As a New Year begins in Bath, Ben Brace proposes to his long-term girlfriend, Caroline, the daughter of notorious crime baron Joe Irving, who is coming to the end of a prison sentence. The problem is that Ben’s father, George, is the Deputy Chief Constable. Peter Diamond, Bath’s head of CID, is appalled to be put in charge of security on the day in the eighteenth installment in this critically acclaimed Peter Diamond series.
... rich with history of the scenic area of Bath, England, and laced with wit, danger, pathos, love and loss. His protagonist, Peter Diamond, is a fully rounded human being with his own unique crime-solving methods ... begins more lightheartedly than Lovesey’s previous mysteries, as entertaining as its title. So kick back and enjoy a delightful summer escape from the drumbeat of real-world events that pays off with a surprising, page-turning denouement.
Mr. Lovesey’s book seems like a combination of Romeo and Juliet and The Day of the Jackal ... Mr. Lovesey has been writing his Peter Diamond series for nearly three decades, and it’s a pleasure to note no discernible flagging of energy in author or detective. And how refreshing to hear the inimitable Diamond erupt in righteous expletive: 'F— forensics. . . . We’re detectives. . . . We investigate.'
Fans of adorable sourpuss—and brilliant detective—Peter Diamond of the Bath, England, constabulary’s Criminal Investigation Division will have to wait nearly 80 pages for the old charmer to show up ... As the tensions crank up, we’re treated to Lovesey’s enchanting style.
