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''The Diamond Brothers'' is a series of humorous children's detective books by
Anthony Horowitz Anthony John Horowitz, (born 5 April 1955) is an English novelist and screenwriter specialising in mystery and suspense. His works for children and young adult readers include ''The Diamond Brothers'' series, the '' Alex Rider'' series, and '' ...
, recounting the adventures of the world's worst
private detective A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...
, Tim Diamond, and his much more intelligent younger brother, Nick Diamond. The series currently comprises four full-length novels, four novellas and one
short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...
. A fifth full-length novel entitled ''The Radius of the Lost Shark'' is being planned. These books are aimed at a younger readership than Horowitz's young adult novels, such as the ''
Alex Rider ''Alex Rider'' is a series of spy novels written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The novels revolve around a teenage spy named Alex Rider and is primarily aimed towards young adults. The series currently comprises thirteen novels, as we ...
'' series and ''
The Power of Five ''The Power of Five'' (re-titled as ''The Gatekeepers'' in the US) is a series of five fantasy and suspense novels, written by English author Anthony Horowitz. Published between 2005 and 2012, it is an updated re-imagining of Horowitz's ''Pe ...
'' series. While also having a teenage protagonist and featuring
gun A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, p ...
s, fights, international
criminals In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...
, and numerous character deaths, ''The Diamond Brothers'' series has a more humorous slant through the use of
pun A pun, also known as paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of homophoni ...
s, pop culture references and absurd situations. The entire series was re-issued in 2007 with new cover art designed by illustrator Martin Chatterton, and again in 2015 illustrated by
Tony Ross Anthony Lee Ross (born 10 August 1938) is a British author and illustrator of children's picture books. In Britain, he is best known for writing and illustrating his Little Princess books and for illustrating the Horrid Henry series by France ...
.


Structure and genre

A notable part of the series is that, although the first three books were written and published in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and the short stories and the fourth novel have since continued into the 2000s, 2010s and 2020s, Nick and Tim always remain roughly the same age (14 and 28 respectively), existing along a
floating timeline A floating timeline (also known as a sliding timescale) is a device used in fiction, particularly in long-running serials in comics and animation as well as other media, to explain why characters age little or not at all over a period of time— ...
, while
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and life around them have changed with the times. For instance, the newer stories feature
Oyster Cards The Oyster card is a payment method for public transport in London (and certain areas around it) in England, United Kingdom. A standard Oyster card is a blue credit-card-sized stored-value contactless smart card. It is promoted by Transport ...
and computers and
mobile technology Mobile technology is the technology used for cellular communication. Mobile technology has evolved rapidly over the past few years. Since the start of this millennium, a standard mobile device has gone from being no more than a simple two-way pag ...
, whereas the older stories feature parts of London that have since disappeared, cultural habits that have long since been outlawed, such as smoking inside offices, and older technology. This gives the series a very
anachronistic An anachronism (from the Greek , 'against' and , 'time') is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of people, events, objects, language terms and customs from different time periods. The most common type ...
feel, which further bolsters its absurdist nature. A unique example of this anachronistic nature can be seen in the American publications, because when the series was released in the North American market, the
currency A currency, "in circulation", from la, currens, -entis, literally meaning "running" or "traversing" is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins. A more general ...
was inexplicably changed even though stories and the locations remained the same, therefore having Nick and Tim pay for everything in
dollar Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, ...
s instead of pounds despite them living in London.


Novels


''

The Falcon's Malteser ''The Diamond Brothers'' is a series of humorous children's detective books by Anthony Horowitz, recounting the adventures of the world's worst private detective, Tim Diamond, and his much more intelligent younger brother, Nick Diamond. The s ...
'' (1986)

In '' The Diamond Brothers in… The Falcon's Malteser'' (1986), Tim Diamond (whose real name is Herbert Simple) is hired to protect a mysterious box of
Maltesers Maltesers are a British confectionery product manufactured by Mars, Incorporated. First sold in the UK in 1937, they were originally aimed at women. They have since been sold in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United States and Middle Ea ...
by a vertically-challenged man called Johnny Naples. The next day, Johnny Naples is found dead, Tim is somehow framed for the crime, his much smarter and younger brother Nick gets the box of Maltesers, and every crook in town is out to get them. The title and plot of the novel are in part a spoof of '' The Maltese Falcon''.


''

Public Enemy Number Two ''Public Enemy Number Two'' is a novel written by Anthony Horowitz, the second in ''The Diamond Brothers'' series. It was first published in 1987.The Diamond Brothers in… Public Enemy Number Two'' (1987), Nick Diamond is once again thrust into danger by being framed for a jewel heist he didn’t commit, so that he’ll be forced to go undercover as a jewel thief to find out the true identity of an unknown master criminal known only as "the Fence". To do that, he needs to befriend a very unstable teenage crook called Johnny Powers. Meanwhile, Tim has been hired to find a Ming vase called the Purple Peacock that has been stolen from the
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
, whilst also having to help Nick and Johnny break out of prison. The title is a both a reference and a spoof on the term public enemy number one.


''

South By South East ''The Diamond Brothers'' is a series of humorous children's detective books by Anthony Horowitz, recounting the adventures of the world's worst private detective, Tim Diamond, and his much more intelligent younger brother, Nick Diamond. The s ...
'' (1991)

In '' The Diamond Brothers in… South By South East'' (1991), Nick and Tim Diamond are once again forced into a mystery, this time going to Amsterdam to discover the identity of the mysterious assassin Charon. The brothers have many hair-raising adventures, including one in which they are chased by a small plane in a scene reminiscent of Hitchcock's classic film ''
North by Northwest ''North by Northwest'' is a 1959 American spy thriller film, produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. The screenplay was by Ernest Lehman, who wanted to write "the Hitchcock picture ...
,'' of which the book’s title is a reference to and the book’s plot spoofs. Horowitz claimed he wrote the 1991 television miniseries credited as being based on this novel first, rather than the other way round, which would make this entry the only
novelisation A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent ...
of a ''Diamond Brothers'' story in the entire series.


''

The French Confection ''The Diamond Brothers'' is a series of humorous children's detective books by Anthony Horowitz, recounting the adventures of the world's worst private detective, Tim Diamond, and his much more intelligent younger brother, Nick Diamond. The s ...
'' (2002)

In '' The Diamond Brothers in… The French Confection'' (2002), the Diamond Brothers win a trip to Paris thanks to a French strawberry yoghurt, but accidentally get caught up in a drug smuggling ring and end up being forced to team up with the ''
Sûreté (; , but usually translated as afety" or "security)"Security" in French is ''sécurité''. The ''sûreté'' was originally called ''Brigade de Sûreté'' ("Surety Brigade"). is, in many French-speaking countries or regions, the organizational ...
'' to take them down. The title is a play-on-words on the film '' The French Connection.''


'' I Know What You Did Last Wednesday'' (2002)

In '' The Diamond Brothers in… I Know What You Did Last Wednesday'' (2002), seven friends, along with the Diamond Brothers, are invited to a remote island for a school reunion. But then the host is found dead, and other people start dying in bizarre ways with no way off the island. The plot itself is a spoof of the Agatha Christie novel ''
And Then There Were None ''And Then There Were None'' is a mystery novel by the English writer Agatha Christie, described by her as the most difficult of her books to write. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 6 November 1939, as ...
'', whilst the title is a spoof of the film ''
I Know What You Did Last Summer ''I Know What You Did Last Summer'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie, written by Kevin Williamson, and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. It is loosely base ...
''.


'' The Blurred Man'' (2002)

In '' The Diamond Brothers in… The Blurred Man'' (2002), the Diamond Brothers investigate the sudden and mysterious death of a charitable philanthropist who suffers chronic allergies that prevent him from meeting almost anyone in person. The book’s title and plot is a spoof of the film ''
The Third Man ''The Third Man'' is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Set in postwar Vienna, the film centres on American Holly Martins (Cotten ...
''.


'' The Greek Who Stole Christmas'' (2007)

In '' The Diamond Brothers in… The Greek Who Stole Christmas'' (2007), when famous Greek pop singer and movie star Minerva starts receiving anonymous
death threat A death threat is a threat, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or group of people. These threats are often designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behaviour, in which case a de ...
s, her concerned husband decides to hire Tim Diamond (along with Nick) to protect her. The title is a spoof of the
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
children's story ''
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' is a Christmas children's story by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel written in rhymed verse with illustrations by the author. It follows the Grinch, a grouchy, solitary creature who tries to cancel Christmas by st ...
'' written by
Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
'' far-right organisation called the White Crusaders. This is the first full-length Diamond Brothers novel since the release of ''South by South East'' back in 1991. Horowitz published the first seven chapters unedited on his website (which have since been removed) throughout 2020 during the first
COVID-19 lockdown Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions colloquially known as lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar societal restrictions) have been implemented in numerous countrie ...
in the UK, with the full, edited novel finally published in May 2022. While Horowitz initially wrote on a blogpost on his website that profits from the novel will go towards supporting the
National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
, profits will instead go to a
NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
called Suffolk Home-Start, of which he is a patron of. The title is a spoof of the film '' Where Eagles Dare''.


Short stories

* ''The Double Eagle Has Landed'' (2011): A short story in which the Diamond Brothers are hired to protect a valuable gold coin. It was published in ''Guys Read: Thriller,'' edited by
Jon Scieszka Jon Scieszka ( :) (born September 8, 1954) is an American children's writer, best known for picture books created with the illustrator Lane Smith. He is also a nationally recognized reading advocate, and the founder of Guys Read – a web-based li ...
. The title is a spoof of the film '' The Eagle Has Landed''.


Collections

* ''Three of Diamonds'' (2004): A compilation of ''The French Confection'', ''I Know What You Did Last Wednesday'' and ''The Blurred Man''. The three stories were first released in this edition, before subsequently being sold as separate books. * ''Four of Diamonds'' (2008): Similar to ''Three of Diamonds'', but also includes ''The Greek Who Stole Christmas''.


Planned novel and future

The promotional blurbs of the early 2004 editions of the ''
Alex Rider ''Alex Rider'' is a series of spy novels written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The novels revolve around a teenage spy named Alex Rider and is primarily aimed towards young adults. The series currently comprises thirteen novels, as we ...
'' novel '' Scorpia'', and of an early edition of ''Three of Diamonds'' claimed that Horowitz was planning an Australian-based adventure for the Diamond Brothers, entitled ''The Radius of the Lost Shark'' (a play-on-words on the film title '' Raiders of the Lost Ark''). This title was also mentioned in a promotional blurb at the end of early 2005 edition of the Alex Rider novel ''
Ark Angel ''Ark Angel'' is the sixth book in the ''Alex Rider'' series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The novel is a spy thriller which follows the attempt by the title character, Alex Rider, to foil the plot of a Russian billionaire. The ...
'', and again in the introduction to the re-issued 2007 edition of ''Three of Diamonds.'' The title was also mentioned in-story at the end of ''The Greek Who Stole Christmas.'' Following the main plot events, Nick and Tim finally managed to earn enough money to be able to fly out to Australia to visit at their parents for the first time since they had emigrated there, which was sometime prior to the events of ''The Falcon’s Malteser.'' Nick then hints that he might one day write down what happened during their visit to Australia and that he might end up calling the book ''The Radius of the Lost Shark.'' This prompted fan speculation that the novel’s release might be imminent, but when Horowitz was asked in July 2012 on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
by a fan when this book might come out, he replied that he had not started on the book yet, and that he probably won’t get around to it for “…another 3 years”. In March 2015, Horowitz then stated in a newspaper interview that there would be at least another six books written by him before continuing the ''The Diamond Brothers'' series. In December 2015, when responding to a fan query on Twitter regarding the plot of the book, Horowitz revealed that the story would be set during the Australian summer, and that it may involve the characters celebrating
Christmas in July Christmas in July, Christmas in Summer or Christmas in Winter is a second Christmas celebration held around the summer season, mainly during July. It is centered around Christmas-themed activities and entertainment, including small gatherings, se ...
. In February 2017, when another fan asked Horowitz on Twitter about the status of ''The Radius of the Lost Shark,'' he replied that he still fully intends to write it, and that he is “… waiting for the four months I need to write it”. In April 2020, when the fourth full-length ''Diamond Brothers'' novel ''Where Seagulls Dare'' was announced, it was initially assumed that the novel would have some relation to the Australian-based adventure alluded to at the end of ''The Greek Who Stole Christmas'', but Horowitz quickly confirmed on Twitter that this was not so, and that ''The Radius of the Lost Shark'' has still yet to be written. In 2022, Horowitz reiterated that the book would be written "no time soon".


Adaptations


Film

A film adaptation based on the first novel ''The Falcon's Malteser'' was released in 1988 and it was entitled ''
Just Ask for Diamond ''Just Ask for Diamond'', alternatively titled ''Diamond's Edge'', is a 1988 British comedy crime film directed by Stephen Bayly and starring Colin Dale, Saeed Jaffrey and Dursley McLinden. It is based on ''The Falcon's Malteser'' (1986), the ...
''. It starred Dursley McLinden and Colin Dale as Tim and Nick Diamond respectively. In the North American market, the film was instead released under the name ''Diamond's Edge,'' and was edited slightly to tone down some of the narration and violent antics of the UK release. The film has subsequently been released on VHS and DVD.


Miniseries

In 1991, ''The Diamond Brothers'', a six-part television series written and directed by Horowitz himself, was broadcast on ITV.''The Diamond Brothers'' at IMDB
/ref> The series is based on the book ''South by South East'', which Horowitz claimed he wrote after he had written the television series, effectively making ''South by South East'' a novelisation of the television series rather than the novel acting as the primary source of inspiration. Both McLinden and Dale reprised their respective film roles, which makes the television series act as a sequel to ''Just Ask for Diamond''. However, unlike the film adaptation, the series has never been released on any home media, and it was also never rebroadcast.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diamond Brothers The Diamond Brothers Novels by Anthony Horowitz Series of children's books Children's mystery novels British comedy novels British children's novels