A good chunk of the first part of this book does not include Peter Diamond. Where'd he go? What's happening? As someone who has been reading two or so of these a month in order for the past several months, not having the series character in the book was ... different. At first. But I really grew to like Hen. At first she seemed to be a female Diamond - not easy to get along with, tough, quick, funny - but she did develop her own quirks. She eats like a racehorse, smokes a lot and doesn't approve of Diamond's interrogation style. She thinks he comes on too pushy and is likely to get a false confession. Miracle upon miracles, Diamond treats her as an equal in their joint investigation, keeping her up to date on everything he does and consulting her in regards to next moves. Diamond has softened up a bit or was able to appreciate her strong skills right away. They make a great team but Diamond does end up solving her mysteries as well as the serial killer case he stole from someone he considers a flash in the pan detective. I hope we see more Hen. I could almost see her as a love interest for overweight, out of shape, 50-year old Diamond. I could see him wanting to get her approval.The disappointment in this book is Ingeborg Smith. She was the reporter from the previous book (set two years ago) that wanted so badly to become a police officer. Well she's one now and Diamond thinks she has lots of potential but she has suddenly become incapably of thinking for herself. For example, she's trying to discover a man's identity and she knows he had reservations at a posh restaurant for a certain time and that his first name is Ken. She also knows his dinner companion asked for an alka seltzer and that he tipped the waiter extravagantly because he was embarrassed by his companion. My first thought is find that waiter. But she spends all her time with the restaurant management and the reservations book and doesn't get anywhere. Diamond has to tell her to talk to the waitstaff and to look up the credit card receipts. Come on, she was a very good reporter which was why Diamond thought she'd make a good officer. She's supposed to ask questions and be nosy and pushy.
Thanks to Goodreads friend, Sue Wyatt, for alerting me through a review to author Lovesey. She always finds great mysteries from the Soho series. I liked this book a lot. It has some of the standard British mystery devices, i.e. a protagonist detective, Peter Diamond, who is crusty and has had a terrible wound, i.e. his wife murdered. But everyone tolerates since he is brilliant. However, the author breaks the mold, since the woman sidekick, Hen, isn’t his underline, she is in charge of a police department herself. Although she is crusty. The setting near Bath is well drawn, and the murder victim, found strangled on the beach, Emma, is a profiler who was working on a secret potentially serial murder case. The plot is creative with twists, i.e. is Emma;s murder related to the serial murder? and how are the serial murder victim’s connected? and what about Emma’s computer programmer boyfriend, Ken? Cross bows and has-been pop singers enliven the plot. A good read.
What do You think about The House Sitter (2004)?
Actually, the book starts off with the killing of a well known movie director. He's killed in his backyard, watching the sun go down, by a crossbow bolt. Not your average weapon. The killer leaves a message with a quote from "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and telling the police who his next two victims will be. Then the profiler who is brought in is strangled on a beach. Because the profiler is from Bath, Diamond can't resist getting involved in the hunt for the killer. The killer (who is nicknamed the Mariner) has left absolutely no clues, but Diamond is sure that the two murdered are linked. Diamond begins to work with his colleagues from the beach community, when the second murder is perpetrated. In this one the victim is taken from a 'safe house' protected by special forces members. As you can imagine, all hell breaks loose and everyone but are friend Diamond is at their wits end. Once again Lovesey creates the tension by slowly unpeelling this artichoke one leaf at a time. When the end comes, it's totally unexpected, but rational. Great Read.Zeb Kantrowitz
—Zeb Kantrowitz
Interesting storyline. I enjoyed the way diamond and Hen played off eachother. As 2 of Lovesy's main characters, I was worried how they'd "mix" in the same book. I liked the way the pieces came together without being too obvious. Only disappointment was when they came face to face with "the killer". It seemed a bit anti-climatic. Enjoyed learning about eh idiosyncricies of the investigators as I went along. I like Hen more now that I've read a 2nd book featuring her...she'll grow on me, I think :)
—Michelle
The House Sitter is the latest Peter Diamond mystery and fans of Peter Lovesey's flawed detective, will not be disappointed. As ever, the Bath locations are skillfully recreated and Lovesey's warmth for the city certainly comes through. The plot, concerning the apparent murder of a psychologist whilst sunbathing on the beach, is well constructed, with plenty of twists to keep the reader wrong-footed. At first it appears that the case isn't going to allow Diamond to take centre stage, with much of the action centred on the south east coast. But that soon changes, and with his usual tact, Diamond once again solves the mystery. For me, one of the high points is his love-hate relationship with his superior office, Georgina Dallimore - their scenes are brilliant.For fans and those new to Lovesey's work alike, read this book - it's up there with his best. This is an intricate and involving story from a highly skilled crime fiction practitioner. Read it.
—Ant Harrison
