What does it say about me that I love these silly little mysteries? Silly and little are perhaps not appropriate, as we are discussing murder after all. Well, one might say 1) that I [look like, act like, read like, or am] a little old lady, 2) with a dislike of forensic details, 3) but who gets pleasure from reading about a crotchety police detective inspector with a soft heart for children and animals. One or two of these may or may not be true...The Bloodhounds of the title are a mystery book club who meet in the crypt of an old church in Bath. "Crypt" may sound rather more interesting than it is in fact, for Lovesey describes it as a damp basement room with indoor-outdoor carpeting, a low ceiling, and too bright fluorescent lighting. The group is somewhat antagonistic among themselves...so much so that others find it daunting to enter, participate, and continue in the group. While discussing a “locked room mystery” so dear to the heart of one of the group participants, Lovesey treats us to a “locked room murder” which the Bloodhounds must solve.

Diamond gets into the usual difficulties with his boss, and gives his assistant so much to do that she will be a fine detective if she can ever get out from under his hand. He still has no facility nor interest in computers, but agitates his “little grey cells” to achieve remarkable results, but only after a series of false starts.