Glitter of Diamonds
by N.J. Lindquist
Published by Murder Will Out Mysteries
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Reviewed by Natalie York
"All that is gold does not glitter;
not all those that wander are lost."
-- J.R.R. Tolkien
Glitter of Diamonds is the second book in Canadian author, N.J. Lindquist's Manziuk and Ryan mystery series. I have not read the first book in the series, Shaded Light, but if it was anything like Glitter of Diamonds, it is worth reading.
Glitter of Diamonds is set in the competitive world of baseball. The fictional team, The Toronto Matrix, has a new fireball of a pitcher, Ricardo (Rico) Velasquez. Recently emigrated from Cuba, Rico seems to have let fame and fortune go to his head. His presence is sowing discord among the team. He taunts the relief pitcher constantly and is known to throw baseballs at TVs if he doesn't get his way. The Matrix have been trying to build its family-friendly image and with each game Rico tarnishes it more. His actions on and off the field are a goldmine for the media. One sports talk show host even recommends that someone needs to knock some sense into the temperamental pitcher with a baseball bat. It must have sounded like a good idea to someone because they do-- and end up killing Rico.
This is a modern-day whodunit, much in the style of the classic Christie novels. There are plot twist galore and you are guessing to the end. My only complaint is the long list of main characters. I had to constantly refer to the major players list for the first seven chapters at least. After that the pace picks up and you won't be able to put it down. I had to stay up all night to finish it because I couldn't stand going to sleep not knowing who was responsible for killing Rico.
Armchair Interviews says: Lindquist did not disappoint.
Author's Web site: http://www.njlindquist.com