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The Final Round
Introducing Detective DI Garibaldi, a country-music loving, self-educated detective, and the only cop in the Metropolitan Police who can’t drive a car.
On the morning after Boat Race Day, a man’s body is found in a nature reserve beside the Thames. He has been viciously stabbed, his tongue cut out, and an Oxford college scarf stuffed in his mouth. The body is identified as that of Nick Bellamy, last seen at the charity quiz organised by his Oxford contemporary, the popular newsreader Melissa Matthews.
Enter DI Garibaldi, whose first task is to look into Bellamy’s contemporaries from Balfour College. In particular, the surprise ‘final round’ of questions at this year’s charity quiz in which guests were invited to guess whether allegations about Melissa Matthews and her Oxford friends are true. These allegations range from plagiarism and shoplifting to sextortion and murder…
On the morning after Boat Race Day, a man’s body is found in a nature reserve beside the Thames. He has been viciously stabbed, his tongue cut out, and an Oxford college scarf stuffed in his mouth. The body is identified as that of Nick Bellamy, last seen at the charity quiz organised by his Oxford contemporary, the popular newsreader Melissa Matthews.
Enter DI Garibaldi, whose first task is to look into Bellamy’s contemporaries from Balfour College. In particular, the surprise ‘final round’ of questions at this year’s charity quiz in which guests were invited to guess whether allegations about Melissa Matthews and her Oxford friends are true. These allegations range from plagiarism and shoplifting to sextortion and murder…
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2021
8 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Bernard O'Keeffe
7 books211 followersI read English at Balliol College, Oxford, and started out in advertising. It wasn’t for me, and I soon escaped to train as a teacher.
While teaching, I began writing—producing a couple of novels that quite rightly never saw daylight. I reviewed books for Literary Review and The Oxford Times and, as one of the editors of The English Review, wrote articles on authors ranging from Donna Tartt and Roddy Doyle to Jane Austen and Shakespeare.
My first published book was No Regrets, a comic novel described by John Carey as ‘tremendously good’. This was followed by a Young Adult novel, 10 Things To Do Before You Leave School.
I turned to crime writing when I stopped teaching. The Final Round, the first DI Garibaldi novel, came out in 2021, and the series has grown from there.
If I had to describe the books, I’d call them cosy procedurals—books with dark elements but not hard-boiled, gritty or violent.
As The Times put it:
“Bernard O’Keeffe’s series is as genteel as the suburb (SW13) in which it is set. Swearing, graphic sex and gore are, for once, off the menu. The gentle humour, oodles of clues and happyish ending create perfect comfort reading.”
Like DI Garibaldi, I live in Barnes. When I’m not writing, I’m usually reading, listening to music, playing Elizabethan Bowls, or watching football—or at least the version of it that QPR play.
I have few claims to fame, but I count giving Clare Balding interview practice, nearly being recruited as a spy, playing football with Nick Hornby, and supplying a spectacularly stupid answer on a TV quiz show as some of my more notable achievements.
While teaching, I began writing—producing a couple of novels that quite rightly never saw daylight. I reviewed books for Literary Review and The Oxford Times and, as one of the editors of The English Review, wrote articles on authors ranging from Donna Tartt and Roddy Doyle to Jane Austen and Shakespeare.
My first published book was No Regrets, a comic novel described by John Carey as ‘tremendously good’. This was followed by a Young Adult novel, 10 Things To Do Before You Leave School.
I turned to crime writing when I stopped teaching. The Final Round, the first DI Garibaldi novel, came out in 2021, and the series has grown from there.
If I had to describe the books, I’d call them cosy procedurals—books with dark elements but not hard-boiled, gritty or violent.
As The Times put it:
“Bernard O’Keeffe’s series is as genteel as the suburb (SW13) in which it is set. Swearing, graphic sex and gore are, for once, off the menu. The gentle humour, oodles of clues and happyish ending create perfect comfort reading.”
Like DI Garibaldi, I live in Barnes. When I’m not writing, I’m usually reading, listening to music, playing Elizabethan Bowls, or watching football—or at least the version of it that QPR play.
I have few claims to fame, but I count giving Clare Balding interview practice, nearly being recruited as a spy, playing football with Nick Hornby, and supplying a spectacularly stupid answer on a TV quiz show as some of my more notable achievements.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
January 25, 2021
Six university friends see each other once a year for a trivia fund raising event, despite their ever-decreasing contact and familiarity. Then a dead body is found by the Thames and an unusual detective who can’t drive is assigned the case. The investigation is going nowhere and the friends lives and secrets begin to unravel as the mystery and possible connection deepen. A whodunnit which builds nicely and has great characters and revelations. A four-star read that is an appealing police procedure. As an independent reviewer, my thanks to the author for a copy gratis prior to publication. All opinions expressed herein are freely given and totally my own.
May 30, 2021
The Final Round is the first instalment in The Garibaldi series featuring country-music loving Detective Inspector Jim Garibaldi of the Metropolitan Police and set in a quiet London ‘village’ beside the Thames between Hammersmith and Richmond known as Barnes. He's a bit of an oddball with a love of books and music and an inability to drive. He is also half-Italian by descent and the owner of a complicated personal life. The plot is well-executed with plenty of twisty surprises and high-octane thriller thrown in for good measure you can't go wrong if looking for entertainment over realism.
May 10, 2021
Loved this. Great characters especially the main protagonist who is deliciously normal with the odd real world quirk and the story which is really addictive.
Great setting too. Full review on publication day.
Great setting too. Full review on publication day.
February 25, 2021
“Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.”
Righty Ho! I guess you know what’s coming now? That’s another new series added to my list, as I just can’t resist a good murder mystery / police procedural. It’s also not often that I manage to find myself meeting a cast of new characters right at the beginning of their literary journey, so I can’t miss out on this opportunity, can I?
The opening couple of pages really helped to set the scene for me, then it was straight into the action, followed by a very thorough and well described and detailed police investigation, leading to a climax which didn’t really end well for any one of the multiple suspects. Definitely food for my macabre sense of justice!
I really honed in and enjoyed the fact that the author took license from his previous occupation as a teacher, when casting his characters and including narrative detail to the storyline, which added a really nice personal touch! I also liked the fact that the story was set in a real place, with genuine street names and at tangible locations, which I could locate and follow on a map to plot the crime scene for myself.
A well constructed, multi-layered storyline, where plot and characters play an equal role as the backdrop to a police procedural, where Garibaldi eventually works out ‘whodunnit’, although I am still wondering exactly how he managed it, as there were so many crimes, so many suspects, so many red herrings and false leads, with the eventual outcome not making great closure for the police crime numbers!
The chapters are just the right length to keep the pace moving along at a steady rate, the story is very textured and intense, definitely not designed to put me at ease or feeling comfortable, as I spent most of my reading time sat on the edge of my seat and turning the pages ever more rapidly, as the lies just kept stacking up and my suspect list grew longer and longer. After one particular aspect of the case was solved quite early on, I whittled my list down to a more manageable number and I kind of worked out who the protagonist was, but not quite! You really do have to read this one right to the very end, as those final few twists and turns definitely make all the difference!
What can I say about the multi-faceted cast of suspect characters, which might even begin to put them into a good light. Bernard has done an excellent job of creating a whole group of people, none of which I would personally have minded being locked up for a very long time. How many times did they play the ‘When we were at Oxford’ or ‘When we left college’ card, as if they expected recognition of that to offer them special treatment or privileged interview rights! They really were an obnoxious, self-centred bunch, although peel back the superficial layers of self-importance and the artificial veneer of respectability and you were actually left with some very hollow shells of emotionally damaged humanity, unable to connect either with each other, or anyone outside of their circle, with any degree of synergy or interest and with zero genuine compassion.
I’m still in two minds about the character of Jim Garibaldi, although I am hoping for a lot more tangible character development in future stories, which might offer me a little more personality to invest in. Although it is never really discussed in too much detail, Garibaldi obviously has some pretty serious emotional baggage he is carrying around with him. However even making allowances for that, I really did get to the stage where I could have given him a good kick up the backside. As DI, he never took control of a case briefing, leaving that function to be fulfilled by his DCI. In fact he only really had direct contact with one member of his team, DS Milly Gardner, and that only because she is also his unofficial driver, as Garibaldi refuses to take a driving test. He actually spent much of the investigation fantasising about Millie and his DCI, Karen, when he wasn’t contemplating his own current love life. He is also rather too fond of letting everyone know how well-read he is and his vague, often almost disinterested attitude to the case, got to be quite annoying and irksome. However, somehow he did get to crack the case eventually and he handled a very traumatic and emotionally distressing climax, with some genuine empathy. In fact, his whole demeanour and rather ‘sans fait rien’ attitude, together with his eccentricities and constant lapses in concentration, almost put me in mind of a modern day Sherlock Holmes and I do hope that Bernard isn’t too appalled by that analogy!
Some seriously confident plot and character building paves the way for this new series, I can’t wait for the next ‘Garibaldi’ instalment, just so long as I can train myself to separate the man from the biscuit!
In the Barnes area of London, I think it is fairly safe to assume that – “The female of the species is more deadly than the male”
Righty Ho! I guess you know what’s coming now? That’s another new series added to my list, as I just can’t resist a good murder mystery / police procedural. It’s also not often that I manage to find myself meeting a cast of new characters right at the beginning of their literary journey, so I can’t miss out on this opportunity, can I?
The opening couple of pages really helped to set the scene for me, then it was straight into the action, followed by a very thorough and well described and detailed police investigation, leading to a climax which didn’t really end well for any one of the multiple suspects. Definitely food for my macabre sense of justice!
I really honed in and enjoyed the fact that the author took license from his previous occupation as a teacher, when casting his characters and including narrative detail to the storyline, which added a really nice personal touch! I also liked the fact that the story was set in a real place, with genuine street names and at tangible locations, which I could locate and follow on a map to plot the crime scene for myself.
A well constructed, multi-layered storyline, where plot and characters play an equal role as the backdrop to a police procedural, where Garibaldi eventually works out ‘whodunnit’, although I am still wondering exactly how he managed it, as there were so many crimes, so many suspects, so many red herrings and false leads, with the eventual outcome not making great closure for the police crime numbers!
The chapters are just the right length to keep the pace moving along at a steady rate, the story is very textured and intense, definitely not designed to put me at ease or feeling comfortable, as I spent most of my reading time sat on the edge of my seat and turning the pages ever more rapidly, as the lies just kept stacking up and my suspect list grew longer and longer. After one particular aspect of the case was solved quite early on, I whittled my list down to a more manageable number and I kind of worked out who the protagonist was, but not quite! You really do have to read this one right to the very end, as those final few twists and turns definitely make all the difference!
What can I say about the multi-faceted cast of suspect characters, which might even begin to put them into a good light. Bernard has done an excellent job of creating a whole group of people, none of which I would personally have minded being locked up for a very long time. How many times did they play the ‘When we were at Oxford’ or ‘When we left college’ card, as if they expected recognition of that to offer them special treatment or privileged interview rights! They really were an obnoxious, self-centred bunch, although peel back the superficial layers of self-importance and the artificial veneer of respectability and you were actually left with some very hollow shells of emotionally damaged humanity, unable to connect either with each other, or anyone outside of their circle, with any degree of synergy or interest and with zero genuine compassion.
I’m still in two minds about the character of Jim Garibaldi, although I am hoping for a lot more tangible character development in future stories, which might offer me a little more personality to invest in. Although it is never really discussed in too much detail, Garibaldi obviously has some pretty serious emotional baggage he is carrying around with him. However even making allowances for that, I really did get to the stage where I could have given him a good kick up the backside. As DI, he never took control of a case briefing, leaving that function to be fulfilled by his DCI. In fact he only really had direct contact with one member of his team, DS Milly Gardner, and that only because she is also his unofficial driver, as Garibaldi refuses to take a driving test. He actually spent much of the investigation fantasising about Millie and his DCI, Karen, when he wasn’t contemplating his own current love life. He is also rather too fond of letting everyone know how well-read he is and his vague, often almost disinterested attitude to the case, got to be quite annoying and irksome. However, somehow he did get to crack the case eventually and he handled a very traumatic and emotionally distressing climax, with some genuine empathy. In fact, his whole demeanour and rather ‘sans fait rien’ attitude, together with his eccentricities and constant lapses in concentration, almost put me in mind of a modern day Sherlock Holmes and I do hope that Bernard isn’t too appalled by that analogy!
Some seriously confident plot and character building paves the way for this new series, I can’t wait for the next ‘Garibaldi’ instalment, just so long as I can train myself to separate the man from the biscuit!
In the Barnes area of London, I think it is fairly safe to assume that – “The female of the species is more deadly than the male”
April 24, 2021
I really enjoyed this first book in a brand new series by a new author to me.
Garibaldi is your stereo typical detective whose personal life is a bit of a disaster zone. Whilst we do see a bit of what goes on outside of his career, I felt there is more to be discovered in that area. He certainly never seems to get a break with being called upon at ungodly hours but shows how much he is committed to his work. There isn’t much in the way of side kicks or team. Don't get me wrong we do see some of them but Garibaldi felt like a lone ranger when it came to this particular case.
The story centres around a group of Oxford friends, although they don’t have too much to do with each other as adults but a recent murder has Garibaldi having a closer look into these people and to whether they are hiding any hidden secrets. I enjoyed finding out more about these people and their home lives. It goes to show we never really know what goes on behind closed doors as well as how well we really know the people we are close to. So many lies and secrets. I was in my element!
There were definitely some surprises in store which I hadn’t seen coming. Whilst things are all wrapped up as such towards the end. Garibaldi’s actions aren’t quite protocol but I found it didn’t bother me too much that the author bends the rules slightly as I found myself in the same mindset as the protagonist.
The Final Round has very much left me looking forward to more in the series and seeing more of Garibaldi. I could really see this being adapted for the screen as the setting and the leading man himself definitely holds a great deal of appeal. The storyline reeled me straight in and I found it that compelling that I read it over the course of one day. A gripping who dun it, that will keep you turning those pages!
My thanks to Muswell Press for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
Garibaldi is your stereo typical detective whose personal life is a bit of a disaster zone. Whilst we do see a bit of what goes on outside of his career, I felt there is more to be discovered in that area. He certainly never seems to get a break with being called upon at ungodly hours but shows how much he is committed to his work. There isn’t much in the way of side kicks or team. Don't get me wrong we do see some of them but Garibaldi felt like a lone ranger when it came to this particular case.
The story centres around a group of Oxford friends, although they don’t have too much to do with each other as adults but a recent murder has Garibaldi having a closer look into these people and to whether they are hiding any hidden secrets. I enjoyed finding out more about these people and their home lives. It goes to show we never really know what goes on behind closed doors as well as how well we really know the people we are close to. So many lies and secrets. I was in my element!
There were definitely some surprises in store which I hadn’t seen coming. Whilst things are all wrapped up as such towards the end. Garibaldi’s actions aren’t quite protocol but I found it didn’t bother me too much that the author bends the rules slightly as I found myself in the same mindset as the protagonist.
The Final Round has very much left me looking forward to more in the series and seeing more of Garibaldi. I could really see this being adapted for the screen as the setting and the leading man himself definitely holds a great deal of appeal. The storyline reeled me straight in and I found it that compelling that I read it over the course of one day. A gripping who dun it, that will keep you turning those pages!
My thanks to Muswell Press for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
November 15, 2020
I always enjoy discovering excellent new police procedurals and the partnership of Garibaldi and Gardner is an interesting and original one.
I was totally engaged by this thriller and its fascinating plot although it did get slightly over complicated.
Well worth a read and i look forward to the next instalment.
I was totally engaged by this thriller and its fascinating plot although it did get slightly over complicated.
Well worth a read and i look forward to the next instalment.
November 17, 2020
An unoriginal and unrealistic crime novel; the police never release full details of a crime to the press!! All of the characters are self absorbed, entitled and incredibly difficult to like making this a bit of a tedious read unfortunately, I found I didn't care who the murderer was or what their reasons for committing the crime were. Sorry!
June 21, 2022
Melissa, Greg, Fay, Julia, Nick and Chris all met at Oxford University. Over the years since they graduated, they have seen little of each other. Although they always meet up for the annual quiz organised by Melissa. From a small group occasion this has grown to a large event, The Melissa Matthews Charity Quiz, held at the Ocean Bar. And this year is the 25th anniversary.
As with many groups of people who meet when are young, some have done better than others financially. Melissa and Greg are now married, she is a TV news presenter and Greg is a famous writer. Fay is head of a prestigious school which Melissa’s daughter Lauren attends. Julia is a lawyer, Chris, a journalist, and Nick.....well no one is quite sure what Nick does, but whatever it is he is a known charmer, particularly where women are concerned.
What becomes apparent is that none of them really like each other, and there is a distinct feeling of inferiority by the two spouses of Julia and Chris who didn’t attend Oxford. Feeling also run high between Melissa and Julia, for Julia’s daughter Helena has got into Oxford, and Lauren hasn’t. One upmanship at its worst.
The quiz goes off in the usual way except that at the end a woman’s voice is heard above the buzz of conversation announcing a final round of questions in honour of the six friends who started the quiz. All required is to work out which of them is true.
Two weeks later, the morning after Boat Race Day, a man’s body is found beside the Thames. He has been stabbed and has an Oxford college scarf stuffed in his mouth.
The investigating Detective Inspector is Jim Garibaldi, an interesting character, who doesn’t drive so uses either a bicycle or the bus to get around, or his DS Milly Gardener drives him. He is divorced and has one son, Alfie. Things with his ex-wife are strained mainly owing to differences where Alfie is concerned. Milly Gardner is also divorced. Despite their relatively long and good relationship as a team, they don’t really seem to know each other. There are glimpses of their feelings, but they are restrained and quickly put back in their box.
When the body is identified it brings to Garibaldi’s attention the allegations about Melissa Matthews and her Oxford friends that were made in the unexpected final round of the quiz. These ranged from plagiarism, bribery, shoplifting to sextortion and murder...
So, who was the mystery person who set the cat amongst the pigeons? Who is guilty of one of the allegations made and would he/she kill to ensure that it doesn’t come to light?
I love a good mystery and this one will keep you guessing. Clever, intriguing, and ingeniously plotted. Highly recommended.
------
Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett
As with many groups of people who meet when are young, some have done better than others financially. Melissa and Greg are now married, she is a TV news presenter and Greg is a famous writer. Fay is head of a prestigious school which Melissa’s daughter Lauren attends. Julia is a lawyer, Chris, a journalist, and Nick.....well no one is quite sure what Nick does, but whatever it is he is a known charmer, particularly where women are concerned.
What becomes apparent is that none of them really like each other, and there is a distinct feeling of inferiority by the two spouses of Julia and Chris who didn’t attend Oxford. Feeling also run high between Melissa and Julia, for Julia’s daughter Helena has got into Oxford, and Lauren hasn’t. One upmanship at its worst.
The quiz goes off in the usual way except that at the end a woman’s voice is heard above the buzz of conversation announcing a final round of questions in honour of the six friends who started the quiz. All required is to work out which of them is true.
Two weeks later, the morning after Boat Race Day, a man’s body is found beside the Thames. He has been stabbed and has an Oxford college scarf stuffed in his mouth.
The investigating Detective Inspector is Jim Garibaldi, an interesting character, who doesn’t drive so uses either a bicycle or the bus to get around, or his DS Milly Gardener drives him. He is divorced and has one son, Alfie. Things with his ex-wife are strained mainly owing to differences where Alfie is concerned. Milly Gardner is also divorced. Despite their relatively long and good relationship as a team, they don’t really seem to know each other. There are glimpses of their feelings, but they are restrained and quickly put back in their box.
When the body is identified it brings to Garibaldi’s attention the allegations about Melissa Matthews and her Oxford friends that were made in the unexpected final round of the quiz. These ranged from plagiarism, bribery, shoplifting to sextortion and murder...
So, who was the mystery person who set the cat amongst the pigeons? Who is guilty of one of the allegations made and would he/she kill to ensure that it doesn’t come to light?
I love a good mystery and this one will keep you guessing. Clever, intriguing, and ingeniously plotted. Highly recommended.
------
Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett
November 14, 2020
Thank you NetGalley and Muswell Press for the eARC.
This is the first DI Girabaldi book in what I hope will be a series. I liked it a lot. When I read a book and I want to get back to it, rushing through my chores, it's, as far as I'm concerned, a good book.
None of the characters are likeable, they're all a bit too entitled, but that was what made them intersting. Garibaldi is divorced, has a chip on his shoulders, doesn't drive (he bicycles) and loves country music. But I did like his DS, Millie Gardner, who will hopefully be more fleshed out in the future.
It doesn't make sense not to like most characters, but it works for me. The killing is brutal, and everyone is a suspect. There were 6 of them that all went to Oxford togethet, but drifted apart, except for the annual charity quiz. The only one who didn't do well for himself is the man who was murdered.
I did not see the end coming, and that I also enjoyed. A good start to a series that I definitely recommend.
This is the first DI Girabaldi book in what I hope will be a series. I liked it a lot. When I read a book and I want to get back to it, rushing through my chores, it's, as far as I'm concerned, a good book.
None of the characters are likeable, they're all a bit too entitled, but that was what made them intersting. Garibaldi is divorced, has a chip on his shoulders, doesn't drive (he bicycles) and loves country music. But I did like his DS, Millie Gardner, who will hopefully be more fleshed out in the future.
It doesn't make sense not to like most characters, but it works for me. The killing is brutal, and everyone is a suspect. There were 6 of them that all went to Oxford togethet, but drifted apart, except for the annual charity quiz. The only one who didn't do well for himself is the man who was murdered.
I did not see the end coming, and that I also enjoyed. A good start to a series that I definitely recommend.
February 13, 2023
Suspenseful
January 13, 2021
The Final Round introduces us to O'Keefe's detective, Garibaldi in an easy-read police/crime procedural novel.
Six old Oxford University friends find one of their number dying in less than natural circumstances. All fingers point to the group of friends but it all feels a little contrived. Who is to blame? Garibaldi will get to the bottom of it all.
There was a familiarity to the story - not in its content but in its style. This made for comfortable reading on the whole - the formulaic nature of an easy read crime drama meant that it didn't challenge too much. As an Oxbridge grad myself I found more than a smattering of realism in the characterisation, both of individuals and of relationships inter se. Geographically too, the novel progressed with an accuracy that allowed the reader the freedom to believe, with places and neighbourhoods well researched.
At times I felt that the segues between characters and their stories made some chapters harder to read than others. More than once was I forced to backtrack to double-check just who we were talking about and this made some sections rather clunky. Hopefully, a couple of minor syntax and wording errors will be ironed out in the final publication.
I think that this is the kind of book that lends itself to a bedtime/travel/beach read - easy escapism. I for one would certainly not be averse to reading more of the detective's investigations and would hope that with subsequent books, Garibaldi is developed as the Morse-esque character to whom he may well aspire.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.
Six old Oxford University friends find one of their number dying in less than natural circumstances. All fingers point to the group of friends but it all feels a little contrived. Who is to blame? Garibaldi will get to the bottom of it all.
There was a familiarity to the story - not in its content but in its style. This made for comfortable reading on the whole - the formulaic nature of an easy read crime drama meant that it didn't challenge too much. As an Oxbridge grad myself I found more than a smattering of realism in the characterisation, both of individuals and of relationships inter se. Geographically too, the novel progressed with an accuracy that allowed the reader the freedom to believe, with places and neighbourhoods well researched.
At times I felt that the segues between characters and their stories made some chapters harder to read than others. More than once was I forced to backtrack to double-check just who we were talking about and this made some sections rather clunky. Hopefully, a couple of minor syntax and wording errors will be ironed out in the final publication.
I think that this is the kind of book that lends itself to a bedtime/travel/beach read - easy escapism. I for one would certainly not be averse to reading more of the detective's investigations and would hope that with subsequent books, Garibaldi is developed as the Morse-esque character to whom he may well aspire.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.
December 8, 2020
I would like to thank Netgalley and Muswell Press for an advance copy of The Final Round, the first novel to feature DI Jim Garibaldi, set in Barnes, London.
On the day after the boat race a body is discovered with his tongue cut out and multiple stab wounds, an Oxford college scarf stuffed in his mouth. He is eventually identified as Nick Bellamy, last seen at a charity quiz organised by his Balfour College friend, newscaster Melissa Matthews. Garibaldi’s attention soon centres on this quiz and the final round that asked contestants to speculate on a series of lurid allegations about Melissa, Nick and their four friends.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Final Round which is a fine introduction to an interesting character and an absorbing read. The novel starts with the murder then slips back in time to the charity quiz and the six friends’ reaction to it and that strange final round. This introduces the prime suspects and the petty jealousies and tensions in their interactions and sets the scene for the investigation, which doesn’t get going until chapter seven when Garibaldi makes his entrance. I found myself absorbed by this by play and Garibaldi’s slow teasing out of the secrets these characters are keeping. I’m not sure I found the solution credible and it seems slightly fantastical in comparison with the almost prosaic tone that precedes it. Well, whatever, it certainly fits with the theatrics of that final round, which I think is a very clever and unusual plot device, that kept this reader guessing throughout.
The downside to this novel is the general awfulness of the six friends and their spouses. They are all self absorbed and entitled to the extent that I couldn’t bring myself to care about who did it or why. Any one of them would make a suitable killer. I suppose it’s to the author’s credit that his characters are well enough developed to elicit a response. Garibaldi, on the other hand, is a character I could grow to love. He’s definitely an eccentric in policing terms, the only detective who can’t drive, reads books (lots of them and the literary ones) and loves country music and QPR (shades of Tom Thorne in these last attributes). I like his basic humanity.
The Final Round is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
On the day after the boat race a body is discovered with his tongue cut out and multiple stab wounds, an Oxford college scarf stuffed in his mouth. He is eventually identified as Nick Bellamy, last seen at a charity quiz organised by his Balfour College friend, newscaster Melissa Matthews. Garibaldi’s attention soon centres on this quiz and the final round that asked contestants to speculate on a series of lurid allegations about Melissa, Nick and their four friends.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Final Round which is a fine introduction to an interesting character and an absorbing read. The novel starts with the murder then slips back in time to the charity quiz and the six friends’ reaction to it and that strange final round. This introduces the prime suspects and the petty jealousies and tensions in their interactions and sets the scene for the investigation, which doesn’t get going until chapter seven when Garibaldi makes his entrance. I found myself absorbed by this by play and Garibaldi’s slow teasing out of the secrets these characters are keeping. I’m not sure I found the solution credible and it seems slightly fantastical in comparison with the almost prosaic tone that precedes it. Well, whatever, it certainly fits with the theatrics of that final round, which I think is a very clever and unusual plot device, that kept this reader guessing throughout.
The downside to this novel is the general awfulness of the six friends and their spouses. They are all self absorbed and entitled to the extent that I couldn’t bring myself to care about who did it or why. Any one of them would make a suitable killer. I suppose it’s to the author’s credit that his characters are well enough developed to elicit a response. Garibaldi, on the other hand, is a character I could grow to love. He’s definitely an eccentric in policing terms, the only detective who can’t drive, reads books (lots of them and the literary ones) and loves country music and QPR (shades of Tom Thorne in these last attributes). I like his basic humanity.
The Final Round is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
November 18, 2020
Introducing DI Garibaldi, who has to put up with the occasional biscuit joke, and his docile sidekick DS Milly Gardner, this novel is set in affluent, leafy SW London. Yet another policeman in the overcrowded crime genre, the author has tried hard to give Garibaldi some distinguishing features. He doesn’t drive and is known to reference English Literature texts, most often those found on A level specifications. There is the making of a memorable character here but O’Keefe will need to flesh out this skeleton carefully in any follow-up if the reader is to give him further attention.
The story begins in April on Boat Race day at the end of which a grisly murder is committed in Barnes. Nick Bellamy, a one-time successful City banker, is found poisoned, stabbed and mutilated. Nick’s acerbic tongue has literally been cut out. Who has done this and why?
In order to begin to piece together the clues, Garibaldi has to look back to early March and a 25th anniversary quiz night at the Ocean Bar, attended by Bellamy and four other Balfour College, Oxford alumni who gather once a year to quiz for charity. From the most materially successful, Melissa and Greg Matthews, to the least affluent, Kim, wife of journalist Chris Turner, none is likeable and they all have toxic relationships or family difficulties. Given that all are accused of either moral or actual crimes in the final round of the quiz, could any of them be connected with Nick’s murder a month later?
There is no doubt that O’Keefe can tell a story. He writes well and includes enough domestic detail for the reader to be able to picture the ghastly suspects as they go about their days. However, neither elements of the detective work nor the actual matter of the murder is entirely convincing. Without including spoilers, it’s difficult to say more. Perhaps Fay Wetherby, one of the Balfour group and Head of a prestigious girls’ school, would write at this end of this manuscript: Shows promise; aspects of plot and characterisation need further consideration!
My thanks to NetGalley and Muswell Press for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
The story begins in April on Boat Race day at the end of which a grisly murder is committed in Barnes. Nick Bellamy, a one-time successful City banker, is found poisoned, stabbed and mutilated. Nick’s acerbic tongue has literally been cut out. Who has done this and why?
In order to begin to piece together the clues, Garibaldi has to look back to early March and a 25th anniversary quiz night at the Ocean Bar, attended by Bellamy and four other Balfour College, Oxford alumni who gather once a year to quiz for charity. From the most materially successful, Melissa and Greg Matthews, to the least affluent, Kim, wife of journalist Chris Turner, none is likeable and they all have toxic relationships or family difficulties. Given that all are accused of either moral or actual crimes in the final round of the quiz, could any of them be connected with Nick’s murder a month later?
There is no doubt that O’Keefe can tell a story. He writes well and includes enough domestic detail for the reader to be able to picture the ghastly suspects as they go about their days. However, neither elements of the detective work nor the actual matter of the murder is entirely convincing. Without including spoilers, it’s difficult to say more. Perhaps Fay Wetherby, one of the Balfour group and Head of a prestigious girls’ school, would write at this end of this manuscript: Shows promise; aspects of plot and characterisation need further consideration!
My thanks to NetGalley and Muswell Press for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
June 2, 2021
Not my usual choice of reading but was recommended and I devoured this in almost one sitting.
Clever plot line with lots of twists and turns had me thinking I had worked it out then realising [more than once] my theory was wrong! Characters well defined - you can see them in your mind's eye and have probably met a few of these types!!
If you enjoy a modern murder mystery [or if like me its a new gendre] Garibaldi and his investigations should definitely merit a place on your stay-cation reading list.
Clever plot line with lots of twists and turns had me thinking I had worked it out then realising [more than once] my theory was wrong! Characters well defined - you can see them in your mind's eye and have probably met a few of these types!!
If you enjoy a modern murder mystery [or if like me its a new gendre] Garibaldi and his investigations should definitely merit a place on your stay-cation reading list.
December 1, 2020
I struggled with this book - a bit tedious at times as another reviewer mentioned. The characters were difficult to like and found myself thinking can this be over already
May 19, 2021
Really enjoyed this book even though it was written by my dad.
June 10, 2021
Boat Race Day in Barnes, London, is more about drinking than rowing, But if you turn a few corners, as Nick Bellamy does, you can find a private corner to meet someone - though it might not be the wisest idea. Still wearing his college scarf, the next morning his body is found in a quiet spot near the river.
Nick is - or was - part of a group of six friends who went to university together and who though mostly now are not in contact they meet once a year for a quiz. Started by Melissa as a small gathering to catch up and reminisce about their days at Balfour College, Oxford, it is now a large, glitzy and expensive event to raise money for charity as her star has risen as a TV newsreader married to a successful thriller writer.
After the discovery of Nick's body, we skip back a few weeks to just before the annual quiz, with the build-up neatly introducing us to the six friends and their families. A surprise final round of the quiz brings up some interesting facts - or are they? - about our six friends. The middle-class lives start to be revealed as being rather more brittle surfaces with tensions and troubles underneath.
Then Nick's body is found and things get much more serious - enter Detective Inspector Jim Garibaldi. In investigating Nick's death, Garibaldi finds he is also investigating the allegations made at the end of the quiz, finding different versions of the stories as he works to find whether there is a link to the murder.
There's a pleasant Agatha Christie flavour for much of the novel - the unusual elements in the death; the group of friends locked together by their Oxford past as closely as if they were in a country house cut off by a snowstorm; the horror of privileged people as their secrets are unearthed by a mere policeman; the leafy surroundings of Barnes - all of which give a lighter feel than many gritty London-set police procedurals. DI Garibaldi too is a lighter character - he's no depressed, lonely alcoholic, nor a maverick who cuts corners. He's dogged and determined, and there are horrors in his past hinted at, but he's essentially a normal bloke.
Finally we find out who was responsible for the last round of the quiz, and it's an interesting reveal. The denouement is surprisingly bleak, though in the final pages Garibaldi pushes his boss towards a fairer conclusion, in a sympathetic touch.
The Final Round shows us a part of London little seen in crime fiction, a tangle of characters who prove to be a lot more complex than they first appear, and a cop who is a well-rounded person with no cliched vices or angst weighing him down. It's a breath of fresh air in the police procedural world.
Nick is - or was - part of a group of six friends who went to university together and who though mostly now are not in contact they meet once a year for a quiz. Started by Melissa as a small gathering to catch up and reminisce about their days at Balfour College, Oxford, it is now a large, glitzy and expensive event to raise money for charity as her star has risen as a TV newsreader married to a successful thriller writer.
After the discovery of Nick's body, we skip back a few weeks to just before the annual quiz, with the build-up neatly introducing us to the six friends and their families. A surprise final round of the quiz brings up some interesting facts - or are they? - about our six friends. The middle-class lives start to be revealed as being rather more brittle surfaces with tensions and troubles underneath.
Then Nick's body is found and things get much more serious - enter Detective Inspector Jim Garibaldi. In investigating Nick's death, Garibaldi finds he is also investigating the allegations made at the end of the quiz, finding different versions of the stories as he works to find whether there is a link to the murder.
There's a pleasant Agatha Christie flavour for much of the novel - the unusual elements in the death; the group of friends locked together by their Oxford past as closely as if they were in a country house cut off by a snowstorm; the horror of privileged people as their secrets are unearthed by a mere policeman; the leafy surroundings of Barnes - all of which give a lighter feel than many gritty London-set police procedurals. DI Garibaldi too is a lighter character - he's no depressed, lonely alcoholic, nor a maverick who cuts corners. He's dogged and determined, and there are horrors in his past hinted at, but he's essentially a normal bloke.
Finally we find out who was responsible for the last round of the quiz, and it's an interesting reveal. The denouement is surprisingly bleak, though in the final pages Garibaldi pushes his boss towards a fairer conclusion, in a sympathetic touch.
The Final Round shows us a part of London little seen in crime fiction, a tangle of characters who prove to be a lot more complex than they first appear, and a cop who is a well-rounded person with no cliched vices or angst weighing him down. It's a breath of fresh air in the police procedural world.
May 27, 2021
I have read a couple of books by this author in the past and enjoyed them. This is his debut crime novel and the first in the planned DI Garibaldi series. Crime fiction fans are in for such a treat, this first instalment is a terrific read and I think the author has set us up for a fabulous continuing series.
The two main themes in The Final Round are the actual crime case, and the detective in charge of solving it. Both are done so very well, the reader learns about Garibaldi as the investigations take place, yet the focus is never taken away from the actual crime.
The title of the novel is excellent, for this murder took place not long after a group of ex Oxford students took place in their annual charity quiz night, and it was the questions posed during the final round of the quiz that caused an uproar. Whilst most of this group have gone on to be successful in their chosen careers and some are extremely wealthy, one of them; Nick Bellamy, was clearly the odd man out. He'd missed many quizzes over the years, and his life appeared to be chaotic with tattered relationships and issues with drink and drugs mentioned. When Nick is found, brutally murdered with his tongue cut out and an Oxford scarf stuffed into his mouth, it appears that some of questions in the quiz may have been closer to the truth that any of the others would like.
Set in and around Barnes in London, the author does a great job of creating an area of large houses filled with wealthy, if not so nice people. In fact, none of the ex Oxford students appear to be very pleasant at all, and I had my suspicions about all of them during the novel.
Garibaldi, on the other hand, is a fabulous character. One of a kind, although he does have that baggage that all lead cops in series seem to carry around with them. He doesn't drive, which gives the author the opportunity to introduce his sidekick DS Milly Gardner too. Garibaldi is well-read, likes country music and is tentatively approaching a new relationship after the break down of his marriage. There's more too, things from his past, things that lurk on the surface, but haven't yet been fully explored. I look forward to getting to know more about him.
I really enjoyed this police procedural. I thought the plot was tight, well structured and kept me guessing, right through to the final pages. I'm excited to read more in this series.
The two main themes in The Final Round are the actual crime case, and the detective in charge of solving it. Both are done so very well, the reader learns about Garibaldi as the investigations take place, yet the focus is never taken away from the actual crime.
The title of the novel is excellent, for this murder took place not long after a group of ex Oxford students took place in their annual charity quiz night, and it was the questions posed during the final round of the quiz that caused an uproar. Whilst most of this group have gone on to be successful in their chosen careers and some are extremely wealthy, one of them; Nick Bellamy, was clearly the odd man out. He'd missed many quizzes over the years, and his life appeared to be chaotic with tattered relationships and issues with drink and drugs mentioned. When Nick is found, brutally murdered with his tongue cut out and an Oxford scarf stuffed into his mouth, it appears that some of questions in the quiz may have been closer to the truth that any of the others would like.
Set in and around Barnes in London, the author does a great job of creating an area of large houses filled with wealthy, if not so nice people. In fact, none of the ex Oxford students appear to be very pleasant at all, and I had my suspicions about all of them during the novel.
Garibaldi, on the other hand, is a fabulous character. One of a kind, although he does have that baggage that all lead cops in series seem to carry around with them. He doesn't drive, which gives the author the opportunity to introduce his sidekick DS Milly Gardner too. Garibaldi is well-read, likes country music and is tentatively approaching a new relationship after the break down of his marriage. There's more too, things from his past, things that lurk on the surface, but haven't yet been fully explored. I look forward to getting to know more about him.
I really enjoyed this police procedural. I thought the plot was tight, well structured and kept me guessing, right through to the final pages. I'm excited to read more in this series.
February 12, 2024
I am always keen to discover a new fictional detective, and Inspector Garibaldi, working in the Barnes area of South London, is a welcome addition to the cadre. Of course, as is now mandatory for any fictional detective, he has a complicated backstory. In his case, we learn that he separated from his wife a few years ago, and that she has taken up with a very wealthy new partner, and that, as a consequence, their son now attends a very exclusive private school. There are also oblique references to some sort of breakdown that Garibaldi suffered.
Barnes is situated on the south bank of the Thames, and is probably best known to non-Londoners as being on the route of the Boat Race, with the competing boats having to shoot the central span of Barnes Bridge. It tends to be overrun with sightseers on Boat Race Day, and the pubs do huge business, although the influx of outsiders is less welcome to most of the local residents. It is on the evening of Boat Race Day that the novel opens, with someone being murdered in the parkland around the Leg of Lamb Pond.
Two weeks earlier, a group of six people who had known each other decades ago as students at Balfour College, Oxford, had gathered for their annual reunion, which took the form of a charity pub quiz. This year, it all went fairly smoothly until a mystery voice offered some salacious statements about each of the six alumni, and asked the assembled crowd to decide which (if any) they thought were true. It is this exchange that sets in motion the events that will lead to the murder.
This sets the scene for Inspector Garibaldi and his colleagues to investigate, which they do capably. The plot is well thought through, and the necessary clues are there (even if I didn’t spot all of them myself). This is merely the first in a series, which already stretches to three books, and I am looking forward to reading more.
Barnes is situated on the south bank of the Thames, and is probably best known to non-Londoners as being on the route of the Boat Race, with the competing boats having to shoot the central span of Barnes Bridge. It tends to be overrun with sightseers on Boat Race Day, and the pubs do huge business, although the influx of outsiders is less welcome to most of the local residents. It is on the evening of Boat Race Day that the novel opens, with someone being murdered in the parkland around the Leg of Lamb Pond.
Two weeks earlier, a group of six people who had known each other decades ago as students at Balfour College, Oxford, had gathered for their annual reunion, which took the form of a charity pub quiz. This year, it all went fairly smoothly until a mystery voice offered some salacious statements about each of the six alumni, and asked the assembled crowd to decide which (if any) they thought were true. It is this exchange that sets in motion the events that will lead to the murder.
This sets the scene for Inspector Garibaldi and his colleagues to investigate, which they do capably. The plot is well thought through, and the necessary clues are there (even if I didn’t spot all of them myself). This is merely the first in a series, which already stretches to three books, and I am looking forward to reading more.
April 15, 2021
Shortly after a charity quiz a man's body is found near the Thames. What makes it particularly unusual is that the tongue is cut out and an Oxford college scarf stuffed into the mouth. Body identification is easy. But the case is not. And the quiz ending is peculiar and unexpected. The team participants, Balfour college graduates, are accused of having committed acts from shoplifting to plagiarism to murder in their pasts. Is there a modicum of truth behind the accusations? Suspicion amongst them is rife as trust is broken down. The story is about how each character stands up under scrutiny and how layers of lies can shatter people.
Detective Garibaldi is in charge of the case. But his personal life is not without issues, too, which crop up in the novel. Several subplots intertwine but they are done well so only add, not detract. The story is chock full of fascinating twists and turns and drips with deceit.
The premise is excellent. The characters aren't really likeable to me but I needn't like characters to enjoy a book! The ending is a strong one, no disappointment there. Twists kept coming until the end.
My sincere thank you to Muswell Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading the e-ARC of this riveting book.
Detective Garibaldi is in charge of the case. But his personal life is not without issues, too, which crop up in the novel. Several subplots intertwine but they are done well so only add, not detract. The story is chock full of fascinating twists and turns and drips with deceit.
The premise is excellent. The characters aren't really likeable to me but I needn't like characters to enjoy a book! The ending is a strong one, no disappointment there. Twists kept coming until the end.
My sincere thank you to Muswell Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading the e-ARC of this riveting book.
January 31, 2021
I started off thinking this would be a fantastic book. The story was intriguing and original and I was dying to know who the culprit was. After a while though, the characters began to get on my nerves. Five Oxford graduates, wealthy apart from one, pretending to be friends for 25 years when actually they all disliked each other intensely. Just the type of person I can’t stand! They attend an annual charity quiz and one of them is murdered shortly afterwards. DI Garibaldi is the hero who tracks down the killer eventually. I started to lose interest when the police procedures got too unbelievable, and that’s the main reason for my rating. Oh, and when a funeral was referred to as ‘this morning’s funeral’ and ‘the funeral yesterday’ on the same day and page. Careless mistake by the author, and not really important – but little things like that put me off! I enjoyed the writing style but towards the end it seemed rambling, as if the dialogues had been padded out unnecessarily to make the book longer. I did ‘quite’ enjoy it, and it’s a three and a half stars from me.
March 18, 2022
Quiz evenings are profoundly popular but perhaps this one wouldn’t be to so many people’s taste. Apart from one team’s members being perhaps a little too lively all seems to be going well. That is, until a parting announcement raises many doubts about the founding members of the event. Perhaps bad taste but nothing sinister until the murder of one of the participants the next day.
In ‘The Final Round’ O’Keeffe makes the reader bounce between feeling one of the main characters must be heavily involved in the murder to a feeling that perhaps their supposed ‘actions’ are merely misunderstandings that many of us could be guilty of.
Detective Inspector Garibaldi has the unfortunate task of trying to solve this murder and this is not straightforward, even at the end.
Whilst I found this dragged on a little from time to time, it did gather momentum and I wanted to know what had happened. So I would recommend this to those who like their detective murder investigations set in modern day.
Thank you to Muswell Press and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
In ‘The Final Round’ O’Keeffe makes the reader bounce between feeling one of the main characters must be heavily involved in the murder to a feeling that perhaps their supposed ‘actions’ are merely misunderstandings that many of us could be guilty of.
Detective Inspector Garibaldi has the unfortunate task of trying to solve this murder and this is not straightforward, even at the end.
Whilst I found this dragged on a little from time to time, it did gather momentum and I wanted to know what had happened. So I would recommend this to those who like their detective murder investigations set in modern day.
Thank you to Muswell Press and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 2, 2020
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley.
For the most part I liked this book quite a bit. I think the author gave a good range of suspects and revealed clues well. Added to that was all the interesting details of British life that we don't see on this side of the pond. The reason that I'm only giving a 3-star rating is that the lead character, Detective DI Garibaldi, is very annoying, and that the ending is quite contrived. Garibaldi's arrogance and constant need to one-up the people he encounters is bad enough but the way he interviews one of the suspects near the end is just ludicrous. It's unfortunate because I like O'Keeffe's writing style, but not enough to read more books with this lead detective.
For the most part I liked this book quite a bit. I think the author gave a good range of suspects and revealed clues well. Added to that was all the interesting details of British life that we don't see on this side of the pond. The reason that I'm only giving a 3-star rating is that the lead character, Detective DI Garibaldi, is very annoying, and that the ending is quite contrived. Garibaldi's arrogance and constant need to one-up the people he encounters is bad enough but the way he interviews one of the suspects near the end is just ludicrous. It's unfortunate because I like O'Keeffe's writing style, but not enough to read more books with this lead detective.
December 27, 2020
DI Garibaldi investigates a murder of a man Nick killed by poison and also stabbed.
The Final round refers to an additional round at a charity quiz where the original quizzers are all accused of a wrongdoing .
Problem is the deceased and his university friends are unlikeable so I didn’t care who killed him.
I found a few problems with the police methods - Garibaldi pretending to be someone else to get information, police releasing all the murder gory details - wouldn’t happen.
If this is the first in a series then these sort of things need to be fixed.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.
3 Stars.
The Final round refers to an additional round at a charity quiz where the original quizzers are all accused of a wrongdoing .
Problem is the deceased and his university friends are unlikeable so I didn’t care who killed him.
I found a few problems with the police methods - Garibaldi pretending to be someone else to get information, police releasing all the murder gory details - wouldn’t happen.
If this is the first in a series then these sort of things need to be fixed.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.
3 Stars.
December 29, 2020
I was grateful for the preview copy from Muswell Press in return for an honest review.
I loved Detective Garibaldi. A man with quirks and foibles, and irreverence and disdain for authority.
I loved the storyline, the intricate twist, turns and connections. The plot was good, the array of suspects, all college buddies, broad enough to do justice to the storyline, and it kept moving at a fair pace.
Having visited Oxford in early September 2020, I could also visualise the settings and the context described, which added to my enjoyment.
I highly recommend it to you, and further episodes in the series as they arrive.
I loved Detective Garibaldi. A man with quirks and foibles, and irreverence and disdain for authority.
I loved the storyline, the intricate twist, turns and connections. The plot was good, the array of suspects, all college buddies, broad enough to do justice to the storyline, and it kept moving at a fair pace.
Having visited Oxford in early September 2020, I could also visualise the settings and the context described, which added to my enjoyment.
I highly recommend it to you, and further episodes in the series as they arrive.
January 23, 2021
Oh the twist at the end! Love it! I admit I was slow to get into the whole reunion thing. I just don't get why folks can't let go of youthful friendships that go nowhere after school is done. But that is really the premise of much of the book. How the foolishness of youth colors adulthood. I do like the detective. He is full of normal human doubts and questions of life. Yet he sees the worst of humanity. I found him refreshing. I didn't like any of the main suspects. They were sure full of themselves. So it made a good story. I enjoyed the book.
August 15, 2022
The Final Round presents the reader with a very different kind of police officer - DI Garibaldi has his quirks and can't drive. Still, he delves deep into the investigation to find who the killer is and why he committed the crime. The group of friends who were not really friends, the popular quiz but not with the kind of questions made, there are a lot of lies and misdirections that are fast-paced written till the truth is unveiled. Good entertainment!
I thank NetGalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I thank NetGalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 18, 2024
OK crime story but too much set up, too little detecting, unlikely police assumptions, and not the expected backstory to matters like why the lead detective doesn't drive a car. Good enough for me to be willing to look at the next in the series* but not enough to recommend to other readers of this genre.
*Looked ahead. Next too books clear up why he doesn't drive. Nothing to do with the environment. Policework doesn't seem any better and the murderers and victims seem to be part of a very narrow circle (mainly of teachers, students, and would be writers).
*Looked ahead. Next too books clear up why he doesn't drive. Nothing to do with the environment. Policework doesn't seem any better and the murderers and victims seem to be part of a very narrow circle (mainly of teachers, students, and would be writers).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2020
A good plot and narrative for a new series. The suspense is tightly maintained to the conclusion. But for a police procedural there are some glaring errors and the lead detective doesn’t come out as sharp and the second detective gets mentioned only as a driver. Hope these are rectified in future books. As for the characters, all of them are vain and headstrong, it became monotonous. With quite a good number of characters their differences could have been highlighted. 3.5 stars
May 31, 2021
The murder of one of the participants of an annual charity quiz is the latest case for Detective Inspector Garibaldi to solve. Of course there is a twist, when the final round of the quiz exposes some potentially embarrassing information, but could it be linked to the murder?
The Final Round is an entertaining and engaging read with a good twist at the end. Garibaldi is a unique, slightly pompous character although much less confident when it comes to romantic relationships.
The Final Round is an entertaining and engaging read with a good twist at the end. Garibaldi is a unique, slightly pompous character although much less confident when it comes to romantic relationships.
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