanie, she had featured very little in the last couple of books. So now Peter has to cope with grief while also being a suspect in Stephanie’s murder, and trying to do some sneaky investigating on the side. Interspersed with the chapters about Stephanie is a story about crooks planning a diamond theft in London, but what the two cases have to do with each other is not immediately apparent. This is quite an interesting mystery,though the solution didn’t altogether surprise me. I do hope though that this doesn’t mean we are going to be treated to prolonged agonising about Stephanie in future books, or disastrous love affairs. My personal preference is for detectives to have uncomplicated personal lives and get on with solving crimes.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diamond Dust begins with Peter Diamond’s wife, Steph, being killed. Diamond, not knowing it was his wife, rushes to the scene of the crime, only to find his beloved wife with 2 gunshots to the head. Steph was such a wonderful counterpart to Diamond’s crusty character. She worked in charity shops and had many friends and provided sound advice to Diamond. Not only does Diamond suffer the grief of a beloved spouse’s death, he also is not being allowed to investigate her death and is in fact the police department’s number one suspect. He decides to investigate on his own and after another police officer’s wife is killed by 2 gunshots to the head, joins forces with him. It was a great mystery, and I would never have guessed the solution. I’m saddened by the loss of a character that I had grown to care for, and hope that Diamond can find someone to help fill Steph’s loss.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read the blurb on this book, so after enjoying the first chapter in which the relationship between the detective and his wife is described with gentleness, teasing, and humor, I looked forward to spending a lot of time with them together. Then she was murdered in the next chapter. This is not a spoiler, since it's revealed by the publisher. He is of course not allowed to be on the team investigating her murder, but he does it secretly on his own. This was one of the most carefully plotted mysteries I've read in a long time: not only did I not guess the murderer, I was never within shouting distance. And yet when it was all explained, it was plausible and made sense. The only reason I didn't give five stars was that it sagged a little in the middle as red herring after red herring came to nothing.

[Spuddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Supt. Peter Diamond of the Bath Murder Squad is on the sidelines for this case...well, officially, at least. That's because the murder victim is his own beloved wife, Stephanie. Devastated and reeling, Diamond knows intellectually that he needs to step aside and let the team do their jobs, that he's too close to the situation. But emotionally, his heart disagrees. And when he is suddenly in the frame as the chief suspect, he knows he has to strike out on his own to discover his wife's killer.

Devastating for those of us who have come to love Steph Diamond along with her grumpy, no-nonsense husband, this was a tough book to get through, and with enough plot twists and turns to keep you guessing for quite awhile.

[Barbara Heerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a strange introduction to the characters as this is the first book in the series that I've read. I will periodically read through earlier books. I wasn't as much attracted to the characters as I was to the plot. The twists and turns are amazing. Peter Diamond was a sympathetic character, and the way he wife Steph was described, I really cared who killed her. His motives and reactions seemed to be realistic and honest. The interactions between Dave "Stormy" Weathers and Peter Diamond were often humorous but realistic. Some of the police procedure information and the personalities at the police station detracted from the story, but they also provided motivation for Peter Diamond's behavior.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seventh in the Peter Diamond series may be my favorite so far -- probably because it's the darkest. The person murdered is one of the series long-running characters, and this completely changes the tone of the entire book. I've never quite fallen under the spell of Diamond's grumpy old-school luddite of a cop, but at least here his pushiness makes narrative sense. The story dispenses with any of the humor that I've always found rather forced elsewhere in the series. It's just a straightforward procedural with a decent red herring to string the reader along. I didn't love the final revelations, it all seemed rather implausible, but in keeping with the overall dark tone. Very curious to see how the series continues after this dark turn.

[Judy]

I am thoroughly confused when it comes to this series. I have enjoyed reading them, and reading them in order. But this book begins with the death of Peter Diamond's wife. I am certain I have previously read a book where she was already dead. But my big problem was with trying to coordinate an e-book through my library with the audio version through audible. The chapters do not coordinate and I could not figure out where I was when I went from one version to the other. So regrettably, I am not going to finish the book. I do like the series and the Peter Diamond character. Perhaps I will give the next book a try sometime later.

[Will Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the better ones. I've grown fond of the characters so I couldn't help but weep over the death of Steph. I got right Steph's motive for meeting her murderer in the park but failed to see the connection between this and the second, apparently unrelated, story strand until that was revealed. All the time I was asking "What possible motive would anyone have for killing Steph?" and was nowhere near an answer to that until it was revealed right at the end. So an intriguing and satisfying read.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The biggest spoiler would be revealed by discussing the central crime of the novel. I didn't see it coming. The twist at the end I didn't see coming either, but I had a great time reading this book. Inspector Diamond is investigating a murder which happens on his own patch and the decision to keep Peter outside of the normal chain of investigators allows the story to have both police procedural parts and independent investigator parts.

I really enjoy this series.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uh, note to Goodreads: I don't want to find out WHO died in the first sentence of your synopsis!

Seriously, I was sad before even opening the page of this Peter Diamond mystery. Even the book jacket was vague about the death he is going to investigate. Come on!

Other than that, another terrific mystery, with love and loss woven in, unexpected as Peter Diamond is a brusque sort of detective who always checks his emotions.