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Ben Cooper & Diane Fry #5
One Last Breath
Set in England’s legendary Peak District, Stephen Booth’s acclaimed mysteries tell tales of men and women under siege by both ordinary life and extraordinary crime. Now, in a stunning, fascinatingly intelligent novel, Booth’s uneasy young policeman, Ben Cooper, encounters an enigma that begins with a shocking murder and a victim’s . . . One Last Breath
Around the ancient cave system in Derbyshire are thronging tourists, a medieval castle, and the thriving town of Castleton. With its underground tunnels and caverns, it’s the perfect place for a man to hide–or vanish. Detective Constable Ben Cooper and Detective Sergeant Diane Fry are looking for such a man, one who is on a rampage of revenge.
After thirteen years in prison, Mansell Quinn has emerged a man enraged. Hours after violating his parole, Quinn is the chief suspect in a fresh murder. And his original sin–the brutal killing of his lover–still haunts the valley. Because Quinn has always maintained his innocence, the people who lined up against him then are in dire danger now.
Ben may be one of those people, for he is the son of the cop who had arrested Quinn thirteen years earlier. But while his department races to find Quinn, Ben wonders if the man was indeed guilty of the first crime. Even when another new victim is found, Ben stubbornly clings to the old case–and makes himself an open target for a killer.
For Ben, the real story of Mansell Quinn is as hidden as the caves beneath them. His search for answers will lead him on a twisting, harrowing journey through that maze of darkness–into the shocking light of truth.
From the Hardcover edition.
Around the ancient cave system in Derbyshire are thronging tourists, a medieval castle, and the thriving town of Castleton. With its underground tunnels and caverns, it’s the perfect place for a man to hide–or vanish. Detective Constable Ben Cooper and Detective Sergeant Diane Fry are looking for such a man, one who is on a rampage of revenge.
After thirteen years in prison, Mansell Quinn has emerged a man enraged. Hours after violating his parole, Quinn is the chief suspect in a fresh murder. And his original sin–the brutal killing of his lover–still haunts the valley. Because Quinn has always maintained his innocence, the people who lined up against him then are in dire danger now.
Ben may be one of those people, for he is the son of the cop who had arrested Quinn thirteen years earlier. But while his department races to find Quinn, Ben wonders if the man was indeed guilty of the first crime. Even when another new victim is found, Ben stubbornly clings to the old case–and makes himself an open target for a killer.
For Ben, the real story of Mansell Quinn is as hidden as the caves beneath them. His search for answers will lead him on a twisting, harrowing journey through that maze of darkness–into the shocking light of truth.
From the Hardcover edition.
16 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2004
85 people are currently reading
728 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Booth
55 books672 followersStephen Booth is the author of 18 novels in the Cooper & Fry series, all set around England's Peak District, and a standalone novel DROWNED LIVES, published in August 2019.
The Cooper & Fry series has won awards on both sides of the Atlantic, and Detective Constable Cooper has been a finalist for the Sherlock Award for Best Detective created by a British author. The Crime Writers’ Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for “the author whose books have given readers most pleasure.”
The novels are sold all around the world, with translations in 16 languages. The most recent title is FALL DOWN DEAD.
A new Stephen Booth standalone novel with a historical theme, DROWNED LIVES, will be published in August 2019:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drowned-Live...
In recent years, Stephen has become a Library Champion in support of the UK’s ‘Love Libraries’ campaign. He's represented British literature at the Helsinki Book Fair in Finland, appeared with Alexander McCall Smith at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival in Australia, filmed a documentary for 20th Century Fox on the French detective Vidocq, taken part in online chats for World Book Day, taught crime writing courses, and visited prisons to talk to prisoners about writing.
He lives in Nottinghamshire.
The Cooper & Fry series has won awards on both sides of the Atlantic, and Detective Constable Cooper has been a finalist for the Sherlock Award for Best Detective created by a British author. The Crime Writers’ Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for “the author whose books have given readers most pleasure.”
The novels are sold all around the world, with translations in 16 languages. The most recent title is FALL DOWN DEAD.
A new Stephen Booth standalone novel with a historical theme, DROWNED LIVES, will be published in August 2019:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drowned-Live...
In recent years, Stephen has become a Library Champion in support of the UK’s ‘Love Libraries’ campaign. He's represented British literature at the Helsinki Book Fair in Finland, appeared with Alexander McCall Smith at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival in Australia, filmed a documentary for 20th Century Fox on the French detective Vidocq, taken part in online chats for World Book Day, taught crime writing courses, and visited prisons to talk to prisoners about writing.
He lives in Nottinghamshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
March 5, 2011
Stephen Booth is one of the best British police procedural writers in the biz today, ranking with Val Mc Dermid or Peter Robinson. That said, I think he's starting to lose his grip on his characters.
Booth's style is to flip back and forth between points of view fairly quickly. When done well, it helps keep the plot moving, and there's a bit of frisson each time the reader returns to a favorite character's voice.
This time around, while the actual mystery is solid --a case involving a murderer recently released from prion, whose acquaintances start being knocked off (not as cut-and-dried as it seems)-- the characterization is not as spot-on as it usually is.
I found myself dreading some characters as they came back up, especially detective Diane Fry, who has become less and less likable as the series progresses. A scene with her newly-found sister in a restaurant goes nowhere and reveals almost nothing. It seems as interminable as an awkward dinner date.
We know Diane has secrets, but if they don't come out soon, I fear her workaholic nature and lack of emotion aren't suited for main character status anymore. She's too much of a shell.
Booth always makes sure we learn something we didn't know before, whether it's the history of Morris dancing or well decoration. This time it's information about caves and caving, and though we know the climax is going to involve a cave in some way, the groundwork laid for setting up the showdown makes the pay-off worthwhile.
Ben Cooper is still a solid character in a solid series, but if the next novel doesn't get the main characters moving in some way, Booth would be better off writing one-offs rather than sequential novels.
Booth's style is to flip back and forth between points of view fairly quickly. When done well, it helps keep the plot moving, and there's a bit of frisson each time the reader returns to a favorite character's voice.
This time around, while the actual mystery is solid --a case involving a murderer recently released from prion, whose acquaintances start being knocked off (not as cut-and-dried as it seems)-- the characterization is not as spot-on as it usually is.
I found myself dreading some characters as they came back up, especially detective Diane Fry, who has become less and less likable as the series progresses. A scene with her newly-found sister in a restaurant goes nowhere and reveals almost nothing. It seems as interminable as an awkward dinner date.
We know Diane has secrets, but if they don't come out soon, I fear her workaholic nature and lack of emotion aren't suited for main character status anymore. She's too much of a shell.
Booth always makes sure we learn something we didn't know before, whether it's the history of Morris dancing or well decoration. This time it's information about caves and caving, and though we know the climax is going to involve a cave in some way, the groundwork laid for setting up the showdown makes the pay-off worthwhile.
Ben Cooper is still a solid character in a solid series, but if the next novel doesn't get the main characters moving in some way, Booth would be better off writing one-offs rather than sequential novels.
November 7, 2019
Very good. Glad there’s loads of the series still to read!
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March 25, 2018I found this book extremely difficult to read. I experienced a total disconnect with the characters, never sure of the reasons behind their actions. Perhaps if I had read a few other books in the same series, I might have understood the obscure references to previous interactions between the characters and their work together.
However, the plot was gripping enough that I did not give up on the book.
However, the plot was gripping enough that I did not give up on the book.
October 9, 2008
I read a review of this book that made it sound really great. I just found it dull, and I really didn't care who had committed the crime. Not recommened.
September 19, 2018
The characters in this series seem to be going nowhere fast and I am done with them for now.
September 1, 2024
Good descriptive writing. Lots of twists.
February 16, 2008
I absolutely loved this book. I'm already partial to British mystery series where the characters are recurring (Elizabeth George and PD James are two of my favorite authors), but despite my predisposition to like it, this was still a great book.
This is the fifth book in the series (but only the third one I've read, having missed the first two) and each one has been better than the last. The central character is Detective Constable Ben Cooper, the son of a Police Sergeant who was killed in the line of duty. He's honest, earnest, clever, and compassionate, yet is not infallible. He's the hometown boy who everyone knows and therefore he cannot escape the scrutiny of everyone around him. He's a very likeable character.
Ben's immediate supervisor, Detective Sergeant Diane Fry, is not as likeable. Granted, she's had a rough life and has had to scrape and claw her way to where she is now, but I have a hard time finding any redeeming qualities in her at all. She's ambitious and hard and gruff. She holds nearly everyone around her in contempt and apparently has something on Ben that she contemplates using against him. (What this is was discussed in the first two books, I gather.) She reluctantly likes Ben and sometimes admires his insights, but she's loath to admit it and overall, he irritates her.
The story in this book revolves around Mansell Quinn, a man who has been released from prison after spending nearly 14 years in prison for a crime he claims he didn't commit. He's hell-bent on revenge and the cops need to find him before he completes his task.
Cooper, in his usual style, obsesses himself with the details and the what-ifs, especially since there's a link between Quinn and Cooper's father. So he sets off on a tangent of his own which once again irritates Diane. Of course, in the end, it's Diane's hard-nosed way and Ben's eye for the subtleties that help solve the case.
Oh, and there's an intriguing subplot involving Diane's prodigal sister Angie, who's just reappeared in her life after 15 years. And guess who helped choreograph that reunion? You guessed it - Ben Cooper. Just something else to get on Diane's nerves.
I love Booth's books, especially Ben Cooper. What a great character.
This is the fifth book in the series (but only the third one I've read, having missed the first two) and each one has been better than the last. The central character is Detective Constable Ben Cooper, the son of a Police Sergeant who was killed in the line of duty. He's honest, earnest, clever, and compassionate, yet is not infallible. He's the hometown boy who everyone knows and therefore he cannot escape the scrutiny of everyone around him. He's a very likeable character.
Ben's immediate supervisor, Detective Sergeant Diane Fry, is not as likeable. Granted, she's had a rough life and has had to scrape and claw her way to where she is now, but I have a hard time finding any redeeming qualities in her at all. She's ambitious and hard and gruff. She holds nearly everyone around her in contempt and apparently has something on Ben that she contemplates using against him. (What this is was discussed in the first two books, I gather.) She reluctantly likes Ben and sometimes admires his insights, but she's loath to admit it and overall, he irritates her.
The story in this book revolves around Mansell Quinn, a man who has been released from prison after spending nearly 14 years in prison for a crime he claims he didn't commit. He's hell-bent on revenge and the cops need to find him before he completes his task.
Cooper, in his usual style, obsesses himself with the details and the what-ifs, especially since there's a link between Quinn and Cooper's father. So he sets off on a tangent of his own which once again irritates Diane. Of course, in the end, it's Diane's hard-nosed way and Ben's eye for the subtleties that help solve the case.
Oh, and there's an intriguing subplot involving Diane's prodigal sister Angie, who's just reappeared in her life after 15 years. And guess who helped choreograph that reunion? You guessed it - Ben Cooper. Just something else to get on Diane's nerves.
I love Booth's books, especially Ben Cooper. What a great character.
April 28, 2013
Opening Sentence: “… And then she was gone…”
This is the 5th book featuring Ben Cooper and Diane Fry who are both detectives in the Peak district of England. Mansell Quinn has just been released from prison after serving time for murdering his lover. Within hours his ex-wife is brutally murdered and Cooper and Fry are on the case. They soon learn there is more to the story than meets the eye, and start to look into the original evidence.
There were a lot of characters to keep track of, something I am increasingly having problems with, which is probably me rather than the author, and they all had something to hide. There are a few sub-plots going on and the connections don’t start to come together until the end.
The settings are very atmospheric and add to the tone of the story – underground caves and a ruined castle seem to match the hidden (underground?) secrets and ruined lives. While the plot was very believable and the resolution, though a little confusing for a while, was definitely different, the book as a whole did drag a little for me in the middle and I felt that it could have been quite a few pages shorter.
I am a huge fan of the series and have loved all the books so far. This one, however, was not for me. I have a few more to go so hope that he gets back to the brilliant way he grabbed me in THE BLACK DOG and kept me enthralled through the subsequent DANCING WITH THE VIRGINS, BLOOD ON THE TONGUE and BLIND TO THE BONES.
This is the 5th book featuring Ben Cooper and Diane Fry who are both detectives in the Peak district of England. Mansell Quinn has just been released from prison after serving time for murdering his lover. Within hours his ex-wife is brutally murdered and Cooper and Fry are on the case. They soon learn there is more to the story than meets the eye, and start to look into the original evidence.
There were a lot of characters to keep track of, something I am increasingly having problems with, which is probably me rather than the author, and they all had something to hide. There are a few sub-plots going on and the connections don’t start to come together until the end.
The settings are very atmospheric and add to the tone of the story – underground caves and a ruined castle seem to match the hidden (underground?) secrets and ruined lives. While the plot was very believable and the resolution, though a little confusing for a while, was definitely different, the book as a whole did drag a little for me in the middle and I felt that it could have been quite a few pages shorter.
I am a huge fan of the series and have loved all the books so far. This one, however, was not for me. I have a few more to go so hope that he gets back to the brilliant way he grabbed me in THE BLACK DOG and kept me enthralled through the subsequent DANCING WITH THE VIRGINS, BLOOD ON THE TONGUE and BLIND TO THE BONES.
November 5, 2016
This is the third book of this series that I have read but not in order of publication (which might help since there is history among the major characters). I love an intricate plot with lots of twist, turns, and surprises......but this book borders on confusing. This author appears to enjoy having a multitude of characters doing a multitude of things which may or may not have anything to do with the plot and it tends to muddy the waters. That is not to say that it isn't enjoyable, just not as enjoyable as it could have been if about three characters were omitted.
A convicted murderer is released from prison after serving 14 years for killing his best friend's wife who also happened to be his lover. He disappears and his old friends and family are getting a bit anxious as they wonder if he has revenge on his mind since they testified against him at his trial. Another murder occurs, he is still missing, and now everyone is running scared. But all is not as it appears and the story line goes off in several different directions. It is a fairly good read but every once in a while, you feel that you have missed some point. Don't worry......you haven't.
A convicted murderer is released from prison after serving 14 years for killing his best friend's wife who also happened to be his lover. He disappears and his old friends and family are getting a bit anxious as they wonder if he has revenge on his mind since they testified against him at his trial. Another murder occurs, he is still missing, and now everyone is running scared. But all is not as it appears and the story line goes off in several different directions. It is a fairly good read but every once in a while, you feel that you have missed some point. Don't worry......you haven't.
July 25, 2016
I don't read murder/mystery books frequently. This one had a good plot and several sub-plots. I was not familiar with the characters, which were from a series of similar stories by this author, I understand.
The setting of 'One Last Breath' is the Peak District; the caves and bleak countryside of that area giving an atmospheric background to the secrets and deaths of the characters. The story began well. I did, however, become a little confused by the numerous characters and sub-plots in the middle of the story. It was a little too complex and meandering to follow in parts. There were also a few glaring errors, such as on Page 100 where the author maintains that Mansell Quinn's daughter would not remember her father since he had been jailed for the past 14 years. She was 13 at the time of his incarceration!
There was an interesting twist at the end of the story. Altogether, I enjoyed this book and would read another in the series by this author. I would have given it 4 stars but for the errors and the confusion of the numerous characters in the middle.
The setting of 'One Last Breath' is the Peak District; the caves and bleak countryside of that area giving an atmospheric background to the secrets and deaths of the characters. The story began well. I did, however, become a little confused by the numerous characters and sub-plots in the middle of the story. It was a little too complex and meandering to follow in parts. There were also a few glaring errors, such as on Page 100 where the author maintains that Mansell Quinn's daughter would not remember her father since he had been jailed for the past 14 years. She was 13 at the time of his incarceration!
There was an interesting twist at the end of the story. Altogether, I enjoyed this book and would read another in the series by this author. I would have given it 4 stars but for the errors and the confusion of the numerous characters in the middle.
March 19, 2016
Efter fem böcker i den här serien så börjar jag känna mig riktigt hemma i Peak District och karaktärerna känns lite som... jag önskar jag kunde säga vänner, men helt ärligt så gillar jag dem inte speciellt mycket. Däremot är jag väldigt glad för att besvikelsen över förra delen bara var en tillfällig svacka. Läs mer på bloggen
September 20, 2015
I thought the appearance of Angie, Diane Fry's sister, might improve the relationship between her and Ben Cooper. No such luck. I have decided that Diane's problem is that she doesn't like herself. Until that is resolved it will be hard to change any relationships. While I think this is generally a good book, it is geographically confusing. It needs a map (or two or three).
November 1, 2018
I have been reading the books in order but the series is continuing to deteriorate. I had to push myself to finish reading this one. Diane Fry is beginning to mellow, but so very slowly. Ben Cooper continues to sleep through his life and career. I will take a break and turn to the latest Michael Connelly book for a sure-fire read.
April 12, 2009
not bad, read better
January 7, 2017
This is the fifth book in Stephen Booth's ongoing series featuring Ben Cooper and Diana Fry.
Mansell Quinn has been released from prison after fourteen years for murder. Why has he returned to his old stomping grounds, is there revenge on his mind.
Mansell's ex-wife is found murdered in her new home, so this is the basis for the new investigation.
The mystery is an excellent one with lots of twists and turns. And can be read without reading the rest of the series.
The series ongoing nature is the relationships between Cooper and Fry and the supporting characters.
I enjoyed it, and will carry on reading the series to see how it develops.
May 30, 2022
Lot of characters. Complicated plot for night time listening. Disappointed not to find out if Angie is being honest with Diane Fry about the last 15 years or is Fry just a suspicious person. How did Ben Cooper become involved with her reappearance?
Is there a strange relationship between Stephen and his sister? Are they just too close?
Ben Cooper is particularly interested in the original murder (Quinn has just been released) as the police fear Quinn’s on a revenge rampage as he doesn’t turn up at lodgings and his ex wife is found dead. Anyone involved with the original case is warned to be careful. that includes Ben as his father (now deceased and a hero) was the original arresting officer in the open and shut case. Q pleaded innocent at first and then changed plea to guilty. You too or U2?
Is there a strange relationship between Stephen and his sister? Are they just too close?
Ben Cooper is particularly interested in the original murder (Quinn has just been released) as the police fear Quinn’s on a revenge rampage as he doesn’t turn up at lodgings and his ex wife is found dead. Anyone involved with the original case is warned to be careful. that includes Ben as his father (now deceased and a hero) was the original arresting officer in the open and shut case. Q pleaded innocent at first and then changed plea to guilty. You too or U2?
March 12, 2018
I am a big fan of Booth's and I love this series so maybe this was down to my mood, concentration levels or some other variable but I found this instalment rather hard work. The basic premise was sound (murderer released from prison and his old contacts start dying) and of course the backdrop (England's Peak District and particularly the popular, picturesque and historic tourist village of Castleton) is fabulously packed with possibilities for a crime novel. But I just found it dragged in a way that others in the series haven't. Maybe the plot was just too elaborate, maybe some of the description and history was overdone and maybe the Fry-Cooper relationship has become tedious (I am working my way through the series in order) but I was just a bit underwhelmed by this one.
April 6, 2018
Caverns are another world
As a teenager, I made it my business to read all the books about caves and spelunking in our small-town Texas public library. In addition, on vacation trips we usually managed to your at least one cave. Between trips and books, my father told me many interesting, often spooky tales of his childhood adventures in the local caves near his rural Missouri home. I chose to read "One Last Breath" in hopes of revisiting that childhood fascination with caves as well as general spookiness. I was not disappointed!
As a teenager, I made it my business to read all the books about caves and spelunking in our small-town Texas public library. In addition, on vacation trips we usually managed to your at least one cave. Between trips and books, my father told me many interesting, often spooky tales of his childhood adventures in the local caves near his rural Missouri home. I chose to read "One Last Breath" in hopes of revisiting that childhood fascination with caves as well as general spookiness. I was not disappointed!
May 10, 2017
Mansell Quinn is released after serving 17 years for the murder of his lover. On his release he returns to his home area and soon his ex wife is murdered and a hunt is on for Quinn. This reveals the complex relationships of the past and comes to a climax in the caverns of the Derbyshire limestone caves.
A good read that weaves in the Quinn story and continues Ben Cooper and Diane Fry's complex relationship.
A good read that weaves in the Quinn story and continues Ben Cooper and Diane Fry's complex relationship.
April 21, 2021
Finally a Cooper/Fry book that can fit into the police procedural category! The book is interesting and details quite a bit of police work to get to the bottom of a series of murders, and which found our detectives at the end in a perfectly scary cavern. I love the Peak District environment as the setting for the Cooper/Fry detective duo. Cooper is much more laid back and empathetic, while Fry tends to be very straight-laced and comes across as unfriendly.
January 19, 2018
This book was just OK. Definitely not the best in the series. I had trouble keeping track of the plot because several of the characters were very similar to each other. I also thought the book could have been about 25 percent shorter. I found myself skimming over parts that just didn't seem relevant. Hoping this one was a blip and the next in the series will be back up to standard.
August 19, 2019
The character of Mansel Quinn is a fascinating and complex one. I was intrigued throughout with the questions that came to mind at every turn of the page. Was it his fault? Did he do it? Who is the next victim? These and others were ever-present until the end. I great read. And of course the ongoing dilemma of Diane Fry and her sister continues. I look forward to the next one.
June 1, 2021
When I read that underground caves were involved, I only read with trepidation. I still remember Nevada Barr's book about a harrowing journey, in the dark, all alone, underground. Sorry, this one wasn't as good. But in a way these stories by Stephen Booth are lonely journeys for his main character in barren surroundings and barren future prospects. Depressing.
April 2, 2023
3.5
This one is a slow burn but very rich in character and evocative of place, the Peak District in England. Booth focuses on the interior lives of all his characters and comes up with some meaningful insights. I'm still a little confused about the solution to one mystery, but that certainly left me thinking about the book. And the ties of family.
This one is a slow burn but very rich in character and evocative of place, the Peak District in England. Booth focuses on the interior lives of all his characters and comes up with some meaningful insights. I'm still a little confused about the solution to one mystery, but that certainly left me thinking about the book. And the ties of family.
July 3, 2023
I’ve read a few in the series previously & enjoyed them. This one was entertaining enough but filled with far too much local colour & information - in places it’s like a tourist guide.
Also the way DS Fry treats DC Cooper gets slightly wearing.
Cooper becomes involved in the hunt for an ex-prisoner who has seemingly returned to home & begun a killing spree
Also the way DS Fry treats DC Cooper gets slightly wearing.
Cooper becomes involved in the hunt for an ex-prisoner who has seemingly returned to home & begun a killing spree
October 8, 2024
I have read several in this series none of them in order. I did not like this quite as well as some others although once again the landscape as a character is outstanding. The caverns history and geology and atmosphere was very well done and the theme of father's and sons was well done especially as Ben comes to terms with what kind of cop his father may have been.
May 18, 2025
A complex mystery in which the reader is never really sure who is guilty. The mystery is combined with information about caves in the area of Derbyshire and the people who explore them which adds an additional element to the book. Complicated characters are well drawn and few are very likable but all are interesting.
August 18, 2025
Intense storyline ,compelling characters
Book #5 in the series is an intense, emotional read. The tightly knit plot involves a killer who is released from prison early ,and who declared his innocence. Cooper realizes his father is part of the case. Fry is finding it difficult to bridge the gap between herself and her sister, Angie.
Book #5 in the series is an intense, emotional read. The tightly knit plot involves a killer who is released from prison early ,and who declared his innocence. Cooper realizes his father is part of the case. Fry is finding it difficult to bridge the gap between herself and her sister, Angie.
October 11, 2018
A series that continues to complexity to the main characters. Great background with the information about the caves in the Peak District. Angie, Diane's sister appears adding drama on the personal side.
May 20, 2017
Excellent as always, I never tire of Stephen Booth.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews