It's many years since I last read a Peter Diamond mystery, so this was effectively a standalone for me: I never felt that I was adrift from the story and have no hesitation in recommending that it could be read as a standalone.
As well as reading the book I listened to an audio recording (which I bought myself) narrated by Peter Wickham. His range of voices is excellent and I was never in any doubt about which character I was hearing. This was my first experience of listening to an audiobook narrated by Wickham, but I would be delighted to hear more from him. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy of the book to the Bookbag. We've a review of another Peter Diamond mystery [[Skeleton Hill by Peter Lovesey|here]].
If this book appeals to you then you will probably enjoy the D I Tom Thorne series by Mark Billingham. This is the [[The Killing Habit (D I Tom Thorne) by Mark Billingham|latest in the series]].