The Summons

The Summons by Peter Lovesey is the third book in his Peter Diamond series, and in this one, the summons is directed at Diamond as he is taken from his home in London and driven to Bath in order to assist the police to recapture an escaped prisoner who Diamond put away for murder four years ago.

John Mountjoy has a history of abusive behavior to women but he insists that he didn’t commit the murder of Britt Strand that he was charged with. He has kidnapped the Assistant Chief Constable’s daughter and wants Peter Diamond to re-investigate the case. At first Diamond firmly believes that he originally was right and that Mountjoy is guilty, but as he painstakingly goes over all the details, his confidence is shaken and he starts to show more believe that Mountjoy is innocent.

I love the way Lovesey’s mind works. This is a creative story that fits together beautifully as he alternates solid police reasoning with large helpings of humor. Peter Diamond is someone I can easily identify with as his curmudgeonly ways and failure to move with the times is something I have to guard against myself. The colorful characters that move through the streets of Bath are an added bonus to this series and the pay-off at the end of the book will certainly enhance future books. show less

Ex-Superintendent Peter Diamond is summoned back to the Bath police department; it seems that a convicted murderer whom he had caught four years earlier has escaped, claiming that he was innocent of the crime. The man has now kidnapped the Chief Constable’s daughter and demanded that Diamond find the “real” murderer. Although Diamond is convinced that he arrested the right person, he agrees to go back through the case files and see what he can uncover, while others in the police try to find the escapee and his hostage. With few resources and the aid of only one detective inspector, Julie Hargreaves, Diamond is under time pressure to deliver - but he barely knows where to begin…. This is the third book in the Peter Diamond show more series, and I think it’s my favourite so far because we get to see Diamond’s interactions with the police force that he quit in the first book. He realizes that detective work is what he does best and he wants his old job back, but first he must navigate both the politics of the police force and the disappointment that he feels in himself for having possibly arrested the wrong man. Recommended! show less

Inspector Diamond resigned from the CID, and being somewhat miserable living in a basement apartment with his wife, is summoned back to the crime division by the Chief because a man he helped put away for murder has escaped, kidnapped the a young woman, and refuses to give himself up or release the woman until Diamond agrees to meet with him.

Diamond is now faced with a new challenge ... although no longer with the police force, he is being asked to locate the missing woman and help facilitate the recapture of the escaped prisoner. But things are not as simple as they appear. The escaped prisoner maintains his innocence and casts a sliver of doubt in Diamond's mind that perhaps he had the wrong man incarcerated.

Looking through the files show more from a case that took place more than 3 years ago is challenging enough, but having to consider other potential suspects and attempt to uncover additional evidence is akin to looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. And what is Diamond's end goal anyway?

Is the escaped prisoner telling the truth and will they find the answers and the true murderer or is he just leading them on a merry chase and will he kill his hostage at the end?

I found it very entertaining and I enjoyed the surprising twists that surfaced along the way. show less

The best of Peter Diamond mystery I've read, this book was hard to find. Having read about two dozen of the author's works in this particular series, I finally caught up with his way of spinning the yarn. It is different to read a mystery that isn't so much revelatory as it is an expose of the author's skills. If one has not read a Peter Diamond book before this, The Summons would not be a good place to start.

A different kind of police procedure, since Peter Diamond isn't really an official detective, but is working for the police assisted by Inspector Julie Hargreaves, an up-and-coming detective who is one of the few who manages to tolerate the irascible old man without taking too much gaff from him. The plot is rather interesting, and there is an abundance of suspects. Like most procedurals, it is slow going at times. However, some of the situations seem too highly contrived, especially toward the end. It is as if the author sacrifices credibility in order to provide some final twists. I refer here to the appearance of the crusties in the tower. Another unbelievable event concerns his deal with the chief constable. Although Diamond has show more some leverage, I doubt the chief would agree to fire the current head of detectives and promise to hire Diamond into his old position.

The story is much enhanced by the superb narration by Simon Prebble, one of my favorite readers. show less

Peter Diamond—the famous stout detective—has come down in the world since he rashly quit the police force. He's living in a London basement flat and bemoaning his fate: that one of the world's best homicide cops is considering a job as a nude artist's model. Then a murderer breaks out of jail, kidnaps a cop's daughter, and makes his ransom demand: he must speak to Peter Diamond at once.

His old bosses beg him to come back to Bath. All Diamond has to do is free the hostage, and he may be able to return to his old job. But the kidnapper, convicted of murdering a beautiful reporter whose mouth was filled with roses, insists he's innocent. Diamond's mission is to find the real killer. Now, with no clues and a cold trail, Diamond is in show more the rough, risking his future, his reputation, and perhaps his life to crack a nearly impossible case.
This is just vintage Lovesey. Such easy reading but lots of good threads and red herrings. show less

Still loving these, still finding the mystery a little unbelievable. (Nevada Barr affects me the same way - I love the characters, the plot, and especially the settings, but people's motivations seem exaggerated, or maybe just the actions they take based on their motivations seem over the top.) I liked Hargreaves a lot; I hope she continues to appear.