The Secret Hangman

Some people dedicate themselves to their job as a part of grieving for their loss - Detective Peter Diamond is one of these. In "The Secret Hangman", Diamond is hot on the trail of a serial killer, who disgustingly hangs his victims in gore-ridden fashion. This is hard enough, but someone seems to be on his trail as well - and their intentions are not as crystal clear as he would like them to be. Deftly written, "The Secret Hangman" is a top pick for mystery fans and community library collections catering to the genre alike.

Bath Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond still grieves the death of his wife even as he feels some guilt over her being murdered. He currently pretends to not be excited over a secret admirer sending him notes, but inside he is thrilled and albeit a shade more guilt. On the job, Diamond investigates the public park hanging death murder of waitress Delia Williamson, a mother of two young girls. He quickly finds three prime suspects: her former spouse, her current significant other, and a traveling salesman witnessed as having dined with her just before she died. When they find the ex Danny dead hanging in a cave, Diamond believes two murders occurred while his boss Assistant Chief Constable Georgina Dallymore insists it was a murder-suicide. As he digs deeper to prove his theory, Diamond uncovers a shocker of similar double murders by a serial killer on the loose. THE SECRET HANGMAN is an exciting Diamond English police procedural. The serial killer case is cleverly drawn so that Diamond and Dallymore can argue over the deaths of Delia and Danny; whereas all these Ds mean delightful to fans as the crusty widower soon seeks a diabolical brilliant serial killer who hides his or her work in the guise of murder-suicide. This is a wonderful entry in a strong crime series. Harriet Klausner

I thought this book gave the best personal picture of Peter Diamond ever. You saw more of the inside man, along with a great mystery.

I've read and enjoyed all of Peter Lovesey' crime series starring Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond whose bailiwick is Bath, that gorgeous British city gem with its Georgian architecture. In his latest outing, "The Secret Hangman," overweight and middle-aged Diamond has to endure the advances of a secret female admirer while, at the same time, trying to stop an executioner who is targeting and hanging couples. The murderer first hangs the wife in a very public place and shortly does the same with the husband, making both hangings look like suicides. Lovesey has a delightful sense of humor, and the story, though grim, is told with wry and sly comic asides. Often the comedy arises from the by-play of the characters. Diamond can be a funny man. He's a fully realized creation who in this book has been a widower for three years since the murder of his beloved wife Stephie. He makes a breakthrough and finds happiness and sex with an attractive and successful woman who dotes on him. He's not a music buff like Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks nor a boozer like Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse. Diamond has to solve these grisly crimes by looking for a common thread that ties the victims together. His fully individualized detective team members keep one eye on their case and the other eye on the other on their unpredictable and intuitive boss. Vivid descriptions of the city and sharp characterization move the story along. This latest addition to the Diamond-Lovesey canon is smart, funny, insightful and a pleasure to read.

I've had the pleasure of reading almost all of Peter Lovesey's books over the course of several decades and he never fails to deliver. "The Secret Hangman" finds Inspector Diamond still mourning the death of his wife, Stephanie, and we feel his sense of sorrow and of loneliness. Lovesey combines clever plotting with sympathic characters, so we become invested in the outcome of his books not only on an intellectual level, but emotionally as well.