Mon 16 Aug 2010
Reviewed by Barry Gardner: PETER LOVESEY – Diamond Solitaire.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[4] Comments
PETER LOVESEY – Diamond Solitaire. Mysterious Press, hardcover, 1993; reprint paperback, 1994. UK edition: Little Brown, hardcover, 1992. Trade paperback: Soho Press, 2002. Peter Diamond #2.
This is the second in the series begun with the very popular The Last Detective. I liked the first book, though not nearly so much as many did. To me, his best work remains the Cribb books, and then Bertie.
Peter Diamond, no longer a policeman since resigning in a huff at the end of the first book, now is a security guard for Harrod’s; at least until an alarm goes off in his section of the furniture department, and a young Japanese girl is found where she shouldn’t be.
Then he’s unemployed. He becomes concerned when no one has claimed the girl – who hasn’t spoken a word, and is feared to be autistic – several weeks later, and being more than a little bored, offers to try to bring her out of her shell.
Before it’s all done, his path has crossed Big American Business, he has been to America and Japan, and has been befriended by a legendary Sumo wrestler.
Let’s start off with the positives. Lovesey is a fine writer and storyteller. Rarely will anyone find fault with his prose or his pacing, and Solitaire is no exception. He’s unusually good with characters, too, and Diamond is a likeable one, particularly in his relationship with the young girl.
So what’s wrong, then? Well, it’s the plot, innit? It’s silly. Full of things that couldn’t happen/wouldn’t happen. (Send an SASE for a list.)
Diamond blusters and bulls his way around and things eventually work out, but I didn’t believe a word of it. Maybe that’s the kind of book he was trying to write, but I don’t think so. Certainly I don’t remember the first Diamond that way. Sorry, but I thought this was distinctly minor-league Lovesey.
Previously reviewed on this blog —
Skeleton Hill (by Walter Albert)
Bloodhounds (by L. J. Roberts)
In both instances, considerable discussion — and some disagreement — broke out pertaining to the relative merits of Lovesey’s Peter Diamond series and his earlier historical mysteries.
August 16th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Lovesey was a favorite. I don’t know why I can’t get into the Diamond books — I just can’t, and I just don’t see any compelling reason to make the effort.
I think I just preferred him doing the historical books, but for some reason Diamond doesn’t do it for me, and at this point I don’t think I want play catch up.
August 16th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
This is precisely how I feel about the Diamond books too.
I like almost all his Cribbs novels quite a lot though. And I’m especially found of his stand-alone KEYSTONE with its background of silent film Hollywood.
August 17th, 2010 at 7:00 am
Exactly! I agree with Barry’s review – this was by far the weakest of the few I’ve read – and David & Rick’s comments above. I like Lovesey a lot (including his various short stories) but can’t warm up to Diamond or get interested in reading more of this series.
ROUGH CIDER and (especially) THE FASE INSPECTOR DEW are worth your time too.
August 17th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Jeff
I loved THE FALSE INSPECTOR DEW and enjoyed ROUGH CIDER. Nice to know I’m not alone on the Diamond books.
Sometimes a good writer has a series or book that for some reason doesn’t appeal to you. I loved Desmond Cory’s Johnny Fedora and stand alone novels, but never warmed to his John Dobie series. I much prefer Poirot to Miss Marple, and it took me a while to warm to Nicholas Freeling’s Castaing series after he killed off Van Der Valk (though some of the later Castaing’s are superior to even the best Van Der Valk’s).
It’s all pretty subjective, and has little to do with overall quality. I know people who love John D. MacDonald and hate Travis McGee, and McGee fans who don’t like the stand alone books. I prefer Donald Hamilton’s non series books to Matt Helm and Aaron’s non series books to Sam Durrell, though there isn’t that much difference in voice, style, or theme in either case. It’s just a preference, a subjective preference.
But I miss Lovesey, because he was one of my favorites, and I’m sorry I can’t get into the Diamond books. I’m sure it is my loss, but at some point you just face the facts and move on.