Cop to Corpse by Peter Lovesey, a Mysterious Review.

Review: The Somerset Sniper has struck again, this time killing a third policeman in Bath, England. The crime is eerily similar to those that preceded it: early morning hour, before dawn, at random … and the victim was a cop. The sniper leaves no clues at the scene, no means of identification. When the Serial Crimes Unit comes up empty, Chief Superintendent Peter Diamond is assigned to the case in Cop to Corpse, the 12th mystery in this series by Peter Lovesey.

When Diamond arrives he finds a group of angry officers out for revenge. He stresses that they must follow the procedures they've been trained in, but he knows that in the heat of the moment, if the sniper is cornered, he's likely a dead man himself. Diamond must posits that the sniper may be one of their own, someone so familiar with police operations that he can remain one step ahead of them. He's ridiculed by his own people for even making the suggestion, but with pressure coming down from all sides, Diamond must consider all possibilities. And then a mistake is made: the man is seen and apprehended but escapes, a gun is left at the scene of a shooting. Reluctant to move it before forensics can take a look, it is guarded over by a police officer, who is then attacked by the sniper returning to retrieve his weapon. The race continues to find this cop killer before he can take another officer's life.

The pacing is relentless in this well-plotted mystery. The engaging Peter Diamond is rarely far afield, involved in nearly every aspect of the criminal investigation. He suspects the killings might not be as random as they appear, but clues as to how they might be related are elusive. He finds little support in his theory, from both his own team and the family and friends of the victims, complicating what he comes to believe the best and only way to stop the sniper. Cop to Corpse is a strong entry in this already strong series of mysteries and police procedurals.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Cop to Corpse.

Stagestruck
Soho Crime (Hardcover), June 2011
ISBN-13: 9781569479476; ISBN-10: 156947947X

The Stone Wife
Soho Crime (Hardcover), September 2014
ISBN-13: 9781616953935; ISBN-10: 1616953934

Cop to Corpse

A Peter Diamond Mystery by Peter Lovesey