The Stone Wife (Peter Diamond) - Hardcover

Praise for The Peter Diamond series"
"
"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

"These erudite and wondrously witty books are unlike any police procedural you've ever read."
--"The New York Times Book Review"

"Thickly textured, amusing, unpredictably mixing puzzle and procedural.... One of the best."
--"Los Angeles Times"

"Witty.... A perfectly realized murder mystery."
--"Wall Street Journal"

"Extremely stylish, lighter than air ... utterly surprising."
--"Newsweek"

"Lovesey's books are so beautifully constructed and cleanly written that they could be used as textbooks in a crime writing course."
--"Chicago Tribune

""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

Praise for The Peter Diamond series"
"
"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

"These erudite and wondrously witty books are unlike any police procedural you've ever read."
--"The New York Times Book Review"

"Thickly textured, amusing, unpredictably mixing puzzle and procedural.... One of the best."
--"Los Angeles Times"

"Witty.... A perfectly realized murder mystery."
--"Wall Street Journal"

"Extremely stylish, lighter than air ... utterly surprising."
--"Newsweek"

"Lovesey's books are so beautifully constructed and cleanly written that they could be used as textbooks in a crime writing course."
--"Chicago Tribune

""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

Praise for "The Stone Wife"
"
""[Chief Supt. Peter Diamond] is irascible but endearing..."
"--Publishers Weekly
"
Praise for the Peter Diamond Series

"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

"These erudite and wondrously witty books are unlike any police procedural you've ever read."
--"The New York Times Book Review"

"Thickly textured, amusing, unpredictably mixing puzzle and procedural.... One of the best."
--"Los Angeles Times"

"Witty.... A perfectly realized murder mystery."
--"Wall Street Journal"

"Extremely stylish, lighter than air ... utterly surprising."
--"Newsweek"

"Lovesey's books are so beautifully constructed and cleanly written that they could be used as textbooks in a crime writing course."
--"Chicago Tribune

""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

Praise for "The Stone Wife"
"
""One of the great things about reading one of Lovesey's police procedurals starring Chief Superintendent Peter Diamond of the Bath CID is the natural way Diamond's cases take the reader into the history of Bath itself. Lovesey's latest is filled with details... riveting. If you've never encountered Diamond before, this is a good place to start."
" --Booklist", Starred Review

"[Chief Supt. Peter Diamond] is irascible but endearing..."
"--Publishers Weekly
"
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

"These erudite and wondrously witty books are unlike any police procedural you've ever read."
--"The New York Times Book Review"

"Thickly textured, amusing, unpredictably mixing puzzle and procedural.... One of the best."
--"Los Angeles Times"

"Witty.... A perfectly realized murder mystery."
--"Wall Street Journal"

"Extremely stylish, lighter than air ... utterly surprising."
--"Newsweek"

"Lovesey's books are so beautifully constructed and cleanly written that they could be used as textbooks in a crime writing course."
--"Chicago Tribune

""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

Recipient of the 2014 Strand Lifetime Acheivement Award
Praise for "The Stone Wife"
"
""[W]onderful tidbits of Chaucerian scholarship enliven the novel. And whatever you think of Peter Diamond, he proves himself a 'verray, parfit, gentil knyght.'"
"--The New York Times Book Review"
"Lively, surprise-filled . . . Peter Lovesey is himself a master of historical mysteries."
"--Wall Street Journal "
"Diamond's short temper and quirky investigative tactics are pleasing, and readers familiar with English literature are sure to love all the Chaucerian allusions."
--Shelf Awareness
"As always, this character and his team are sharp, funny, and grab the reader's attention from beginning to end!"
"--Suspense Magazine"
"Lovesey once again proves himself a master plotter and one of the most entertaining writers in the field."
"--Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine"
"The characters are brilliantly drawn . . . this entertaining police procedural-style mystery is another example of why this series is so popular with readers."
"--"Mysterious Reviews
"Nobody writes better crime fiction than Peter Lovesey."
"--Deadly Pleasures"
""The Stone Wife" is a beautifully written novel that catches you from the very beginning. Putting "The Stone Wife" down for any length of time is not an option . . . once you start it you have to finish."
--Fresh Fiction
"This fourteenth in the series is filled with red herrings, plot complications, deception and fascinating characters, all the components which make for a good read . . . humor is rampant throughout. Very highly recommended."
--I Love a Mystery
"Peter Lovesey's nicely paced British crime fiction takes the old-fashioned taste for classic Agatha Christie, and updates it with quirky humor and just enough staff friction to make Chief Superintendent Peter Diamond tear out a bit more hair. [A] stylish series."
--Kingdom Books
"One of the great things about reading one of Lovesey's police procedurals starring Chief Superintendent Peter Diamond of the Bath CID is the natural way Diamond's cases take the reader into the history of Bath itself. Lovesey's latest is filled with details . . . riveting. If you've never encountered Diamond before, this is a good place to start."
" --Booklist," Starred Review
"This is a 100 per cent win from Lovesey, who proves an embarrassment of authorial riches by managing to keep the plot propulsive, the dialog pithy, the cops' jokes and good humor strong, and the characters easily identifiable. A great procedural whodunnit with an interesting maguffin. This is the 14th book in the "Peter Diamond" series, and it's enough to make readers flip back through the previous 13."
"--Library Journal "
"Dogged police work, nasty revelations about respectable citizens, dollops of suspense, Chaucerian tidbits--all the pleasures you expect from much-honored Lovesey are here."
"--Kirkus Reviews"
"[Chief Supt. Peter Diamond] is irascible but endearing."
"--Publishers Weekly
"
"[P]rovides interesting bits of history about Chaucer, Brunel, Bristol, and Bath...plenty of excitement."
--Gumshoe Review
"With more violence than we normally associate with Lovesey, this is well up to his high standard of storytelling. It will hold you to the deckchair even if the sun is not shining."
--"Daily Mail (UK)"
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
"These erudite and wondrously witty books are unlike any police procedural you've ever read."
--"The New York Times Book Review"
"Thickly textured, amusing, unpredictably mixing puzzle and procedural . . . One of the best."
--"Los Angeles Times"
"Witty . . . A perfectly realized murder mystery."
--"Wall Street Journal"
"Extremely stylish, lighter than air . . . utterly surprising."
--"Newsweek"
"Lovesey's books are so beautifully constructed and cleanly written that they could be used as textbooks in a crime writing course."
--"Chicago Tribune
""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

Praise for "The Stone Wife
"Recipient of the 2014 Strand Lifetime Acheivement Award
A "Deadly Pleasures" Best Book of 2014
"
""[W]onderful tidbits of Chaucerian scholarship enliven the novel. And whatever you think of Peter Diamond, he proves himself a 'verray, parfit, gentil knyght.'"
"--The New York Times Book Review"
"Lively, surprise-filled . . . Peter Lovesey is himself a master of historical mysteries."
"--Wall Street Journal "
"Diamond's short temper and quirky investigative tactics are pleasing, and readers familiar with English literature are sure to love all the Chaucerian allusions."
--Shelf Awareness
"As always, this character and his team are sharp, funny, and grab the reader's attention from beginning to end!"
"--Suspense Magazine"
"Lovesey once again proves himself a master plotter and one of the most entertaining writers in the field."
"--Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine"
"The characters are brilliantly drawn . . . this entertaining police procedural-style mystery is another example of why this series is so popular with readers."
"--"Mysterious Reviews
"Nobody writes better crime fiction than Peter Lovesey."
"--Deadly Pleasures"
""The Stone Wife" is a beautifully written novel that catches you from the very beginning. Putting "The Stone Wife" down for any length of time is not an option . . . once you start it you have to finish."
--Fresh Fiction
"This fourteenth in the series is filled with red herrings, plot complications, deception and fascinating characters, all the components which make for a good read . . . humor is rampant throughout. Very highly recommended."
--I Love a Mystery
"Peter Lovesey's nicely paced British crime fiction takes the old-fashioned taste for classic Agatha Christie, and updates it with quirky humor and just enough staff friction to make Chief Superintendent Peter Diamond tear out a bit more hair. [A] stylish series."
--Kingdom Books
"One of the great things about reading one of Lovesey's police procedurals starring Chief Superintendent Peter Diamond of the Bath CID is the natural way Diamond's cases take the reader into the history of Bath itself. Lovesey's latest is filled with details . . . riveting. If you've never encountered Diamond before, this is a good place to start."
" --Booklist," Starred Review
"This is a 100 per cent win from Lovesey, who proves an embarrassment of authorial riches by managing to keep the plot propulsive, the dialog pithy, the cops' jokes and good humor strong, and the characters easily identifiable. A great procedural whodunnit with an interesting maguffin. This is the 14th book in the "Peter Diamond" series, and it's enough to make readers flip back through the previous 13."
"--Library Journal "
"Dogged police work, nasty revelations about respectable citizens, dollops of suspense, Chaucerian tidbits--all the pleasures you expect from much-honored Lovesey are here."
"--Kirkus Reviews"
"[Chief Supt. Peter Diamond] is irascible but endearing."
"--Publishers Weekly
"
"[P]rovides interesting bits of history about Chaucer, Brunel, Bristol, and Bath...plenty of excitement."
--Gumshoe Review
"With more violence than we normally associate with Lovesey, this is well up to his high standard of storytelling. It will hold you to the deckchair even if the sun is not shining."
--"Daily Mail (UK)"
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
"These erudite and wondrously witty books are unlike any police procedural you've ever read."
--"The New York Times Book Review"
"Thickly textured, amusing, unpredictably mixing puzzle and procedural . . . One of the best."
--"Los Angeles Times"
"Witty . . . A perfectly realized murder mystery."
--"Wall Street Journal"
"Extremely stylish, lighter than air . . . utterly surprising."
--"Newsweek"
"Lovesey's books are so beautifully constructed and cleanly written that they could be used as textbooks in a crime writing course."
--"Chicago Tribune
""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

Praise for"The Stone Wife
"Recipient of the 2014 Strand Lifetime Acheivement Award
A "Deadly Pleasures" Best Book of 2014
"
" [W]onderful tidbits of Chaucerian scholarship enliven the novel. And whatever you think of Peter Diamond, he proves himself a 'verray, parfit, gentil knyght.'
" The New York Times Book Review"
Lively, surprise-filled . . . Peter Lovesey is himself a master of historical mysteries.
" Wall Street Journal "
Diamond's short temper and quirky investigative tactics are pleasing, and readers familiar with English literature are sure to love all the Chaucerian allusions.
Shelf Awareness
As always, this character and his team are sharp, funny, and grab the reader s attention from beginning to end!
" Suspense Magazine"
"Lovesey once again proves himself a master plotter and one of the most entertaining writers in the field."
" Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine"
The characters are brilliantly drawn . . . this entertaining police procedural-style mystery is another example of why this series is so popular with readers.
" "Mysterious Reviews
"Nobody writes better crime fiction than Peter Lovesey."
" Deadly Pleasures"
...

Book 14 in the Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond series, one of Soho's bestselling and most critically acclaimed series, this time including a Chauceresque twist.

At a Bath auction house, a large slab of carved stone is up for sale. At the height of very competitive bidding, there is a holdup attempt by three masked robbers. They shoot and kill the highest bidder, a professor who has recognized the female figure carved in the stone as Chaucer’s Wife of Bath. The masked would-be thieves flee, leaving the stone behind.

Peter Diamond and his team are assigned to investigate, and the stone is moved into Diamond’s office so he can research its origins. The carving causes such difficulties that he starts to think it has jinxed him. Meanwhile, as Diamond’s leads take him to Chaucer’s house in Somerset, his intrepid colleague Ingeborg goes undercover to try to track down the source of the handgun used in the murder.