The Ambassador
A retired ambassador’s life is in Andy Roark’s hands in this explosive, fast-paced mystery featuring the Vietnam veteran turned private investigator.
“Page-turning . . . the balance of plot and character is perfect" Publishers Weekly Starred Review
“Roark is genuinely likeable (not too tough, but not a patsy)” The New York Times
Boston, 1985. Private Investigator – and former Special Forces operative – Andy Roark knows he doesn’t fit in with the regular clientele at the Harvard Club, and that’s fine by him. He’s at the elegant bar for one reason only: to meet with the former ambassador of Laos. Ambassador Gordon Stevenson has a job for him . . . and Roark’s here to turn it down.
So what if Stevenson’s been getting death threats? After what he did during the Vietnam war, the lives lost under his incompetent command, Roark’s almost tempted to cheer his would-be assassin on. But then Roark finds out why he’s been headhunted for the job. The FBI believe one of Roark’s old army comrades is behind the threats, and only a fellow Green Beret can hunt the culprit down.
Too many of Roark’s brothers in arms are dead. If he can save an old friend from making a terrible mistake, he has no choice but to set his feelings aside and take the case. But old grudges and dark secrets are at play, and Roark soon finds it’s not just the ambassador’s life that’s in danger – it’s his own.
Written by a US Army veteran and New England police officer, The Ambassador is full of dry wit, page-turning action and shocking twists – if you haven’t met Peter Colt’s complex, intriguing hero, it’s a great place to start.
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Peter Colt
Peter Colt writes mysteries that feel lived-in because, in many ways, they are. Born in Boston in 1973 and raised on Nantucket, he grew up surrounded by New England landscapes that now provide the backdrop for his fiction. His novels are steeped in the atmosphere of Boston’s back alleys, island harbors, and small-town secrets, giving readers not just a puzzle to solve but a place they can step into.
Before turning to fiction, Colt spent twenty-four years in the Army Reserve, including deployments to Kosovo and Iraq. Later, he built a career in law enforcement in Rhode Island, where he also trained as an FBI-certified crisis negotiator. These experiences sharpened his understanding of conflict, trauma, and the gray areas of morality, elements that echo through his characters’ choices and the dangers they face.
An Andy Roark Mystery
An Andy Roark Mystery consists of six books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

