Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Jasmine Trade | 2001 | Denise Hamilton | Buy |
| 2 | Sugar Skull | 2003 | Denise Hamilton | Buy |
| 3 | Last Lullaby | 2004 | Denise Hamilton | Buy |
| 4 | Savage Garden | 2005 | Denise Hamilton | Buy |
| 5 | Prisoner of Memory | 2006 | Denise Hamilton | Buy |
The Eve Diamond Mystery series follows Eve, a journalist at a Los Angeles newspaper who keeps getting drawn into criminal investigations across the city. Starting with The Jasmine Trade (2001), the series takes Eve through five books and five different cases, each set in a distinct Los Angeles community. Hamilton uses the mystery format to explore the city’s ethnic neighborhoods, immigrant experiences, and the tensions that run beneath LA’s surface.
The books have a strong sense of place that comes from Hamilton’s years as a reporter. Each novel focuses on a different aspect of Los Angeles life, from the Asian immigrant community in The Jasmine Trade to the Russian emigre world of Prisoner of Memory. Eve is a compelling protagonist whose journalistic instincts drive the plots while her personal life provides ongoing complications.