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Peter Diamond #3
The Summons
“ The Summons is a classic.” — The Economist
John Mountjoy has escaped from prison and kidnapped the chief constable’s daughter. The only person he’ll parley with is Detective Peter Diamond, who arrested him four years earlier for the murder of a young journalist. Mountjoy, who still maintains his innocence, has a simple request for Diamond. All the detective has to do is find the real killer and clear Mountjoy’s name, and the hostage will be free to go. But in the intervening four years, the trail has gone cold and memories have turned hazy, making the hunt for the killer even more complicated the second time around. Will Diamond get to the bottom of the cold case before another life is lost?
John Mountjoy has escaped from prison and kidnapped the chief constable’s daughter. The only person he’ll parley with is Detective Peter Diamond, who arrested him four years earlier for the murder of a young journalist. Mountjoy, who still maintains his innocence, has a simple request for Diamond. All the detective has to do is find the real killer and clear Mountjoy’s name, and the hostage will be free to go. But in the intervening four years, the trail has gone cold and memories have turned hazy, making the hunt for the killer even more complicated the second time around. Will Diamond get to the bottom of the cold case before another life is lost?
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1995
281 people are currently reading
635 people want to read
About the author
Peter Lovesey
295 books643 followersPeter Harmer Lovesey, also known by his pen name Peter Lear, was a British writer of historical and contemporary detective novels and short stories. His best-known series characters are Sergeant Cribb, a Victorian-era police detective based in London, and Peter Diamond, a modern-day police detective in Bath. He was also one of the world's leading track and field statisticians.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
May 19, 2018
In this third book in the Peter Diamond series. Peter is asked back to Bath to help find who kidnaped the daughter of the ACC Totts.
He is on a mission, a solo mission as a civilian who wants to get his badge and be reinstalled into the force.
The book focuses on one major crime. A cold case that’s related to the kidnapper, along with some updates about the Avon and Somerset CID.
This book keeps you hooked till the final chapter, there are many twists and turns than lead to few dead ends, a number of red herrings, and then the ending .. what an ending.
The inspector is slowly evolving since the first two novels. He is showing his dedication, his own caring.. his own methods and how what he does best.. solve a crime
He is on a mission, a solo mission as a civilian who wants to get his badge and be reinstalled into the force.
The book focuses on one major crime. A cold case that’s related to the kidnapper, along with some updates about the Avon and Somerset CID.
This book keeps you hooked till the final chapter, there are many twists and turns than lead to few dead ends, a number of red herrings, and then the ending .. what an ending.
The inspector is slowly evolving since the first two novels. He is showing his dedication, his own caring.. his own methods and how what he does best.. solve a crime
December 4, 2023
I’m really enjoying this series and plan to read all the books in order.
Here in book three, a prisoner (Mountjoy) escapes and summons the detective (Peter Diamond) who originally put him away reopen the case. Problem is, Diamond is a civilian now.
The book has several plots. Was Mountjoy innocent of the murder he was convicted for? If so, can this murder case be reconsidered and solved? Can Diamond and his former superiors on the police force put their animosity aside to rescue a hostage and avoid a shootout?
The various scenarios all come together in a satisfying and very clever conclusion.
I listened to this novel on Audible and liked Simon Prebble’s voice and narration.
Here in book three, a prisoner (Mountjoy) escapes and summons the detective (Peter Diamond) who originally put him away reopen the case. Problem is, Diamond is a civilian now.
The book has several plots. Was Mountjoy innocent of the murder he was convicted for? If so, can this murder case be reconsidered and solved? Can Diamond and his former superiors on the police force put their animosity aside to rescue a hostage and avoid a shootout?
The various scenarios all come together in a satisfying and very clever conclusion.
I listened to this novel on Audible and liked Simon Prebble’s voice and narration.
February 17, 2019
This book has equal measures of great deductive reasoning, determined following of leads old and new, the forging of a partnership between Diamond and Hargreaves, large dollops of humour of all sorts and the regaining of Diamond's Bath CID job.
There are many characters that make up this tale and a good many of them are more than colorful considering the environs of Bath.
There are many characters that make up this tale and a good many of them are more than colorful considering the environs of Bath.
January 2, 2020
Great book! I found the characters to be original and fascinating. I also learned some new words, like screws (prison guards), crusty (homeless person) and busker (someone who entertains in a public place for donations). It was a bit confusing at first when I didn't have a clue what the words meant!🤔 The sharp dialogue and plentiful humor kept me reading, however. Peter Diamond is impatient, belligerent and brilliant. His side-kick, Julie, is a joy! I very much enjoyed the twists and turns in The Summons and can't wait to read more of this series.
March 27, 2016
So ....Peter Lovesey is a British writer who has won both the Gold and Sliver Dagger awards along with the Cartier Diamond award for lifetime achievement. This particular novel was awarded a Silver Dagger Award in 1996.
Mr. Lovesey's detective is Peter Diamond - but don't let the name fool you. Mr. Diamond is not your studly James Bond type of character. No, he is an older, overweight, balding, homely and a bit of a self-righteous curmudgeon who has a hard time sharing happy thoughts. Nonetheless, he is patient, smart as a whip and underneath the surly demeanor is a well defined sense of humor. However, when he laughs, it will be your job to figure it out.
Anyway ...he's off the police force, got on his high horse and resigned and now he regrets it. But this guy he arrested and had put away, breaks out of jail, kidnaps a policeman's daughter and wants to talk to Diamond, meaning the police once more need his assistance. Diamond likes the police needing him again and senses an opportunity to bargain. But the guy who broke out of jail wants him to clear him for the crime Diamond sent him away for and Peter (Diamond remember?) was the one who put him away, so that would be embarrassing. And, on top of that, Peter (I'm being informal now) wants back on the police force. So ...if he clears him then the police would have to rehire a guy who put the wrong man away. Well that is embarrassing and there's the press to contend with. So ...what do you do, clear the guy? or do you trick him into somehow giving up the girl? And then there's the whole is he really guilty or not question. That's a lot of tough questions for a guy whose always running around on his high horse talking bout truth, justice and whatever.
Well it makes for a good little story, well thought out with lots of great twists and turns.
So for me anyway, it turns out all those Daggers were justified.
Mr. Lovesey's detective is Peter Diamond - but don't let the name fool you. Mr. Diamond is not your studly James Bond type of character. No, he is an older, overweight, balding, homely and a bit of a self-righteous curmudgeon who has a hard time sharing happy thoughts. Nonetheless, he is patient, smart as a whip and underneath the surly demeanor is a well defined sense of humor. However, when he laughs, it will be your job to figure it out.
Anyway ...he's off the police force, got on his high horse and resigned and now he regrets it. But this guy he arrested and had put away, breaks out of jail, kidnaps a policeman's daughter and wants to talk to Diamond, meaning the police once more need his assistance. Diamond likes the police needing him again and senses an opportunity to bargain. But the guy who broke out of jail wants him to clear him for the crime Diamond sent him away for and Peter (Diamond remember?) was the one who put him away, so that would be embarrassing. And, on top of that, Peter (I'm being informal now) wants back on the police force. So ...if he clears him then the police would have to rehire a guy who put the wrong man away. Well that is embarrassing and there's the press to contend with. So ...what do you do, clear the guy? or do you trick him into somehow giving up the girl? And then there's the whole is he really guilty or not question. That's a lot of tough questions for a guy whose always running around on his high horse talking bout truth, justice and whatever.
Well it makes for a good little story, well thought out with lots of great twists and turns.
So for me anyway, it turns out all those Daggers were justified.
October 12, 2017
I really enjoyed this story about Mountjoy and how Peter Diamond was able to solve the old case even though he thought he had solved it before. This one had some really witty items and I was laughing at some of the things he came up with.
I really can't wait to find the next one and read it. Just the way Peter strives to find clues makes you want to keep reading.
I am giving this 4 out of 5 stars.
I really can't wait to find the next one and read it. Just the way Peter strives to find clues makes you want to keep reading.
I am giving this 4 out of 5 stars.
December 22, 2019
Peter Diamond may not like computers and prefers good old shoe-leather-detecting to modern scientific forensics, but he does work well with women--particularly his assistant detective Julie Harreaves in this story. The two re-investigate one of Diamond's old cases when the convicted felon breaks out of prison and asks for Diamond to prove him innocent. I also like Diamond's relationship with his wife, Stephanie. I'll read more of these.
July 13, 2018
This is an entertaining and well constructed mystery novel, with a likable detective at its heart. Peter Lovesy knows how to plot a mystery and he kept me turning the pages faster and faster as I neared the end.
May 30, 2013
Peter Lovesey's Peter Diamond Mystery series is one of the best I have read. The main character is a 250 pound, bald-headed CID Inspector working in Bath, England. In the first two books we learn he has quit his job after being criticized by his commanding officer and performed lowly jobs as a Christmas Santa, working with an autistic student, and guarding at Harrods. In The Summons, Diamond is awakened at three in the morning and taken to the precinct where he learns that the daughter of the Chief Constable has been kidnapped by a man who had just broken out of prison. The prisoner was John Mountjoy who Diamond had sent to prison for murder. Now, he is demanding that Diamond prove his innocence and he will let the girl go. Diamond has free reign in determining the course of action and chooses his former detective to assist. All Diamond has to do is prove the convict is innocent, free the hostage and he can have his old job back. The plot is pure genius and the characters convincing.
December 4, 2023
This book is the best in the series so far. I bought a used copy of The Last Detective because of Lovesey's short works published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and a few Christmas detective anthologies. While it was well-written and compelling, my dislike for the Peter Diamond character was such that I was ready to drop the series (and the author). Fortunately the book I bought was an omnibus edition with Diamond Solitaire included. I tend to read everything I buy (unless it's really terrible) and luckily the second novel was a big improvement.
While the previous book had some genuinely humorous moments, this one was laugh-out-loud funny in places. While Diamond is not the most likeable character, he realizes it himself, and when seen through the eyes of secondary characters like his wife and assistant detective Julie Hargreaves he is a much more sympathetic man. I'd say Peter is growing as a character, but some of the others could use some growth as well. Especially the other police. Except for Hargreaves, the police in this series seem to be comically antagonistic, and not especially bright. The way that Diamond weasels his way back onto the force is not going to decrease the antagonism either.
I liked Peter's wife and Detective Hargreaves. I hope we'll see more of them in future installments.
As to the mystery, I thought it was very good and made sense when it wrapped up. I was not happy with the later chapters where Diamond and Hargreaves are planning their next moves, when the reader is left out of the loop. I prefer books that play fair with the reader (although when they do, I usually solve the mystery long before the people in the story do).
Again, the ending left a bunch of things up in the air. Did Mountjoy get released (or is he getting life for the kidnapping). I know in some places kidnapping is on par with murder, so Mountjoy might not have improved his lot at all by escaping. It seems like G.B. and Una Moon were going to get off scot-free which surprises me. I understood gun use in the U.K. was a much more serious matter, and they pretty much attempted murder.
While the previous book had some genuinely humorous moments, this one was laugh-out-loud funny in places. While Diamond is not the most likeable character, he realizes it himself, and when seen through the eyes of secondary characters like his wife and assistant detective Julie Hargreaves he is a much more sympathetic man. I'd say Peter is growing as a character, but some of the others could use some growth as well. Especially the other police. Except for Hargreaves, the police in this series seem to be comically antagonistic, and not especially bright. The way that Diamond weasels his way back onto the force is not going to decrease the antagonism either.
I liked Peter's wife and Detective Hargreaves. I hope we'll see more of them in future installments.
As to the mystery, I thought it was very good and made sense when it wrapped up. I was not happy with the later chapters where Diamond and Hargreaves are planning their next moves, when the reader is left out of the loop. I prefer books that play fair with the reader (although when they do, I usually solve the mystery long before the people in the story do).
Again, the ending left a bunch of things up in the air. Did Mountjoy get released (or is he getting life for the kidnapping). I know in some places kidnapping is on par with murder, so Mountjoy might not have improved his lot at all by escaping. It seems like G.B. and Una Moon were going to get off scot-free which surprises me. I understood gun use in the U.K. was a much more serious matter, and they pretty much attempted murder.
April 12, 2018
An excellent mystery in every way. Look forward to reading more of Lovesey's Peter Diamond series.
Read
November 28, 2025I know that I’m supposed to admire these books. So I guess something is wrong with me. I’ve read 25% of this and there is absolutely nothing in it that compels me to continue. The writing is bland, everything is stretched out and feels like filler, nothing has happened, the dialogue is not smart. Etc. etc.. I remember reading about how Gil Brewer’s career was wrecked when publishers began demanding more pages from their writers. They didn’t want to sell books that were 180 pages. They wanted 380, 480. When you read The Honorable Schoolboy, 480 seems right. But here, it is totally unnecessary. So, giving up.
October 29, 2019
In the third book of the series ex-Detective Peter Diamond Is feeling a bit down about his unemployment. But things are about to change with a series of events led the Top Brass to ask Pete to come back, pretty please. Well developed secondary characters and an engaging plot enlive this addition to the series. On to the next
January 23, 2018
An escaped convict takes a young girl hostage and will only negotiate with ex-policeman Peter Diamond. The convict insists he’s innocent and demands that Diamond re-investigate the case. Fast-paced suspense combines with a tricky mystery for a very satisfying read.
November 20, 2020
An old series, but so, so satisfying! Cranky, devious, robust (not fat) Peter Diamond is such fun to follow. The mysteries are multi-layered and clever, and the charming city of Bath gets my vote for best supporting actor in these stories.
July 25, 2022
Another checkmark in my very slow quest to eventually read all the Peter Diamond books, all out of order. Read this in bits and pieces over months. The earlier books in the series aren't as witty or rich, but I've never failed to enjoy one.
January 2, 2023
Still off the police force, Diamond gets recalled when an escaped prisoner kidnaps the daughter of a police official and demands that his case be reinvestigated by the man who put him away.
April 6, 2017
A convicted murderer engineers a daring escape from prison in England. Instead of fleeing abroad or hiding out in an isolated location elsewhere in the country, he returns to Bath, the town in Southwest England where the murder was committed. There he kidnaps the nineteen-year-old daughter of the assistant police commissioner and demands to speak with the detective who put him away. Unfortunately, the detective, Peter Diamond, had resigned in fury from the police several years previously and was eking out a living in London. Only when he receives a desperate phone call from the new commissioner does Diamond agree to allow the two officers sent to retrieve him to hustle him back to Bath. Once back in the headquarters of the Avon and Somerset Constabulary, he learns that the man he helped convict of murder insists that he is innocent and that Diamond prove it before he will release the young woman. Thus begins The Summons, the third in Peter Lovesey’s widely read series featuring the corpulent and irascible detective, Peter Diamond.
Too many suspects
One of the unfortunate characteristics of so many traditional English mystery novels is an overabundance of suspects. So it is with The Summons. The novel reads well, Diamond is a fascinating character, and the suspense builds satisfactorily for much of the story. But once one suspect, then another and another, emerge from the tangled details of the murder case, the plot becomes increasingly difficult to believe. I enjoyed the two previous novels in Lovesey’s series, so I’ll give the next one a try as well. But the jury’s out on this series. I strongly favor credibility over contrivance.
About the author
Peter Lovesey has written two lengthy series of detective novels. One, early in his career, was set in Victorian times. The other, now fifteen books strong, features Peter Diamond. Lovesey has also written thirteen other novels and six short story collections.
Too many suspects
One of the unfortunate characteristics of so many traditional English mystery novels is an overabundance of suspects. So it is with The Summons. The novel reads well, Diamond is a fascinating character, and the suspense builds satisfactorily for much of the story. But once one suspect, then another and another, emerge from the tangled details of the murder case, the plot becomes increasingly difficult to believe. I enjoyed the two previous novels in Lovesey’s series, so I’ll give the next one a try as well. But the jury’s out on this series. I strongly favor credibility over contrivance.
About the author
Peter Lovesey has written two lengthy series of detective novels. One, early in his career, was set in Victorian times. The other, now fifteen books strong, features Peter Diamond. Lovesey has also written thirteen other novels and six short story collections.
January 19, 2018
I read Peter Lovesey's WHOLE Peter Diamond series (16 books in all) in June and July of 2017, sequentially and without an iota of boredom. Forgive me for posting this as a comment/review into each book's space: I didn't think to do it as I was reading morning to night with no intervening literature.
The main detective, Peter Diamond, a few other police types, and a couple of non-police characters are incorporated into a series of crimes set in and around Bath, England. Historical and literary inclusions enrich the texts without being excessive. The inclusion of the music of a string quartet in one book was stupefying to this music lover.
The depth of description of the main characters is Just Right: they are rich, real, fully settled in the time and place where they appear. Minor characters reappear and are developed as their roles in each book's situation grows. There are a couple of emotionally shocking developments (no need for suspension of disbelief) one of which made me quite sad on a summer's day.
I was so absorbed by these book (MUST read chronologically) that I was unable to take in any other book in Lovesey's prolific bibliography. Probably my fault. They weren't Peter Diamond books, hence not worthy....
The main detective, Peter Diamond, a few other police types, and a couple of non-police characters are incorporated into a series of crimes set in and around Bath, England. Historical and literary inclusions enrich the texts without being excessive. The inclusion of the music of a string quartet in one book was stupefying to this music lover.
The depth of description of the main characters is Just Right: they are rich, real, fully settled in the time and place where they appear. Minor characters reappear and are developed as their roles in each book's situation grows. There are a couple of emotionally shocking developments (no need for suspension of disbelief) one of which made me quite sad on a summer's day.
I was so absorbed by these book (MUST read chronologically) that I was unable to take in any other book in Lovesey's prolific bibliography. Probably my fault. They weren't Peter Diamond books, hence not worthy....
March 16, 2011
Peter Diamond is proof positive that one can be very wrong about something important and still make a comeback, if we still needed to be reminded. Once again he has managed to claw his way back to the top of the heap, though one cannot help but wonder how long he'll last. He doesn't always make friends on the way up--in fact he manages to alienate just about everybody. I was just getting used to his switching jobs every couple of months, and here he is...but that would be telling.
A busker is kidnapped by an escaped convict, and the kidnapper is willing to negotiate, but only with Diamond. Called back by his old bosses, he sets up an alternate office and investigates an old crime in order to defuse the new one. He manages, sliding into home just as the clock strikes. It is a wonderful finale...heart-poundingly, nail-bitingly close. I love seeing how writers manage to ratchet up the tension level. Maj Sjowall's Roseanna went from zero to sixty in a matter of sentences in the last few pages, making it the book to beat when seeking an example of "breathtaking."
A busker is kidnapped by an escaped convict, and the kidnapper is willing to negotiate, but only with Diamond. Called back by his old bosses, he sets up an alternate office and investigates an old crime in order to defuse the new one. He manages, sliding into home just as the clock strikes. It is a wonderful finale...heart-poundingly, nail-bitingly close. I love seeing how writers manage to ratchet up the tension level. Maj Sjowall's Roseanna went from zero to sixty in a matter of sentences in the last few pages, making it the book to beat when seeking an example of "breathtaking."
May 18, 2019
Książkę poleciła i pożyczyła mi znajoma i bardzo,ale to bardzo jej za to dziękuję .
Przyznam szczerze że bardzo przypadł mi do gustu ten kryminał .Strony szybciutko umykały ,a ja wraz z Petrem Diamondem i jego pomocnica prowadziłam dochodzenie .....
Dodatkowym plusem jest to że akcja ksiązki dzieje się w Angielskim miasteczku Bath.Byłam tam ,miałam okazję zwiedzić i jeśli macie możliwość to polecam .Piękne zabytkowe miasto .
Z czystym serduchem polecam,na pewno się nie zawiedziecie :)
Przyznam szczerze że bardzo przypadł mi do gustu ten kryminał .Strony szybciutko umykały ,a ja wraz z Petrem Diamondem i jego pomocnica prowadziłam dochodzenie .....
Dodatkowym plusem jest to że akcja ksiązki dzieje się w Angielskim miasteczku Bath.Byłam tam ,miałam okazję zwiedzić i jeśli macie możliwość to polecam .Piękne zabytkowe miasto .
Z czystym serduchem polecam,na pewno się nie zawiedziecie :)
November 15, 2020
I am pleased that I found my way back to this series. Peter Diamond is scratching out a living with menial job collecting supermarket trollies and living in a basement flat in west London with his long-suffering wife when one night the police come knocking on his door. Not Met police but officers from Bath who want him to return to that area as his help is urgently required. He learns that a man he arrested for murder and subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a female journalist has made a daring escape from a secure prison and taken the Assistant Chief Constable's daughter hostage. There then unfolds a mystery that leads to a re-examination of the old case. Lots of suspense as Diamond clashes with the bumbling hierarchy and a gung-ho officer from Hampshire who is intent on sending in the armed officers.
A story with a good flow, lots of action and suspense. Just about everything that is required of a police procedural book. 4 stars from me.
A story with a good flow, lots of action and suspense. Just about everything that is required of a police procedural book. 4 stars from me.
December 28, 2021
Peter Diamond is not only an honest former cop, he’s a conscientious one. So if there’s a possibility that he put away the wrong bad guy, he’s going to do all he can to root out the truth. And not just because the aforementioned bad guy has kidnapped the former boss’s daughter, either. And while working with the police on this case, he maybe starts to feel a little like he misses being on the force. 😊
July 29, 2023
A great great read!!! I love the English writers - they have such a wonderful command of the English language. This was a true pleasure to read, and I'm thrilled he has many more in the series!
January 11, 2025
This book, the third in the series set in Bath and featuring the temporarily ex-detective Peter Diamond, seemed a bit dated, more than its 2004 release date would suggest.
October 8, 2024
Third in the Peter Diamond series, and better than the second. Nice character development, good humour, and surprising and clever ending. The lovely setting of Bath makes it that much more personally enjoyable.
September 6, 2025
Excellent plotting and story telling!
Want to read
March 10, 2019Synopsis: John Mountjoy has escaped from prison and taken a hostage. The only person he’ll talk to is Detective Peter Diamond.
June 19, 2023
I've read most of this series, but somehow missed a couple of the early ones. Love Peter Diamond.
June 2, 2015
Read by.................. Christopher Kay
Total Runtime......... 12 Hours 24 Mins
Description: John Mountjoy has done plenty of vile things to women, but he's always insisted that killing sexy journalist Britt Strand wasn't one of them. Now that he's broken out of Albany Prison and taken Assistant Chief Constable Tott's daughter hostage, the coppers will ruddy well have to listen to him. Mountjoy demands that the ACC bring in Peter Diamond as his negotiator, not knowing that Diamond quit the force shortly after wrapping up Mountjoy's case two years ago. From the moment that Diamond - who finds himself more sympathetic to desperate Mountjoy than to his smug, rule-bound former colleagues - takes over, it's obvious that veteran Lovesey has something special in mind: alternating a present-day tale of mounting suspense (the police keep flushing Mountjoy and Samantha Tott out of one bolt-hole after another as Diamond struggles to keep good and bad guys from killing each other) with a methodical after-the-fact whodunit (Diamond and his handpicked Watson, Julie Hargreaves, work like beavers on deadline to reopen Britt Strand's murder). (Kirkus Reviews)
This is the one wherein Peter aids the police, much is made of red roses, and The Third Man theme is whistled.3* The Last Detective (Peter Diamond, #1)
2* Diamond Solitaire (Peter Diamond #2)
3* The Summons (Peter Diamond #3)
3* Bloodhounds (Peter Diamond, #4)
3* Diamond Dust (Peter Diamond, #7)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews