The Summons by Peter Lovesey

The Peter Diamond mystery series is a British classic. Diamond, former CID murder investigator, has had his knocks. He is still looking for work and is just considering working as an artists' model (!) when opportunity comes knocking. 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."