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Peter Diamond #13
The Tooth Tattoo
Peter Diamond, head of Bath CID, takes a break in Vienna, but gal Paloma calls quits on love. Jobbing musician Mel Farran joins once-famous string quartet in a residency at Bath Spa University - but their last violinist vanished without a trace. Can a body in a city canal be identified by a tattoo of a music note on one of her teeth?
348 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
108 people are currently reading
1039 people want to read
About the author
Peter Lovesey
295 books643 followersPeter 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
May 10, 2013
I stayed up MUCH too late finishing this book. However, even though I had nearly 100 pages to go, I just couldn't let it sit quietly on my table! Lovesey has only been on my favorite authors list for about three years, but he has quickly been placed in my "must read" category. In this most recent of his "Peter Diamond" series, we are learning more about the character against the backdrop, of all things, string quartets.
What I know about string quartets could have been in about 3 sentences. Even if the book had not been as wonderful as it was, this book would have been a learning experience. We meet the members of a string quartet who are passionate about their music and just as passionate about their personal privacy.
One of their members disappeared during a tour in Budapest several years before and they have been unable to find a replacement. They approach a young musician and offer him the opportunity to become a member.
The book opens with the young musician having his instrument - a viola - stolen from him one evening. Forward several years later, a young woman's body is found in the river canal. Although the body is in bad shape, they soon learn that she was Japanese. The most striking aspect is that she has a musical note tattooed on a tooth.
As the book progresses, it is obvious that there is a lot more going on here including a factoid that there are ivory objects being carved from mastodon tusks. (Who knew! Check them out. They are exquisite.) Then there is Peter Diamond's personal relationship. He wins a weekend in Vienna. Despite his assertion that he doesn't go to Europe, he and Paloma go. (Although his wife has been dead for a number of years, he still mourns her.)
While on a walk on a bridge, they come across a floral memorial. A young Japanese woman apparently committed suicide there. Paloma is overcome with emotion, while Diamond shuts down. Paloma is outraged. (I have to say that my sympathy was with Diamond. Murder is his job. If he got emotional about every murder, where would he be?) There's a good reason to read this one even if you've never read a Lovesey novel before, how can you miss murder, music, Japanese gangsters and more!
What I know about string quartets could have been in about 3 sentences. Even if the book had not been as wonderful as it was, this book would have been a learning experience. We meet the members of a string quartet who are passionate about their music and just as passionate about their personal privacy.
One of their members disappeared during a tour in Budapest several years before and they have been unable to find a replacement. They approach a young musician and offer him the opportunity to become a member.
The book opens with the young musician having his instrument - a viola - stolen from him one evening. Forward several years later, a young woman's body is found in the river canal. Although the body is in bad shape, they soon learn that she was Japanese. The most striking aspect is that she has a musical note tattooed on a tooth.
As the book progresses, it is obvious that there is a lot more going on here including a factoid that there are ivory objects being carved from mastodon tusks. (Who knew! Check them out. They are exquisite.) Then there is Peter Diamond's personal relationship. He wins a weekend in Vienna. Despite his assertion that he doesn't go to Europe, he and Paloma go. (Although his wife has been dead for a number of years, he still mourns her.)
While on a walk on a bridge, they come across a floral memorial. A young Japanese woman apparently committed suicide there. Paloma is overcome with emotion, while Diamond shuts down. Paloma is outraged. (I have to say that my sympathy was with Diamond. Murder is his job. If he got emotional about every murder, where would he be?) There's a good reason to read this one even if you've never read a Lovesey novel before, how can you miss murder, music, Japanese gangsters and more!
August 8, 2013
Not one of the best Peter Diamond mysteries. The plot is totally far-fetched, and the solution is based more on psychology than on evidence and deduction. There was one major high point, however: This is the first novel I've read that features matter-of-fact, capitalist exploitation of global warming.
April 30, 2025
The sidebar subject in this Bath mystery is the string Quartet and its repertoire. Once again, the mystery and the police procedural are good, as is the setting and the information about Bath and its environs. There is an incredible amount of information about music as well.
The author of this series just died this week at the age of 88, having published the last in the series, in which Detective Peter Diamond retires, in 2024.
The author of this series just died this week at the age of 88, having published the last in the series, in which Detective Peter Diamond retires, in 2024.
July 22, 2020
3 1/2 stars
This is my third Peter Diamond mystery and, for me, the most enjoyable so far. It took forever for me to get into this one, but once it got going I was engaged. The slow-moving first passage of Diamond and his girlfriend, Paloma, vacationing in Vienna set up the central crime of The Tooth Tattoo, but longer than necessary in my way of thinking. Once returned to England, Diamond learns of a famous string quartet, Staccati, enjoying a residency in Bath, all members eventually implicated in the murder of two Japanese girls several years apart. Throw in a missing violist, oddball quartet members and lots of red herrings and this had me wondering right up to the end.
Why I'm reading this: Available for curbside pickup from the library, so why not? My thought is books in this series don't need to be read in order, so we'll see with this entry. I recently finished Beau Death, which was #17 in the series.
This is my third Peter Diamond mystery and, for me, the most enjoyable so far. It took forever for me to get into this one, but once it got going I was engaged. The slow-moving first passage of Diamond and his girlfriend, Paloma, vacationing in Vienna set up the central crime of The Tooth Tattoo, but longer than necessary in my way of thinking. Once returned to England, Diamond learns of a famous string quartet, Staccati, enjoying a residency in Bath, all members eventually implicated in the murder of two Japanese girls several years apart. Throw in a missing violist, oddball quartet members and lots of red herrings and this had me wondering right up to the end.
Why I'm reading this: Available for curbside pickup from the library, so why not? My thought is books in this series don't need to be read in order, so we'll see with this entry. I recently finished Beau Death, which was #17 in the series.
September 11, 2016
11 hours 40 mins, read by Clive Anderson
Description: Peter Diamond, head of Bath CID, takes a city break in Vienna, where his favorite film, The Third Man, was set, but everything goes wrong, and his companion, Paloma, calls a halt to their relationship. Meanwhile, strange things are happening to jobbing musician Mel Farran, who finds himself scouted by methods closer to the spy world than the concert platform. The chance of joining a once-famous string quartet in a residency at Bath Spa University is too tempting for Mel to refuse. Then a body is found in the city canal, and the only clue to the dead woman's identity is the tattoo of a music note on one of her teeth. For Diamond, who wouldn't know a Stradivarius from a French horn, the investigation is his most demanding ever. Three mysterious deaths need to be probed while his own personal life is in free fall...
This is the one with the string quartet and the discussion as to why such a quartet would not be up to the task of performing the 1812 overture. There are spade teeth, Japanese knickers, and an Amati viola.
3* The Last Detective (Peter Diamond, #1)
2* Diamond Solitaire (Peter Diamond #2)
3* The Summons (Peter Diamond #3)
3* Bloodhounds (Peter Diamond, #4)
3.5* Upon A Dark Night (Peter Diamond #5)
3.5* The Vault (Peter Diamond, #6)
3* Diamond Dust (Peter Diamond, #7)
3.5* The House Sitter (Peter Diamond, #8)
2.5* The Secret Hangman (Peter Diamond, #9)
3* Skeleton Hill (Peter Diamond, #10)
3* Stagestruck (Peter Diamond, #11)
3* Cop to Corpse
3* The Tooth Tattoo (Peter Diamond, #13)
May 21, 2013
This is my first time reading Peter Lovesey, but it certainly will not be the last. As usual, I picked up the last of his Peter Diamond Investigation series and enjoyed it so much I have returned to the library to check out his eleven previous novels. Peter Diamond, head of the Criminal Investigation Division in scenic Bath, England, is working on the murder of a young Japanese woman whose body was found in the local canal. The only clue to her identity is a tattoo of a musical note on one of her teeth. Under pressure from his superior's threat of loss of jobs due to budget cuts, Peter is calling out all stops to solve the case, even having a professor who works from CT scans to reconstruct the face. Meanwhile, a sub plot involves a musical quartet known as Staccato that has lost one of its members and are trying to replace the fourth player. Mel Farran is approached and tries out and gets the violist slot. The action shifts back and forth between the two main plots until a second female body is discovered in Vienna murdered in the same way. Both women were avid classical music fans and the focus shifts to the Quartet who were playing in both locations at the time of the murders. This is a stylish, finely textured puzzle that holds the reader's attention until the last page.
September 26, 2023
Erasable old Peter Diamond. He falls out with Paloma over suspected suicide flowers on a holiday in Vienna. Soon there is a link to Bath and he is grumpy with his team as they open a new case of a girl found in the Avon River. Soon the team is stretched to cover all the leads as they home in on the murderer. The link between the suspect and the murders is a little tenuous but some forensic evidence helps out.
The characters, Peter Diamond, John Halliwell, Ingeborg Smith, and Paloma all lead to a good read if you allow a little artistic licence to the plot. 4 stars.
The characters, Peter Diamond, John Halliwell, Ingeborg Smith, and Paloma all lead to a good read if you allow a little artistic licence to the plot. 4 stars.
June 12, 2019
In this improbably plotted but engaging mystery, Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond takes a vacation to Vienna, has a bad argument with his girlfriend, and works with his team on a seemingly simple case which quickly gets complicated and involves him in a foray into the world of string quartets and classical music.
February 20, 2013
2.5/5 ★
First of all, I'd like to thank Peter Lovesey and Soho Press for the ARC of The Tooth Tattoo.
Truth be told, I haven't read that many crime thriller/mystery novels in my life (including any of the other PD Investigations), but I'm a girl of many genres, and police procedural shows are among my favorite things to watch on TV, so I was happy to read this book. The title and concept fascinated me.
For the most part, I think The Tooth Tattoo was well written. There were few grammatical errors, the most common being misplaced apostrophes and the occasional mix-up of tense. I was a bit put off by interjection of thoughts in the beginning, but that became less common and confusing as the plot went on. As far as world-building goes, for a non-fantasy story like this, details about crime and music were woven in realistically, if not always elegantly.
My biggest issue was with the characters. For the first half of the book, I found most of the characters a bit two-dimensional and flat. My favorites were Cat and Ingeborg, the latter of whom reminded me of Garcia from Criminal Minds, but not nearly as colorful. In general, though, the characters spoke in cliches most of the time; I guess that would be okay with one character, if you were trying to characterize them as being cheesy, but a good chunk of the dialogue felt like it belonged in a private-eye B-movie. On a related note, the non-white characters were written in a stereotypical way, and most of the characters seemed to share belief in these stereotypes - at least twice, it's mentioned how East Asians always play violin, and they're all petite, and just, ugh. There were also a bunch of info dumps that were incredibly patronizing, Imo. I don't have the book on hand right now, so I'll try to add specifics later, but here were some that really bashed me over the head:
First of all, the Paloma/Diamond break up. Practically EVERY time Diamond recalled it, ALL of the details were regurgitated back to us, even though we witnessed the initial break up ourselves. In one case, Diamond spent at least a page repeating everything that happened. No, I didn't forget, I promise you, so that REALLY wasn't necessary!
Another scene that bugged me was when Mel first met Cat, and heard her tell him to be careful. That in itself wasn't bad, obviously, but after a couple paragraphs of Cat's physical appearance (which is another thing: subtly inserting descriptors works better than heavy-handedly dedicating whole paragraphs to it), it says something like, "And she had been the one who told him to be careful." WE KNOW, MEL. WE KNOW. This was one case where it truly irked me, but throughout the text, there were many unnecessary repetitions, info dumps, and telling where there should have been showing!
I'm giving this a 2.5 stars, however, because I did find it interesting. The second half of the story especially pulled me in. I'm usually the sort of person who guesses every twist and sighs at their banality, but never once did I suspect . That's the best anyone can expect of a mystery!
Thanks again for allowing me to read it, Soho. I hope I've been helpful. :)
First of all, I'd like to thank Peter Lovesey and Soho Press for the ARC of The Tooth Tattoo.
Truth be told, I haven't read that many crime thriller/mystery novels in my life (including any of the other PD Investigations), but I'm a girl of many genres, and police procedural shows are among my favorite things to watch on TV, so I was happy to read this book. The title and concept fascinated me.
For the most part, I think The Tooth Tattoo was well written. There were few grammatical errors, the most common being misplaced apostrophes and the occasional mix-up of tense. I was a bit put off by interjection of thoughts in the beginning, but that became less common and confusing as the plot went on. As far as world-building goes, for a non-fantasy story like this, details about crime and music were woven in realistically, if not always elegantly.
My biggest issue was with the characters. For the first half of the book, I found most of the characters a bit two-dimensional and flat. My favorites were Cat and Ingeborg, the latter of whom reminded me of Garcia from Criminal Minds, but not nearly as colorful. In general, though, the characters spoke in cliches most of the time; I guess that would be okay with one character, if you were trying to characterize them as being cheesy, but a good chunk of the dialogue felt like it belonged in a private-eye B-movie. On a related note, the non-white characters were written in a stereotypical way, and most of the characters seemed to share belief in these stereotypes - at least twice, it's mentioned how East Asians always play violin, and they're all petite, and just, ugh. There were also a bunch of info dumps that were incredibly patronizing, Imo. I don't have the book on hand right now, so I'll try to add specifics later, but here were some that really bashed me over the head:
First of all, the Paloma/Diamond break up. Practically EVERY time Diamond recalled it, ALL of the details were regurgitated back to us, even though we witnessed the initial break up ourselves. In one case, Diamond spent at least a page repeating everything that happened. No, I didn't forget, I promise you, so that REALLY wasn't necessary!
Another scene that bugged me was when Mel first met Cat, and heard her tell him to be careful. That in itself wasn't bad, obviously, but after a couple paragraphs of Cat's physical appearance (which is another thing: subtly inserting descriptors works better than heavy-handedly dedicating whole paragraphs to it), it says something like, "And she had been the one who told him to be careful." WE KNOW, MEL. WE KNOW. This was one case where it truly irked me, but throughout the text, there were many unnecessary repetitions, info dumps, and telling where there should have been showing!
I'm giving this a 2.5 stars, however, because I did find it interesting. The second half of the story especially pulled me in. I'm usually the sort of person who guesses every twist and sighs at their banality, but never once did I suspect . That's the best anyone can expect of a mystery!
Thanks again for allowing me to read it, Soho. I hope I've been helpful. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2013
The Tooth Tattoo is the 13th Peter Diamond novel. This book is scheduled for release in April 2013. This is a Soho Crime publication.
The author is Peter Lovesey.
While taking a brief and rare weekend off together, Peter and Paloma tour Vienna. While there, they come across a shrine of flowers remembering a Japanese girl who had died. The death of the girl and the tribute to her deeply effected Paloma, while Peter remains detached, a occupational hazard. As a result, when they return home, a rift develops between them when Peter has the death looked into.
In the meanwhile, the team is worried about cut backs so when a similar murder occurs closer to home, Peter launches an all out investigation. Were the deaths of two Japanese girls found in the water four years apart somehow related? What on earth did a classical music quartet have to do with it?
The quirky group of classical musicians all seem to have a secret or issues of some kind. Their intense focus on the music makes them seem uninterested in the death of two girls that were big fans of their music. To add to the mystery, one the group's members disappeared right around the time of the first girl's death.
As Peter tries to determine what each girl had in common and their connection to the quartet, he struggles with the issues that have developed between him and Paloma.
This is a good British detective novel. The tooth tattoo is an actual adornment that is very popular in Japan. I had no idea. The musical references were also interesting. You do not have to be a fan of classical music or be knowledgeable about it to enjoy the novel. Most of the detectives openly admitted a limited about of knowledge about Beethoven and so you won't feel left out if you've never heard of some of the pieces that were mentioned.
The three original members of the quartet are odd ducks to be sure. Each one has a unique personality that you either love or don't. But, they all seem to be uneasy and you have to wonder why. The newest member, Mel, is a viola player. Another thing I learned about while reading this book. This instrument is obviously related to the violin, but has a few differences.
Mel is at the center of the story since he is the newest member of the quartet. Mel is a bit of a womanizer, but mostly likeable. But, is he a possible victim or could he be involved in the murders?
An inventive whodunit, with some humor and wit to off set the prevailing sad tone the book initially started out with.
Peter is a little down in this one, but he isn't out.
Overall a satisfying mystery. I give this one a B+.
Thanks to Soho publishing and Edelweiss for the ARC digital copy of this book.
The author is Peter Lovesey.
While taking a brief and rare weekend off together, Peter and Paloma tour Vienna. While there, they come across a shrine of flowers remembering a Japanese girl who had died. The death of the girl and the tribute to her deeply effected Paloma, while Peter remains detached, a occupational hazard. As a result, when they return home, a rift develops between them when Peter has the death looked into.
In the meanwhile, the team is worried about cut backs so when a similar murder occurs closer to home, Peter launches an all out investigation. Were the deaths of two Japanese girls found in the water four years apart somehow related? What on earth did a classical music quartet have to do with it?
The quirky group of classical musicians all seem to have a secret or issues of some kind. Their intense focus on the music makes them seem uninterested in the death of two girls that were big fans of their music. To add to the mystery, one the group's members disappeared right around the time of the first girl's death.
As Peter tries to determine what each girl had in common and their connection to the quartet, he struggles with the issues that have developed between him and Paloma.
This is a good British detective novel. The tooth tattoo is an actual adornment that is very popular in Japan. I had no idea. The musical references were also interesting. You do not have to be a fan of classical music or be knowledgeable about it to enjoy the novel. Most of the detectives openly admitted a limited about of knowledge about Beethoven and so you won't feel left out if you've never heard of some of the pieces that were mentioned.
The three original members of the quartet are odd ducks to be sure. Each one has a unique personality that you either love or don't. But, they all seem to be uneasy and you have to wonder why. The newest member, Mel, is a viola player. Another thing I learned about while reading this book. This instrument is obviously related to the violin, but has a few differences.
Mel is at the center of the story since he is the newest member of the quartet. Mel is a bit of a womanizer, but mostly likeable. But, is he a possible victim or could he be involved in the murders?
An inventive whodunit, with some humor and wit to off set the prevailing sad tone the book initially started out with.
Peter is a little down in this one, but he isn't out.
Overall a satisfying mystery. I give this one a B+.
Thanks to Soho publishing and Edelweiss for the ARC digital copy of this book.
July 1, 2017
I thought that this was the best of the series so far.
I often say that returning to a favourite series is like the comfortable feeling of settling down into an old armchair in your slippers. This one adds the glass of your favourite tipple too - well it has for me because I could almost imagine the same warm glow as I was getting towards the end.
I have said before that I know Bath a little and when locations are mentioned, have often looked them up on StreetView to better fix the detail in my mind. This books begins with Peter and Paloma on a short break to Vienna to allow Peter to do what I shall do when next we are in Bath, and that is to visit certain scenes from his favourite crime story. In this case it was Orson Well's film 'The Third Man'. I cant say that I have visited Vienna but I did share some of the iconic moments with Peter and Paloma having watched the film only recently. But back to the book.............
This one is a little different from the others in that much of the first two thirds of the story was about the Staccati, the brilliant classical music quartet, its history, its members and its music.
I think that it is fair to say that by the time that Peter Diamond was suspecting that there was a link between the members and a suspicious death, we already knew a great deal about each of the suspects.
As usual for the author we had plenty of misdirection but I think that I probably got closer to naming the baddie here than in the previous novels (albeit by using an old trick from Morse and/or Midsomer Murders series on the TV).
The bad news was that I had only one more book of the series left on the shelf but the good news is that I have just found No. 15 and have put in a request that three county libraries that I use, buy in nos. 16 and 17.
I often say that returning to a favourite series is like the comfortable feeling of settling down into an old armchair in your slippers. This one adds the glass of your favourite tipple too - well it has for me because I could almost imagine the same warm glow as I was getting towards the end.
I have said before that I know Bath a little and when locations are mentioned, have often looked them up on StreetView to better fix the detail in my mind. This books begins with Peter and Paloma on a short break to Vienna to allow Peter to do what I shall do when next we are in Bath, and that is to visit certain scenes from his favourite crime story. In this case it was Orson Well's film 'The Third Man'. I cant say that I have visited Vienna but I did share some of the iconic moments with Peter and Paloma having watched the film only recently. But back to the book.............
This one is a little different from the others in that much of the first two thirds of the story was about the Staccati, the brilliant classical music quartet, its history, its members and its music.
I think that it is fair to say that by the time that Peter Diamond was suspecting that there was a link between the members and a suspicious death, we already knew a great deal about each of the suspects.
As usual for the author we had plenty of misdirection but I think that I probably got closer to naming the baddie here than in the previous novels (albeit by using an old trick from Morse and/or Midsomer Murders series on the TV).
The bad news was that I had only one more book of the series left on the shelf but the good news is that I have just found No. 15 and have put in a request that three county libraries that I use, buy in nos. 16 and 17.
June 13, 2013
Although this crime novel is the latest of a dozen featuring the detective Peter Diamond, it's the first one I've read in the series -and my first reading of a Lovesey book. This is one of the best crime thrillers I've read in a long time. Although its varied subject-matter - a string quartet increasingly involved in what appear to be completely unrelated murders of Japanese girls, classical music fandom, promoting touring groups, rivalries in the professional classical music world, antique musical instruments, Japanese netsuke jewellery - seems rather arcane and dry, Lovesey deftly makes it all fascinating. He very cleverly provides the background information unobtrusively. His characters are all interesting - an irritable and demanding detective, a dour musical genius making money on the side, an aspiring professional musician eager to seize his chance etc. The plot is intriguing, the settings convincing. The only reason I didn't give this five stars is that the final section involves some repetition of information conveyed earlier, and the unveiling of the mystery requires a rather unsubtle detective explains all to a dumb audience chapter - plus a most unlikely sudden confession from the murderer. But don't let this put you off - this is a most enjoyable example of the genre. WEll worth reading. I'm going to check out more Lovesy titles.
July 7, 2021
Reading these titles in order. For some reason, I found this one very satisfying--more than some of the others. I always like the relationship between Diamond and Inge and the other people in the CID, but in this case, it was the very interesting background of classical quartet music that was a big draw. I learned a great deal. Even the title, based on a musical note tattooed on a tooth (who ever heard of this before?!) was just so interesting. I wasn't particularly fond of any of the quartet members as people, but that did not matter in moving the plot along. The temporary rift betweeen Peter and Paloma seemed a bit contrived, but it did not ruin the book for me.
July 27, 2013
I do love a good mystery, but The Tooth Tattoo didn't impress me. Nothing seemed to happen, just lots of talking about things that already happened. The pace was slow, the narrative was repetitive, and I almost just didn't finish it. The insider view of an renowned string quartet was mildly interesting but not enough to recommend it. I understand this is part of a popular series. Guess it's just not my cuppa.
October 28, 2013
I approached this book with some trepidation.
Lovesey’s previous book “Cop to Corpse” had been a let down and IMO, not up to his usual high standard.
Thankfully this is a marked return to form.
All the usual red herrings are there and you actually learn something about string quartets.
It is hard to say more without giving the plot away. What I will say is never trust your opinion.
Lovesey’s previous book “Cop to Corpse” had been a let down and IMO, not up to his usual high standard.
Thankfully this is a marked return to form.
All the usual red herrings are there and you actually learn something about string quartets.
It is hard to say more without giving the plot away. What I will say is never trust your opinion.
November 6, 2013
Not one of his best. Too much information about the musical techniques of the main protagonists, members of a string quartet. A good editor would have helped a lot, tightening it up. Why is it that series writers seem to have their books edited less stringently than other authors?
January 1, 2021
One of the better books I’ve read that incorporates classical quartet music playing. Felt like the author must have read “Indivisible by Four”. ..about the Guarneri Quartet. But. I did figure it out (it’s a murder mystery...I do love this genre...so easy to read) and it was predictably inane. So five stars.
May 4, 2025
3.5 stars
Better than the last one but still not great. The book opens with the story of a viola being stolen, and that story has virtually nothing to do with anything that happens the rest of the book.
There is a big big coincidence (Diamond and Paloma travelling and seeing the site of a "suicide" that ends up tying into a case in Bath) that's hard to believe.
I do always enjoy the Bath setting.
Better than the last one but still not great. The book opens with the story of a viola being stolen, and that story has virtually nothing to do with anything that happens the rest of the book.
There is a big big coincidence (Diamond and Paloma travelling and seeing the site of a "suicide" that ends up tying into a case in Bath) that's hard to believe.
I do always enjoy the Bath setting.
May 5, 2013
Bath, England's head homicide detective, Peter Diamond, isn't known for his interest in anything other than work, a pint and a pie. His girlfriend, Paloma, has to pull out all the stops to get him to take a weekend tourist trip to Vienna, tempting him by reminding him that it's the setting for his favorite film, The Third Man. A somber note is introduced when they come across the scene of an impromptu memorial to a young, Japanese woman found dead in the Danube canal; an apparent suicide.
Back home in Bath, Diamond's team is called in to investigate when another young Asian woman is found dead in a local canal. One of the very few clues to her identity is a "tooth tattoo" of a musical quaver, or eighth note, on her incisor. This musical connection brings the investigation to interview the members of the Staccati String Quartet, who are in residence in Bath.
The quartet's story is a parallel plot thread. The members are irascible first violin Ivan; earth mother and queen of the double entendre, cellist Kat; music-obsessed autistic, second violin Anthony; and new violist, Mel Farran. Mel is new because his predecessor, Harry, disappeared several years earlier in Budapest, when the group was on a central European tour, and is presumed dead.
Strange events in Mel's past, a mysterious new patron, and what looks to be a stalker put a dark cloud over Mel's joy at becoming a member of the prestigious quartet and collaborating with them at a higher musical level than he's ever known. The two plot threads--the quartet's story and Diamond's investigation--intertwine, as Diamond delves into the quartet's history to try to find out if there might be a connection between the two women's deaths, and maybe even Harry's disappearance. This history is complex and presents many avenues for exploration; there are even some subtle allusions to The Third Man in Diamond's quest for answers.
Unfortunately, the complexity of the plot unravels suddenly and leads to a fairly disappointing resolution. I can't say more without spoilers.
I've been a fan of Peter Lovesey's work since his first mystery, Wobble to Death, way back in 1970. The Peter Diamond series blends the best of old-fashioned fair-play mystery with the modern police procedural. I appreciate that Lovesey hasn't fallen into the ultra-violent and serial killer plots that have become so prevalent. He sticks to more realistic murders, which are explained by human emotions and circumstances, which I find far more satisfying---even if, in this particular case, I was underwhelmed by the conclusion.
I wouldn't recommend this as one of Lovesey's better efforts, but it won't prevent me from continuing to read Lovesey books as soon as they come out and recommending him to anyone who enjoys fair-play mysteries and low-violence police procedurals.
Back home in Bath, Diamond's team is called in to investigate when another young Asian woman is found dead in a local canal. One of the very few clues to her identity is a "tooth tattoo" of a musical quaver, or eighth note, on her incisor. This musical connection brings the investigation to interview the members of the Staccati String Quartet, who are in residence in Bath.
The quartet's story is a parallel plot thread. The members are irascible first violin Ivan; earth mother and queen of the double entendre, cellist Kat; music-obsessed autistic, second violin Anthony; and new violist, Mel Farran. Mel is new because his predecessor, Harry, disappeared several years earlier in Budapest, when the group was on a central European tour, and is presumed dead.
Strange events in Mel's past, a mysterious new patron, and what looks to be a stalker put a dark cloud over Mel's joy at becoming a member of the prestigious quartet and collaborating with them at a higher musical level than he's ever known. The two plot threads--the quartet's story and Diamond's investigation--intertwine, as Diamond delves into the quartet's history to try to find out if there might be a connection between the two women's deaths, and maybe even Harry's disappearance. This history is complex and presents many avenues for exploration; there are even some subtle allusions to The Third Man in Diamond's quest for answers.
Unfortunately, the complexity of the plot unravels suddenly and leads to a fairly disappointing resolution. I can't say more without spoilers.
I've been a fan of Peter Lovesey's work since his first mystery, Wobble to Death, way back in 1970. The Peter Diamond series blends the best of old-fashioned fair-play mystery with the modern police procedural. I appreciate that Lovesey hasn't fallen into the ultra-violent and serial killer plots that have become so prevalent. He sticks to more realistic murders, which are explained by human emotions and circumstances, which I find far more satisfying---even if, in this particular case, I was underwhelmed by the conclusion.
I wouldn't recommend this as one of Lovesey's better efforts, but it won't prevent me from continuing to read Lovesey books as soon as they come out and recommending him to anyone who enjoys fair-play mysteries and low-violence police procedurals.
February 27, 2013
4.5 stars rounded up to five, because I love this series.
The irascible detective from Bath, Peter Diamond, is back. He’s keeping his team in line, slinging puns, and doing his best to keep his boss, Georgina Dallymore, off balance.
His latest case involves the body of a young woman found in a local waterway. Cause of death is uncertain and identification seems unlikely, but Diamond is determined to explore every lead before filing this case under accidental. His tenacity is rewarded when the second autopsy he orders (without the approval or knowledge of the cost conscious Dallymore) reveals two important things.
The first is solid evidence that the young woman ended up in the water as a result of murder and not by misadventure. The second is the remnants of a tooth tattoo. This small piece of evidence leads to the name of the victim. She is Mari Hitomi, a twenty year Japanese woman from Yokohama who had come to England to visit friends.
Mari was a music groupie. Not of rock bands, but of classical musicians. It just so happens that the well-regarded Staccati Quartet is in residence at Bath Spa University and Diamond’s investigation of Mari’s movements soon leads to them.
A tightly plotted murder mystery ensues, involving classical music, chess, mammoth ivory, the Japanese yakuza, Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge, and the movie The Third Man. Sound scattered? Not in the hands of Lovesey. He keeps the action moving, his characters interesting, the dialogue sparkling and Diamond cheeky. This is no small feat for the thirteenth in a series (the first is The Last Detective). A joy to read.
The irascible detective from Bath, Peter Diamond, is back. He’s keeping his team in line, slinging puns, and doing his best to keep his boss, Georgina Dallymore, off balance.
His latest case involves the body of a young woman found in a local waterway. Cause of death is uncertain and identification seems unlikely, but Diamond is determined to explore every lead before filing this case under accidental. His tenacity is rewarded when the second autopsy he orders (without the approval or knowledge of the cost conscious Dallymore) reveals two important things.
The first is solid evidence that the young woman ended up in the water as a result of murder and not by misadventure. The second is the remnants of a tooth tattoo. This small piece of evidence leads to the name of the victim. She is Mari Hitomi, a twenty year Japanese woman from Yokohama who had come to England to visit friends.
Mari was a music groupie. Not of rock bands, but of classical musicians. It just so happens that the well-regarded Staccati Quartet is in residence at Bath Spa University and Diamond’s investigation of Mari’s movements soon leads to them.
A tightly plotted murder mystery ensues, involving classical music, chess, mammoth ivory, the Japanese yakuza, Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge, and the movie The Third Man. Sound scattered? Not in the hands of Lovesey. He keeps the action moving, his characters interesting, the dialogue sparkling and Diamond cheeky. This is no small feat for the thirteenth in a series (the first is The Last Detective). A joy to read.
November 3, 2013
Good Old Fashioned Detective Diamond
The Tooth Tattoo by Peter Lovesey is the thirteenth in the Diamond series but this was my introduction to Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond. I am glad to have finally been introduced to him as this while being set in Bath is a good old fashioned detective story and what sets it apart from other crime reading there is a good old fashioned reveal at the close of the book very much ala Agatha Christie.
A dead body floats up in the Avon canal in bed and it has been there a while and at first it may have been a suicide but when the autopsy has been completed we find she has been murdered. The body is not only female but she is a Japanese female with a tattoo on her tooth of a quaver. The more they dig the more they find out that she was a fan of a musical quartet of the classical variety, the Staccati who have recently taken on a new violist to replace one that had gone missing in Budapest.
This story primarily based in Bath takes us to a murder in Vienna while the Staccati were also playing a few concerts there. We run in to the dreaded yakuza and some of their finest work including dealing in ivory. All this while Peter Diamond is out of his normal comfort zone and his personal life is in free fall.
I really enjoyed the Tooth Tattoo in away Peter Diamond reminded me in a way of Poirot who views all the evidence that is building and only at the end of the book is the reveal of whodunit and the reason why. This was a complete pleasure to read and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
The Tooth Tattoo by Peter Lovesey is the thirteenth in the Diamond series but this was my introduction to Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond. I am glad to have finally been introduced to him as this while being set in Bath is a good old fashioned detective story and what sets it apart from other crime reading there is a good old fashioned reveal at the close of the book very much ala Agatha Christie.
A dead body floats up in the Avon canal in bed and it has been there a while and at first it may have been a suicide but when the autopsy has been completed we find she has been murdered. The body is not only female but she is a Japanese female with a tattoo on her tooth of a quaver. The more they dig the more they find out that she was a fan of a musical quartet of the classical variety, the Staccati who have recently taken on a new violist to replace one that had gone missing in Budapest.
This story primarily based in Bath takes us to a murder in Vienna while the Staccati were also playing a few concerts there. We run in to the dreaded yakuza and some of their finest work including dealing in ivory. All this while Peter Diamond is out of his normal comfort zone and his personal life is in free fall.
I really enjoyed the Tooth Tattoo in away Peter Diamond reminded me in a way of Poirot who views all the evidence that is building and only at the end of the book is the reveal of whodunit and the reason why. This was a complete pleasure to read and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
June 1, 2013
Peter Diamond is back. I love Peter Lovesey's Peter Diamond character. DCI Diamond is a big bear of a man with a quick wit and an equally quick temper. He is stationed In Bath in the UK. He has a wonderful team of detectives that work for him. Lovesey is a master craftsman of this type of detective story, and I really like Diamond as a character, but this book was not quite as enjoyable as the previous ones in this series. I loved the intimate look into the classical music scene, especially the string quartet aspect. I loved the individual members of the quartet. Lovesey has a real knack of creating believable and realistic characters, and this book has all of this. He also knows how to weave a plot and usually his books are suspenseful and fast moving. That is where this particular book is different. I found the story to drag a bit as Diamond was trying to find this particular killer. The first murder was four years ago in Vienna and the second happened in Diamond's home town of Bath. There didn't seem to be much in common between the two victims except for two things - a love of and understanding of classical music and both were young Japanese women. But Diamond knows that coincidences just don't happen very often, so he continues to pursue this as two linked killings. And Diamond is his usual wonderful self in this book, so that alone makes reading the books enjoyable.
April 14, 2025
I read Peter Lovesey's WHOLE Peter Diamond series (16 books in all) in June and July of 2017, sequentially and without an iota of boredom. Forgive me for posting this as a comment/review into each book's space: I didn't think to do it as I was reading morning to night with no intervening literature.
The main detective, Peter Diamond, a few other police types, and a couple of non-police characters are incorporated into a series of crimes set in and around Bath, England. Historical and literary inclusions enrich the texts without being excessive. The inclusion of the music of a string quartet in one book was stupefying to this music lover.
The depth of description of the main characters is Just Right: they are rich, real, fully settled in the time and place where they appear. Minor characters reappear and are developed as their roles in each book's situation grows. There are a couple of emotionally shocking developments (no need for suspension of disbelief) one of which made me quite sad on a summer's day.
I was so absorbed by these books (MUST read chronologically) that I was unable to take in any other book in Lovesey's prolific bibliography. Probably my fault. They weren't Peter Diamond books, hence not worthy....
The main detective, Peter Diamond, a few other police types, and a couple of non-police characters are incorporated into a series of crimes set in and around Bath, England. Historical and literary inclusions enrich the texts without being excessive. The inclusion of the music of a string quartet in one book was stupefying to this music lover.
The depth of description of the main characters is Just Right: they are rich, real, fully settled in the time and place where they appear. Minor characters reappear and are developed as their roles in each book's situation grows. There are a couple of emotionally shocking developments (no need for suspension of disbelief) one of which made me quite sad on a summer's day.
I was so absorbed by these books (MUST read chronologically) that I was unable to take in any other book in Lovesey's prolific bibliography. Probably my fault. They weren't Peter Diamond books, hence not worthy....
February 24, 2015
Peter Diamond is a grumpy, but not Scandi-dour, detective who heads the CID in Bath, England. In this 2013 addition to Peter Lovesey's Diamond series, we find him struggling with budget cuts, an estrangement with his companion Paloma and his most challenging case yet. A unidentified body is found in a canal. The only clue that might lead to her identity is a musical note tattooed onto a tooth. Diamond soon finds himself immersed in the musical world of a visiting string quartet as he searches for clues and a resolution to the murder. The ensemble of recurring and likable series characters appears, helping Diamond maneuver his way around the unfamiliar world of classical musicians. Both the reader and Diamond are treated to a peek inside this competitive culture as the tempo of the case works its way to a crescendo of a solution. It is both fascinating and unsettling. Lovesey continues to be a maestro of mystery as he shows in this police procedural peopled with great characters revolving around an intricate crime.
October 11, 2013
Lovesey keeps up his standards in the latest Peter Diamond. A VERY interesting setting for the book, involving a string quartet and young Japanese music-lovers who seem to have a habit of drowning....
Several nice features: Diamond has a relationship problem in the book that was handled very believably. The musical background nicely added to the picture in a way that should appeal to musical savants without leaving the musically uninitiated puzzled and annoyed(in stark contrast to Donna Leon's Jewels of Paradise, which seemed designed to show how much more knowledgeable the author was than the reader! The opening scene is GUARANTEED to make the reader HAVE to continue reading! I also picked up other interesting lore,such as the practice substituting fossil mammoth ivory for banned elephant ivory in present-day carvings, that made me feel I had learned something in addition to being entertained.
Several nice features: Diamond has a relationship problem in the book that was handled very believably. The musical background nicely added to the picture in a way that should appeal to musical savants without leaving the musically uninitiated puzzled and annoyed(in stark contrast to Donna Leon's Jewels of Paradise, which seemed designed to show how much more knowledgeable the author was than the reader! The opening scene is GUARANTEED to make the reader HAVE to continue reading! I also picked up other interesting lore,such as the practice substituting fossil mammoth ivory for banned elephant ivory in present-day carvings, that made me feel I had learned something in addition to being entertained.
June 30, 2013
It is a while since I read one of Peter Lovesy's Peter Diamond stories and the passage of time has not diminished my enjoyment. The Diamond series are good old fashioned British crime stories and Peter Diamond is one of the best of the British policemen - a gruff, likeable character with a multitude of weaknesses and strengths that make him very human. Lovesy is a gifted and clever writer and his plots are entertaining and full of twists and turns. I am so glad I found this book in the local library and I'm off to find the others in the series that I have missed out on.
November 2, 2013
This is the first Peter Diamond novel I've read. I liked the main character but didn't find him particularly memorable. I did like the book however, especially the parts about the world of classical music and the professional musicians who play it. The mystery was interesting and unfolded well. I did find the ending a little anticlimactic. Although it took some time for the detective to discern who the murderer was, when he did it almost seemed too easy. Still I would rate the book worth reading.
February 16, 2016
This is a very interesting mystery which weaves together two seemingly unrelated stories. The book is very well written, the characters are interesting and ,in the course of the book the reader can learn something about the world of the classical musician. The ending is a surprise and the author creates a bit of extra tension by causing each character to be so likeable that the reader doesn't want anyone to be guilty!
June 27, 2013
i've read the whole peter diamond series but especially like this one as it dovetails with my recently acquired passion for all things joshua bell (and classical violin.)i borrowed this from the library but may purchase a copy so that i may annotate the pieces of music that are described and listen to them.
February 1, 2013
A great crime fiction story that help a good bit of mystery and gore. It wasn't really my cup of tea but the book was well written but I found all the music references a bit boring.
RECEIVED BOOK FREE THROUGH GOODREADS FIRST READS
RECEIVED BOOK FREE THROUGH GOODREADS FIRST READS
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