Peter Lovesey: Bertie and the Tinman

I've written favourably about Lovesey before. This novel is set in the Victorian era, just like Wobble to Death, a book I very much enjoyed. The twist here is that it is Queen Victoria's son Albert - Bertie to his intimates and His Highness to the rest of us - who is the detective. His favourite jockey, the "Tinman", commits suicide, and Bertie isn't happy with the notion that this was done in a fit of madness brought on by typhoid fever. Bertie himself has suffered from typhoid, and one is madder than the Tinman then he thinks. So he starts investigating.

I think it's quite cute, but not much more. I found it a bit predictable in style - the bumbling over-sexed Royal attempting to bluster information out of people. The historical references are fun though on the whole. I wouldn't not recommend it, but I didn't think it was Lovesey's best, not by a long shot.

Let's see now if I can sort out my blog. Gulp.

Peter Lovesey: Bloodhounds

This novel takes place after Diamond's return to Bath, while he is trying to settle in with his new team. It features a valuable stamp, a locked-room murder mystery and a circle of crime fiction aficionados calling themselves the Bloodhounds of Bath.

I like this one a whole lot better than The Summons. I found it better crafted, and the far-fetchedness of the plot in some instances matched the theme of the book, which is the discussion of preposterous crime stories. After reading this I'm going to try to read some more of John Dickson Carr; I have read a bit, but not much.

Peter Lovesey: The Summons

An ominous title, but not a very ominous book, on the whole.

Peter Diamond left his job as a police inspector in Bath years ago, and he and his wife are now struggling to make a living in London. When a murderer he put away 4 years previously escapes from life-time inprisonment and takes a hostage, Diamond is called back by his former colleagues. The alleged killer wants Diamond to prove his innocence, and Diamond investigates the case again.

Better (much better) than it sounds, although why Diamond is praised as being such a kick-ass police officer is beyond me - occassionally he seems thick as two planks. But it's witty, and well-plotted on the whole. I've previously read Wobble to Death, and now I feel I must give Lovesey another few chances and read some more of his work.

Peter Diamond as a character is a lot like Inspector Frost, of television fame, but Frost is based on another series of books I understand (by R.D. Wingfield -I should check them out too).