Skeleton Hill: An Inspector Peter Diamond Investigation by Peter Lovesey
Peter Diamond, head of the criminal investigations division (CID) for the city of Bath, England stars in this, the tenth book in the British detective series written by Peter Lovesey. The first few chapters are devoted to setting the stage for a most enjoyable hunt for the facts needed to solve two mysterious murders. There are two deaths to be investigated – which initially seemed to be unrelated – that were separated by about twenty years. The first involves a skeleton found in the roots of a landmark tree and the other turns up in a nearby graveyard in a pool of blood.
The mystery opens with a reenactment of a 1643 battle during the Civil War (not ours, theirs) at Lansdown above the city of Bath. Although the story develops methodically, the reader would be wise to take notes and prepare for what accelerates into a mad dash for the finish line. Along the way we’re treated to some strictly English terms and eccentricities with a generous side order of correct local history. All of this serves to make the book feel like a vacation/field trip combined with a really good game of Clue.
Author Lovesey provides the reader with a full array of suspects, red herrings and human foibles that add up to a very enjoyable read. This reviewer looks forward to reading the nine other books by Lovesey that preceded Skeleton Hill.
Highly recommended.
Review by Ruta Arellano. A review copy of Skeleton Hill was provided by Soho Press. This book is also available as a Kindle Edition download from Amazon.
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