A review by yvo_about_books
The Deadly Mystery of the Missing Diamonds by T.E. Kinsey

4.0

Finished reading: March 14th 2021

"It's more than just deserters and secret vaults. It's personal."

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

Somehow I don't read nearly enough cozy mysteries even though I do enjoy the genre, so when I saw The Deadly Mystery Of The Missing Diamonds mentioned I simply couldn't resist getting a copy. I loved the sound of both the historical setting and the jazz element, and I've been looking forward to read it ever since... And I definitely ended up having a great time with it. Whether you enjoy historical fiction or cozy mysteries, this first book of a series will sing to you!

I especially loved just how important music is throughout the story. Not only does the story itself focus on the Dizzy Heights band and its members, but there is also plenty of musical performance, band practise and dance lessons with the band. I really liked how the whole jazz scene was described and this element really came alive for me... And the same goes for the historical setting in general. We have references to WWI, we have references to the 1920s London jazz world, we have references to an old hidden treasure... All elements that help turning The Deadly Mystery Of The Missing Diamonds into a big hit.

As for the characters... I found that they were really easy to connect to in general. The story has quite a few different characters in play and it can take a little while to place them all, but once you do it is easy to keep them apart and follow their development. I especially liked the band members; both their dynamics and how they worked together to solve the mystery. Lady Hardcastle and Superintendent Sunderland are less present although still important to the plot, and I'm curious to see what role they will play in the future.

This story uses a multiple POV structure to help you get to know the characters better as well as putting those plot twists in place. The Deadly Mystery Of Missing Diamonds also uses flashbacks to the past and letters to spice things up and enhance the plot structure. While I do have to say that the mystery itself isn't too complicated and quite easy to figure out, it does fit the cozy mystery genre very well and I really enjoyed seeing the band members trying to solve the case.

In short, I ended up having an excellent time with this first book of a new historical cozy mystery series, and if you are a fan of the genre I'm sure you will have a great time with The Deadly Mystery Of Missing Diamonds. The jazz element definitely takes this story to the next level!