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The Last Detective Reviews
The Last Detective : The Last Detective Reviews
| 44 of 47 people found the following review helpful  New Directions for Lovesey, By This review is from: Last Detective (Paperback) I have always had a love/hate relationship with Peter Lovesey's books for many years. I have a large number of his novels on my shelf, mostly from the Sgt. Cribb series. In looking over them I realized that while they were readable, there were not particularly memorable and were all somewhat unsatisfactory. "The Last Detective" is a bit of a change in pace, in that it really is a notch better than the Lovesey standard.Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond fluctuates between being interesting and being thoroughly unlikable. While not anti-computer, he is quite distrustful of them, and is unhappy with their effect on police work. As a result he has come to style himself as 'the last detective.' His overall personality is overbearing and a bit egotistical which makes him a bit unpopular with both his co-workers and the top brass. As a reader I found that he had his moments, but I liked his second in command, John Wigful, quite a bit better. The plot, which centers... Read more 21 of 23 people found the following review helpful  A bit of a drag, By RolloTomasi (California) - See all my reviews This review is from: Last Detective (Paperback) Peter Diamond is something of an anachronism on the police force--a stickler for old-fashioned detection in a business that relies almost completely on state-of-the-art computers and genetic engineering to catch crooks. So when he is called in to investigate the death of a woman found floating nude in a river near Bath, he sees it as the perfect opportunity to prove himself as "the last detective." On the way, Diamond repeatedly risks not only life and limb but the most important thing to him--his job.There are plenty of entertaining moments here. The examination of the fierce backstage politics at Scotland Yard is fascinating, and Lovesey, ever the consummate researcher, weaves in an intriguing subplot involving two mysterious letters penned by the late, great Jane Austen. Unfortunately, he may have heaped a bit too much on his plate; there isn't enough emphasis on what should be the real heart of the novel--the mystery itself. That, in addition to excessive length, is a... Read more 9 of 9 people found the following review helpful Recommended, but with reservations, By Colin Harrison (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews This review is from: Last Detective (Paperback) This was my first Peter Lovesey mystery. I had mixed feelings.Positive: the writing is excellent - evocative but concise, dialogue is natural, and description is not overdone. The mystery itself is ingenious, with plenty of twists and turns. Characters are well-drawn and mostly convincing. There is genuine wit in the writing. I enjoyed it and wanted to keep reading until the end. Also, for anyone who loves the city of Bath, as I do, the locations are a real treat. The plot also manages to involve Jane Austen (yes, "Pride and Prejudice" Jane Austen). Negative: (1) The climactic courtroom scene is one of phoniest, most unbelievable unravelings of a mystery I have ever read. Without giving away the details, I will say that someone just spills his guts under cross-examination, confessing to a whole pile of serious crimes apparently without once thinking, "Gee, maybe I should just deny all this crap, get off the witness stand, and get a good lawyer." It... Read more |
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