The Tooth Tattoo (A Detective Peter Diamond Mystery #13) (Paperback)

Description

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"Ingenious . . . Lovers of good music and a good mystery should not miss this delightful tale." —Washington Post Book World

Peter Diamond, head of the Criminal Investigation Division in scenic Bath, England, is investigating the murder of a young woman whose body has been found in the canal, the only clue to her identity a 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.
 
Meanwhile, strange things are happening to jobbing violist Mel Farran, who finds himself scouted by a very elite classical quartet—one whose previous violist disappeared without a trace. Despite the mystery shrouding the group, the chance to join is too good to pass up, and Mel finds himself in a cushy residency at Bath Spa University with the quartet—and embroiled in the unusually musical murder investigation. As the story unfolds in fugue-like counterpoint, Peter and Mel both learn frightening secrets about fandom and about what it takes to survive in the cutthroat world of professional musicians.

About the Author

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Peter Lovesey is the author of more than thirty highly praised mystery novels. He has been awarded the CWA Gold and Silver Daggers, the Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement, the Strand Magazine Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards, and many other honors. He lives in West Sussex, England.

Praise For…

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Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement Recipient
Mystery Writers of America 2018 Grandmaster

Praise for The Tooth Tattoo

"These erudite and wondrously witty books are unlike any police procedural you've ever read. The Tooth Tattoo is a case in point . . . The murder investigation provides the structural framework for a group portrait of the eccentric members of this captivating ensemble and the music they play with such rapturous devotion."
—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

"Ingenious . . . Lovers of good music and a good mystery should not miss this delightful tale."
—Washington Post Book World

"A particularly crafty resolution of the enigmatic mystery shows that this long-running series still has plenty of life."
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Identifying the culprit takes something of a back seat to descriptions of the quartet and the difficult music its members play . . . The insights into the personal dynamics of a string quartet are fascinating.
—PG Koch, The Houston Chronicle

"Lovesey is a puzzle master, and readers will happily chase his adroitly placed clues . . . But Lovesey’s knowledge of classical music and his skill in describing it make The Tooth Tattoo especially memorable and informative."
—Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Lovesey is the real deal . . , [The Diamond novels] are deftly plotted, with strong characters and a good dollop of dry humor, especially the (generally) good-natured sniping among the members of his team.”
—Seattle Times

"The old master does not disappoint. The Tooth Tattoo is a bravura performance."
—Reviewing the Evidence

“I won’t string you along. I won’t be Haydn my feelings about the book, which I did enjoy very much. So just fugue-et about them and appreciate another entertaining Peter Diamond novel.”
—Ted Hertel, Deadly Pleasures

Praise for The Peter Diamond series

“Peter Diamond is impatient, belligerent, cunning, insightful, foul, laugh-out-loud funny . . . A superb series.”
—Louise Penny
 
“I’m jealous of everyone discovering Lovesey and Diamond for the first time—you have a wonderful backlist to catch up on. Me, all I can do is wait for the next book.”
—Sara Paretsky
 
“What'll it be today? A knotty puzzle mystery? A fast-paced police procedural? Something more high-toned, with a bit of wit? With the British author Peter Lovesey, there's no need to make those agonizing decisions, because his books have it all.”
—The New York Times Book Review
 
“Mr. Lovesey's narrative is swift, but he takes time out for local color and abundant humor, the latter springing from the book's quirky characters . . . Lovesey is a wizard at mixing character-driven comedy with realistic-to-grim suspense. And in a writing career spanning four decades, he has created a stylish and varied body of work.”
—The Wall Street Journal
 
“Next to Jane Austen, Peter Lovesey is the writer the tourist board of Bath, England, extols most proudly . . . The enduring draw of the Peter Diamond books derives both from the beguiling Bath cityscape and the brusque character of Diamond himself.”
—NPR