I used to enjoy this series, but toward the end I lost interest. I am not sad that this is the last book. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Thirty-two years ago, curmudgeonly, old-school Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond of the Bath CID made his literary debut in the Anthony Boucher Award-winning The Last Detective, exonerating a woman accused of murder. Three decades later, the seasoned cop, much to his dismay, is under pressure to retire. For Diamond, whose identity is tied to his job, “retirement is the waiting room for death.” But his partner, Paloma, convinces him to accept his former colleague Julie Hargreaves’s invitation to visit her in the quaint village of Baskerville. Leaving the mean streets of Georgian Bath for rural Somerset, Diamond soon learns that Julie has an ulterior motive for his visit; unable to proceed further in her inquiries due to a physical disability, she wants her old boss to reexamine (unofficially) the manslaughter conviction of farm owner Claudia Priest for the suffocation death of a man in a grain silo. Julie suspects that the fatal accident was murder and that someone other than Claudia was responsible. Embarking on a busman’s holiday as an undercover detective, Diamond aims to solve his first village mystery, even if it means mucking in real mud (including reluctantly helping a cow give birth). As he tries on different amateur sleuthing hats (bumbling Columbo, nosy Miss Marple), he begins to learn things about himself that reveal there might be a possibility of a good life after retirement. MWA Grand Master Lovesey bids a fond farewell to his protagonist with this bittersweet series finale that mixes a cozy Midsomer Murders setting with colorful characters, surprising twists, and plenty of heart and humor.

Every good thing must come to an end. And that includes the award-winning Peter Diamond series. In his last adventure, Diamond and Paloma are invited to the country to visit with Diamond's old partner, Julia. Julia's instincts tell her that the local farm owner, who is convicted of manslaughter, wasn't the real perpetrator.

Once he knows the real reason he's out in the country, how does he go about helping Julia with the investigation. Does he reveal that he's a copper? Or does he recreate the methods of the great literary "amateur" sleuths? He chooses the later.

There's a reason that the Peter Diamond series has been so successful. A wonderful writing style helps us like Peter, despite all of his flaws. The ending of this one wasn't all that subtle. But it was still a great read. It was a great story to send off this wonderful sleuth!

I don’t know what I’ll do if Inspector Diamond ever does retire. Relying on his stubbornness to stick around for a long time.

It took me a while to get into this title. I found it a bit slow going and lacked background on previous titles. However, I found the more I read the more I enjoyed it and was successfully stumped as to who the killer was.

This mystery was full of colorful characters, realistic twists, and a vibrant setting. There were a few plausible suspects, and though the mystery kept me on my toes, I never felt lost or confused by the plot. Having read a few books in this series, I could appreciate how this book wrapped up the storylines in a thoughtful and memorable way: clever without being too gimmicky.