Customer Reviews

The House Sitter

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Peter Diamond, still recovering from his wife's murder the year before, is brought into investigate the death of a young woman found dead on the beach after it was established the young woman was from Diamond's district of Bath. Henrietta Mallin is the original senior-investigating officer in charge of the investigation. In an intertwining mystery, a crossbow wielding serial killer known as " The Mariner" (due to leaving clues from "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner") is targeting a known list of celebrities.

This is the eight in the Peter Diamond series. I love how with each subsequent book, Diamond's character has developed. Bringing in Hen Mallin is a new catalyst to Diamond's personality. Diamond and Mallin, are both strong personalities must learn to work together. The story was intricately plotted with many twists along the way. My only complaint is that it dragged a bit in the middle of the book. Lovesey has written another winner.

This was my first Lovesey book, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I truly liked it. Although the book dragged a little in places, it kept me captivated enough to take notes and really try to figure out who had committed the murder. Lovesey got me! This was a great read and definitely has given me the desire to get my hands on more of his books!

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.

The House Sitter is the first novel I've read by Peter Lovesey, and I now look forward to reading more of his work.

There's no need to go into the plot (it's summed up already at the top of the page), but I should tell you that the writing is engaging enough to be a real page-turner & literary enough to escape the boring realm of genre mystery.

My guesses as to whom the killer might be were totally off, which is exactly what I want from a mystery; the character's(even bit players) had enough charm or creepiness to be more than one-dimensional, and there was just the right amount of humor- allowing the narrative to escape being bogged down by too much death.

Recommended!

From the start this book had me hooked. Found it hard to put down. Liked the introduction of Hen Malin.

An intricate police procedural murder mystery with great characters and dialogue plus, a plot with many unexpected twists. This is the eighth book in the Peter Diamond series and author Peter Lovesey again demonstrates why he was awarded the British Crime Writers Association Lifetime Achievement award. Lovesey is a master of intricate plotting and interesting characters.

This book introduces Henrietta "Hen" Mallin, a short, cigar-smoking police inspector from the coastal town of Bognor, England. Peter Diamond, the gruff and weary Detective Superintendent from Bath, England teams with her because a young, female university professor is strangled on a crowded beach in Bognor, during a Sunday afternoon. Although the victim was surrounded by people, there are not any witnesses and by the time the police arrive, the tide has erased all evidence.

Meanwhile, a methodical serial killer is murdering celebrities and leaving clues in the form of quotes from "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," by Coleridge. And, to make matters worse, one of the victims was murdered while being guarded by the Special Branch from Scotland Yard. This leads to a bureacratic battle when Peter Diamond learns that the murder victim in Bognor was a psychologist and crime profiler secretly working on the serial killer case for the Special Branch. And, that is just the beginning of Diamond's problems as his investigation is undermined by an internal mole. I will not reveal more because I do not want to destroy your reading pleasure.

Lovesey is a great writer because he combines realistic police investigation with realistic, flawed characters plus he injects all the hallmarks of classic British mystery. Lovesey is not as literate as P.D. James but that does not diminish his writing. This is an intricate and suspenseful murder mystery. I would give this 4.5 stars if I could and the only reason I do not give it five stars is because I think there are several other books in the series that are slightly better. But, I am being very critical and in no way mean to imply that this is second-rate.

Peter Lovesey is one of the most respected and beloved practitioners of traditional mystery in England. Unfortunately, his following in the USA is not as big as it should be.
He is a grandmaster of the rare skill these days, the skill of the puzzle. His plots are convoluted and complicated, but what makes it exceptional is that his solutions and twists are unexpected, but logical.
His detective Peter Diamond is a real gem too. Big as life figure, but believable with human traits and faults.
"The House Sitter" is another marvelous book by Peter Lovesey.