Infinite Books

Peter Diamond, a police detective in Bath, is contemplating – without much enthusiasm – a retirement. He agrees to go for a short vacation to test the waters of living in the small village community of Baskerville, where, as his partner Paloma suggests, he can relax and enjoy the slower pace. So Diamond, with Paloma and their cat reluctantly in tow, visits his former colleague, Julie.

It turns out that Julie, besides wanting to see Diamond, has another motive. There was a murder committed, and she doesn’t believe that the justice has been served: a local woman was sentenced, but the actual murder might be still running loose. Diamond goes undercover, pretending to be just another visitor, and investigates.

I enjoyed this audiobook very much. The narrator’s delivery corresponds to Diamond’s slightly grouchy nature, and the characters are described warmly, with a certain tongue-in-cheek quality, either when it comes to a moody teenager or a flamboyant charmer. It’s interesting to see Diamond conducting the investigation without the support of his team and relying only on traditional methods of talking to people, very much in the tradition of Miss Marple or Lieutenant Columbo, both characters mentioned in the novel. Somehow, our detective seems to enjoy getting the villagers’ trust even though his suits and dressy shoes are obviously unfitting for helping deliver a calf or pushing a stuck car. Ultimately, he dons a cowboy hat and joins the Harvest Festival!

Will he uncover the truth about the murders? The bodies in this quiet English village multiply, as in an episode of “Midsomer Murders.” Peter Diamond is undoubtedly busier than he expected before his retirement.

AGAINST THE GRAIN by Peter Lovesey, RB Media 2024