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Peter Lovesey
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The Secret Hangman (A Detective Peter Diamond Mystery) Paperback – April 1, 2008

by Peter Lovesey (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 666 ratings
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“Lovesey’s delicate balance of humor and suspense [is] one of the delights of contemporary crime fiction.” —Wall Street Journal

Delia Williamson, a waitress and mother of two young girls, is reported missing. She is soon found in a public park, hanging from the crossbar of a children’s swing set. The postmortem reveals that she has been murdered. Her current partner, ex-husband, and a traveling salesman who frequented her restaurant are all suspects. Before Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond can solve the mystery, more will die. But even as he pursues a killer, he finds himself pursued by a secret admirer.
Previous page
  1. Book 9 of 21
    Peter Diamond
  2. Print length
    368 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Soho Crime
  5. Publication date
    April 1, 2008
  6. Dimensions
    4.99 x 0.87 x 7.46 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1569474885
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1569474884
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement Recipient
Mystery Writers of America 2018 Grandmaster

Praise for The Secret Hangman
 
An Independent Mystery Booksellers Association Killer Book
 
“When it comes to the classic British puzzle mystery . . . Peter Lovesey is your man. His latest, The Secret Hangman . . . is a special treat . . . Lovesey proves that the traditional puzzle mystery is always a bit of fun and games.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“Lovesey’s delicate balance of humor and suspense [is] one of the delights of contemporary crime fiction.”
—Wall Street Journal
 
“Lovesey continues to excel, with clever plotted mysteries filled with detailed behind-the-scenes police work.”
—Library Journal, Starred Review
 
“Lovesey deftly blends suspense and humor in this excellent ninth whodunit to feature Peter Diamond . . . This classic series is still going strong.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
 
“Lovesey, winner of many honors, including a Gold Dagger Award, should be on every British mystery lover’s short list, and this is a fine place to start.”
—Rocky Mountain News
 
“Lovesey has cloaked the classic ‘puzzle’ mystery in a fully realized world of coppers and local landmarks . . . Masterful.”
—Houston Chronicle

Praise for The Peter Diamond series

“Peter Diamond is impatient, belligerent, cunning, insightful, foul, laugh-out-loud funny . . . A superb series.”
—Louise Penny
 
“I’m jealous of everyone discovering Lovesey and Diamond for the first time—you have a wonderful backlist to catch up on. Me, all I can do is wait for the next book.”
—Sara Paretsky
 
“What'll it be today? A knotty puzzle mystery? A fast-paced police procedural? Something more high-toned, with a bit of wit? With the British author Peter Lovesey, there's no need to make those agonizing decisions, because his books have it all.”
—The New York Times Book Review
 
“Mr. Lovesey's narrative is swift, but he takes time out for local color and abundant humor, the latter springing from the book's quirky characters . . . Lovesey is a wizard at mixing character-driven comedy with realistic-to-grim suspense. And in a writing career spanning four decades, he has created a stylish and varied body of work.”
—The Wall Street Journal
 
“Next to Jane Austen, Peter Lovesey is the writer the tourist board of Bath, England, extols most proudly . . . The enduring draw of the Peter Diamond books derives both from the beguiling Bath cityscape and the brusque character of Diamond himself.”
—NPR

About the Author

Peter Lovesey is the author of more than thirty highly praised mystery novels. He has been awarded the CWA Gold and Silver Daggers, the Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement, the Strand Magazine Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards, and many other honors. He lives in West Sussex, England.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Soho Crime (April 1, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1569474885
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1569474884
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.99 x 0.87 x 7.46 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 666 ratings

About the author

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Peter Lovesey

Peter Lovesey

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Peter Lovesey was born in Middlesex and studied at Hampton Grammar School and Reading University, where he met his wife Jax. He won a competition with his first crime fiction novel, Wobble to Death, and has never looked back, with his numerous books winning and being shortlisted for nearly all the prizes in the international crime writing world. He was Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association and has been presented with Lifetime Achievement awards both in the UK and the US.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
666 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Laurie Fletcher
5.0 out of 5 stars Another fine Diamond
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2008
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You're never too old to have a Secret Admirer, as Inspector Peter Diamond is about to discover. He's still an open wound from the murder of his wife, but the damage is healing and he's a little intrigued. But before he can get too wrapped up in the possibilities, he is faced with one of the strangest and most dreadful murders of his career. Followed by another. Followed by another. Someone is killing couples or former couples: first the wife, then the husband. All of the victims are found strung up in very public places, mostly in and around Diamond's territory of Bath.

Meanwhile, the force is also plagued by violent smash-and-grab robberies that are conducted with stolen SUVs crashed into high-end stores in the dead of night. It seems as though things are taking a dire turn in calm, respectable Bath. And while he can't summon the interest in his Secret Admirer, Diamond does tumble awkwardly, haltingly, endearingly into a relationship with a woman he meets at the grocery store. The painful beginnings and sweet progression of this new romance are just the antidote this book needs for the darkness of the crimes. The threads of this book weave beautifully and the story is mesmerizing. Another fine Diamond.
3 people found this helpful
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Jimmy Thompson
4.0 out of 5 stars Diamond's trying to catch this crafty baddie, everything is ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2015
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Diamond's trying to catch this crafty baddie, everything is at stake in this one, even Mr. Diamond's heart. Full of visuals not usual found in this type of book.
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John F. Rooney
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovesey's Diamond, Many Faceted and Keen
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2007
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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.
6 people found this helpful
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Galla
3.0 out of 5 stars A good read, however......
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2011
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I became a Diamond junkie about three weeks ago and have read all the books in that time including The Secret Hangman. Maybe I've gone overboard but found this novel, while interesting and entertaining, not up to the level of the previous books. Perhaps the clues are easier for Americans to pick up on, given the pro-life, pro-choice movement but I placed my bet on the villain almost as soon as he was introduced, and was right. The character of Paloma was somewhat difficult to understand and to warm to. The ending was especially mindboggling given what she had just experienced but she was still worried about continuing to see the Supt. Diamond in the future! That was a bit hard to accept. And good old Diamond was a bit too cantankerous in this novel. He really is tough on his team. However, it was still a good read and the lovely descriptions of Bath make the town almost another character.
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John Kenney
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, interesting story
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2008
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I've recently read a couple Peter Diamond books and enjoyed them both. They are well written in a sort of old fashioned style. Which means that Lovesey isn't on a quest to conjure up the most disturbed characters he can imagine - or the most superhuman crimefighers. And that while there is a serial killer at work, this book doesn't have an absurdly frenetic pace or excessive chaos and blood. Pleasantly, there are other, more human things going on as well in amongst the crime story.

I think the mix makes for a very worthwhile read. You get to know the characters a bit, you like them (or not), and they all play a role in the overall flow of the story. The mystery is complicated and believable enough and the crime solving is sensible and well formulated.
3 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Really enjoyed this
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2010
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I read a lot of murder mystery books so I was delighted to find a new (to me) author whose work I so enjoyed. I added The Secret Hangman to my Kindle because it was a bargain book, but I will be seeking out the rest of the books in the series because I enjoyed it so much.
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Serge Pesic
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a joy
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2013
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Peter Lovesey is one of the last few standing. The master of the classic, purist British mystery,the dying art. His books are beautifully written, his characters rich and developed, and his plots are to die for. Peppered with fair clues, convoluted but logical,and his twists deeply satisfying and exciting. This novel is no exception. Such a joy...
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Timothy
5.0 out of 5 stars a classic whodunnit
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2019
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Peter Diamond faces a classic whodunnit in the spirit of Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes in 'The Secret Hangman'. This book is a great example of author Peter Lovesey's uncanny ability to blend classic mystery elements into a modern story, keeping his readers on the edge of their seats from the first page to the last.
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Top reviews from other countries

rickvic
5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner for Peter Lovesey
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2012
Verified Purchase
Peter Diamond the feature character in these stories provides the reader with a credible touch of realism. The author manages to create a perfect image of Bath and surrounding area. The story line is gripping and the many twists and turns leave the reader hanging on to the end. As with all in this series, Great Character, great story, beautifully written.
3 people found this helpful
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Iscamaid
4.0 out of 5 stars Another winner in the Peter Diamond detective series
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2007
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I had been eagerly awaiting "The Secret Hangman", having been a fan of the Peter Diamond detective series since being given a copy of the"The Vault". In this series Peter Lovesey has created a human and likeable hero whose stubbornness and bluff manner are his strongest points. He unfailingly provides us with a classic murder mystery in the truest sense of the word, with a strong plot, believable characters and storylines which keep you reading and guessing until the end. There is a lack of graphic blood and gore that you find in many recent thrillers, instead the writer gives an intellectual puzzle. In "The Secret Hangman" he has not let his readers down; here is another tale of murder in Bath, a serial killer hanging couples in a bizarre voyeuristic way from bridges near Bath beauty spots. If I have one slight criticism of this book it is due to the love interest from the "Secret Admirer". Having followed the series I was shocked and hurt by the murder of Peter Diamond's wife, Stephanie in one of the earlier novels. The love interest in this book seems a betrayal of her character and although this book is set 3 years after her death I found it uncomfortable to read. I almost felt as though Peter Lovesy had been persuaded by an editor looking for book sales to kill off Stephanie. It felt as though having a happily married detective was too staid and from her murder they could introduce a love interest and sex scenes. Instead they killed a main character from the series who gave peter Diamond credibility and a sounding board for his ideas. I would still recommend this book to anyone, though would suggest reading them in sequence.
12 people found this helpful
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susie elmes
5.0 out of 5 stars A good who dunit
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 23, 2012
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As usual I enjoyed this Peter Lovesey novel, trying to guess the outcome and then being surprised. The story flows well with plenty of suspence and and well written. You can't see the cogs whirring or find glaring errors in what you read. A good who dunit.
5 people found this helpful
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Lesley Trotman
5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 20, 2014
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i thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are believable and I particularly like Peter Diamond. The plot kept me guessing right through. I will certainly read more by this author.
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Dr. Peter G. Upton
4.0 out of 5 stars Slight anticlimax
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2010
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Well written police procedural, set in Bath and cleverly plotted at least at the start; I felt there were some problems with the denouement which were either glossed over or ignored. In particular Paloma does not convince in either half of the story, and some details of the way the villain gets his information are sketchy. However, well written and entertaining.
2 people found this helpful
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