Quirky, Oddly Upbeat Mystery

Given the dead-serious subject matter (an amnesiac patient abandoned bloodied & comatose in a hospital parking lot and a rash of "suicides" - via shotgun and jumping from a landmark), Peter Lovesey chooses to present an incongruously jocular narrative.
Inspector Peter Diamond fights aggressive neighborhood cats (for some reason) while 'Rose' (not her real name) tries to discover her real identity while avoiding being drugged by an eccentric well-meaning friend and assisting another in shoplifting shenanigans.
In between, Lovesey develops a well-reasoned conspiracy involving the search for archeological treasures for the detective to solve.. yielding a well-researched plausible crime. Why it's treated almost comically is baffling.

Reader Michael Healy contributes to the lighthearted impression that I got from the book with a moderately amused tone overall (admittedly appropriate to the text). To be certain, Healy turns in a globally respectable performance: his diction, timbre, and cadence are definitely professional, for example (albeit nothing special) - but I found myself missing the growly baritone that Simon Prebble channels for the hulking, gruff Detective Diamond. Healy's version of Diamond is somewhat lacking.. and his other character voices are likewise "average".
While Healy was a "decent" casting choice from Tantor Audio, I couldn't help but conclude that another reader could have done the book more justice.

Altogether, 'Upon A Dark Night' is a strikingly vanilla UK Procedural. The different approach (and different narrator) takes the 'Inspector Diamond' series from "Prime-Time-Television-quality Crime Drama" into whimsical "Cozy" territory. If you're fine with that, this 6/10-star book is worth a download.. but even then, spending a Credit on it (should they ask) would be hard to defend.. better options beckon.

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