The House Sitter (A Detective Peter Diamond Mystery)

This mystery features excellent characters. The victims are well-developed before they are killed and, as always, Diamond is plenty of fun. The author also draws interesting portraits of the other detectives, Jimmy Barneston and Hen. The ending is impossible to guess and is almost certain to surprise the reader. You really can't beat this mystery for writing quality, plotting, character development and humor.

This book is an excellent addition to the strong Peter Diamond series. For those who like to read British procedurals written by a master of plotting and characterization, I really recommend the Peter Diamond series. He's probably the most likeable and believable detective out there in this genre, and Lovesey displays a craftsmanship in his characterizations that is unequaled. His main character keeps on getting better and better, but in this book we are also introduced to a new one and she is a winner. Her name is Hen (short for Henrietta), and she's a detective from a neighbouring town who Peter collaborates with on a murder case. She's a smart, no-nonsense, cigar-smoking woman who will brook no interference from anyone on any of her cases. The murder occurred in her patch on a beach at a seaside resort, but the victim was a Bath citizen, so Peter is brought in to assist. Somehow the two detectives find a working relationship that is effective and they develop a mutual respect for each other. All the while through this book, Lovesey maintains a tight plotline, but he also has a knack for bringing in very unique puzzles that aren't that easy to figure out. In this book the murder victim found on the beach is a woman who works as a psychological profiler for Special Branch, and Diamond and Hen can't help thinking that her murder is connected somehow to the case she has been called in to consult on. Lovesey keeps the pace going, and the intricate plot is one that certainly kept my interest. We also see a more laid-back and less curmudgeonly Peter Diamond. He has somehow mellowed as he's still been trying to get over the sudden death of his wife, and it's made him even more believable and more likeable.

This is the first Lovesey/Peter Diamond book that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed the story! I finished it in a couple of evenings and really couldn't put it down.The story had many plot twists and excellent character development and was very satisfying for this avid British mystery reader. I will leave it to others to give an overview of the story and plot development. I will be back reading Mr. Loveseys' other titles in the "Diamond" series starting with "Diamond Dust". Do yourself a favor and crack this book for a Good Read.

Lovesey's latest Peter Diamond mystery is, not surprisingly, good. Diamond, still recovering from his wife's death is brought in to investigate the murder of a Bath woman. As the woman was involved in the investigation of a serial killing, Diamond is gradually roped into that as well, bringing both cases to conclusion.What I liked a lot about the novel and the series is the ongoing character development we see from book to book. Ingeborg, the journalist turned policewoman we met in a previous novel is a fresh new addition, together with Hen--Diamon's counterpart from the beach town where one of the murders occured. I will strongly recommend this book to fans of police procedural series.

Stubborn and crusty Bath Police Inspector Peter Diamond manages to poach on several patches in his eighth outing, when an attractive young Bath resident is strangled on a crowded beach in Bognor. No witnesses despite the crowd, and the tide has washed away any evidence, so it's days before Bognor Inspector "Hen" Mallin, a compact, cigar-smoking dynamo, identifies the woman as Emma Tysoe, a psychologist professor and serial-killer profiler. She was on leave from her college in order to help the police with something she described only as "Huge, if it's true."His curiosity whetted, Diamond teams up with Mallin and both ignore the Home Office national command to keep clear of Emma's last hush-hush case - a crossbow killer targeting a named list of celebrities and dropping clues from "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." Brushing up on his Coleridge, Diamond and his new pal, the unintimidated Hen, also track a rebuffed suitor and a reluctant beach witness, while delving into Emma's coded computer files and her active private life.Winner of the Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement, Lovesey crafts an intricate mystery with neat surprises around several unexpected twists. Hen Mallin is a fine addition to the series; gruff enough to hold her own even with Diamond, she's comfortable enough to be friendly, even vulnerable, and has a ready sense of humor. Diamond, still melancholy a year after his wife's murder, has recovered his edge although he's not nearly as insensitive as he used to be. Various points of view juggle the action and fine secondary characters give the story further depth. As well written as ever, Lovesey's latest will please old fans and new.