Published by Sphere books,
9 July 2019.
ISBN: 978-0-7515-7749-5 (PB)
9 July 2019.
ISBN: 978-0-7515-7749-5 (PB)
The
book opens with the planning of a prison riot, told in the viewpoint of Warren,
a prisoner soon likely to get parole and who wants no part in the trouble.
Warren knows that the riot has been planned by the powerful gang boss who rules
his wing of the prison, whom everyone refers to as Uncle Joe. It then switches
to the viewpoint of Magda Lyle, the prison governor, who is attacked in her
home and kidnapped just as the rioting breaks out. Magda realises that it is not
just a riot but an attempt to break out a prisoner and by her own courage and
self-sacrifice foils the plot.
Peter Diamond, the head of Bath’s CID,
feels wary when he is summoned to meet his immediate superior, the Assistant
Chief Constable, Georgina Dallymore, in front of Bath Cathedral rather than in
the office, but even his pessimistic outlook doesn’t anticipate a problem of
the size she offers him. Accompanying Georgina is Deputy Chief Constable George
Brace, the second most powerful officer in the Avon and Somerset force. Brace
has a problem. His son, Ben, is determined to marry a young woman called
Caroline Irving, who is beautiful, well-educated and wealthy, and is also the
daughter of Joe Irving, a gang boss who rules in Bath and the surrounding area.
Although she has not seen her father for many years while he has been in
prison, Caroline has been living in luxury on the proceeds of crime, and still
thinks of her father as ‘Daddy.’ Even worse from Brace’s point of view, Joe
Irving is due out of prison and is insisting on a magnificent wedding for his
daughter in Bath Abbey, with a reception at the Roman Baths next door. Peter
Diamond’s mission, which Georgina makes it very clear he has no choice but to
accept, is to attend the wedding as an undercover bodyguard posing as a guest
and prevent any of Irving’s numerous enemies from killing him when he breaks
cover to attend.
Diamond is aware that this mission is
next to impossible and that it is futile to attempt to conceal from the media
the wedding of top cop’s son to major criminal’s daughter. He is forced to take
the assignment but insists on involving his team. On the day of the wedding,
all goes surprisingly smoothly, apart from torrential rain, which Diamond
regards as a blessing, as it prevents photos outside the Abbey, one of the most
dangerous points of the day. Just as it all seems to have passed without
incident, a body is discovered in the Roman Baths and Diamond has to rethink
all his ideas as he leads the investigation.
Killing With Confetti is the seventeenth book in the series featuring Peter
Diamond. As with all of Lovesey’s books it is compulsive reading, especially
when Peter Diamond comes on the scene. It has an intriguing plot, with some
moments of high tension, and Lovesey’s trademark dry humour. As always, the
characterisation is superb. Diamond and his team are familiar and well-loved
friends, all with their own quirks but all likeable. The theme that runs
through the book is the corrosive nature of ambition, greed and entitlement, and
the fundamental integrity of Peter Diamond shines through. Killing With
Confetti is a page turner, which I recommend.
------
Reviewer: Carol Westron
Peter Lovesey was born in 1936, and attended
Hampton Grammar School before going to Reading University to study fine art. He
soon switched to English. National Service followed before Peter qualified as a
teacher. Having already published The Kings of Distance, named Sports
Book of the Year by World Sports, in 1969 he saw a competition offering
£1,000 for a first crime novel and decided to enter. Wobble to Death won
and in 1975 Peter became a full-time crime writer, winning awards including the
Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2000 in recognition of his career in crime writing.
He is most well-known for his Inspector Peter Diamond series. There are 17
books in the series. The most recent being Beau Death. Click on the title to read the review.
Carol Westron is a successful short story writer and a Creative
Writing teacher. She is the moderator
for the cosy/historical crime panel, The Deadly Dames. Her crime novels are set both in contemporary
and Victorian times. The Terminal Velocity of Cats the first in her Scene of Crimes novels,
was published July 2013. Carol recently gave an interview to Mystery People. To
read the interview click on the link below.
No comments:
Post a Comment