Review: The Circle

Peter Lovesey’s latest mystery introduces the reader to the Chichester Writers’ Circle. Not the real one, he hastens to add, but a fictional one that is gripped by real life murder and arson. Bob Naylor joins the circle just after the murder of publisher Edgar Blacker, and he soon finds himself in the thick of the mystery. Inspector Henrietta Mallin is called in to investigate the case, but it certainly is confusing. Will she be able to solve the mystery before others die?

‘The Circle’ is a finely crafted whodunit. Lovesey moves from a serious mystery novel to satire with ease, poking fun at struggling writers, police detectives and the art of writing in general. We get to hear struggling attempts at writing fiction, such as an incredibly bad fantasy novel, and we see the idiosyncrasies of different characters, such as one would-be writer who cannot bear to hear a cliché.

Lovesey changes viewpoint often and it is here that the novel becomes particularly interesting. We hear most of the tale from the viewpoint of Bob Naylor, who seems a perfectly nice man, friendly and personable. However, when we hear about him from the point of view of Henrietta Mallin and the police, a completely different portrait emerges. These multiple viewpoints make the story much more interesting.

The characters are also a triumph for Lovesey. He includes a wide variety, enough to make the novel Agatha Christie-esque. In fact, there are references to Christie and the mystery genre liberally scattered throughout the story. The plot itself works well, although the ending may require the suspension of disbelief, as it is hard to imagine such nefarious goings-on in sleepy Chichester. Nevertheless, the humour and this inside look into the world of writers and their craft will no doubt appeal to many. Lovesey does it again with another successful tale.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

Book Review: The Circle