Bloodhounds

By Peter Lovesey

“Peter Lovesey tosses off a real brain-banger in Bloodhounds, the fourth book in a challenging series . . . I am mad for these pyrotechnic teasers, and this one had my head spinning.”—The New York Times Book Review

A rare stamp and a corpse are discovered in Bath within hours of each other. As he investigates, Inspector Peter Diamond discovers that both the person who found the stamp and the victim belong to the Bloodhounds, an elite group of mystery lovers, who now urge Diamond to bring the murderer to justice. But there’s a hitch: the body lies inside a padlocked houseboat and the only key is in the pocket of a man with an airtight alibi.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Dec 1, 2004
• ISBN: 9781569477953

Peter Lovesey

Peter Lovesey is a British writer of detective fiction. His work has won many awards, most notably the CWA Gold and Silver Daggers, the Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement, as well as the Macavity, Barry and Anthony Awards.

Reviews for Bloodhounds

[kmajort · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm getting crazy, reading books *out of sequence*......

This is 4th in a series, but stands alone fairly well. May read more, will certainly recommend the author to some of our mystery fans.
Especially this title. We need to creat a Bloodhounds group!

[deaconbernie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A locked room mystery. It seems every mystery writer takes a stab at this type. Lovesey's effort is adequate. As usual, Lovesey has a host of interesting characters. Alas, he shields the actual baddie. But the whole point of the mystery is somewhat unsatisfying.

[4hounds · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I came across these books by accident, and have gobbled them up! I liked the "Bloodhounds" group and their dynamics, and how Diamond's interviews and intuition solves it.

[condorena · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mysteries about mystery readers are always fun. In this story Inspector Peter Diamond is bored and like Sherlock Holmes in that he is dying for a murder case that is unusual and mentally challenging. He wish is granted when a member of a crime story discussion group called the Bloodhounds is found murdered in a locked room. Shades of John Dickson Carr hover around as Diamond tries to figure out how a dead body is found inside a padlocked houseboat the only key to which is in the pocket of a man with an airtight alibi.

[jburlinson_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like Lovesey, in general. But with this book, everything has to be qualified. Killer is "least likely", all right -- but unsatisfying (and eminently guessable) nonetheless. Investigative team is well contrasted -- but not very compelling. Suspects are diverse enough, OK -- but to almost no purpose. The concept of a murderous mystery book club is amusing -- but not nearly sufficiently exploited for its comic potential. What is interesting is Lovesey's habit of starting a dialogue sequence between two characters who are part of a larger social context and then continuing with unattributed statements that create a sense of ambiguity as to who, precisely, is speaking. I only wish this habit had been in the service of the mystery(ies).

[christiguc · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

First, a rare stamp is stolen in broad daylight after the thief notifies the police and press ahead of time in a bold taunt. The Bloodhounds, the local reading group for mystery fans in Bath, are interested in the opportunity to discuss a real mystery, but after one of their members ends up dead, murdered, in a different member's locked houseboat (the Mrs. Hudson), they all begin to suspect one-another. Only one Bloodhound, Milo, is above suspicion as he has a solid alibi--being with the police at the time of the murder. However, Milo, the fan of classic mysteries and locked room puzzles, had the only key to his houseboat in his possession at the police station, and the houseboat was found locked with no sign of forced entry. Peter Diamond, the Detective Superintendent in charge of investigating the murder, has his own locked-room puzzle to solve.Peter Lovesey builds his characters well. His plotting is creative and fair to a reader who likes a mystery that gives enough clues. The writing is clear, and the dialogue is sharp. None of these assets are the best point of the book however. My favorite aspect is the clever references to other mystery authors and mystery genres which any crime book lover will find amusing. Whether it's Bloodhounds debating the benefits of the noir crime versus the puzzle-based whodunits or it's John Dickson Carr's rules of a proper locked-room mystery, a well-read reader will appreciate the nods to favorite authors.

[ffortsa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good entry in this series, complete with eccentric English mystery story afficionados, improbable coincidences and even a locked room mystery! I did wonder why one character was so underplayed, and my suspicions were rewarded at the end.