The Circle When Bob Naylor plucks up courage to join his local writers' circle, he is nervous. But while he is prepared for some naked ambition, he doesn't know it will include murder...The death of publisher Edgar Blacker propels Bob and his fellow authors straight into the middle of a detective story. They are excited by the prospect, but Detective Henrietta Mallin is determined not to let these amateur sleuths muddy the waters as she prepares to unravel the sinister secret of the circle. Do Not Exceed the Stated Dose Beware of long-lost friends, sleepy cats, and Santa's grotto. Think twice about gypsy curses, squawking parrots, and peach-coloured thermal underwear, for any one of them can confound your expectations and shatter a cosy world. Peter Lovesey prescribes fifteen fiendishly clever stories featuring the man in the street, along with the ever-popular detectives Peter Diamond and self-important Bertie, Prince of Wales.