Overview

Pop diva Clarion Calhoun has packed the house with a celebrity appearance in Bath's Theatre Royal production of I Am a Camera. But within moments of her much-anticipated onstage appearance, she is pulled out of character as she screams and claws at her face. When tainted stage makeup is found to have caused the disfiguring burn, fingers point to her makeup artist. Detective Peter Diamond investigates when the makeup artist is found dead, pushed from a catwalk far above the stage. As Diamond digs deeper, he uncovers rivalries among the cast and crew and is forced to confront his own mysterious and deep-seated phobia to find the killer.

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9781609983345

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Reviews

"""A brilliantly conceived and smartly executed mystery set in the hallowed Theater Royal of Bath...As always, the plot's the thing with Lovesey, and the solution to the mystery of Clarion's disfigurement, while arrived at fair and square, is stunning. But the story also has genuine depth and dimension."" -- ""New York Times Book Review"" ""A new Peter Diamond mystery is always cause for celebration. Lovesey's lovable technophobe believes in investigating the hard way, and the result is a classic police procedural filled with red herrings, unexpected twists, and a delightful cast. The author is adept at the sleight of hand that keeps even the most experienced mystery reader guessing right up to the dénouement, and the plotting is enhanced by deft characterizations, masterful use of the theatrical setting, and a narrative laced with sly wit."" -- ""RT Book Reviews"" ""Diamond is a classic."" -- ""New York Times Book Review"" ""In top-notch, Simon Brett manner, Lovesey serves up threatrical superstitions, rituals, and diehard rivalries as Diamond overcomes his own phobia about being backstage in a theater to find the killer. Vivid and fun."" -- ""Booklist"" ""Lovesey, as always, uses his wit like a whip and whirls through the theater scene like a scourge. Bodies drop, clues appear, and it's all done with the master's perfect touches, including witty dialogue, smart plotting, and superior characters. Definitely one of Lovesey's best."" -- ""Toronto Globe and Mail"" ""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...That Mr. Lovesey would make a midcareer transition from period fiction to contemporary police investigations is just as surprising as one of the sudden mood shifts in any of his idiosyncratic works--and just as satisfying."" -- ""Wall Street Journal"" ""Superb...After the clever reveal of the main criminal, many readers will go back to the beginning to see how artfully a major clue was planted. Once again, Lovesey proves he has few peers as a crafter of contemporary fair-play whodunits."" -- ""Publishers Weekly, (starred review)"""

Author Information

Peter Lovesey began writing mysteries in 1970 and has won the British Crime Writers' Association Silver and Gold Daggers as well as the Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement. He has received Edgar and Dilys nominations, an Anthony Award and a Macavity Award, and the Ellery Queen Reader's Award.

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