I enjoyed reading this book, but full disclosure that I'm originally from the Bay Area, am perpetually a bit homesick (but for how it was 25 years ago), and most books set in that area get forgiving eye from the get-go with me.

That said, this mystery was written well, complex (a bit too much so - I lost track of the details some of the characters who became important at the end), if not a bit far-fetched. But it was also bordering on sci-fi, with some of the characters being brilliant and seeming to have no end of gizmos at their fingertips (the triplets make James Bond look gadget-poor!). So taken in that light, it was a very fun romp.

It felt to me like the author tried a bit too hard to show he knows the lingo of the high-tech venture capital and big business illuminati of Silicon Valley, but maybe he was trying to show the absurdity of how that industry now works. It all seemed legit, and ridiculous, but I'm actually pretty sure they in fact do talk that way. (sigh)

Anyway, I don't want to give too much away, but if you are willing to suspend your disbelief just a bit and tolerate mouthfuls of lingo from time to time from insufferably rich tech giants who seem to have an army of lawyers at their beck and call, the main character is down-to-earth and it was a good read.

3.5/5

Quirky humor and a wacko mystery, Death in the Diamond Lane was a unique read.
As a debut, I must appreciate the author's creativity and effort that's gone into writing this story. A lot of technical details (if you are not a techie, the details mentioned in this book might go over your head) certainly added a nice twist to the story.
However, the reason for giving this 3.5 stars lies in the plot development and story execution. The characters were quirky but I could not connect with them. Also, a little (more) information on their background could have worked well. The writing is good but it is not up to everyone's taste. As I have read books of this kind before, aforementioned point did not affect my reading.
The story has a lot of potential and there is room for improvement. Having said that, I am looking forward to reading Pete's next book.

Keeps the action pulsing with enough intrigue to make it hard to turn the virtual pages fast enough. Thoroughly fleshed-out characters you tend to either like or dislike with enthusiasm. A great bedtime read that'll keep you engaged till the very end. Highly recommended!

*This book was provided free of charge in exchange for my honest review. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to participate in this program.*