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.
