The Last Detective

An Inspector Peter Diamond Investigation

By: Peter Lovesey

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond is the last detective: a genuine gumshoe, committed to door-stopping and deduction rather than fancy computer gadgetry. So when the naked body of a woman is found floating in the weeds in a lake near Bath with no one willing to identify her, no marks, and no murder weapon, his sleuthing abilities are tested to the limit. Struggling with a jigsaw puzzle of truant choirboys, teddy bears, a black Mercedes and Jane Austen memorabilia, Diamond persists even after the powers-that-be have decided there's enough evidence to make a conviction.

Crack another case with Peter Diamond.

©2006 Peter Lovesey. All rights reserved. (P)2010 BBC Audiobooks America

Pleasantly surprised -- loved Inspector Diamond!

After reading a few of the reviews, I was worried about taking a chance with this series debut, as others found the protagonist, Inspector Diamond, completely irredeemable. I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, Diamond is pompous, irascible and a bit of a Luddite -- but I thoroughly enjoyed him and can't understand why others found him so unlikeable. I also enjoyed the wonderful English setting -- it is good to see Bath as the setting for murder and mayhem and not another period romance. I will definitely be downloading others in this series!

A nice little cliche...

In that Diamond is so unlikeable that he becomes likeable. I enjoyed the story, loved the narration and will read more Diamond stories.

The thoroughly obnoxious detective

My first (and last) Peter Lovesey mystery, I found Inspector Diamond to be totally unlikable. I kept waiting for the revelation of some positive character trait to emerge, but none were forthcoming. Bitter, angry, ill-tempered, self-centered and rude, was he. Kept asking myself, "Why am I listening to this?" I vow to reinstate an earlier strategy that got lost after over 200 really good audiobooks: If the book, movie, or program is dull, boring, unentertaining or uninformative by a quarter of the way through, don't waste time with the remainder, clinging to the hope that it will somehow magically become worthwhile.

A great English detective story!

Would you listen to The Last Detective again? Why?

Yes, after a while, of course. This would be a story to listen again to for the details and to catch the foreshadowing I missed the previous listen.
But after listening to this first installment in the series, I will be acquiring more Inspector Diamond books.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Inspector Diamond, especially after I learned of his very common job dissatisfaction level.

Which scene was your favorite?

Many scenes with Diamond & his joy of food, such as when he finishes Mathew's cake. My most favorite scene I can't say because it would be a spoiler for that enjoyable moment. But the book is GP in my opinion & I like Inspector Diamond.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I enjoyed the author's style of having a person of interest tell his side of the story as if giving a statement.

Any additional comments?

Simon Prebble is excellent.

So very entertaining

I couldn't quit listening. Stayed up way too late. Not only did I not turn it off when I should have. I set and reset the timer every night. The interest and enjoyment kept me awake. On to the next! Simon Prebble is so very good to listen to and I was pleased to find more books read by him. Double fun.

Comparable to Charles Todd!

And of course one of the best narrators, Simon Prebble also narrates most of the Ian Rutledge series. The Peter Diamond series is set in modern times, of course.

It was interesting the reviews were such a mixture of positive and negative. I personally liked the Diamond character very much - yes he is arrogant, but that makes for a well rounded character - he is older and more experienced than many series detectives and seems to have mastered the knack of communicating in a way that downplays his arrogance.

The plot intrigued me from the first. Seemingly unrelated characters and incidents were woven together in an expert way. I was completely unprepared for the solution to the mystery even though the groundwork for it was well laid out.

I look forward to getting more from the series and I highly recommend this book to all who enjoy a well constructed British mystery.

Well-performed somewhat old-fashioned detective story

I thought I had the answer to this one several times but I never quite got it right. The main character Peter Diamond seems like a man who is probably getting close to retirement, but judging from the string of adventures listed as following this one, that's clearly not the case. I for one am glad to hear it. I hope Simon Prebble does them all.

A well kept secret

What did you love best about The Last Detective?

good writing, interestin characters, good plot

What did you like best about this story?

as above

What does Simon Prebble bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Simon Prebble is an excellent performer. He brings drama, subletly, richness toi characters in a very pleasing style and voice

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

all good

Any additional comments?

no

So tedious

so tedious and contrived didn't even finish listening, didn't care "who done it". Long winded and slow.

Miserable main character

Would you try another book from Peter Lovesey and/or Simon Prebble?

by Simon Prebble, yes.

What could Peter Lovesey have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

His main character had no redeeming characteristics. He was too much like Morse, who I watched on T.V,. and liked but on T.V. there are expressions to watch etc. I have no patience with men, or women, who make their subordinates upset just so they can let off steam. I returned the book.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Anger.