The Secret Hangman
A
Peter Diamond Mystery
Peter Lovesey
Soho Press (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 1-56947-488-5 (1569474885)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-488-4 (9781569474884)
Publication Date: April 2008
List Price: $13.00
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Peter Diamond, the Bath detective, is having woman
trouble. His boss wants him to find a missing person, the daughter of
one of her friends in the choir. He is not enthusiastic. Another woman,
who calls herself his Secret Admirer, wants to set up a meeting in a
local pub. He tries ignoring her. Then there is sexy Ingeborg Smith,
the ex-journo detective constable, distracting the murder squad from
their duties. No one ignores Ingeborg.
Murder becomes a possibility when a woman’s body is found
hanging from a playground swing in Sydney Gardens. Soon Diamond is
certain that a secret hangman is at work in the city. The hunt for the
killer, through abandoned mine workings and the deserted city by night,
galvanizes the entire squad and forces Diamond to face his own demons
as well as the killer.
Review:
Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond and his team investigate a
series of hangings in and around Bath (England) in The Secret Hangman,
the ninth whodunit in this series by Peter Lovesey.
It’s been three years since the death of Diamond's wife Steph
and now, seemingly out of no where, he is being pursued by a wealthy
lady. Not only is he not interested in getting to know this woman, he
and his team are totally absorbed in a series of murders that may have
begun two years ago. At the time they were ruled as suicides but
Diamond does not believe in the coincidence of the murders. There were
two couples, and now one woman. Will the woman’s partner or
husband be next? Diamond believes there is a serial killer involved.
During all this time, his "secret admirer" Paloma remains persistent in
her desire to meet Diamond. Diamond becomes taken with her tenacity and
begins to spend time with her. Diamond and his team, however, continue
move forward in their investigation, hunting for and finding clues.
They still have no connection between the people who have been
killed and the motive escapes them. They are sure though, without a
doubt there will be another male victim shortly. Is it be possible that
this is not a single serial killer? Could there be a cult involved? How
did the killer (or killers) choose their victims? How do the
“ram-raiders”, a gang that drives stolen vehicles
into the fronts of jewelry stores and other small businesses to loot
them, fit into the scheme of things? Their biggest problem, of course,
is, could they get the answers before the third man is hanged? And just
why is Paloma so eager to meet Diamond, almost to the point of stalking
him?
The Secret Hangman,
with its cleverly ironic title, is a very likeable novel. The plot is
suspenseful with an unexpected twist or two and the characters bring a
touch of humor to their deadly profession. As a police procedural, it
is very well done with a behind-the-scenes look at a police station,
how it operates, and the relationships between those in charge and the
rank-and-file.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Secret Hangman and to Soho Press for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Mysteries in this series ...
The Last
Detective
Doubleday (Hardcover), October 1991
ISBN-10: 0-385-42114-1 (0385421141)
ISBN-13: 978-0-385-42114-0 (9780385421140)
Diamond Solitaire
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), October 1993
ISBN-10: 0-89296-535-5 (0892965355)
ISBN-13: 978-0-89296-535-9 (9780892965359)
The Summons
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), October 1995
ISBN-10: 0-89296-551-7 (0892965517)
ISBN-13: 978-0-89296-551-9 (9780892965519)
Bloodhounds
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), December 1996
ISBN-10: 0-89296-645-9 (0892966459)
ISBN-13: 978-0-89296-645-5 (9780892966455)
Do Not Exceed
The Stated Dose
Crippen & Landru (Hardcover), March, 1998
ISBN-10: 1-885941-20-X (188594120X)
ISBN-13: 978-1-885941-20-6 (9781885941206)
Upon A Dark Night
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), April 1998
ISBN-10: 0-89296-669-6 (0892966696)
ISBN-13: 978-0-89296-669-1 (9780892966691)
The Vault
Soho Press (Hardcover), September 2000
ISBN-10: 1-56947-208-4 (1569472084)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-208-8 (9781569472088)
Diamond Dust
Soho Press (Hardcover), June 2002
ISBN-10: 1-56947-291-2 (1569472912)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-291-0 (9781569472910)
The House Sitter
Soho Press (Hardcover), June 2003
ISBN-10: 1-56947-326-9 (1569473269)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-326-9 (9781569473269)
The Secret
Hangman
Soho Press (Hardcover), June 2007
ISBN-10: 1-56947-457-5 (1569474575)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-457-0 (9781569474570)
Omnimystery keywords for The Secret Hangman
...
Location(s) referenced: Bath, England.