::AMAZON REVIEWS::

One of the earlier Alan Banks novels...still quite worth your while
I've read the two most recent books in this series and found this one to be the earliest that was available at my library.Although I missed the later members of the good inspector's investigative team, this is still a well told story. I especially enjoyed how the character of Katie Greenock, an unhappily married woman who was raised by a very strict and putitanly religioous grandmother is portrayed, and she does become a very important part of the puzzle with the information she's withholding. The second part of the book deals with Alan Banks' trip to Canada searching for a missing woman who also holds very important information pertaining to the recent murder being investigated and also to an earlier unsolved slaying which might be connected. Robinson keeps this trip from slowing things down by interspersing Banks' Canadian investigation with events going on in the English village.With only a small field of suspects, the revelation of the murderer isn't a great surprise. That of couse is a disappointment. Also, the ending is quite abrupt and shocking, especially if one hasn't been payng close attention to the stability or lack thereof two principle characters.Not the best that I've read but still quite worth your reading if you enjoy other books in the series.

A solid entry in this series
This is the fourth Inspector Banks mystery, and I'm really getting to like Banks and his modus operandi. In this book a new death in a remote area in the fells around Swainshead is linked to a murder that occurred five years ago. This earlier mystery was never solved and Banks keeps finding links as he investigates the new one. It takes him over the sea to Toronto Canada in order to get more information on his small list of suspects. I really do enjoy this series, and Banks and his Sergeant (Hatcheley) make a nice crime fighting duo. Banks, the chain-smoking, music-loving Inspector, is such an ordinary guy that he seems very real.

"He wasn't the kind of guy who gets himself killed"
Peter Robinson has already captured a spot among my favorite mystery authors with this entertaining series. He has done this by a combination of well-crafted plots, interesting and complex characters, wonderful settings for the stories, and overall, a prose that does not bore, not even for a second. Among the characters, the main protagonist, Chief Inspector Alan Banks, is one to cherish. His unimposing physique and mild temperament are not even remotely and obstacle to bringing the culprits to justice, and the gets the job done efficiently and by applying impeccable logic.

The case in this book has to do with the murder of an out-of-towner in the fells near Swainshead, a small village in the Swainsdale. The body has been viciously battered and its identification is not an easy process, especially since it has remained undiscovered for a couple of weeks. Banks is called in to investigate, and in the process he comes across a suspicious set of characters, a possible relationship to an unresolved murder in the past, and a connection that leads him to travel to a foreign land in search for answers.

This novel may not be Robinson's best, but it is definitely a very good mystery. The ability the author usually displays in depicting the characters and in creating engaging interactions among them is present as usual. The main area in which I found this installment lacking was in the development of the personal story of Inspector Banks. One of the things that I enjoy when reading mystery series is to see how the main character evolves in his / her personality, family relationships, etc. Sadly, this was missing in this case.

The only other criticism I have for this book is that even though the story is resolved, it felt a little bit rushed towards the end. It seemed to me as if we got the bare minimum needed to complete the story, but not much else. This is a little disappointing, especially from an author that takes good care in describing the culture, settings and characters so thoroughly and proficiently. Nevertheless, I still think that this is a book worth reading, especially if you have been following this series.

The Fourth Inspector Banks Mystery

Peter Robinson grew up in Yorkshire, and is the author of a number of previous novels featuring Inspector Banks. He is the winner of numerous awards in the United States, Britain and Canada, and in 2002 he won the CWA Dagger in the Library. As I also come from Leeds the background to his stories is something that I have experienced first hand and because of this I have a special affection for his books. However they would be first class crime fiction wherever they were based.

Chief Inspector Alan Banks is called to a murder scene that is gruesome even to him. Over the years his mind has become conditioned to the dreadful things that one or more human beings can inflict on their fellow man, but the discovery of a faceless corpse in a quiet, seldom visited valley below the village of Swainshead sickens even him.

On his arrival he finds that no one is willing to talk and his frustration only grows when the identity of the body is finally revealed. It seems that the body may be connected to an unsolved murder that took place in the same area over five years ago. Among the suspects are the wealthiest and most powerful family in Swainsdale, the Collier brothers and when they start to use their influence to hamper the investigation the Inspector finds himself in a race against time.

Typical Robinson Mystery
...And by that I don't mean that typical is bad. This is a good book, just average for Robinson. It unfolds in typical manner -- a body is found, a bunch of people at the local pub are all suspects, the killer aint who you think it is... etc. Robinson patiently unfolds his stories and gives us well-developed characters. His books are a delight to read. Though not his best, this is a worthy book.