The Secret Hangman

Lovesey does it again!: 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.

Interesting detective: Peter Diamond. Very human as he mourns his wife and is nervous about starting a new relationship. As his love-life progresses, so do the hangings taking place in Bath. Plenty of clues and red herrings, which kept me guessing till the race against time finale.

Hmmmm...Not sure what to think about this one. It was far from my favorite of the series. As always, strong characterization and use of setting; however, the plot is diffuse and unlikely in some aspects.

Hmmmm...Not sure what to think about this one. It was far from my favorite of the series. As always, strong characterization and use of setting; however, the plot is diffuse and unlikely in some aspects.

Hmmmm...Not sure what to think about this one. It was far from my favorite of the series. As always, strong characterization and use of setting; however, the plot is diffuse and unlikely in some aspects.

It is 3 years since Peter Diamond's wife was killed and he is being stalked by a woman who wants to become better acquainted. ACC Georgina Dalley's friend's daughter has gone missing . A woman's body is discovered hanging from a public playground swing, at first sight a suicide, but then it seems she may already have been dead when hung there. The discovery of a second body seems to signal that they have a "hangman" on the loose. Very very readable.

I'm a little ambivalent about this one. The rationale for the murders seemed over the top, as did Diamond's involvement with the murderer. His emotional arc was nice, though. And it's not like I DISLIKED it; it just isn't as good as the others.