“Lovesey loves strong women, cerebral killers and diabolical puzzles—the very ingredients that make The House Sitter one of the most cunning mysteries in his Peter Diamond series.” —Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
“The book sings along in great style.”—Washington Post Book World
“Elegant and suspenseful.”—Los Angeles Times
“An extraordinary mystery.”—Chicago Tribune
“This is Lovesey at his best.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“An ingenious and complex novel.”—Booklist (starred review)
“[A] tour de force.”—Boston Herald
When van driver Bob Naylor, who likes to write jingles, is prodded by his teenage daughter into joining the Chichester Writers’ Circle, he scarcely expects to find that, among the anticipated set of literary snobs, he will be rubbing elbows with one—or more—potential victims of murder by arson. The members come from all walks of life and practice all forms of writing, from torrid romances to household hints, but there seems to be nothing to cause a serial killer to choose his victims from among them. But as the killer strikes again and again, Bob becomes a suspect. In order to free himself from suspicion and save himself from going up in flames, he will have to cooperate with formidable CID Chief Inspector Henrietta Mallin—Inspector Peter Diamond’s opposite number from The House Sitter. It begins to appear that amongst the potential victims in this circle are one or more murderers.
Peter Lovesey is the author of 24 highly praised mysteries and has been awarded The Crime Writers’ Association’s Gold, Silver and Diamond Daggers, as well as many US honors. He lives in West Sussex, England.
Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement Recipient Mystery Writers of America 2018 Grandmaster
Praise for The Circle
“A treat . . . Lovesey’s restraint, wit, and charming cast ensure him a place in the winner’s circle.” —Entertainment Weekly “Wonderfully funny . . . [A] jaunty jape of a mystery.” —Washington Post Book World “Splendid entertainment . . . How [Lovesey] blends suspense and humor to the detriment of neither remains one of crime fiction’s greatest puzzles. This one need not be solved to be enjoyed.” —The Wall Street Journal “What a joy . . . Its snappy dialogue made me laugh out loud; it delighted me with quotations heading each chapter and with its literary references; it provided a puzzle I was unable to solve. In short, the novel is great fun.” —The Roanoke Times “A crafty fair-play puzzle.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review “[Lovesey is] a master storyteller . . . who can out-Christie Dame Agatha when he sets his mind to it, offers a smorgasbord of red herrings, a nifty plot twist, charming bits of doggerel and delicious digs at writers of the unpublishable.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Praise for Peter Lovesey
“I have long loved Peter Lovesey’s books . . . A creative, courageous and gifted writer.” —Louise Penny
“Lovesey is a master of the crime novel.” —Sara Paretsky
“What'll it be today? A knotty puzzle mystery? A fast-paced police procedural? Something more high-toned, with a bit of wit? With the British author Peter Lovesey, there's no need to make those agonizing decisions, because his books have it all.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Mr. Lovesey's narrative is swift, but he takes time out for local color and abundant humor, the latter springing from the book's quirky characters . . . Lovesey is a wizard at mixing character-driven comedy with realistic-to-grim suspense. And in a writing career spanning four decades, he has created a stylish and varied body of work.” —The Wall Street Journal “A treat . . . Lovesey’s restraint, wit, and charming cast ensure him a place in the winner’s circle.” —Entertainment Weekly
“Extremely stylish, lighter than air . . . utterly surprising.” —Newsweek
Peter Lovesey is the author of more than thirty highly praised mystery novels, including the Peter Diamond Investigations and the Sergeant Cribb Investigations. He has been awarded the CWA Gold and Silver Daggers, the Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement, the Strand Magazine Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards, and many other honors. He lives in West Sussex, England.
View titles by Peter Lovesey
“Lovesey loves strong women, cerebral killers and diabolical puzzles—the very ingredients that make The House Sitter one of the most cunning mysteries in his Peter Diamond series.” —Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
“The book sings along in great style.”—Washington Post Book World
“Elegant and suspenseful.”—Los Angeles Times
“An extraordinary mystery.”—Chicago Tribune
“This is Lovesey at his best.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“An ingenious and complex novel.”—Booklist (starred review)
“[A] tour de force.”—Boston Herald
When van driver Bob Naylor, who likes to write jingles, is prodded by his teenage daughter into joining the Chichester Writers’ Circle, he scarcely expects to find that, among the anticipated set of literary snobs, he will be rubbing elbows with one—or more—potential victims of murder by arson. The members come from all walks of life and practice all forms of writing, from torrid romances to household hints, but there seems to be nothing to cause a serial killer to choose his victims from among them. But as the killer strikes again and again, Bob becomes a suspect. In order to free himself from suspicion and save himself from going up in flames, he will have to cooperate with formidable CID Chief Inspector Henrietta Mallin—Inspector Peter Diamond’s opposite number from The House Sitter. It begins to appear that amongst the potential victims in this circle are one or more murderers.
Peter Lovesey is the author of 24 highly praised mysteries and has been awarded The Crime Writers’ Association’s Gold, Silver and Diamond Daggers, as well as many US honors. He lives in West Sussex, England.
Reviews
Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement Recipient Mystery Writers of America 2018 Grandmaster
Praise for The Circle
“A treat . . . Lovesey’s restraint, wit, and charming cast ensure him a place in the winner’s circle.” —Entertainment Weekly “Wonderfully funny . . . [A] jaunty jape of a mystery.” —Washington Post Book World “Splendid entertainment . . . How [Lovesey] blends suspense and humor to the detriment of neither remains one of crime fiction’s greatest puzzles. This one need not be solved to be enjoyed.” —The Wall Street Journal “What a joy . . . Its snappy dialogue made me laugh out loud; it delighted me with quotations heading each chapter and with its literary references; it provided a puzzle I was unable to solve. In short, the novel is great fun.” —The Roanoke Times “A crafty fair-play puzzle.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review “[Lovesey is] a master storyteller . . . who can out-Christie Dame Agatha when he sets his mind to it, offers a smorgasbord of red herrings, a nifty plot twist, charming bits of doggerel and delicious digs at writers of the unpublishable.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Praise for Peter Lovesey
“I have long loved Peter Lovesey’s books . . . A creative, courageous and gifted writer.” —Louise Penny
“Lovesey is a master of the crime novel.” —Sara Paretsky
“What'll it be today? A knotty puzzle mystery? A fast-paced police procedural? Something more high-toned, with a bit of wit? With the British author Peter Lovesey, there's no need to make those agonizing decisions, because his books have it all.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Mr. Lovesey's narrative is swift, but he takes time out for local color and abundant humor, the latter springing from the book's quirky characters . . . Lovesey is a wizard at mixing character-driven comedy with realistic-to-grim suspense. And in a writing career spanning four decades, he has created a stylish and varied body of work.” —The Wall Street Journal “A treat . . . Lovesey’s restraint, wit, and charming cast ensure him a place in the winner’s circle.” —Entertainment Weekly
“Extremely stylish, lighter than air . . . utterly surprising.” —Newsweek
Author
Peter Lovesey is the author of more than thirty highly praised mystery novels, including the Peter Diamond Investigations and the Sergeant Cribb Investigations. He has been awarded the CWA Gold and Silver Daggers, the Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement, the Strand Magazine Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards, and many other honors. He lives in West Sussex, England.
View titles by Peter Lovesey
