Great thriller that kept me turning the pages. Great story, great writing and characters. Really enjoyable and would read this author again.

To mark 50 years since the publication of his first novel, Peter Lovesey has given us another expert police procedural set in the world of running. The point of view moves around, putting us in the mind of a first-time runner as she preps for a charity run and struggles to jog for more than two minutes, or with a pair of exploited Albanian illegal immigrants, and also with detective Diamond and his squad as they police the half-marathon. It’s a classic story with appealing characters you can root for--but also no shortage of suspects with good motives. I was a little confused during some the scenes concerning race times, because I thought finish times would be different for people who crossed together by virtue of their different starts. This is not my area, so maybe I missed something. The plot moves right along, and as a reader you can relax and enjoy the story, knowing that you are in the hands of an author who knows exactly what he is doing.

Thanks Netgalley and Soho Press for a digital advance review copy.

Peter lovely never fails to entertain me.I once again got caught up in the story the characters kept me turning the pages late into the night.#netgalley#soho

In the umpteenth Peter Diamond book, Lovesey, still manages to craft a story that isn’t tired or rehashed. His characters remain fresh and the plot and delivery of course are masterful. I kept trying to figure out how he was going to put what seem to be different stories together in the mystery, but he does successfully. And the ending, God Bless you Paloma, you should have wanted to adopt a pet long ago.

A First Rate Read.....
A first rate read from Peter Lovesey in ‘The Finisher’. On the 50th anniversary of the publication of his first novel the author returns to the subject matter of running as a theme. ‘The Other Half’, Bath’s Springtime marathon is afoot and Maeve Kelly is in reluctant training. She has no idea just how cut-throat the marathon business can be. Detective Peter Diamond is signed up for crowd control on the day. Superb characterisation and interaction, a wholly engaging, solid storyline and plenty of pleasing touches throughout.

Peter Lovesey has long been one of my favorite mystery writers, and. I fell in love with the Peter Diamond series as soon as I started reading the debut novel in the series, The Last Detective. Now comes the 19th novel in the series, The Finisher, in which Lovesey continues to illustrate why he has been awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement by the Crime Writers Association of Great Britain, as well as being named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. If you have not yet read this exceptional series, no worries. The Finisher stands up just as well as a stand alone.

Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond is a complex character. He can be a trial, as he often is to his boss Assistant Chief Constable, Georgina Dallymore. He is a technophobe, which irritates most of his colleagues at one time or another. and he can be gruff. On the other hand, he has a tender side, that he shows most often with Paloma, the woman in his life. He also has no problem praising members of his team who have done well, just as he doesn't stint with criticism when they have not. He is a keen investigator and a successful one, which is why ACC Dallymore and the ensemble of finely drawn secondary characters who comprise his team put up with his most annoying habits. The city of Bath, too is a character in the Diamond series. Lovesey's vivid descriptions of the city's architecture and topography makes me feel as though I have actually been to this beautiful place.

The Finisher pulls the reader in on the very first page, "The city of Bath isn't all about Roman plumbing and Georgian architecture. It offers unrivaled facilities for getting rid of unwanted corpses." Following this fascinating opening we are introduced to several characters whose stories make up the threads of the mystery that Diamond and his colleagues must unravel. First we meet Maeve, a school teacher and reluctant runner, who has signed up for The Other Half, one of two half marathon run annually in Bath. Maeve introduces us to Olga, the wife of a wealthy but abusive Russian oligarch. Another strand of the story is revealed by two Albanian immigrant slave-workers, who have escaped from their place of servitude. Next we learn about Tony Pinto, who was recently paroled from prison after being sent away by Diamond for disfiguring a woman with a knife. Tony is also a runner in The Other. Half. And then there is the man known as the Finisher. Diamond and his team must weave together all of these disparate threads to reach the surprising conclusion of the novel, which has so many twists and turns that it may well leave you dizzy.

Lovesey writes with the confidence of a man at the peak of his power, who knows how to craft a novel that will keep you guessing. Even his minor characters are beautifully developed. He is an expert at pacing a novel to keep the reader turning pages. His use of misdirection leads the reader to think that he or she knows whodunni, when, in fact, someone else entirely was responsible. In all, Lovesey is a master of the art and craft of writing. I can't wait for number twenty! (And read Lovesey's backlist and his other series!) Highly recommended.

Thanks to Peter Lovesey, Soho Press, and NetGalley for the ARC of The Finisher in return for this honest review.

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.

Hard to believe it's been 50 years! This feels as fresh as if it were written just after his first. Delighted to include this novel in the Fall Fiction spotlight of Zoomer magazine’s September/October print issue, as well as on new digital Books hub Club Zed.

The "Finisher" is typical of Peter Lovesey, well written, with lots of twist and turns and usually with a good ending. I found the" Finisher" a little slow to start, but certainly held my interest to the very end, one of those books that one does not want to put down and you want to see what comes next.

Peter Lovesey has done it again with another great Peter Diamond adventure. I was so excited to get an ARC from netgalley to review as this series has always been a favorite.

Many disparate characters are introduced and it seems the one thing they have in common is the Bath half marathon, The Other Half. Although there is some time spent at the beginning describing the training and outfitting (kit) for the race, you get a real feel for the atmosphere leading up to the big race. And there are two Albanian immigrants who escape from a human trafficking ring. I was rooting for them the whole way.

This is one of those great murder mystery series where there is also humor. Peter Diamond leads his capable team who know that their boss hates computers and acronyms. In one scene, Peter interviews an elderly man who keeps calling him Mr Diehard. Brilliant! And Peter’s long suffering boss Georgina of course cannot control him as usual.

All of the threads come together and are deftly handled by this wonderful author. Although you often think you have the mystery solved, there are twists all the way until the end. I hope that Mr Lovesey still has another adventure up his sleeve for Peter Diamond. Thank you to Soho Press for granting my wish!

This was my first Peter Livesey title and I found it a difficult read. I skimmed a great deal of the book it needed better editing. The characters were not engaging. The plot reminded me of anothe title about hidden slave foreign workers I’m starting to wonder if that’s a new thing in British mysteries. It was pretty complicated and dialogue was not engaging. No stars for this title

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.

I didn’t think I’d like a story about running a marathon and about human trafficking, but the writing and vibrant characters pushed me to the finish line with a smile on my face. The pacing of the novel was good, not so fast that you feel left out of the investigation nor too slow that you feel bored. I also really liked the characters since they almost all were endearing in some way. Olga was a no-nonsense Russian whose confidence and openness drew me to her. Maeve, a school teacher who accidentally finds herself training for a half-marathon, is equally charming. I especially liked the wry humor of the main character, Peter Diamond. I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series.