The Secret Hangman

Peter Diamond #9

by Peter Lovesey

Widowed Inspector Peter Diamond is being pursued by a secret admirer as he pursues a serial killer. Delia Williamson, a mother of two young girls who works as a waitress, is first reported missing by her own mother. She is found in a public park, hanged from the crossbar of a children’s swing set. There seems to be no reason for her to have committed suicide, and the postmortem reveals that she was murdered. Her present partner, her ex-husband, and a traveling salesman who dined at her table in the restaurant where she worked, are all suspects. Then her former husband is found in a cave, also hanged. A remorse suicide? Diamond doesn’t think so. When a well-to-do couple is found dead, both hanged, a suicide pact is suggested. Diamond is dubious; too many couples are dying by the same method. Before he can figure out what is going on, one more person will die.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, British Literature, Procedural

316 pages, Hardcover

Published June 1, 2007

About the author

Peter Harmer Lovesey, also known by his pen name Peter Lear, was a British writer of historical and contemporary detective novels and short stories. His best-known series characters are Sergeant Cribb, a Victorian-era police detective based in London, and Peter Diamond, a modern-day police detective in Bath. He was also one of the world's leading track and field statisticians.

Reviews

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Hangman is the 9th book in the Peter Diamond Series. I think it was one of the best I’ve read. I do not read the books in order and this was my sixth book from the series.

Peter Diamond is working on a case where a woman is found hung in a park. Is it suicide or murder? Meanwhile, a mysterious person is interested in him and would like to get to know him.

I liked how this book had a good balance of investigative work and the personal life of Diamond. I found it kept my attention and was full of small surprises to the very end.

I really enjoy this series. The books always have interesting cases and Peter Diamond is a great character. He’s smart with an excellent sense of humor.

[Kirsten Mattingly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked The Secret Hangman but not as much as most of the other books in the Peter Diamond series. The plot didn’t thrill me and I took time reading this one. Detective Superintendent Diamond started off as a surly character in book one, but became more good humored with each subsequent episode, which I liked . Now in this book he’s more irritable than ever and I was put off by that.

I still intend to keep reading the series in order. I got this audiobook for free with my Audible subscription. Narrator Simon Preble was flawless.

I’m giving The Secret Hangman 3.5 stars and I always round up.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the locations, policing and the personal life of Superintendent Diamond as it merges with intense investigation of public hangings of couples in the area of Bath.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read by............... Christopher Scott
Total Runtime......... 10 Hours 25 Mins

Description: Widowed Inspector Peter Diamond is being pursued by a secret admirer as he pursues a serial killer. Delia Williamson, a mother of two young girls who works as a waitress, is first reported missing by her own mother. She is found in a public park, hanged from the crossbar of a children's swing set. There seems to be no reason for her to have committed suicide, and the postmortem reveals that she was murdered. Her present partner, her ex-husband, and a traveling salesman who dined at her table in the restaurant where she worked, are all suspects. Then her former husband is found in a cave, also hanged. A remorse suicide? Diamond doesn't think so. When a well-to-do couple is found dead, both hanged, a suicide pact is suggested. Diamond is dubious; too many couples are dying by the same method. Before he can figure out what is going on, one more person will die.



This is the one where we find out Peter is not fond of things that live in caves, and the three year widower finally gets a leg-over. Diamond's personal life kept me going as the crime story was ludicrous.

Bath Racecourse Bath Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located on Lansdown Hill, just north of Bath, Somerset.

3* The Last Detective (Peter Diamond, #1)
2* Diamond Solitaire (Peter Diamond #2)
3* The Summons (Peter Diamond #3)
3* Bloodhounds (Peter Diamond, #4)
3.5* Upon A Dark Night (Peter Diamond #5)
3.5* The Vault (Peter Diamond, #6)
3* Diamond Dust (Peter Diamond, #7)
3.5* The House Sitter (Peter Diamond, #8)
2.5* The Secret Hangman (Peter Diamond, #9)
CR Skeleton Hill (Peter Diamond, #10)

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a total nail-biter. Down to the last pages we are questioning the police force, suspecting what they do not. Diamond falls prey to a stalker (!) who loves him [mostly] for his mind. The lovely former journalist Ingebord plays a key role and it is wonderful to have her personality counterpoint to the more stodgy male detectives.

Very...compelling. Read it in one busy day.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot and resolution was a bit of a stretch, but getting to the rather exciting end kept me reading fast to finish it. Diamond interacting with his team gets better in some ways, but he is still really obnoxious at times. And I feel his new romantic interest got there duplicitously, and that bothered me throughout. But still an entertaining and "sure bet" read.

[Julie Tridle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm surprised I can still focus my eyes after rolling them so much at the plot of this ridiculous book. I didn't expect to love it by any means. I read it because it was free and handy and I was looking for something not too taxing. But jeez-Louise!

[John Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

After starting to read another unsatisfactory book, I needed one that I could rely on and so it was a natural choice to move onto the next in the series about Bath crime fighter Peter Diamond.
There is something about the authors storytelling style that appeals to me and I know the area enough to picture some of the scenery of the story and have even been in one of the tunnels under the city.

I think that I picked up on one of the major clues quiet early on but something else happened and I forgot it. As the story unfolds you believe that you can see through it. This has happened with previous books in the series and although I am aware that the author is an artist in misinformation, but I still fall for it.

Certain pieces of the jigsaw hover tantilisingly over their place on the table in the finished puzzle but once again I didnt see the complete picture until it was all explained after a thrilling climax.

At the moment this is my 'comfort read'

[Jack Laschenski · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, clvar plot, unexpected ending.

Quite satisfying.

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Secret Hangman' begins with Bath detective Peter Diamond being asked by his boss to find a missing person, who is the daughter of one of the boss's friends in the choir that they both belong to.

Meanwhile another woman who calls herself his 'Secret Admirer' targets Diamond with letters and telephone calls and asks for a meeting in a local public house. Having lost his wife some three years earlier, Diamond is looking for love in a low-key kind of way so he arranges to meet his admirer. The meeting goes well and before too long he and Paloma Kean become embroiled in a mild but passionate affair.

Then the calmness is interrupted when a woman's body is found hanging from a playground swing in Sydney Gardens. Initially it is thought to be suicide but when a second ligature mark is found around the woman's neck, it is obvious that this may not be the case and that murder may well be involved. Shortly after the discovery of the woman's body, another hanging is discovered, a male who is publicly displayed for all to see. He turns out to be the partner of the lady who had been found hanging.

This reminds Diamond of a previous case where two hangings of partners took place some time previously and there seems to be a similarity between the incidents. This makes Diamond and his team think that a secret hangman is at work in the city. But why?

Then when another woman is found hanging, once more on public display, things become even more serious and Diamond begins to piece together a modus operandi of the criminal. An array of lively characters come into the tale, there is many a twist along the way and the well-planned plot has an exciting and surprising ending, which makes the book well worth the read.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Generally I like Peter Lovesey mysteries but this one stunk! Don't bother with it. I'm not sure what he was trying to get across with his ending and with the romance with Diamond but it fell flat. It was a waste.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely not as good as the other books in the series, but still had some enjoyable parts. If you ever want to listen to any of these books on Audible , I highly recommend it! Simon Prebble is a great narrator..

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Readable, but the solution to the crime was unrealistic and ludicrous.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Diamond is an old fashioned detective who has trouble moving with the times. He remains outspoken, beligerant and struggles to accept the views of others and papers the cracks when he makes a mistake. The secret hangman is set some three years after the murder of his wife during which time he has lived alone with the cat. This makes him more introspective than ever. At the start he is called to the suspected suicide of a woman in Bath park, then there is a stalker, an incident in Sainsbury's car park and links to an old case.

The Diamond character is at times a strong o;d fashioned male copper, at times a dinosaur and at times perceptive. His bullying manner can rather overwhelm the plot. His time, often at loggerheads with him nevertheless remain loyal to him. As so often in this type of crime novel his boss, the assistant chief constable, comes over as bumblingly inefficient and out to take credit where it is not due.

The plot is lightweight as there did not appear to be any real twists and through his blinkered eyes, the plot line was clear at an early stage although to witness him stumbling along and not appearing to follow the obvious until it was absolutely necessary rather keeps the story alive.

This was an enjoyable listen although not exactly riveting. There is a good performance from Christopher Scott the narrator. This is a good 3 stars from me.

[Spuddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful entry in this British crime series featuring Supt. Peter Diamond in Bath. A woman is found hanged in a public park, initially thought to be suicide, but the medical examiner finds that she had been strangled prior to the hanging. Two days later, the body of her former partner and the father of her children is found hanging the same way, but with no evidence of being killed prior. The thought is that he killed her and then hung himself. But something doesn't quite add up to Diamond. His boss tells him to wrap it up and concentrate on finding a group of ram raiders who have been terrorizing local shops. Diamond is also distracted by his new lady friend, the first time he's had a date or even thought about it since his wife had been murdered three years previously.

Then his new constable who had been a former newspaper reporter, comes to Diamond with evidence that two years prior, there had been a similar situation--two deaths by hanging, the first a wife and the second, her husband, just two days later. There's too many similarities for it to be a coincidence, but they can't find anything to connect the couples.

I knew who the bad guy was almost right away, but it was still entertaining watching Diamond and his team get there.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally started this series in the middle and am going back to earlier books. I enjoyed finally hearing how Peter and Paloma met. There were a lot of cross pointing red herrings and I thought from the beginning that Jerry being super religious was going to be a major plot point, and it was. I also picked up early on the multiple abortions, which turned out to be significant.

The mystery was so-so but watching Diamond and his crew interact and problem solve plus the Bath location made it a good read.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're reading from the library you take what you can get. There are 8 books between #2 and this so it's necessary to be prepared for changes. Diamond is now widowed and living in Bath where he has been taken on by his old division. The deaths in this are particularly unpleasant since they involve hangings in very public places, starting with a children's playground and proceeding to a highway overpass. Another chunk of Peter Lovesey information includes details of the building of that overpass and later there is a vivid description of the quarries where the regency builders got their stone. Both of these passages had me wanting to go to Bath again.
Diamond meets an interesting and attractive woman who looks like finding a place in his life, although perhaps not.
It was a good thing there was the female attraction going on to take away the nastiness of the deaths.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to have a good mystery series when you are not feeling well. Maybe I should take a break from these at some point, but I have two more from the library on my Kindle now. The new love interest to introduced in this volume, number nine in the series

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Widowed Inspector Diamond is romantically "stalked" by a mysterious woman as he pursues a murderer who hangs his victims in public places. Really exciting finale.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Up to his usual high standard!

[Kj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cleverly plotted murder mystery featuring the irascible but likable, Peter Diamond. People are being murdered and their bodies hung in prominent places around Bath. Diamond has his first love affair since his wife’s death. An entertaining read.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Diamond, Inspector Superintendent Of the Bath police, is pursuing a serial killer. The first victim was Delia Williams with two young daughters who reported missing by her mother. She is found dead in public park hung from the crossbar of a swing set. it looked like suicide, but the postmortem reveals she was murdered. Next, Delia's husband is found hanging and other supposed suicides are found to be work of the murderer. Peter receives a cake brought to the station with his name on it and later receives a letter asking to meet a woman. They begin a relationship and Peter meets her son who belongs to a church that believes in the "sanctity of life."
Lovesey is a master storyteller and has invented the perfect detective in Peter Diamond, a blunt, burly man who is tenacious when pursuing the criminal, yet extremely likable and witty. I immensely enjoy Lovesey's characterization: "Jim was doing something called a square tango that seemed to require a tighter clinch than any of the dances up to now. He'd found the lady with the deepest cleavage and was holding her as it was mission to hide display from everyone else." The dialogue is realistic, the humor delightful and the plot perfected.

[Moomo · Rating 2 out of 5]

First the good: Peter Lovesey writes well, Peter Diamond is a credible and nicely irritable detective, there's a decent sense of time and place, and the story keeps chugging along. But - oh dear - the plot is risible, the denouement ludicrous, and the stalker-cum-love interest so blatantly obvious that any half-decent detective would have worked it out immediately. Also - and it's a real problem this - you can't just string up three people in public places in the middle of Bath, and have NOBODY see you do it, especially as you're hoisting them into prominent and inaccessible places. Worse still, given the obvious difficulty of shifting the bodies, no one considers checking the movements of vehicles in the area at the time. Now, I'm no copper, but I'd reckon that was stupidity bordering on negligence. And then there's the "Bath" problem. Now I like Bath. It's a nice place. A very nice place. The sort of place in which injudicious dog-pooping qualifies as a major incident. And now we're being asked to believe that it's almost as edgy as St Mary Mead. No, sorry - I just don't buy it.

[Jan C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed Lovesey's Peter Diamond series.

A discussion came up somewhere about a book with people found hanging about. And someone suggested it might be this book where people are found hanging from bizarre public places throughout Bath.

Is there a serial killer on the loose?

And Diamond's boss wants him on some crime spree called a "ram raider". I think they ram jewelry stores with a vehicle - SUV or other big vehicle - and run off with the loot.

He takes much more seriously the hangings than the ram raider. She thinks hangings are just public suicides.

I read this book out of order - the last one I'm reading he'd gotten kicked off the force for something and is driving his wife crazy. Here, his wife has apparently died and he has a female after him. So he gets a little romance out of this.

I've got to catch up on these stories. Especially the one where his wife dies. And there's a new one now, too.

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Diamond #9... Just had to read more....

One day later and already more than half way through. This one is fabulous. Lovesey is an amazing writer. The story is filled with moments of fear and distress as well as tenderness and insight. I just don't want to stop reading.

This was the absolute BEST! The final 60 or so pages was a one sitting zoom read! I had decided early on who I thought was the villain and I was right, but the twists and turns and complications both policing and personal made me question myself more than once. Just extraordinary. Every person alive should read the entire Peter Diamond series!!! I have spoken....

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blergh. I thoroughly enjoyed Diamond getting involved with his secret admirer (though his street cred as an amazing detective suffers in that he didn't realize that the woman he was dating was the very same woman who had been stalking him)but the mystery didn't do much for me this time. The solution was so far out in left field that it was in another stadium.

Yet I continue to read. How many more?

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riveting read, a complex suspected murder/suicide shows similarities to a pair of suicides from years previously. Ate they related? A cult? Serial killer? Copycat? An intruiging case which was a very interesting read, though I did guess the culprit before the big reveal.

Peter Diamond remains a very engaging and enjoyable character. His squad too although I notice there is an unexplained absence of John Wigfull for a few books.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first hanging is a young mother who worked as a waitress. The second is her ex-husband, but then Peter Diamond uncovers connections to other hangings that were assumed to be suicides. Meanwhile, he is being stalked by a woman who "wants to get to know him," and Paloma is actually able to help him zero in on the suspect.

[Bernie Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Believable....... Just about but once again an excellent romp through as a detective in the true tradition
Diamond is again showing his man management skills at his worst but his team obvious admire his skills and stick with him

[Alejandrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Peter Lovesey is up there among the top crime fiction writers. The story is tight, believable, worth the read. Waiting for his next Peter Diamond (the detective character)...on the shelf :)