The King of Diamonds vs The Redbreast: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Police, Investigation, Murder, Fiction
The King of Diamonds
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David Swain has spent two years of his life sentence for murdering the lover of his ex-girlfriend, Katya Osman. On the night he escapes from prison, Katya is found murdered in her uncle's home. Inspector Trave heads the…
The Redbreast
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Don’t Miss the Netflix series Detective Hole, based on Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole series, premiering March 26, 2026!“An elegant and complex thriller….Harrowingly beautiful.” —New York Times Book Review“The Redbreast…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Redbreast highest: The Redbreast 4.5 · The King of Diamonds 4.1.
- The King of Diamonds is the quickest read — about 6 hours vs 8 for The Redbreast.
- The Redbreast has the widest readership — 601 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| The King of Diamonds | The Redbreast | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (96) | — |
| Hardcover | — | 4.0 (2) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (601) |
Reception
| The King of Diamonds | The Redbreast | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 96 | 601 |
| Editions | 5 | 2 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 1677 |
| Pages | 336 | 448 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The King of Diamonds or The Redbreast?
The Redbreast has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Redbreast 4.5/5, The King of Diamonds 4.1/5).
Which is shorter to read: The King of Diamonds or The Redbreast?
The King of Diamonds is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The King of Diamonds (336 pages, ≈ 6 h 13 m); The Redbreast (448 pages, ≈ 8 h 18 m).
Which is harder to read: The King of Diamonds or The Redbreast?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The King of Diamonds: Moderate; The Redbreast: Moderate.