Cop to Corpse

By: Peter Lovesey

Narrated by: Michael Tudor Barnes

Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the small hours of a Sunday morning in the city of Bath a policeman on beat duty is shot dead by an unseen gunman - the third killing of an officer in Somerset in a matter of weeks.

The emergency services are summoned. Ambitious to arrest the Somerset Sniper, the duty inspector, Ken Lockton, seals the crime scene, which is confined by the river on one side and a massive retaining wall on the other. He discovers the murder weapon in a garden - and is himself attacked and left for dead.

Enter Peter Diamond, Bath's burly CID chief. Middle-aged and not built for action, he pits himself and his team against the killer in a hunt that will test his physical powers to the limit....

©2012 Peter Lovesey (P)2013 Hachette Digital

Critic Reviews

"As ever, Lovesey produces a well-crafted mystery with twists and turns to tax the brain...a perfect puzzle from the master of the genre" ( Bella)

"Lovesey proves a dab hand at dry humour" ( Time Out)

"A stand-out instalment of one of the most enjoyable police series around" ( Morning Star)

"You want a novel written by a master of his craft. You want characters sympathetically but never sentimentally drawn, with believable relationships, good and bad. You want a topical crime and even if it looks as if a serial killer is at work, you don't want to sigh at the vicious predictability of the murders. You want action, but never excessive violence, and certainly no gratuitous, stomach-churning detail. You want pace, controlled as if by a conductor on his podium. You want an always readable style, with the author assuming you've got an intelligent, educated mind, but never being self-indulgent and signalling every clever turn of expression with a wave. You want a frisson of pleasure at the entirely satisfying denouement.You want Peter Lovesey's latest Peter Diamond investigation, Cop to Corpse" ( Shots)

Peter Diamond has lost his sparkle

It felt as if this book was written by a different author than the books at the beginning of the series. The characters were not as developed and the story seemed to wander. I think I will go back and listen to the earlier books but I will not listen to this book again.

Lovesey always has good story to tell

Lovesey always has good story to tell, cops and robber's with twist & turn to keep you listening.
Well narrated with good range of voices.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

One of the best of a very good series

I started listening to these books purely because they are set in my home town if Bath instead of the usual large city or tiny village crime books. I am so glad I did, as they are all so far a great listen. Theres a good mix of humour along with the necessary grit in any good crime story. The subjects are dealt with sensitively and the characters very believable. These aren’t ground breaking, or shocking; what they are is a great set of easy to listen to crime books with enough twists and thrills to keep things going at a good pace. Even those jaded with the category should give these a try, and they are also great for those new to crime dramas wanting to have a well written, well narrated book. As above, this was one of the better ones, but even the slightly worse ones are still damn good

Disappointing

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is book number 12 in the Peter Diamond series and, up to now, I have heard and loved every one of them. This one was, for me, rather tedious. There was far too much time spent in a wooded area - it went on for ages and became boring. I also found the sub plot with the amateur detectives tiresome. Had this been my first Peter Diamond book I would not have gone further with Peter Lovesey's detective - incidentally Mr Diamond seems to be getting more and more curmudgeonly with each book.

Would you be willing to try another book from Peter Lovesey? Why or why not?

I will certainly be going on to find what adventure Peter Diamond has next. This last book was, as I said, a disappointment but it has not put me off the series

What about Michael Tudor Barnes’s performance did you like?

I find this reader quite the best one for portraying the detective and the rest of the cast.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My only reaction was one of disappointment that it made me feel rather bored.

Another good story line

Once again, Peter Lvesay has produced an interesting storyline with enough twists to keep the listener or reader guessing.

Just Right

Where does Cop to Corpse rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A story with enough contrast between thought and action to keep the pace moving. The plot is gentle enough to keep the blood pressure under control and at the same time has enough red herrings to hold the interest.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Cop to Corpse?

Diamond is fallible enough to be believable. Some of the action scenes are well written and portray a man past his best physically but on top of his game mentally.

Have you listened to any of Michael Tudor Barnes’s other performances? How does this one compare?

MTB never disapoints - good characterisation without descending in to caricatures

Any additional comments?

Don't be put off by some other reviews. If you like a story in the classic detective style and want a plot that you can gently walk through, have a lsiten. If you want wizz bang or great literature -look elsewhere.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Sorry dire!

Did not at all work for me. Turgid. Had to look that up. But it is. The reader did his best. . Read great PL in the past. But this one . No. Sorry.....

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Rather weak

What would have made Cop to Corpse better?

I really can't even be bothered to finish listening to this story, some tales are dull and slow and this is one of them. Beautifully read but that's no help !

Would you ever listen to anything by Peter Lovesey again?

no

What about Michael Tudor Barnes’s performance did you like?

lovely voice and diction

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Cop to Corpse?

most of it

Any additional comments?

very dull

1 of 3 people found this review helpful