The Finisher

Written by Peter Lovesey

Narrated by James Langton

On the 50th anniversary of the publication of his first novel, Peter Lovesey,
Mystery Writers of America Grand Master and titan of the British detective novel,
returns to the subject of his very first mystery—running.

Through a particularly ill-fated series of events, couch potato Maeve Kelly, an
elementary school teacher, has been forced to sign up for the Other Half, Bath’s
springtime half marathon. The training is brutal, but Maeve must disprove her
mother, who insists that exercise is a waste of her time, and collect pledges for her
aunt’s beloved charity. What she doesn’t know is just how vicious some of the other
runners are.

Meanwhile, Detective Peter Diamond is tasked with crowd control on the raucous
day of the race—and catches sight of a violent criminal he put away a decade ago, who
very much seems to be back to his old ways now that he is paroled. Diamond’s hackles
are already up when he learns that one of the runners never crossed the finish line and
disappeared without a trace. Was Diamond a spectator to murder?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781980098522

Peter Lovesey

Peter Lovesey is a British writer of detective fiction. His work has won many awards, most notably the CWA Gold and Silver Daggers, the Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement, as well as the Macavity, Barry and Anthony Awards.

Reviews for The Finisher

[terran_9 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't remember what prompted me to read this entry in a long-running series. I hadn't read any of the others, and won't be reading more. It's interesting enough, but Inspector Diamond came across as a stubborn, erratic detective who solved the crime in spite of himself.

[juliestielstra · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Better than the last one. Still, these have lost their freshness - repetitive, and fairly predictable. Structurally a little odd - you get hooked into certain threads or subplots, and then they just vanish until Lovesey whips them back out again many chapters later. Still, a pint with Peter Diamond in Bath is not the worst way to spend an evening.

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the 19th book in the Peter Diamond series, yet it is the first one I have read. Aside from the relationship between Paloma and Diamond, this book can be read as a stand-alone. The Other Half, a half-marathon in Bath is the main setting for this novel. When Peter sees a criminal, Tony Pinto, who was recently released from prison in the race, he is concerned about the woman Pinto is harassing. When the woman goes missing from the race, Diamond continues to investigate. His investigation leads the team to uncover a trafficking ring and the mastermind behind it. The team also discovers the identity of The Finisher. This was an interesting mystery, very well written.

[deaconbernie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lovesey is one of my favorite authors. It is a good thing I didn't read this earlier or I might not have read another of his books. This book takes way too long to get started and it ends in a muddle. I think fitting in some of the author's knowledge about running became more of a concern than tending to the plot.

[brangwinn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[eyejaybee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Superintendent Peter Diamond has had a long and broadly successful career, during which he has presided over the arrest and conviction of a huge number of villains. Most of them have faded from his memory, but he still recalls the more vicious and evil among them. One such was Tony Pinto, whom he had arrested and ‘put away’ some fifteen years ago, following the vicious attack on a young woman. Diamond and his crew are called upon to help with the policing of the ‘Other Half’ a half marathon run through the streets of Bath, and receives a shock when he spots the now released Pinto among the contestants. Worse, he seems to be up to his old tricks again, pestering a female fellow runner. Diamond make a mental note to check on both of them at the end of the race, and becomes concerned when there is no sign that the woman ever completed the race. This concern develops into full-fledged alarm when she is not seen for a couple of days after the race.Meanwhile, Spiro, an Albanian illegal immigrant, has made his way to Bath under the control of a cruel trafficking gang, but manages to escape from his captors, and finds himself living on the street, anxiously watching over his shoulder for the police, or, even more frighteningly, the traffickers who he knows will be eager to recapture him and punish him, not least as a lesson to the other victims of the modern-slavery circle in which he had been caught up.Peter Lovesey weaves these two storylines together adeptly. Diamond is as querulous, imperious and impervious to the benefits of modern technology as ever. As usual, Diamond has run-ins with his boss, the ambitious, and permanently exasperated Georgina, Deputy Assistant Chief Constable, and it is difficult not to feel some sympathy for her. Fortunately, Diamond’s partner, Paloma, and the resourceful Sergeant Ingeborg Smith are on hand to inject some much needed reason and tact.All very enjoyable.