This early installment in the long-running series finds M. Pinaud working at a jewelry store trying to protect a fabulous set of diamonds that several Russians and would-be heirs have their eyes on. And there's also a murder at the store that just happens to occur on the first day of his assignment. As usual, plotting is not Audemars strength. It is the sketches of the large cast of characters, especially the pitiful ones, that are the most memorable. On top of that, Audemars is writing about his own profession--selling watches and jewelry--and the vignettes of various customers who arrive at the store seem drawn from real life. This is a typical tale in the series, a bit of humor, a lot of darkness, an excess of eating and drinking, and some great observations of people and places. M. Le Chef is missing this time--he's on vacation, and M. Pinaud must take orders from a high ranking Government Minister. But of course, he is Pinaud--and in the end, he will figure it all out. ( )