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Peter Diamond #19
The Finisher
On the 50th anniversary of the publication of his first novel, Peter Lovesey, Mystery Writers of America Grand Master and titan of the British detective novel, returns to the subject of his very first mystery—running.
Through a particularly ill-fated series of events, couch potato Maeve Kelly, an elementary school teacher whose mother always assured her “curvy” girls shouldn’t waste their time trying to be fit, has been forced to sign up for the Other Half, Bath’s springtime half marathon. The training is brutal, but she must disprove her mother and collect pledges for her aunt’s beloved charity. What Maeve doesn’t know is just how vicious some of the other runners are.
Meanwhile, Detective Peter Diamond is tasked with crowd control on the raucous day of the race—and catches sight of a violent criminal he put away a decade ago, and who very much seems to be up to his old tricks now that he is paroled. Diamond’s hackles are already up when he learns that one of the runners never crossed the finish line and disappeared without a trace. Was Diamond a spectator to murder?
Through a particularly ill-fated series of events, couch potato Maeve Kelly, an elementary school teacher whose mother always assured her “curvy” girls shouldn’t waste their time trying to be fit, has been forced to sign up for the Other Half, Bath’s springtime half marathon. The training is brutal, but she must disprove her mother and collect pledges for her aunt’s beloved charity. What Maeve doesn’t know is just how vicious some of the other runners are.
Meanwhile, Detective Peter Diamond is tasked with crowd control on the raucous day of the race—and catches sight of a violent criminal he put away a decade ago, and who very much seems to be up to his old tricks now that he is paroled. Diamond’s hackles are already up when he learns that one of the runners never crossed the finish line and disappeared without a trace. Was Diamond a spectator to murder?
360 pages, Hardcover
First published July 14, 2020
About the author
Peter Lovesey
236 books565 followersPeter (Harmer) Lovesey (born 1936 in Whitton, Middlesex) is a British writer of historical and contemporary crime novels and short stories. His best-known series characters are Sergeant Cribb, a Victorian-era police detective based in London, and Peter Diamond, a modern-day police detective in Bath. Lovesey's novels and stories mainly fall into the category of entertaining puzzlers in the "Golden Age" tradition of mystery writing.
He is also well known as a writer of non-fiction histories of track & field athletics and several of his novels have used the sport as a theme. His first-ever book in 1968 was The Kings of Distance, a study of five great runners,
Most of Peter Lovesey's writing has been done under his own name. However, he did write three novels under the pen name Peter Lear.
Lovesey's novels and short stories have won him a number of awards, including both the Gold and Silver Daggers of the Crime Writers' Association, of which he was chairman in 1991/92. In 2000, he received the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for lifetime achievement in crime writing and in 2018 he was made a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America.
Peter Lovesey lives near Shrewsbury. His son Phil Lovesey also writes crime novels.
He is also well known as a writer of non-fiction histories of track & field athletics and several of his novels have used the sport as a theme. His first-ever book in 1968 was The Kings of Distance, a study of five great runners,
Most of Peter Lovesey's writing has been done under his own name. However, he did write three novels under the pen name Peter Lear.
Lovesey's novels and short stories have won him a number of awards, including both the Gold and Silver Daggers of the Crime Writers' Association, of which he was chairman in 1991/92. In 2000, he received the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for lifetime achievement in crime writing and in 2018 he was made a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America.
Peter Lovesey lives near Shrewsbury. His son Phil Lovesey also writes crime novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
November 11, 2021
A compelling read, which I enjoyed very much.
August 12, 2020
I’ve been reading the Peter Diamond series for nearly 30 years now, with a slowly growing feeling of dissatisfaction. With this book, although it improved toward the end, I think I may be done with the series.
First off, one of the book’s themes is people smuggling, in this case men from Albania coerced into crushing labor. This has been a theme of way too many British mysteries in recent years, and Lovesey adds nothing to the topic. It’s just a convenient way of adding characters and motives to the mix.
In my memory, the Diamond character used to have a line of entertaining dry humor, but now it’s all dry and very little humor. He’s more of a tech dinosaur than ever, but of course he still runs rings around everyone else and constantly Lone Rangers it. His style leads to yet more clashes with his chief, Georgina Dalymore. These are so repetitive at this point in the series that I just want to skip them. Diamond makes a few edge-of-offensive stereotyping remarks too. It’s difficult to understand what his lady friend, Paloma, sees in him.
Then there’s Diamond’s team of detectives. The female, Ingeborg Smith, has some dimensionality, but it’s not at all a good sign that with every book I struggle to differentiate between the two guys and, even just after reading the book, I’d have to think hard to tell you their distinguishing characteristics.
The plot in this case is constructed in such a way as to make it obvious that Diamond has made a major mistake about his victim. It takes a painfully long time before he realizes his mistake. The resolution of the case seems obvious to the reader at the halfway point, but then, in the last third or quarter of the book, Lovesey suddenly adds in involvement of every character he’s introduced to make this a far more complicated plot than it first appeared. It made the book much more interesting, but it was mostly Diamond figuring everything out on his own, with his team (and other police agencies) left to just witness his genius.
To sum it up, the main character isn’t appealing, the side characters are mostly cardboard cutouts, and the plotting has issues. And if you listen to the audiobook, as I did, you get to be constantly annoyed by the terrible way the narrator voices female characters; almost as bad as the way the Pythons voiced women.
So why two stars (OK), instead of one? I guess it’s because the plot still held my interest, and I have some residual affection for the series I’ve read for so many years.
First off, one of the book’s themes is people smuggling, in this case men from Albania coerced into crushing labor. This has been a theme of way too many British mysteries in recent years, and Lovesey adds nothing to the topic. It’s just a convenient way of adding characters and motives to the mix.
In my memory, the Diamond character used to have a line of entertaining dry humor, but now it’s all dry and very little humor. He’s more of a tech dinosaur than ever, but of course he still runs rings around everyone else and constantly Lone Rangers it. His style leads to yet more clashes with his chief, Georgina Dalymore. These are so repetitive at this point in the series that I just want to skip them. Diamond makes a few edge-of-offensive stereotyping remarks too. It’s difficult to understand what his lady friend, Paloma, sees in him.
Then there’s Diamond’s team of detectives. The female, Ingeborg Smith, has some dimensionality, but it’s not at all a good sign that with every book I struggle to differentiate between the two guys and, even just after reading the book, I’d have to think hard to tell you their distinguishing characteristics.
The plot in this case is constructed in such a way as to make it obvious that Diamond has made a major mistake about his victim. It takes a painfully long time before he realizes his mistake. The resolution of the case seems obvious to the reader at the halfway point, but then, in the last third or quarter of the book, Lovesey suddenly adds in involvement of every character he’s introduced to make this a far more complicated plot than it first appeared. It made the book much more interesting, but it was mostly Diamond figuring everything out on his own, with his team (and other police agencies) left to just witness his genius.
To sum it up, the main character isn’t appealing, the side characters are mostly cardboard cutouts, and the plotting has issues. And if you listen to the audiobook, as I did, you get to be constantly annoyed by the terrible way the narrator voices female characters; almost as bad as the way the Pythons voiced women.
So why two stars (OK), instead of one? I guess it’s because the plot still held my interest, and I have some residual affection for the series I’ve read for so many years.
August 25, 2020
All the elements I have come to rely on from a book in the Peter Diamond series were supplied with this enjoyable 19th book. Diamond's individualistic behavior that so riles his boss Georgina was on display as his determined pursuit of clues leads him into the discovery of a hidden body at the cost of bodily harm. There are plenty of opportunities for humor surrounding these events with pretty much everyone doubting him and Georgina on the warpath yet again over costs of investigations.
Action focuses on a half marathon race in Bath with another secondary story featuring slave labor exploiting Albanians in this case. On the home front Paloma has temporary custody of a somewhat unruly dog that provides additional slapstick.
As usual there are many interesting visits to Bath historical landmarks.
May Peter Diamond continue!
Action focuses on a half marathon race in Bath with another secondary story featuring slave labor exploiting Albanians in this case. On the home front Paloma has temporary custody of a somewhat unruly dog that provides additional slapstick.
As usual there are many interesting visits to Bath historical landmarks.
May Peter Diamond continue!
January 10, 2022
I miss Simon Prebble *cry*
I normally listen to Peter Diamond stories but for some reason James Langton has replaced Simon Prebble as the narrator and he just did not do it for me. I particularly dislike the voice he uses for some women (like Maeve in this book) and how many of his characters sound the same. So
I switched to the print book.
It was a looong stretch before Peter Diamond had much of anything to do with this story. Lots of groundwork laid for characters who would reenter the story later. Maeve, Olga, and the Albanians were almost of more interest than Diamond and his crew. But the mystery was a bit twisty, and I did not guess the identity of the murderer. (I was sorry we did not get a more satisfactory last visit with escaped trafficked Albanian Spiro, but at least Morak came out okay in the end.) As always the Bath setting and details were a delight.
I will *sigh* probably read the next book because I'm not inspired to listen to the new narrator.
I normally listen to Peter Diamond stories but for some reason James Langton has replaced Simon Prebble as the narrator and he just did not do it for me. I particularly dislike the voice he uses for some women (like Maeve in this book) and how many of his characters sound the same. So
I switched to the print book.
It was a looong stretch before Peter Diamond had much of anything to do with this story. Lots of groundwork laid for characters who would reenter the story later. Maeve, Olga, and the Albanians were almost of more interest than Diamond and his crew. But the mystery was a bit twisty, and I did not guess the identity of the murderer. (I was sorry we did not get a more satisfactory last visit with escaped trafficked Albanian Spiro, but at least Morak came out okay in the end.) As always the Bath setting and details were a delight.
I will *sigh* probably read the next book because I'm not inspired to listen to the new narrator.
August 22, 2020
In my opinion Peter Lovesey in a brilliant storyteller.
With some authors you get the feeling that a long running series should have been quietly put to sleep some time ago. Not so here. The characters, locations, plot and general feel are as sharp , if not sharper than ever. This is quite a feat as this is the 19th book and over 29 years since the first Peter Diamond novel.
The style is very much the same as the others and the early chapters concentrate on characters who are going to feature later in some way or another. It is because of this thorough ground laying that the reader never has a problem remembering who was who later in the book. You feel as if you really know and understand them. These characterisations had me slightly worried this time as I was wondering if they were going on a bit too long and getting too involved. I shouldnt have been concerned. They were just right.
To say that everything is explained in the end , doesnt do justice to the intricacies of the storyline.
The book ends with an 'Afterword' by the author. It is an interesting account of his own history and his writing career. I havent seen anything like this in any of his other books and I do hope that he isnt using this particularly apposite title to draw a line under this series. I do hope that I am imagining it. I have just recently lost one of my favourite characters ( Dr Siri by Colin Cotterill) and I would hate to lose an other.
With some authors you get the feeling that a long running series should have been quietly put to sleep some time ago. Not so here. The characters, locations, plot and general feel are as sharp , if not sharper than ever. This is quite a feat as this is the 19th book and over 29 years since the first Peter Diamond novel.
The style is very much the same as the others and the early chapters concentrate on characters who are going to feature later in some way or another. It is because of this thorough ground laying that the reader never has a problem remembering who was who later in the book. You feel as if you really know and understand them. These characterisations had me slightly worried this time as I was wondering if they were going on a bit too long and getting too involved. I shouldnt have been concerned. They were just right.
To say that everything is explained in the end , doesnt do justice to the intricacies of the storyline.
The book ends with an 'Afterword' by the author. It is an interesting account of his own history and his writing career. I havent seen anything like this in any of his other books and I do hope that he isnt using this particularly apposite title to draw a line under this series. I do hope that I am imagining it. I have just recently lost one of my favourite characters ( Dr Siri by Colin Cotterill) and I would hate to lose an other.
August 4, 2020
Is there a better crafter of mysteries writing today than Peter Lovesey? If there is, please introduce me to them. “The Finisher” is Lovesey’s nineteenth Peter Diamond book, and it is a corker. Lovesey is a master of intricate plots, but this one! I couldn’t see how he was going to tie up all of the various strands of the story, but it all came together in a glorious whole.
I don’t like spoilers, so I am going to be very careful of what I say. Peter Diamond is the senior officer of the Bath CID, and is supported by an excellent team of detectives. If this is not your first of the series you will be familiar with them. “The Finisher” revolves around a half-marathon being run in the environs of the city. While not directly involved with the run, CID is tasked with policing it. Diamond being Diamond, of course it is not that simple. That is the delight of these books.
“The Finisher” can be read as a standalone if you are not acquainted with Lovesey’s Peter Diamond books. But why limit yourself to this one book, when there are eighteen other glorious volumes awaiting you? I am now looking forward to number twenty, and I am not the only one. This is a terrific book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are my own.
I don’t like spoilers, so I am going to be very careful of what I say. Peter Diamond is the senior officer of the Bath CID, and is supported by an excellent team of detectives. If this is not your first of the series you will be familiar with them. “The Finisher” revolves around a half-marathon being run in the environs of the city. While not directly involved with the run, CID is tasked with policing it. Diamond being Diamond, of course it is not that simple. That is the delight of these books.
“The Finisher” can be read as a standalone if you are not acquainted with Lovesey’s Peter Diamond books. But why limit yourself to this one book, when there are eighteen other glorious volumes awaiting you? I am now looking forward to number twenty, and I am not the only one. This is a terrific book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are my own.
July 15, 2020
The Finisher is the nineteenth instalment in the critically-acclaimed and multiple award-winning Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond series; On the 50th anniversary of the publication of his first novel, Peter Lovesey, Mystery Writers of America Grand Master and titan of the British detective novel, returns to the subject of his very first mystery—running.
A killer strikes in the Bath half-marathon. No one in the local CID understands at first why DS Peter Diamond is so agitated when he sees Tony Pinto paying unwanted attention to a young woman soon after the start. But Diamond remembers putting Pinto away for a vicious attack on a student, and now the man is on parole after years of good behaviour. Diamond’s fixation with this ex-convict will bring him into trouble from every side, including his boss Georgina and police headquarters.
Unknown to anyone at this stage, a murderer is known as the Finisher has already been active in the city. Will the next victim be Maeve, who is running to salve her conscience after accidentally destroying a valuable item intended for charity? Olga, a rich Russian determined to shed weight and streamline her figure? Belinda, a painfully shy IT expert taking part in memory of her mother? Or Spiro, an Albanian fugitive on the run from modern slavery? First, Diamond must prove that murder has been done and then discover where the corpse is hidden, a dangerous quest that leaves him with a crippling injury. Only he can unmask the Finisher...
The inimitable Peter Lovesey returns with another masterfully plotted mystery that had me completely riveted from the very beginning. Immersive from first page to last, this is a book that is every thriller lovers dream. Putting it down was not an option and so I devoured the whole thing within hours. As always with his books, there are a number of strands to the plot but it never becomes confusing even though the story is a complex one. This is a page-turner in every sense with dry humour throughout, expert plotting, a vivid setting in Bath and excellent characterisation. If you enjoy gritty and original thrillers then this is a must-read. Many thanks to Sphere for an ARC.
A killer strikes in the Bath half-marathon. No one in the local CID understands at first why DS Peter Diamond is so agitated when he sees Tony Pinto paying unwanted attention to a young woman soon after the start. But Diamond remembers putting Pinto away for a vicious attack on a student, and now the man is on parole after years of good behaviour. Diamond’s fixation with this ex-convict will bring him into trouble from every side, including his boss Georgina and police headquarters.
Unknown to anyone at this stage, a murderer is known as the Finisher has already been active in the city. Will the next victim be Maeve, who is running to salve her conscience after accidentally destroying a valuable item intended for charity? Olga, a rich Russian determined to shed weight and streamline her figure? Belinda, a painfully shy IT expert taking part in memory of her mother? Or Spiro, an Albanian fugitive on the run from modern slavery? First, Diamond must prove that murder has been done and then discover where the corpse is hidden, a dangerous quest that leaves him with a crippling injury. Only he can unmask the Finisher...
The inimitable Peter Lovesey returns with another masterfully plotted mystery that had me completely riveted from the very beginning. Immersive from first page to last, this is a book that is every thriller lovers dream. Putting it down was not an option and so I devoured the whole thing within hours. As always with his books, there are a number of strands to the plot but it never becomes confusing even though the story is a complex one. This is a page-turner in every sense with dry humour throughout, expert plotting, a vivid setting in Bath and excellent characterisation. If you enjoy gritty and original thrillers then this is a must-read. Many thanks to Sphere for an ARC.
August 24, 2020
This review contains no spoilers.
Mr. Lovesey's Peter Diamond series is my all-time favorite mystery series, and I feel very fortunate that the author has been able to generate a new one on just about an annual schedule for the past several years. I enjoy the easy familiarity I feel when Diamond interacts with members of his team (including his prickly relationship with his boss, Georgina), I enjoy the smooth insertion of fascinating historical data points about the city of Bath, I enjoy the high quality - and terrific humor - of Mr. Lovesey's prose, I enjoy the brilliance and idiosyncracies of Superintendent Diamond himself (he's up there with any of the greats, as far as I'm concerned), and I absolutely delight in the effortless complexity of the mysteries themselves. None of the vital clues to solve the puzzle are hidden, and the eventual solution always makes perfect sense, but there are always several surprises along the way.
I was swept along by The Finisher, as I always am with these Diamond stories. The humor was sharp, the plot was crisp, and I appreciated the introduction of some new characters (Jones, in particular, was a brilliant and hilarious creation - I hope we see more of him!). All around, another outstanding offering in a terrific series. Highly recommended, and if you haven't read any of the Diamond books yet, start at the beginning and enjoy. You have 19 fabulous stories ahead of you.
Mr. Lovesey's Peter Diamond series is my all-time favorite mystery series, and I feel very fortunate that the author has been able to generate a new one on just about an annual schedule for the past several years. I enjoy the easy familiarity I feel when Diamond interacts with members of his team (including his prickly relationship with his boss, Georgina), I enjoy the smooth insertion of fascinating historical data points about the city of Bath, I enjoy the high quality - and terrific humor - of Mr. Lovesey's prose, I enjoy the brilliance and idiosyncracies of Superintendent Diamond himself (he's up there with any of the greats, as far as I'm concerned), and I absolutely delight in the effortless complexity of the mysteries themselves. None of the vital clues to solve the puzzle are hidden, and the eventual solution always makes perfect sense, but there are always several surprises along the way.
I was swept along by The Finisher, as I always am with these Diamond stories. The humor was sharp, the plot was crisp, and I appreciated the introduction of some new characters (Jones, in particular, was a brilliant and hilarious creation - I hope we see more of him!). All around, another outstanding offering in a terrific series. Highly recommended, and if you haven't read any of the Diamond books yet, start at the beginning and enjoy. You have 19 fabulous stories ahead of you.
September 23, 2021
Was very happy to spend time again with Detective Superintendent Diamond and his crew in Bath. Very cleverly written.
May 13, 2021
This was a 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars for me. I have never read a Peter Diamond mystery before and quite frankly will probably not read another if this book is a good representation of the series.
I usually love quirky mysteries and have a special fondness for British quirky mysteries but this one was just so boring. The story follows Detective Diamond as he identifies an old criminal he put away running a half marathon and he’s convinced he’s up to no good. The book goes almost 50% before a murder or even a crime is confirmed and that is just too many pages of set up. I slogged my way through the book and the final few chapters were fine but certainly not worth the read.
The main detective - Peter Diamond - is supposed to be dry wit but it just comes across as grumpy, curmudgeonly and tech phobic which doesn’t invite you to want to get to know him much. The other characters aren’t really fleshed out well except for Maeve who just arbitrarily disappears for a giant chunk of the book. It was just a disappointing read.
I usually love quirky mysteries and have a special fondness for British quirky mysteries but this one was just so boring. The story follows Detective Diamond as he identifies an old criminal he put away running a half marathon and he’s convinced he’s up to no good. The book goes almost 50% before a murder or even a crime is confirmed and that is just too many pages of set up. I slogged my way through the book and the final few chapters were fine but certainly not worth the read.
The main detective - Peter Diamond - is supposed to be dry wit but it just comes across as grumpy, curmudgeonly and tech phobic which doesn’t invite you to want to get to know him much. The other characters aren’t really fleshed out well except for Maeve who just arbitrarily disappears for a giant chunk of the book. It was just a disappointing read.
September 13, 2020
I enjoyed reading THE FINISHER. The story concerns a half-marathon in Bath. When a runner disappears during the race, cops are concerned that perhaps a man who seemed to be harassing the runner could have murdered her. So begins an interesting murder begins! I believe this novel will be enjoyed by all.
May 8, 2020
I have read every book in Peter Lovesey's wonderful Peter Diamond series so I was absolutely overjoyed to receive this e galley to review. As always, the story takes place in Bath, England; the setting is vividly brought to life with its unique architecture and planned design. Imagine my surprise and delight when I found that a significant location in this title was the very street that I had lived on in Bath. It just added extra joy for me as I read this.
Peter Lovesey has a sardonic, playful sense of humor which was very present in this book. The title has several meanings as becomes clear as one reads. There are police officers, most already known to the devoted readers of the series, along with other characters who are vividly brought to life including a criminal from an old case of Diamond's, a murder victim, the Russian Olga, teacher Maeve, illegal immigrants and many more. Some of these characters are in a half marathon that is central to the action of the story.
Lovesey spins plates in the air as the plot evolves and he manages to get to the end of the novel without dropping any of them. I loved this book and hope that Lovesey, who is in his 80s, will just keep on writing.
Many, many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest view. I adored my virtual trip to Bath and the time spent with this book and its characters.
Peter Lovesey has a sardonic, playful sense of humor which was very present in this book. The title has several meanings as becomes clear as one reads. There are police officers, most already known to the devoted readers of the series, along with other characters who are vividly brought to life including a criminal from an old case of Diamond's, a murder victim, the Russian Olga, teacher Maeve, illegal immigrants and many more. Some of these characters are in a half marathon that is central to the action of the story.
Lovesey spins plates in the air as the plot evolves and he manages to get to the end of the novel without dropping any of them. I loved this book and hope that Lovesey, who is in his 80s, will just keep on writing.
Many, many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest view. I adored my virtual trip to Bath and the time spent with this book and its characters.
January 17, 2021
You can't go too wrong with a Peter Diamond investigation. This one features running, modern day slavery, and as always, many interesting historical factoids about Bath.
April 22, 2020
Classic mystery and enjoyable characters in a vivid setting
The Other Half, a charity race that is a spinoff of the immensely popular Bath Half-Marathon, is about to take place, and thousands of people are expected to participate. The authorities are anxious to prevent an incident like the terrorist attack on the Boston Marathon, so all available law enforcement personnel are called upon to provide security. Needless to say, Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond is not thrilled, but who can object when terms like “terrorist threat” are bandied about? Of course, violence does take place at the Other Half, but not the sort the authorities were anticipating.
After a short introduction in which we meet both the sinister unnamed Finisher and Diamond and his coworkers, the book opens at a leisurely pace, and we meet a number of ordinary but interesting people, Maeve Kelly is a primary school teacher who is training to run a marathon to raise money for the British Heart Foundation, both to punish herself and to compensate for a gaffe she had made involving her coworker Trevor. We also meet Olga, another runner whom Maeve helps when Olga is mugged while they are both out on training runs. There are also Spiro and Murat, Albanian refugees who have escaped from a slave labor group in Bath and are on the run, and an ex-con named Tony Pinto that Peter Diamond would love to see behind bars once more. The characters are well done, but the inquiring reader asks, “Why are they here? What do they have to do with each other? What do they have to do with the murder? And when will it happen?” In lesser hands, I would be impatient, but in the hands of a master, I am intrigued and read on.
Finally the race begins, and the intrigue turns to suspense, which Lovesey draws out beautifully. The question is not just who done it, but did it happen? Poor Peter Diamond of course has a hard time convincing his bosses and colleagues to take him seriously. I will not spoil your enjoyment by saying any more.
Peter Lovesey’s portrayal of his setting is as well crafted as his characters. His loving descriptions of the town of Bath always make me want to go back for a visit. Bath is more than just a backdrop, though. Lovesey likes to weave elements of Bath into his story, and I frequently find myself stopping to look up a place or historical event or person he mentions. Usually I find they are real. In this book, the Bath Half-Marathon is a real race, but the Other Half, around which the book’s events occur, does not seem to be. I especially enjoyed The Finisher’s opening lines, “The city of Bath isn’t all about Roman plumbing and Georgian architecture. It offers unrivalled facilities for getting rid of unwanted corpses.”
A question readers have in a series is whether you should read them in order. It is always nice to have the background of previous books to catch the nuance of things like competition within the police force, but the lack of background will not significantly affect your ability to enjoy this book. You can feel free to jump in with The Finisher and get to know the younger Peter Diamond later.
Peter Lovesey is known for writing “classic” mysteries, my favorite kind, where the reader and the detective both follow the clues, and the reader tries to solve the puzzle before the detective does. I was initially a bit disappointed as I was reading The Finisher, because it was clear to me fairly early whodunit. Until l I realized I was wrong. But another obvious culprit emerged. And I realized I was wrong again. This kept happening until there were few suspects left. And I still didn’t get it. But Peter Diamond did. Great job, Peters, both of you!
The Other Half, a charity race that is a spinoff of the immensely popular Bath Half-Marathon, is about to take place, and thousands of people are expected to participate. The authorities are anxious to prevent an incident like the terrorist attack on the Boston Marathon, so all available law enforcement personnel are called upon to provide security. Needless to say, Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond is not thrilled, but who can object when terms like “terrorist threat” are bandied about? Of course, violence does take place at the Other Half, but not the sort the authorities were anticipating.
After a short introduction in which we meet both the sinister unnamed Finisher and Diamond and his coworkers, the book opens at a leisurely pace, and we meet a number of ordinary but interesting people, Maeve Kelly is a primary school teacher who is training to run a marathon to raise money for the British Heart Foundation, both to punish herself and to compensate for a gaffe she had made involving her coworker Trevor. We also meet Olga, another runner whom Maeve helps when Olga is mugged while they are both out on training runs. There are also Spiro and Murat, Albanian refugees who have escaped from a slave labor group in Bath and are on the run, and an ex-con named Tony Pinto that Peter Diamond would love to see behind bars once more. The characters are well done, but the inquiring reader asks, “Why are they here? What do they have to do with each other? What do they have to do with the murder? And when will it happen?” In lesser hands, I would be impatient, but in the hands of a master, I am intrigued and read on.
Finally the race begins, and the intrigue turns to suspense, which Lovesey draws out beautifully. The question is not just who done it, but did it happen? Poor Peter Diamond of course has a hard time convincing his bosses and colleagues to take him seriously. I will not spoil your enjoyment by saying any more.
Peter Lovesey’s portrayal of his setting is as well crafted as his characters. His loving descriptions of the town of Bath always make me want to go back for a visit. Bath is more than just a backdrop, though. Lovesey likes to weave elements of Bath into his story, and I frequently find myself stopping to look up a place or historical event or person he mentions. Usually I find they are real. In this book, the Bath Half-Marathon is a real race, but the Other Half, around which the book’s events occur, does not seem to be. I especially enjoyed The Finisher’s opening lines, “The city of Bath isn’t all about Roman plumbing and Georgian architecture. It offers unrivalled facilities for getting rid of unwanted corpses.”
A question readers have in a series is whether you should read them in order. It is always nice to have the background of previous books to catch the nuance of things like competition within the police force, but the lack of background will not significantly affect your ability to enjoy this book. You can feel free to jump in with The Finisher and get to know the younger Peter Diamond later.
Peter Lovesey is known for writing “classic” mysteries, my favorite kind, where the reader and the detective both follow the clues, and the reader tries to solve the puzzle before the detective does. I was initially a bit disappointed as I was reading The Finisher, because it was clear to me fairly early whodunit. Until l I realized I was wrong. But another obvious culprit emerged. And I realized I was wrong again. This kept happening until there were few suspects left. And I still didn’t get it. But Peter Diamond did. Great job, Peters, both of you!
April 21, 2022
Peter Diamond is forced to help provide security for one of Bath's half marathons, little knowing that a lot of things are going on in the race. Maeve, a schoolteacher, feels obligated to run her first marathon for charity; she's made friends with the wife of a Russian oligarch, who race-walks the course. There are also two trafficked Albanian men, living as virtual slaves in a basement, who try to escape. And there's a man Diamond had arrested years earlier, who is out on parole, looking unduly prosperous and apparently up to his old tricks with women. There are multiple points of view, but this is not one of Lovesey's complexly plotted, charming and humorous books. Still, for completists...
February 24, 2021
I’m usually not much of a mystery reader but this book grabbed me after my husband raved about it. We are both “sporty” and that appealed to us. I really liked the writing style. The conversations between characters was the most realistic I have read in a long time. Conversations between coworkers, subordinates, bosses, and couples struck me as just the way people actually talk to each other along with their thought processes. It was also funny in the way people are normally funny in interactions. I also liked the fact that solving this confusing mystery was not solely the work of one “super” detective but through the efforts of a lot of diverse people. Finally, the ending was quite satisfying.
This is my first Peter Diamond detective novel. The author certainly has his finger on the pulse of modern society.
This is my first Peter Diamond detective novel. The author certainly has his finger on the pulse of modern society.
June 29, 2020
Thank you to netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the arc of the finisher by Peter Lovesey.
50th anniversary novel for Peter Lovesey, the 9th in his Peter Diamond series,
This is a classic mystery book which is set within a vivid setting,
Not going to spoil what happens.. so you have to read to find out yourself in which it was such a hooking, gripping and amazing novel had me gripped start to finish.. bit confusing at times but a great book
3 stars
50th anniversary novel for Peter Lovesey, the 9th in his Peter Diamond series,
This is a classic mystery book which is set within a vivid setting,
Not going to spoil what happens.. so you have to read to find out yourself in which it was such a hooking, gripping and amazing novel had me gripped start to finish.. bit confusing at times but a great book
3 stars
October 11, 2020
Love this series. Brilliant read .
March 31, 2021
This is great crime fiction by a master story teller. Set in England, the story has murder, human trafficking, a grumpy senior detective trying to survive the police bureaucracy, and cozy scenes in an English pub. A very good read. I really enjoyed the book.
August 7, 2020
Always enjoy Peter Diamond's exploits solving crimes. Very involving plots tied together by characters involved in a half marathon. Though the star is Diamond, so is Bath. And, in this book....hippos.
February 7, 2021
read it on a running group recommend....OK mystery that involves a half marathon,
Im not familiar with this particular detective series so jumping in at #19 meant that I didn't really care for or about the main recurring characters.
Im not familiar with this particular detective series so jumping in at #19 meant that I didn't really care for or about the main recurring characters.
December 3, 2020
This series is a favorite because of the wonderful curmudgeon
Peter Diamond. Also Lovesey usually tells interesting things about Bath, the setting for many of the stories or else about something of historical interest in England. This one had a confusing story line with too many characters and not much of peripheral interest
Peter Diamond. Also Lovesey usually tells interesting things about Bath, the setting for many of the stories or else about something of historical interest in England. This one had a confusing story line with too many characters and not much of peripheral interest
September 16, 2020
Peter Diamond, a guy you might not want to get a beer with, unless your only other choice was his boss, a nasty piece of work named Georgina. A morose, shallow, insensitive bit of a man 90% of the time, he's suffered by his boss (and staff) because he can suddenly deduce what the hell is actually going on. The books don't offer much of a clue, so it's rare that a reader will outrace Pete to the proper conclusion. Why his friends suffer him is a mystery deeper than most of these plots. But the characters make for interesting interplay and the prose is tight and good. I like the title of the book, too, because it's a bit of a play on words.
September 6, 2020
A fairly good story but the set-up took far too long and didn't become interesting until more than half way through.
December 18, 2020
Not a series I’d read again. This book was at least 100 pages longer than necessary to tell the story.
September 13, 2020
Soho Crime is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Peter Lovesey’s first published novel, WOBBLE TO DEATH, with the release of THE FINISHER, the 19th entry in his series featuring Detective Peter Diamond.
Maeve Kelley has grown increasingly plump, all too settled in her role as an elementary school teacher, and is bored. The Other Half, a semi-annual charity marathon event in her home city of Bath, Somerset, England, is coming up. Maeve signs on to raise funds for the British Heart Association, so when word gets out at her school that she has entered, the donations pour in by the thousands of pounds. What can she do but pull on her trainers and set out on evening runs to get in shape for the big event?
On one twilight eve, Maeve hears a wail coming from the staircase beneath a basement entranceway near her flat. There she finds a woman, badly bruised and unable to climb out by herself. She extricates Olga, a Russian who barely speaks English, and returns her to her elegant home nearby. There Olga tries to explain that she was mugged but resists reporting the assault to police. Their friendship develops into a life-threatening situation when Olga says that her husband, Konstantin, would object.
Peter Diamond is assigned to crowd control on race day and spots an old nemesis he thought was still in prison. He also has been on the lookout for a band of illegal Russian immigrants and tries to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.
Does this sound like a typical whodunit “bad guys against the good guys” novel? Well, think again. British murder mysteries seem to be in a genre of their own. Perhaps it’s the wry humor, or the dialect, or the atmospheric stealth that teases you to the very end, leading you through a veritable school of red herrings until the culprit is netted. THE FINISHER is all of the above, featuring an improbable detective who outwits his stuffy by-the-book superiors, as well as the culprit through ingenious, often accidental detecting.
I read and reviewed my first Peter Diamond novel, ANOTHER ONE GOES TONIGHT, in 2016. I was so compelled by Lovesey’s storytelling that I looked up his backlist to hunt down the opening installment of the series, THE LAST DETECTIVE. I was hooked and have now read them all. Diamond is entertaining and intriguing --- a true Diamond in the rough. You will be fascinated by his lifestyle and will want to visit Bath for yourself; its ancient Roman baths, vast stone quarries and Victorian parks make these books an armchair traveler’s delight. It’s history, mystery and pathos all wrapped into a gem of a series.
Reviewed by Roz Shea
Maeve Kelley has grown increasingly plump, all too settled in her role as an elementary school teacher, and is bored. The Other Half, a semi-annual charity marathon event in her home city of Bath, Somerset, England, is coming up. Maeve signs on to raise funds for the British Heart Association, so when word gets out at her school that she has entered, the donations pour in by the thousands of pounds. What can she do but pull on her trainers and set out on evening runs to get in shape for the big event?
On one twilight eve, Maeve hears a wail coming from the staircase beneath a basement entranceway near her flat. There she finds a woman, badly bruised and unable to climb out by herself. She extricates Olga, a Russian who barely speaks English, and returns her to her elegant home nearby. There Olga tries to explain that she was mugged but resists reporting the assault to police. Their friendship develops into a life-threatening situation when Olga says that her husband, Konstantin, would object.
Peter Diamond is assigned to crowd control on race day and spots an old nemesis he thought was still in prison. He also has been on the lookout for a band of illegal Russian immigrants and tries to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.
Does this sound like a typical whodunit “bad guys against the good guys” novel? Well, think again. British murder mysteries seem to be in a genre of their own. Perhaps it’s the wry humor, or the dialect, or the atmospheric stealth that teases you to the very end, leading you through a veritable school of red herrings until the culprit is netted. THE FINISHER is all of the above, featuring an improbable detective who outwits his stuffy by-the-book superiors, as well as the culprit through ingenious, often accidental detecting.
I read and reviewed my first Peter Diamond novel, ANOTHER ONE GOES TONIGHT, in 2016. I was so compelled by Lovesey’s storytelling that I looked up his backlist to hunt down the opening installment of the series, THE LAST DETECTIVE. I was hooked and have now read them all. Diamond is entertaining and intriguing --- a true Diamond in the rough. You will be fascinated by his lifestyle and will want to visit Bath for yourself; its ancient Roman baths, vast stone quarries and Victorian parks make these books an armchair traveler’s delight. It’s history, mystery and pathos all wrapped into a gem of a series.
Reviewed by Roz Shea
August 4, 2020
In Peter Lovesey's "The Finisher," Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond, the head of Bath's CID, answers to the ambitious and overbearing Assistant Chief Constable, Georgina Dallymore. The ACC is angling for a promotion, but she is concerned that Diamond's tendency to do as he pleases will lead to disaster. Peter does not always report developments in a timely manner and he has been known to go his own way without checking in with Dalrymple first. If he weren't so successful at solving crimes, she would have had him demoted long ago.
The villain of this police procedural is a self-serving brute who prides himself on his ability to attract pretty women and dispose of dead bodies in Bath's network of quarries. He is currently in charge of a wretched group of illegal immigrants whom his boss smuggled in from Albania. These men are modern-day slaves who have nothing to show for their long and grueling hours of manual labor. Other subplots involve a schoolteacher, Maeve Kelly, who enters a half-marathon to raise money for charity; Olga, the wealthy wife of a brutish Russian oligarch who verbally abuses her; and Tony Pinto, a lowlife Diamond had arrested for mutilating a woman who crossed him. When Diamond learns that Pinto is out on parole, after serving twelve years of a fifteen-year sentence, the detective is worried that the ex-con may be up to no good. Diamond imperils his career with his desperate need to prove that Pinto should never have been released.
Lovesey skillfully juggles a large cast of characters and myriad story lines. In addition, he entertains us with clever and humorous dialogue and vivid descriptions of Bath's architecture and topography. Peter's girlfriend, Paloma, is delightful, and we cannot help but admire Diamond's team of hard-working and resourceful officers, who remain loyal to their guv even when he lands in hot water. Diamond needs all the help he can get, since departmental politics and a poor relationship with his superior are making his life difficult. The problem arises in the sluggish middle section, which drags when the author laboriously ties together threads that, at first, seemed disconnected. "The Finisher" has some lively moments but it would have profited from sharper editing and a tighter, more streamlined plot.
The villain of this police procedural is a self-serving brute who prides himself on his ability to attract pretty women and dispose of dead bodies in Bath's network of quarries. He is currently in charge of a wretched group of illegal immigrants whom his boss smuggled in from Albania. These men are modern-day slaves who have nothing to show for their long and grueling hours of manual labor. Other subplots involve a schoolteacher, Maeve Kelly, who enters a half-marathon to raise money for charity; Olga, the wealthy wife of a brutish Russian oligarch who verbally abuses her; and Tony Pinto, a lowlife Diamond had arrested for mutilating a woman who crossed him. When Diamond learns that Pinto is out on parole, after serving twelve years of a fifteen-year sentence, the detective is worried that the ex-con may be up to no good. Diamond imperils his career with his desperate need to prove that Pinto should never have been released.
Lovesey skillfully juggles a large cast of characters and myriad story lines. In addition, he entertains us with clever and humorous dialogue and vivid descriptions of Bath's architecture and topography. Peter's girlfriend, Paloma, is delightful, and we cannot help but admire Diamond's team of hard-working and resourceful officers, who remain loyal to their guv even when he lands in hot water. Diamond needs all the help he can get, since departmental politics and a poor relationship with his superior are making his life difficult. The problem arises in the sluggish middle section, which drags when the author laboriously ties together threads that, at first, seemed disconnected. "The Finisher" has some lively moments but it would have profited from sharper editing and a tighter, more streamlined plot.
October 24, 2020
A murder mystery written with the same dedication and precision as the runners in training for the Bath Half Marathon. The build-up is firm and steady, the plot delivers survival tactics, and every likely and unlikely event is taken into consideration. The grounding of this solid piece of deduction has to do with Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond of Bath's Criminal Investigations Department. I can't say he is all that loveable, and he gets himself into trouble, but he's a great character.
I am not big on writing a synopsis because I figure a potential reader can get any amount of info online. Suffice to say that the Bath Half Marathon is an absolutely huge running event held yearly in UK and literally thousands of people come from all walks of life to compete for charity. A murder takes place and Peter Diamond has to find the body before he can make an arrest. Actually there are two murders but this is where it gets tricky...
Diamond is aided and abetted by two sensible officers, Keith Halliwell and Ingeborg Smith, and annoyed by Assistant Chief Constable Georgina Dallymore. Like any good whodunnit, there’s a crusty forensic pathologist Dr Sealy and a number of important characters woven through the story. Diamond's girlfriend Paloma brings a more personal vibe rather like 'Midsomer Murders' or 'Shakespeare and Hathaway' TV series.
Author Peter Lovesey gives the reader several suspects to choose from and they are all plausible, e.g. Spiro and Murat part of the modern-day slave trade, Maeve Kelly primary school teacher, Olga Ivanova wife of Russian oligarch, taking part in the Bath Half Marathon for wildly different reasons. I had a massive attack of claustrophobia; where the race is run has hundreds of old tunnels and underground quarries.
The book title is appropriate in various ways, and the story showcases beautiful Bath and techie things like micro-chipped runners and aerial drones. Peter Lovesey does say that the route he mapped out is not the real one. He has never run the marathon but being an author and sports writer he cleverly captures the mood and excitement. Somewhere along the line, the Peter Diamond series slipped off my literary radar so I have several books to catch up.
My blog review and images https://thoughtsbecomewords.com/2020/...
I am not big on writing a synopsis because I figure a potential reader can get any amount of info online. Suffice to say that the Bath Half Marathon is an absolutely huge running event held yearly in UK and literally thousands of people come from all walks of life to compete for charity. A murder takes place and Peter Diamond has to find the body before he can make an arrest. Actually there are two murders but this is where it gets tricky...
Diamond is aided and abetted by two sensible officers, Keith Halliwell and Ingeborg Smith, and annoyed by Assistant Chief Constable Georgina Dallymore. Like any good whodunnit, there’s a crusty forensic pathologist Dr Sealy and a number of important characters woven through the story. Diamond's girlfriend Paloma brings a more personal vibe rather like 'Midsomer Murders' or 'Shakespeare and Hathaway' TV series.
Author Peter Lovesey gives the reader several suspects to choose from and they are all plausible, e.g. Spiro and Murat part of the modern-day slave trade, Maeve Kelly primary school teacher, Olga Ivanova wife of Russian oligarch, taking part in the Bath Half Marathon for wildly different reasons. I had a massive attack of claustrophobia; where the race is run has hundreds of old tunnels and underground quarries.
The book title is appropriate in various ways, and the story showcases beautiful Bath and techie things like micro-chipped runners and aerial drones. Peter Lovesey does say that the route he mapped out is not the real one. He has never run the marathon but being an author and sports writer he cleverly captures the mood and excitement. Somewhere along the line, the Peter Diamond series slipped off my literary radar so I have several books to catch up.
My blog review and images https://thoughtsbecomewords.com/2020/...
June 7, 2021
Engaging story. Well, 3 stories of people I could not wait to see how they would intertwine.
First we have Maeve. She's a pretty schoolteacher who has quite a conscience. She is gifted with a "Toby" by someone at work who clearly cares for her. She decides to donate it to a shop collecting for heart research. On the way to the shop she drops the thing and it smashes. Once she gets to the shop she learns it's very valuable. Guilt ridden, she decides to run a half marathon to raise the money she feels she owes to the heart research people.
She's very out of shape but little by little she learns to run longer and longer distances, partly with the help of her admirer who explains running terms and how to increase stamina.
Maeve meets "Olga", a large overweight Russian woman who is doing her best to lose weight. She can't run but she does speed walk with arms a pumping. Her English is fun! She's a larger than life character who quickly becomes my favorite (If you've ever seen 2 Broke Girls, her description reminds me of the big sex crazed woman who always comes into the diner and hooks up with the cook). Olga is honest and humble and determined to lose her excess weight. (has a bit of a crush on her personal trainer)
Olga's husband, at first, seems non existent..but eventually comes home from where ever. He's mean and insults Olga so blah.. better when he's not around
Another seemingly unrelated story is of 2 men who escape slavery. They've been brought to England along with a lot of other men to work at the recycling plant 12 hours a day, are barely fed, and have to sleep many to a room.
Two of them: Spiro and Murat escape but have a hard time getting away, sleeping "rough" and finding enough to eat and drink all the while trying to not be caught by the "Finisher" who will kill them if he finds them.
Then our third story is about a detective named Peter Diamond who becomes aware of a man pestering a shy female runner at the half marathon. The man was someone he'd locked up years ago. Peter fears that the man may have murdered the female when she does not cross the finish line.
He organizes quite a search especially in the tunnels where part of the course goes underground and a woman would be most vulnerable
That's all folks.. I must say, now that it's been a couple of days since I finished the book, I miss reading about the characters
First we have Maeve. She's a pretty schoolteacher who has quite a conscience. She is gifted with a "Toby" by someone at work who clearly cares for her. She decides to donate it to a shop collecting for heart research. On the way to the shop she drops the thing and it smashes. Once she gets to the shop she learns it's very valuable. Guilt ridden, she decides to run a half marathon to raise the money she feels she owes to the heart research people.
She's very out of shape but little by little she learns to run longer and longer distances, partly with the help of her admirer who explains running terms and how to increase stamina.
Maeve meets "Olga", a large overweight Russian woman who is doing her best to lose weight. She can't run but she does speed walk with arms a pumping. Her English is fun! She's a larger than life character who quickly becomes my favorite (If you've ever seen 2 Broke Girls, her description reminds me of the big sex crazed woman who always comes into the diner and hooks up with the cook). Olga is honest and humble and determined to lose her excess weight. (has a bit of a crush on her personal trainer)
Olga's husband, at first, seems non existent..but eventually comes home from where ever. He's mean and insults Olga so blah.. better when he's not around
Another seemingly unrelated story is of 2 men who escape slavery. They've been brought to England along with a lot of other men to work at the recycling plant 12 hours a day, are barely fed, and have to sleep many to a room.
Two of them: Spiro and Murat escape but have a hard time getting away, sleeping "rough" and finding enough to eat and drink all the while trying to not be caught by the "Finisher" who will kill them if he finds them.
Then our third story is about a detective named Peter Diamond who becomes aware of a man pestering a shy female runner at the half marathon. The man was someone he'd locked up years ago. Peter fears that the man may have murdered the female when she does not cross the finish line.
He organizes quite a search especially in the tunnels where part of the course goes underground and a woman would be most vulnerable
That's all folks.. I must say, now that it's been a couple of days since I finished the book, I miss reading about the characters
July 18, 2021
Forty years ago, the author began this police-procedural mystery series featuring Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond of Bath, and I had my doubts about it. Diamond was blustery, grossly overweight, ego-ridden, verbally abusive to his subordinates, and in the first book he even got sacked and had to do private security work for awhile. But that was nineteen books ago and Diamond (and Lovesey) have gotten their act together. The series has been pretty good for some time now, though it’s not really up to award-winning level, and Lovesey sometimes seems to be mailing it in.
He also appears to read a lot about about the ancient spa town of Bath, as well as other subjects, and each book in the series provides a venue where he can show off what he’s learned. This time, those subjects include the mostly underground quarries just outside of town, begun in the eighteenth century, that provided much of the limestone from which not only Bath was built, but also much of Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. The second topic that interest Lovesey this time is marathon-running, especially the two half-marathons that Bath hosts each year, and at least both the running and the quarries feature largely in the plot. And so does human trafficking, in this case the plight of Albanians who have escaped political and economic chaos in their homeland only to become near-slaves in Britain.
The story starts off with a young woman with no interest in running events who very unwillingly gets caught up in the approaching marathon -- and then disappears for much of the book as other things take up Diamond’s attention, like the return to Bath on probation of a guy he sent to prison more than a decade before, and then the disappearance of a different young woman in the race for whom he fears the worse. The plot improves, though, and it all comes together eventually. As I say, it’s not a bad series (now) and I’ll keep reading it, but it’s probably not one I would recommend as a “must read.”
He also appears to read a lot about about the ancient spa town of Bath, as well as other subjects, and each book in the series provides a venue where he can show off what he’s learned. This time, those subjects include the mostly underground quarries just outside of town, begun in the eighteenth century, that provided much of the limestone from which not only Bath was built, but also much of Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. The second topic that interest Lovesey this time is marathon-running, especially the two half-marathons that Bath hosts each year, and at least both the running and the quarries feature largely in the plot. And so does human trafficking, in this case the plight of Albanians who have escaped political and economic chaos in their homeland only to become near-slaves in Britain.
The story starts off with a young woman with no interest in running events who very unwillingly gets caught up in the approaching marathon -- and then disappears for much of the book as other things take up Diamond’s attention, like the return to Bath on probation of a guy he sent to prison more than a decade before, and then the disappearance of a different young woman in the race for whom he fears the worse. The plot improves, though, and it all comes together eventually. As I say, it’s not a bad series (now) and I’ll keep reading it, but it’s probably not one I would recommend as a “must read.”
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