Description

A woman’s naked body is found floating in the weeds of a lake near Bath, by an elderly woman walking her Siamese cats. No-one comes forward to identify her, and no murder weapon is found, but sleuthing is Superintendent Peter Diamond’s speciality. A genuine gumshoe, practising door-stopping and deduction: he is the last detective.

Struggling with office politics and a bizarre cast of suspects, Diamond strikes out on his own, even when Forensics think they have the culprit. Eventually, despite disastrous personal consequences, and amongst Bath’s rambling buildings and formidable history, the last detective exposes the uncomfortable truth . . .

The very first Peter Diamond mystery, and Anthony Award winning novel, from the superb Peter Lovesey.

Publisher Review

A bravura performance from a veteran showman: slyly paced, marbled with surprise and, in the end, strangely affecting * New York Times Book Review * Mr Lovesey maintains a wonderful tone throughout . . . A comedy of bad manners, full of oddball characters and wacky events develops into a perfectly realised murder mystery whose skilful misdirection never oversteps the bounds of fair play * The Wall St Journal * A terrific job * The Times * A brilliant performance * Times Literary Supplement *