Cop to Corpse cover art

Cop to Corpse

Detective Peter Diamond Book 12

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About this listen

In the small hours of a Sunday morning in the city of Bath a policeman on beat duty is shot dead by an unseen gunman - the third killing of an officer in Somerset in a matter of weeks.

The emergency services are summoned. Ambitious to arrest the Somerset Sniper, the duty inspector, Ken Lockton, seals the crime scene, which is confined by the river on one side and a massive retaining wall on the other. He discovers the murder weapon in a garden - and is himself attacked and left for dead.

Enter Peter Diamond, Bath's burly CID chief. Middle-aged and not built for action, he pits himself and his team against the killer in a hunt that will test his physical powers to the limit....

©2012 Peter Lovesey (P)2013 Hachette Digital Crime Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Crime Fiction

Critic reviews

"As ever, Lovesey produces a well-crafted mystery with twists and turns to tax the brain...a perfect puzzle from the master of the genre" ( Bella)
"Lovesey proves a dab hand at dry humour" ( Time Out)
"A stand-out instalment of one of the most enjoyable police series around" ( Morning Star)
"You want a novel written by a master of his craft. You want characters sympathetically but never sentimentally drawn, with believable relationships, good and bad. You want a topical crime and even if it looks as if a serial killer is at work, you don't want to sigh at the vicious predictability of the murders. You want action, but never excessive violence, and certainly no gratuitous, stomach-churning detail. You want pace, controlled as if by a conductor on his podium. You want an always readable style, with the author assuming you've got an intelligent, educated mind, but never being self-indulgent and signalling every clever turn of expression with a wave. You want a frisson of pleasure at the entirely satisfying denouement.You want Peter Lovesey's latest Peter Diamond investigation, Cop to Corpse" ( Shots)
All stars
Most relevant
Once again, Peter Lvesay has produced an interesting storyline with enough twists to keep the listener or reader guessing.

Another good story line

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The story was confused and laboured but what really spoiled it for me was the unnecessary use of profanities and massive overuse of the ‘f’ word. I know it is used regularly in the real world but it felt like it had been just peppered around for effect. Worst Peter Diamond one yet!

Was the swearing really necessary

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is book number 12 in the Peter Diamond series and, up to now, I have heard and loved every one of them. This one was, for me, rather tedious. There was far too much time spent in a wooded area - it went on for ages and became boring. I also found the sub plot with the amateur detectives tiresome. Had this been my first Peter Diamond book I would not have gone further with Peter Lovesey's detective - incidentally Mr Diamond seems to be getting more and more curmudgeonly with each book.

Would you be willing to try another book from Peter Lovesey? Why or why not?

I will certainly be going on to find what adventure Peter Diamond has next. This last book was, as I said, a disappointment but it has not put me off the series

What about Michael Tudor Barnes’s performance did you like?

I find this reader quite the best one for portraying the detective and the rest of the cast.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My only reaction was one of disappointment that it made me feel rather bored.

Disappointing

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This book is set in my home town of Bath and was an absolute joy to listen to!

Cop to corpse.

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Where does Cop to Corpse rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A story with enough contrast between thought and action to keep the pace moving. The plot is gentle enough to keep the blood pressure under control and at the same time has enough red herrings to hold the interest.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Cop to Corpse?

Diamond is fallible enough to be believable. Some of the action scenes are well written and portray a man past his best physically but on top of his game mentally.

Have you listened to any of Michael Tudor Barnes’s other performances? How does this one compare?

MTB never disapoints - good characterisation without descending in to caricatures

Any additional comments?

Don't be put off by some other reviews. If you like a story in the classic detective style and want a plot that you can gently walk through, have a lsiten. If you want wizz bang or great literature -look elsewhere.

Just Right

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