I have been laid low with a nasty bug for just about a full two weeks.
The small glimmer of light during that time were the Peter Diamond British police procedural mysteries by Peter Lovesey. And I want to say thank you.
According to the Wikipedia article on Lovesey his “novels and stories fall into the category of entertaining puzzlers in the ‘Golden Age’ tradition of mystery writing.” I would say more, they are classic mysteries, intricately plotted, with the most tantalizing red herrings, and always a satisfying ending.
I admit he did almost lose me with his seventh entry, Diamond Dust, where I feel he violated the unwritten contract between author and the reader of this type of story. But, it also opened new avenues for his principal character, so…
If you’re looking for a good read and don’t know the Peter Diamond series, you are welcome for the introduction. Not only a great procedural, like many novels of this sort, the setting in the city and environs of Bath takes on life as a character just as important as any of the humans involved. Speaking of which, the most minor of characters are full drawn and compelling.
An absolute delight whether you’re laid low with a bug, or just want a lovely hour or so in an evening.
The series begins with the Last Detective. (Not to be confused with the television series or the novel by Robert Crais…)
Enjoy!
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In