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Eve Diamond Mystery #2
Sugar Skull: An Eve Diamond Novel
From the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, and Willa-nominated author Denise Hamilton comes SUGAR SKULL Acclaimed by award committees and critics for her groundbreaking "The Jasmine Trade," Denise Hamilton returns with a penetrating new Eve Diamond crime novel sure to confirm her reputation as a rising star.
"Los Angeles Times" reporter Eve Diamond usually works out of the paper's San Gabriel Valley bureau, but she's taking a weekend shift downtown when a distraught Vincent Chevalier breaks through security and demands her help.
His fifteen-year-old daughter, Isabel, is missing, and the cops won't go looking for her until forty-eight hours have passed. The man thinks he knows where she might be -- with some runaways in a dismal squat in East Hollywood. He wants Eve as his witness when he enters the squat and tries to bring Isabel home.
Eve senses a possible story: Why would a privileged young girl from Pasadena spend time with the down-and-outs in East Hollywood? But there will be no interview with Isabel. Isabel is dead, her body wrapped in a dirty futon and abandoned in a derelict basement.
Eve's questions have only begun. What brought the blond-haired teenager to such a tragic, early demise? Did a man named Finch, who's had past arrests for drugs, burglary, and theft, have something to do with Isabel's murder? What about her father? There's something unsettling about him. And what was Isabel's relationship with Paolo Langdon, her schoolmate and the son of a socialite hostess and a prominent politician?
Even as Eve must fight against powerful forces that want her off the story, she finds herself emotionally drawn to the brooding scion of a Mexican music-promotiontitan. It's dangerous to mix professional with personal, but Silvio Aguilar is hard to resist. And in his world, in the little sugar skull confections that commemorate the Mexican Day of the Dead, Eve may find some clue to a killer.
Written with the authenticity and bold strokes that Denise Hamilton has made her own, "Sugar Skull" is much more than a triumphant crime novel -- it's a dazzling portrait of a city full of diversity. Rich with nuance and insight, this is compelling, illuminating crime writing at its best.
"Los Angeles Times" reporter Eve Diamond usually works out of the paper's San Gabriel Valley bureau, but she's taking a weekend shift downtown when a distraught Vincent Chevalier breaks through security and demands her help.
His fifteen-year-old daughter, Isabel, is missing, and the cops won't go looking for her until forty-eight hours have passed. The man thinks he knows where she might be -- with some runaways in a dismal squat in East Hollywood. He wants Eve as his witness when he enters the squat and tries to bring Isabel home.
Eve senses a possible story: Why would a privileged young girl from Pasadena spend time with the down-and-outs in East Hollywood? But there will be no interview with Isabel. Isabel is dead, her body wrapped in a dirty futon and abandoned in a derelict basement.
Eve's questions have only begun. What brought the blond-haired teenager to such a tragic, early demise? Did a man named Finch, who's had past arrests for drugs, burglary, and theft, have something to do with Isabel's murder? What about her father? There's something unsettling about him. And what was Isabel's relationship with Paolo Langdon, her schoolmate and the son of a socialite hostess and a prominent politician?
Even as Eve must fight against powerful forces that want her off the story, she finds herself emotionally drawn to the brooding scion of a Mexican music-promotiontitan. It's dangerous to mix professional with personal, but Silvio Aguilar is hard to resist. And in his world, in the little sugar skull confections that commemorate the Mexican Day of the Dead, Eve may find some clue to a killer.
Written with the authenticity and bold strokes that Denise Hamilton has made her own, "Sugar Skull" is much more than a triumphant crime novel -- it's a dazzling portrait of a city full of diversity. Rich with nuance and insight, this is compelling, illuminating crime writing at its best.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
8 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Denise Hamilton
32 books116 followersDenise Hamilton is a Los Angeles-based writer-journalist whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Wired, Cosmopolitan, Der Spiegel, and New Times. A reporter for the L.A. Times for ten years, she covered not only L.A. stories, but also the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the breakup of the Soviet Union, and burgeoning youth movements in Japan. A Fulbright scholar, she taught in the former Yugoslavia during the Bosnian War. She lives in a Los Angeles suburb with her husband and two young children. Her first novel, The Jasmine Trade, received wide acclaim and was a finalist for the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, and WILLA Awards.
Series:
* Eve Diamond Mystery
Series:
* Eve Diamond Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 5, 2016
Although this is an excellent mystery, there are four very ridiculous scenarios that help the plausibility score plunge. (Hints...quick romance, way-too-easy and unbelievable confessions - twice, shrugged-off robberies, finding people in immense, crazy crowds - again, twice...I keep thinking of more and more....) Eve Diamond is a reporter. Media. Yuck. The best part of the book? The great vocabulary. Hamilton uses words that you don't often run across in a murder mystery. Vitrine. Puerile. Oleaginous. Atavistic. Penumbra. Naiads. Fecund. I have a whole, wonderful list. So will I read another? Sure!
September 6, 2018
3.5 stars rounded up
This is book two in the Eve Diamond books, but I have not read book one. I don't think it matters too much though, any references to previous exploits are explained in sufficient detail to be irrelevant. It was also released some years ago, so there are a couple of things which date the content, but I'd working through the book pile and this came up to read.
On the whole, I found this entertaining. A couple of things bugged me, but they might be unimportant to anyone but me. Told in first person, it took a while to get into teh story and to identify with the main character. Also there are a lot of things going on, so just as the story flows in one direction, something else comes along and the story follows a different track. It comes together in the end, but it can be a little jarring from within the story itself.
The denouement, in the form of a confession is a little forced for me, but then we get the backstory to the whole plot. The instlove more of a plot device, and the final wraps ups of unexplained threads and explanations etc seemed a little speedy. The plot is good though, and I did enjoy the book. I will certainly read another Hamilton story.
This is book two in the Eve Diamond books, but I have not read book one. I don't think it matters too much though, any references to previous exploits are explained in sufficient detail to be irrelevant. It was also released some years ago, so there are a couple of things which date the content, but I'd working through the book pile and this came up to read.
On the whole, I found this entertaining. A couple of things bugged me, but they might be unimportant to anyone but me. Told in first person, it took a while to get into teh story and to identify with the main character. Also there are a lot of things going on, so just as the story flows in one direction, something else comes along and the story follows a different track. It comes together in the end, but it can be a little jarring from within the story itself.
The denouement, in the form of a confession is a little forced for me, but then we get the backstory to the whole plot. The instlove more of a plot device, and the final wraps ups of unexplained threads and explanations etc seemed a little speedy. The plot is good though, and I did enjoy the book. I will certainly read another Hamilton story.
December 31, 2023
Didn’t realize this was book two of a five book series when I read it, which explains why there was more detail about Eve and her personal life and I expected. Although part of it did intertwine with the murders as she had a dalliance with the brother of one of the murder victims. She does help figure out who killed him as well as the wife of the mayoral candidate and the daughter of the music promoter.
December 1, 2014
Well written, pacy, readable, fun. Good characters, if some loose ends.
March 30, 2021
Sometimes our reaction to a book depends on the time of life when we read it. Six months ago, or six months from now, I might have picked this up and loved every page. As it was, I’m going to continue with the series, but this one was a speed bump.
Someone killed the 15-year-old privileged girl from Los Angeles. At first, her dad thought she ran away. Running away was a habit of hers, after all. In fact, when her father approaches Eve Diamond to get some publicity about her disappearance, he admitted she was a repeat runaway, and he even knew where she would go. It seems the staid privileged life he offered her wasn’t enough. She deliberately sought cutting-edge action on the street, and she did that with a motivation to help other young people in the throes of homelessness. She would leave home for days on end and live in a squat whose distinguishing characteristics included a mattress on which someone regularly defecated and a bed that guaranteed a significant transfer of body lice to anyone foolish enough to lie down on it. When Eve and the troubled father arrive at the squat, they find part of it inhabited by a Satan worshipper. Someone filled part of the place with the bones of domestic animals sacrificed to old Scratch. As they burrowed farther into the place, they found the body of the young, murdered girl. The cops figured the girl’s homeless boyfriend killed her. But Eve, ever the overly curious reporter, assumed that was too easy. They found the boyfriend and charged him with murder, but Eve kept looking, and the more she dug, the more bizarre became the connections she unearthed. While making the connections, she encounters a homeless teenager nicknamed Scout who may know what happened to the privileged runaway. The drug-addicted homeless girl knows about another murder that occurs farther into the book. The socialite wife of a mayoral candidate dies at the hand of a killer, and her death ties back to that of the privileged girl who died early in the book.
I wish I could better explain why I couldn’t emotionally involve myself in this book in the same way I do most mysteries I read. It was ok; don’t misunderstand. But I’ll lay serious money that, if you ask me about it in as little as six hours, there are huge pieces I already won’t remember.
Someone killed the 15-year-old privileged girl from Los Angeles. At first, her dad thought she ran away. Running away was a habit of hers, after all. In fact, when her father approaches Eve Diamond to get some publicity about her disappearance, he admitted she was a repeat runaway, and he even knew where she would go. It seems the staid privileged life he offered her wasn’t enough. She deliberately sought cutting-edge action on the street, and she did that with a motivation to help other young people in the throes of homelessness. She would leave home for days on end and live in a squat whose distinguishing characteristics included a mattress on which someone regularly defecated and a bed that guaranteed a significant transfer of body lice to anyone foolish enough to lie down on it. When Eve and the troubled father arrive at the squat, they find part of it inhabited by a Satan worshipper. Someone filled part of the place with the bones of domestic animals sacrificed to old Scratch. As they burrowed farther into the place, they found the body of the young, murdered girl. The cops figured the girl’s homeless boyfriend killed her. But Eve, ever the overly curious reporter, assumed that was too easy. They found the boyfriend and charged him with murder, but Eve kept looking, and the more she dug, the more bizarre became the connections she unearthed. While making the connections, she encounters a homeless teenager nicknamed Scout who may know what happened to the privileged runaway. The drug-addicted homeless girl knows about another murder that occurs farther into the book. The socialite wife of a mayoral candidate dies at the hand of a killer, and her death ties back to that of the privileged girl who died early in the book.
I wish I could better explain why I couldn’t emotionally involve myself in this book in the same way I do most mysteries I read. It was ok; don’t misunderstand. But I’ll lay serious money that, if you ask me about it in as little as six hours, there are huge pieces I already won’t remember.
February 10, 2024
This book was not great. The plot was interesting enough but I didn't like the writing style nor the main character. The author seemed to be trying to show off her vocabulary but I'm not gonna pull out a dictionary for a trashy crime novel. There were also large descriptive paragraphs that weren't really needed to set the scene if you know anything at all about LA and took away from the story. Plus the decision to call a pair of side characters Scout and Finch is kinda cringe. The main character, Eve Diamond, is a journalist for the LA Times. I feel like the author was going for cool and rebellious when writing the character but to me she comes off as a bit of a dork with poor judgement, and I found her really annoying. The book is 20 years old so I will give some leeway for the in depth descriptions of different foods to show how worldly Eve is, but most people know what those foods are in this day and age. Eve gets approached one day by a desperate father wanting help finding his teen daughter Isabel, who is known to hang out with squatters because being rich private school kid is too boring and safe. They find the body in the squat and Eve sets to work uncovering what happened while also working on a story about why rich kids slum it with street kids. Over the next few days Eve stumbles into the path of two other murder investigations, those of the socialite wife of a mayoral candidate and a Mexican pool cleaner whose family are big name Latin music promoters. Although the murders seem unrelated at first, threads slowly begin to unravel. The ending was interesting enough. One thing to be aware of and where this book has particularly aged like milk is there is liberal use of the t slur in part of the investigation. Bearing in mind again the book is 20 years old, but maybe sit this one out if you don't want to see transphobia.
May 20, 2019
Good literary popcorn
Read
June 25, 2017DNF. I just couldn't get into it. I think I'll pass on this series.
I'm still reading, but having doubts. This is only the second book I've read by this author, but in both of them children have been killed or in danger, and I really don't like that. Also, the internal chronology for the characters seems wrong. It would fit better if they were 10-15 years older than presented...
I'm still reading, but having doubts. This is only the second book I've read by this author, but in both of them children have been killed or in danger, and I really don't like that. Also, the internal chronology for the characters seems wrong. It would fit better if they were 10-15 years older than presented...
June 26, 2009
Denise Hamilton, Sugar Skull (Scribner, 2003)
Back when I first subscribed to Chapter-a-Day (now known as Dear Reader), Sugar Skull was one of the first books that caught my attention. Somehow, it took me five years to get around to actually reading the thing. This was a big mistake, because while it's not perfect, Sugar Skull is, where mysteries are concerned, the real deal.
Eve Diamond is a Metro reporter for the L. A. Times, usually relegated to writing local-color stories and the like, or being a “contributor” to bigger stories. Unless, of course, something happens to push her onto a bigger story, and in this case, it's Vincent Chevalier, legendary sound engineer (“I did all of Jackson Browne's albums since Late for the Sky!”), bursting into the office early one Saturday morning and trying to find a reporter, any reporter, who will listen to his story before security tosses him out. Turns out Eve is the only one there, and his story is that he needs to go down to a local squat—again—and pull his daughter, educated at an exclusive private school, out. Problem is, Isabel is dead, strangled and left in the basement in a rolled-up futon. Her boyfriend is quickly fingered for the murder, but his friends swear he wouldn't do such a thing; even dad looks kind of skeptical. When Eve goes to visit one of her school friends, Paolo Dellaviglia Langdon, whose father happens to be the favorite in the upcoming mayoral race, she stumbles on an even bigger story—his legendary wife Venus. Something's off about her, and Eve can't quite figure out what. It becomes a lot more important when Venus is found dead in the pool the next day. And just to add something more to her plate, her editor asks her to do a local-color story about the rise of a Mexican concert promoter, a guy who books shows few people in LA know about, but that pack a forty-thousand-seat arena at forty-eight bucks a pop. No wonder the guy's a millionaire. But she quickly finds herself less interested in him than in his son Silvio, who's just plain dreamy.
My favorite thing about this novel is that Silvio's dreaminess isn't the cardboard-cutout one expects from a mystery with a romance undercurrent. I mean, the first thing she really notices about the guy is his little potbelly. That's when most heroines would just move on and try to find the guy with the sixpack abs. Eve Diamond wonders what it would feel like pressed against her. Bless you, Eve. You give the rest of us hope. Everything that balances is out is personal nitpicky stuff of my own that has nothing at all to do with the way the book is written, and I'm trying to get better about factoring things like that into my judgments of books. When it comes right down to it, there's nothing here to really transcend genre, and everything's just a little too neat starting about halfway through the book, but it's quite well-written and Hamilton's obviously done her homework on a lot of this stuff. Definitely worth a look. *** ½
Back when I first subscribed to Chapter-a-Day (now known as Dear Reader), Sugar Skull was one of the first books that caught my attention. Somehow, it took me five years to get around to actually reading the thing. This was a big mistake, because while it's not perfect, Sugar Skull is, where mysteries are concerned, the real deal.
Eve Diamond is a Metro reporter for the L. A. Times, usually relegated to writing local-color stories and the like, or being a “contributor” to bigger stories. Unless, of course, something happens to push her onto a bigger story, and in this case, it's Vincent Chevalier, legendary sound engineer (“I did all of Jackson Browne's albums since Late for the Sky!”), bursting into the office early one Saturday morning and trying to find a reporter, any reporter, who will listen to his story before security tosses him out. Turns out Eve is the only one there, and his story is that he needs to go down to a local squat—again—and pull his daughter, educated at an exclusive private school, out. Problem is, Isabel is dead, strangled and left in the basement in a rolled-up futon. Her boyfriend is quickly fingered for the murder, but his friends swear he wouldn't do such a thing; even dad looks kind of skeptical. When Eve goes to visit one of her school friends, Paolo Dellaviglia Langdon, whose father happens to be the favorite in the upcoming mayoral race, she stumbles on an even bigger story—his legendary wife Venus. Something's off about her, and Eve can't quite figure out what. It becomes a lot more important when Venus is found dead in the pool the next day. And just to add something more to her plate, her editor asks her to do a local-color story about the rise of a Mexican concert promoter, a guy who books shows few people in LA know about, but that pack a forty-thousand-seat arena at forty-eight bucks a pop. No wonder the guy's a millionaire. But she quickly finds herself less interested in him than in his son Silvio, who's just plain dreamy.
My favorite thing about this novel is that Silvio's dreaminess isn't the cardboard-cutout one expects from a mystery with a romance undercurrent. I mean, the first thing she really notices about the guy is his little potbelly. That's when most heroines would just move on and try to find the guy with the sixpack abs. Eve Diamond wonders what it would feel like pressed against her. Bless you, Eve. You give the rest of us hope. Everything that balances is out is personal nitpicky stuff of my own that has nothing at all to do with the way the book is written, and I'm trying to get better about factoring things like that into my judgments of books. When it comes right down to it, there's nothing here to really transcend genre, and everything's just a little too neat starting about halfway through the book, but it's quite well-written and Hamilton's obviously done her homework on a lot of this stuff. Definitely worth a look. *** ½
June 18, 2008
Vincent Chevalier’s upset. So upset that he barges into the Los Angeles Times office and begs reporter, Eve Diamond, to help him find his missing fifteen-year-old daughter, Isobel. After a quick background check, Eve cautiously follows Vincent to the squat his daughter’s been known to frequent with a kid named Finch. They find Isobel’s body, but there’s no sign of Finch. Eve’s sympathy for Chevalier, and the potential for a good story, prompt her to explore the world of homeless teens and the rich kids who hang with them.
Eve’s research leads her to one of Isobel’s friends, Paolo, whose father is running for mayor. But the murder of Paolo’s mother turns this subplot into an intriguing story itself. Eve’s also been assigned to write an article about the Aguilar family who run a Mexican All-Star Rodeo. She winds up with more than she bargained for when Ruben Aguilar is shot and Eve becomes a little too involved with his brother, Silvio.
Part of this novel focuses on the different ways family members cope with the sudden loss of loved one. But SUGAR SKULL is much more than this. It’s a well-crafted, thought-provoking story about people, rich and poor, doing whatever it takes to get what they want, or need. Author, Denise Hamilton, does a terrific job of showing us what happens when the worlds of rich and poor collide.
One of the most striking aspects of this book is that every character, including Eve, is far from perfect. The question becomes what price do they pay for exposing these darker traits? To find out, read this superb novel.
Eve’s research leads her to one of Isobel’s friends, Paolo, whose father is running for mayor. But the murder of Paolo’s mother turns this subplot into an intriguing story itself. Eve’s also been assigned to write an article about the Aguilar family who run a Mexican All-Star Rodeo. She winds up with more than she bargained for when Ruben Aguilar is shot and Eve becomes a little too involved with his brother, Silvio.
Part of this novel focuses on the different ways family members cope with the sudden loss of loved one. But SUGAR SKULL is much more than this. It’s a well-crafted, thought-provoking story about people, rich and poor, doing whatever it takes to get what they want, or need. Author, Denise Hamilton, does a terrific job of showing us what happens when the worlds of rich and poor collide.
One of the most striking aspects of this book is that every character, including Eve, is far from perfect. The question becomes what price do they pay for exposing these darker traits? To find out, read this superb novel.
June 10, 2015
Story is probably better than the 3 stars I gave, but the lead character wore on me frequently and was able to get away with too much crossing the lines and throwing thinly veiled accusations around.
Lead character is Eve Diamond, LA Times reported who usually works the suburban beat rather than the city front lines. Story takes place around Halloween and the upcoming Day of the Dead Mexican celebrations. Eve helps a father look for his missing 15 year old daughter who likes to hang out with homeless squatters. This leads to her working on a story regarding homeless teens and those who hangout with them which leads her into another story involving the front running candidate for LA mayor and finally a third story regarding Mexican music and the wealthy Mexican family promoters. Yes, all three stories end up being all intertwined along with 3 murders.
Lead character is Eve Diamond, LA Times reported who usually works the suburban beat rather than the city front lines. Story takes place around Halloween and the upcoming Day of the Dead Mexican celebrations. Eve helps a father look for his missing 15 year old daughter who likes to hang out with homeless squatters. This leads to her working on a story regarding homeless teens and those who hangout with them which leads her into another story involving the front running candidate for LA mayor and finally a third story regarding Mexican music and the wealthy Mexican family promoters. Yes, all three stories end up being all intertwined along with 3 murders.
February 16, 2009
I think this might be the best of the Eve Diamond series. I have read the other 4 and now read this one (out of sequence, though it doesn't really matter). Silver Lake environs, Hollywood street people, Los Feliz richies, Latino culture of La Puente and LA mayoral politics all are interwoven for a rich plot. Eve meets Silvio (her quasi boyfriend) in this novel; I knew I didn't like him in the later two he shows up in and now, with their first meeting in this one, I still don't like him. Too untrustworthy.
November 8, 2014
This was entertaining, I guess, but I think my expectations were too high. Given its title, I expected the book to explore Mexican culture in Los Angeles, but it really only explored music culture. The sugar skull itself was peripheral. I also expected this book to be darker and grittier than it was. Instead, it had the usual plucky (annoying) heroine, the overexplaining, the unbelievable coincidences you find in a lot of mysteries with female protagonists. Very run-of-the-mill. Try April Smith's books for L.A.-set mysteries that are different (and better).
September 10, 2007
SUGAR SKULL – VG
Denise Hamilton – 2nd in series
It is clear Denise Hamilton knows whereof she speaks. Her character, Eve Diamond, is a journalist for the Los Angeles Times and knows that city well. Eve investigations take her from murder of runaway street kid, to the Latino music community, to a wealthy mayoral candidate and his wife.
Although the tie-up may be a bit of a plausibility stretch, it is still a very well-written story. This is an author and series well worth following.
Denise Hamilton – 2nd in series
It is clear Denise Hamilton knows whereof she speaks. Her character, Eve Diamond, is a journalist for the Los Angeles Times and knows that city well. Eve investigations take her from murder of runaway street kid, to the Latino music community, to a wealthy mayoral candidate and his wife.
Although the tie-up may be a bit of a plausibility stretch, it is still a very well-written story. This is an author and series well worth following.
February 7, 2009
A fine detective story. Takes place in modern day LA, which is fun, especially if you know LA.
My only problem is that Denise Hamilton tries just a little too hard to prove her credentials as politically correct and a progressive, particularly when it comes to LA politics of the Latino community, well-off and poor alike.
I did like it though. I'll try another of this series of Eve Diamond novels.
My only problem is that Denise Hamilton tries just a little too hard to prove her credentials as politically correct and a progressive, particularly when it comes to LA politics of the Latino community, well-off and poor alike.
I did like it though. I'll try another of this series of Eve Diamond novels.
February 13, 2008
Wow, there are some CRAZY peeps down in LA! I'm not sure why I didn't like this book more...it was entertaining and had lots of twists and turns in the plot. But all I really remember is how messed up everyone in the book was.
May 21, 2008
i picked this up because of it's title and cover. yeah, i'm a total sucker but i really enjoyed it. much better than i thought it would be. i would certainly recommend it and pick up her other titles given the chance. not a ton of major suspense or action but it was a good read.
July 16, 2012
I was drawn to this book because of my interest in the Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). During this time of the year (late Oct) you will find Sugar Skulls prominetly displayed throughout L.A. So, the title drew me in, the writing kept me reading! Great book!
August 10, 2015
I enjoyed Denise's foray into L.A.s Brown Zones. Her descriptions of L.A. resonate like a bell for those who know L.A. Moved at a fast clip. Yeah, should be a movie. The demographics are screaming for a story like Sugar Skull to be made into a movie.
July 20, 2008
I loved this book! I live in Los Angeles and she captured the city and cultures and craziness of it all brilliantly!
March 21, 2009
It was a good story, but took too long to progress.
January 3, 2010
Not nearly as good as The Jasmine Trade.
August 6, 2010
It good story but not entirely unique. Not greatly written.
September 16, 2011
L.A. Times reporter a protagonist trying to solve 3 murders--involves Mexican American community and music industry.
May 29, 2014
It was entertaining, but nothing to write home about. Too much detail about things unimportant to the plot. I don't buy Eve Diamond as wanting to download Hispanic music on itunes.
July 9, 2012
Sugar Skull was ok but not as good as I expected it to be. I'm going to give Denise Hamilton another try because I love that she writes about my neighborhood.
July 23, 2012
Good mystery/suspense read.
April 6, 2016
Entertaining mystery that captured the essence of LA -it's neighborhoods, it's ethnic groups, it's freeways.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews