A Novel of Suspense (Alan Banks Series) - Playing with Fire

One dark night in Yorkshire, DCI Banks and DI Cabot are called to the scene of a fire. Two derelict boats have been set on fire and there are two victims: the daughter of a local doctor and a marginally successful artist. Much is revealed as Banks and Cabot investigate, including the possible existence of an art forgery ring involving Leslie Whitaker, a local book seller and Cabot’s newest love interest, Phil Keane and that the artist’s death might be the result of a blackmail attempt. This could be the most challenging case yet for Banks and Cabot and time is running out as more fires are set and more people fall victim to the unidentified arsonist.

Playing with Fire is the 14th entry in Peter Robinson’s long running British police procedural series featuring DCI Alan Banks. While there have been numerous new series in recent years with action set across the pond such as Jo Nesbo and Henning Mankell, Robinson remains one of the standard bearers by which others are judged. The deeply developed characters and excellent plot development are what make Peter Robinson one of my favorite authors of the police procedural sub-genre and I have yet to be disappointed by one of his novels. This novel gets a well-deserved 4/5 stars.

When two abandoned barges burn, killing two squatters who had been occupying them, it is quickly determined to be deliberate. But who was the intended target, the scruffy artist or the junkie teenager? And when a caravan not far away also burns, killing a third person, it’s up to Inspector Alan Banks to figure out what connection, if any, existed between the dead - and whether another murder might be in the works…."Playing with Fire" is the 14th Inspector Banks novel, so by now we are familiar with the main character and his methods; more, we are familiar with his private life and those of his colleagues, which are as rich and complex as the lives of people in the real world. In this one, I figured out the culprit fairly early on, but that didn’t impede my enjoyment of the book in any way. Mr. Robinson is a fine writer, and I’m very pleased that I still have a long way to go before finishing this series; recommended!

I read a lot of British detective series and this is one of the best. Mr. Robinson is a master of his craft and develops a story that just pulls you along. The writing is full and lush and descriptive, which adds greatly to the overall tone of the story. The characters come alive and are consistent and believable. This was quite a detailed story but plotted so well and characters developed so well that, to me, nothing was extraneous. It had the whole package and was a great read.

I absolutely love the Inspector Banks series, and have been reading my way through the series. This book was good with the characters fully fleshed out and enough suspense to keep me turning pages, but it didn't have the "slam in the gut" plot twists that I've come to expect from Peter Robinson. I had figured out who the perpetrator was about halfway through, and that never usually happens with an Inspector Banks book. That is why I gave the book four stars instead of my usual five. There is an arsonist in and around Eastvale, and people are being burned in their homes. At first there doesn't appear to be a connection between the two fires, but as Banks and his team start digging, they find some old history between two of the victims. The characters in these books are what sets this series apart from other police procedurals. Robinson's characters are so brilliant and so alive that it almost seems like you are reading true-crime narratives. I highly recommend this series, but read it starting at book one so you will get the full effect of Robinson's character development.

Two derelict canal boats are destroyed by fire in the dark hours of the night. Firefighters find a body on each boat, squatters who had been living there illegally. Detective Inspector Alan Banks uncovers enough suspicious evidence to determine that the arson cases are also murder. The police catch a man fleeing from the scene, who turns out to be the boyfriend of a junkie named Tina who had escaped a horrible home life. She is one of the deceased.

The other boat held a reclusive artist, and as the police dig into his life they find that he may have been involved in some shady dealings. When another fire occurs a few days later, resulting in the death of another man, Banks is sure that the fires and deaths are connected. As he and his fellow officers sift through the clues, they find ties to the art community and the possibility of forgery. Can they find the identity of the arsonist before he kills again?

This is the first Inspector Banks book I have read by Peter Robinson, but now I am anxious to read the other books in this series. Obviously, it would be better to read the others first to get a background on the characters, but I did not feel reading this one first detracted from PLAYING WITH FIRE at all. The reader gets a sense of the characters, especially Inspector Banks and detective Annie Cabot. Both are dedicated to their jobs and work diligently to find the perpetrator of the crimes before the killer harms others. There is an undercurrent of tension from a failed relationship between the two which makes their conversations intriguing.

I have long been a fan of British police procedurals, and Mr. Robinson compares very favorably to my favorite author Elizabeth George. The characters have long standing relationships, developed from novel to novel, and readers can form their own connection with the characters. The plot moves at a meandering pace, slowly doling out clues at the right intervals so that the reader can discover the identity of the culprit at the same time as the police. It is a definite page-turner, and the reader will be surprised at who the murderer turns out to be.

Mystery lovers will be delighted in this newest offering from Peter Robinson. PLAYING WITH FIRE has all of the intense and suspenseful elements necessary for a grand scale thriller.

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.

It is the early hours of a bitterly cold January day, and two narrow boats are ablaze on a dead-end stretch of the Eastvale canal, a job for the fire brigade, but when signs of arson are discovered at the scene DCI Banks and DI Annie Cabbot are called to the crime scene. By the time they get there very little is left of the boats apart from some smoldering wreckage but more importantly human remains have been found in both boats.

The signs point to a deliberate attack, but on who or what. Tom an artist who lived a quiet existence lived on one of the boats and Tina, a sixteen year old girl, hooked on drugs and living with her boyfriend lived on the other. Did either of them have enemies? Someone who was prepared to commit murder and in such a cruel way.

As Banks becomes more involved in the case he realises that there are a number of people acting suspiciously out of character. Then the arsonist strikes again and Banks begins to realise that he is going to be tested to the limit with this case.

Character, plot, pace and prose - those are what make Edgar-winner Robinson's Inspector Alan Banks novels so compulsively readable.
Certainly they are character driven: Alone again with his music and his Laphroaig, his wife remarried, his romance with colleague Annie Cabot over, Banks struggles with loneliness and a visceral antagonism toward Annie's new love interest. He's passionate, but not self-absorbed; instinctive but not reckless. And Annie: younger, a bit less certain of herself, leery of Banks' baggage, a bit defensive about her new romance, wavers between assertiveness and stubbornness and can't always tell the difference.
And then there's the plot. Fire is a fascinating, scary medium and yields great forensics. The story begins with two live-aboard barges set ablaze, a dead artist on one, a dead junkie on the other. Had the junkie's apparently grief-stricken boyfriend snapped? Had the failed artist crossed his unidentified visitors? Had the junkie's abusive stepfather shut her mouth for good? Then another suspicious blaze kills a lonely man in his isolated trailer on the other side of town and the questions multiply.
The pace mixes technical forensics, police procedure, and personal interaction in a suspenseful flow that relies on engagement rather than breakneck action. Shifts in point of view add further dimension. And the writing - atmospheric and nuanced - is as graceful as ever. Robinson ("Close to Home") has another winner.

This review refers to the audio version.

#14 Chief Inspector Alan Banks series set in Yorkshire. Two derelict boats on the canal burn, with two dead--one body on each boat. It's determined that accelerant was used and thus it becomes a murder AND arson investigation. Both boats were occupied by essentially squatters--one, a down-on-his-luck artist and the other a young drug user and her boyfriend, who was away from the boat that evening. Suspects are many in the early days as Banks and his team, including DI Annie Cabot, sift through the myriad of evidence, interview principals and the like. When another suspicious fire in an abandoned caravan kills another man--someone the artist on the boat knew--they begin to suspect a serial arsonist/murderer.

Personally, I thought the bad guy was very obvious, although Robinson does throw out plenty of appealing red herrings. But even so, this was one of the best of this series in my opinion, and I enjoyed the story, the history, and the whole package very much. Skillfully read as usual by Ron Keith. Looking forward to the next.

Appropriately, PLAYING WITH FIRE starts out with a fire. On a cold winter morning on the dead-end branch of a Yorkshire canal, two barges burned. Two victims were found. The fire looks suspicious, but the question is who was the intended victim. One victim was a painter who felt his art was unappreciated and the other a young sexually abused girl who was hooked on drugs. Chief Inspector Alan Banks is summoned to investigate the crime. It is not long before another fire breaks out in a remote trailer. There seems to be a serial arsonist on the loose. Secrets and lies are uncovered as Banks and his partner D.I. Annie Cabot work toward discovering the truth.
This story was extremely fast moving and hard to put down. Peter Robinson has created a brilliant plot for PLAYING WITH FIRE. It was complex, but very straightforward. Robinson does not rely on misdirection to create suspense, but rather a slow build-up of facts that rush the reader through a roaring crescendo toward the climax. There are a few loose ends that do not deter from the overall enjoyment of this novel. hopefully, some of the points will be addressed in the next Banks installment. This is a first rate British police procedural and a must read for anyone who appreciates quality.

Peter Robinson has been incrementally building a fan base in the United States for a while now, and though it is a dedicated one, it is at this point numerically somewhat less than what he deserves. His novels detailing the exploits of the quietly eccentric Police Inspector Alan Banks and D.I. Annie Cabbot are better known in his native Britain; this may change with the United States publication of PLAYING WITH FIRE.
The book finds Banks and Cabbot still working through the dissolution of their romantic entanglement while trying to keep their professional relationship viable and functioning. Both have found other interests that they are trying to maintain within the demands of their job when they are summoned to a Yorkshire canal to investigate a fire that has engulfed two barges and resulted in the death of two individuals. It is quickly determined that the fires were deliberately set. Within a short time, a second fire consumes a trailer in the remote English countryside and another life is lost. While the fires appear to be related, the connections among the victims --- a young heroin addict, a supposedly starving artist and a failed businessman --- remain unknown.
Robinson is in no hurry here, as he sends Banks and Cabbot along their respective ways while they attempt to unravel the backgrounds of the victims and seek to uncover the linkage that may determine the motive and, ultimately, the perpetrator. A dead end, a clue, a red herring ... all are part of the investigative process, and while things move slowly, Robinson's pacing is exquisite, maintaining a nice balance between describing the investigation and further developing the personae and relationships of the principals. Banks, especially, is an absolute delight. His life is basically his work and he has an eclectic taste in music, which ranges from the classical to Van Morrison to what is on the radio right now.
Robinson additionally relies more on quiet drama than explosions and karate battles to move things along. Most of the violent acts take place off the page, yet PLAYING WITH FIRE is not a "cozy" by any means. His description of the aftermath of a fire will almost certainly cure the reader of any longing for "char-broiled" fare. Robinson also takes a very subtle look into the world of artists and collectors. I have to confess that I learned more about painting after reading a few pages of this book than I did during an eight-week course on the subject.
PLAYING WITH FIRE also introduces one of the most cunning and calculating villains I've encountered recently; the black heart's identity is concealed for almost the entire book, though fans of the genre will spot him fairly early on. I have a feeling he'll be back; he's too good to be confined to a single book.
Robinson meets and exceeds the expectations created by such previous Banks novels as IN A DRY SEASON and CLOSE TO HOME. The conclusion of PLAYING WITH FIRE, while satisfying, leaves the reader yearning for more, and for the next installment of the Banks series. Highly recommended.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

"Playing with Fire" is Peter Robinson's fourteenth Inspector Banks novel. Banks is a Detective Chief Inspector working in Yorkshire, England. Late one night, he is called to the scene of a suspicious fire that has claimed the lives of two people, an artist and a young woman. Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot, a woman with whom Banks once had a personal relationship, is helping him on this case.
When the fire proves to have been deliberately set, Banks, Cabbot, and their team look into the backgrounds of the victims. Why were these two people targeted? Was the fire set to kill both individuals, or was only one the intended victim? The investigation turns out to be a complicated one, with many disparate elements such as child abuse, art forgery, identity theft, and illegal drugs.
I have always loved the nuanced and fascinating character of Alan Banks, who is a terrific homicide detective with unerring professional instincts. Unfortunately, his life off the job is not as successful. Banks was disconsolate when his wife, Sandra, divorced him. She has since remarried and given birth to a baby girl. Alan lives alone, and he regrets that his devotion to his job may have helped to destroy his marriage.
This case brings much grief to Banks. The killer is a clever and elusive individual who will do anything to protect himself and who has no scruples about using people to get what he wants. Banks must dig deep into the past to discover the identity of the killer. His investigation puts him and Annie in emotional and physical danger, and the conclusion of "Playing with Fire" is tense, exciting, and unnerving. Although the plot of this mystery has some glaring weaknesses, Robinson redeems himself with his descriptive powers and his knack for creating lively and complex characters. I anxiously await the next installment so that I can find out what is in store for Alan Banks.

Near the village Molesby, a firefighter noticed that an accelerant may have caused the inferno that destroyed two barges and killed two people in the dead end canal. The Western Area Police Headquarters Major Crimes took over the investigation into what caused the deaths of the two charred corpses that if not for the firefighter's recent class and observation would have been written off as accidental deaths of apparent squatters. Inspector Alan Banks and Detective Inspector Anne Cabbot lead the inquiries. Before they leave the scene the police catch a young man Mark who says he lived on one of the burned out barge and asks if Tina escaped. He mentions a Tom lived on the other barge.
Banks and Detective Inspector Anne Cabbot follow up on Mark's alibi and soon make other inquiries trying to determine if an accident, arson, or a deliberate murder cover-up occurred. Surprisingly the investigation turns into a complex inferno as several individuals have motives and opportunities to kill either of the deceased.
The latest Banks investigation is an exciting tale that hooks the audience from the moment the hero quotes Shakespeare's Anthony and Cleopatra. The story line never slows down even when it shines on the personal lives of the lead duo as the inspectors dig deep seeking motive and opportunity on what turns out to be several prime suspects. When it comes to British police procedurals, fans know that they can always bank on Peter Robinson to provide the best.
Harriet Klausner

Either Peter Robinson is slipping or I am getting better at reading his mind. This was the first time since I started reading the series where I was significantly ahead of the story. I was able to discern the bad guy before the story came to the same conclusion. Now, this is only one aspect of reading a mystery, a significant one, but only one. This book, like most of the Inspector Banks series, is a good one. Well written, tightly constructed, has protagonists that you keep caring about, contains enough of the nuts and bolts of police work to educate the reader yet does not bog down in the details to bore the reader.

As the previous reviewers had said, this is a story of murders and fires. The details of fire forensics is fascinating as it is. The tale that Robinsons weaves in the telling of the story is equal to the technical details. In addition, the two characters:Banks and Annie Cabbot have come to a point in their evolution within these books to become very interesting and conflicted people. They are quite flawed, as are we all, but they do their jobs and they do it well despite their flaws, as do we all.

Robinson allows us a peak at Banks relationship with his ex-wife, which is prickly to say the least. Annie's new beau, too perfect ot be true. And Bank's new flame, another flawed human being. And Annie and Bank's feelings toward each other and the new people in their lives. This sounds sort of like Peyton Place, but Robinsons does a careful job of keeping it separated from the main mystery narrotive, throwing the complications in to either move the narrative along or to slow it down so the reader can breathe. All in all, he is quite successful.

I am now eager to read the next story, just to see if Peter Robinson is slipping or whether I am getting better at reading his work.

This is the 14th book in the outstanding Inspector Banks series. This is a series that relies not only on high quality mysteries to make it interesting but extremely engaging characters whose lives develop before our eyes. The main characters in the series, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks and his second in command Detective Inspector Annie Banks return once again and pick up from where they left off last time. As a series, it's usually a good idea to read the books in order, although in this case I think it could be read as a stand-alone without missing out on too much valuable information.
But on to what actually happens in the book itself. The case that has Banks and the other members of his Western Area Headquarters, Major Crimes Team out in the middle of the night is an arson attack on two derelict barges. It's soon apparent that among the burning wreckage lie two bodies, prompting the case to be investigated as a double homicide.
On the surface there is no obvious reason why someone should set fire to a couple of broken down barges. The fact that they were homes to squatters at least gives Banks some leads to follow. Then, the pace accelerates when a second arson attack takes place in a caravan located less than 10 miles from the first fire.
What starts out as a seemingly straightforward case of arson soon becomes more complicated once some connections between the two fires are made. Thanks to one of the victims turning out to be a local artist, it looks more and more likely that the crime they are investigating could have something to do with art forgery.
A part of the investigation that I found particularly fascinating was the work done by the Fire Investigation Officer Geoff Hamilton. Apart from the sardonic wit and gruff attitude of the man himself, the actual process of sifting through the ashes in order to determine whether the fire was deliberately lit, where it started and when it may have been started was told in a detailed and very interesting fashion. Call it the fire-bug in me but I found this part of the investigation enthralling.
There really isn't a lot in the way of new ground to be forged when dealing with police procedural stories. A crime takes place, the police arrive, work the scene, gather evidence, send it to forensics, perhaps attend an autopsy and conduct a heap of interviews. So what makes this such a fresh and interesting story is the strength of the characters, their substantial backgrounds and the dialogue that rings true.
Alan Banks in particular is a very engaging character, as one would hope being the main protagonist in the story. There is obviously a personal history between himself and Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot, and I'm guessing that this would have been covered in one (or more) of the earlier books in the series. While it does create a little bit of tension between the two of them while working the case, it merely adds to the depth of their characters. Banks' love of a glass of Laphroaig Scotch whilst relaxing to one of his many jazz CD's of an evening sounds to me like the perfect way to end each day and epitomises the laid back nature of the man.
As the investigation progresses, the pace of the book increases subtly until we are faced with quite a dramatic ending, serving to top off a very satisfying story. Enough of the case is solved to provide a satisfactory ending, while enough loose ends remain to ensure that there will be something to pick up in the next book in the series.

Two derelict canal boats are destroyed by fire in the dark hours of the night. Firefighters find a body on each boat, squatters who had been living there illegally. Detective Inspector Alan Banks uncovers enough suspicious evidence to determine that the arson cases are also murder. The police catch a man fleeing from the scene, who turns out to be the boyfriend of a junkie named Tina who had escaped a horrible home life. She is one of the deceased.

The other boat held a reclusive artist, and as the police dig into his life they find that he may have been involved in some shady dealings. When another fire occurs a few days later, resulting in the death of another man, Banks is sure that the fires and deaths are connected. As he and his fellow officers sift through the clues, they find ties to the art community and the possibility of forgery. Can they find the identity of the arsonist before he kills again?

This is the first Inspector Banks book I have read by Peter Robinson, but now I am anxious to read the other books in this series. Obviously, it would be better to read the others first to get a background on the characters, but I did not feel reading this one first detracted from PLAYING WITH FIRE at all. The reader gets a sense of the characters, especially Inspector Banks and detective Annie Cabot. Both are dedicated to their jobs and work diligently to find the perpetrator of the crimes before the killer harms others. There is an undercurrent of tension from a failed relationship between the two which makes their conversations intriguing.

I have long been a fan of British police procedurals, and Mr. Robinson compares very favorably to my favorite author Elizabeth George. The characters have long standing relationships, developed from novel to novel, and readers can form their own connection with the characters. The plot moves at a meandering pace, slowly doling out clues at the right intervals so that the reader can discover the identity of the culprit at the same time as the police. It is a definite page-turner, and the reader will be surprised at who the murderer turns out to be.

Mystery lovers will be delighted in this newest offering from Peter Robinson. PLAYING WITH FIRE has all of the intense and suspenseful elements necessary for a grand scale thriller.

When two abandoned river barges catch fire, killing two squatters, the signs point to arson. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks and sidekick Detective Investigator Annie Cabbot realize that their plans for getting away with their current love interests are shot--they'll be working overtime to track down the firebug--unless the fires were set for a reason more sinister than simply to see things burn. Suspicion first turns to the boyfriend of one of the victims--conveniently absent during the fire. But the young man doesn't feel right to Banks. Could it be the girl's step-father--a man suspected of sexually abusing the girl?
A second fire two nights later gives Banks and Cabbot another line to pursue--one that centers around art forgery. Because it is just possible that someone is cleaning up a mess--or a criminal network that has turned on him. Fortunately, Cabbot's boyfriend is an art professional. Unfortunately, Banks doesn't like the handsome boyfriend and the result is friction between two cops who have to work together closely.
Author Peter Robinson does a fine job developing characters and story simultaneously. Banks, with his recently ended marriage, his unsuccessful affair with Cabbot, and his current go-nowhere relationship with an out-of-town cop, remains sympathetic as he tries to track down the criminal--and to keep his feelings toward Cabbot's lover from veering into jealousy. Detours into the point of view of the young man initially suspected of arson add to the story's atmosphere.
I thought that the solution became a bit too obvious a bit too soon--and some of Banks' decisions seemed irrational, but overall, PLAYING WITH FIRE was an engrossing and enjoyable read.

Playing with Fire is that rare beast; a Peter Robinson novel that hasn't had its titled bashed about for North American markets which is rather refreshing. And, of course, considering that title, it is full of fire, destruction, conflagration (physical and emotional) as well a new burning power in the writing itself too, which makes the book possibly Robinson's strongest, most cunning plotted mystery yet, if perhaps not the most "meaningful" or innovative.
It begins, of course, with flame. In the wee hours of a cold January morning (the chill of the climate and atmosphere is a brilliantly effective contrast to the searing fires of the plot) two narrow-boats are found burning on a lonely stretch of a Yorkshire canal. When the fire-fighters have done their work, the investigators move in, and two dead bodies are found in the remains, blackened and burnt. And, of course, in the best traditions of the murder-mystery, traces of accelerant are found.
However, which was the intended victim? Tina, the drugged out young girl living with her boyfriend on one boat, or Tom, the lonely, seemingly reclusive artist who lived on the other? As Robinson's well-seasoned protagonist Chief Inspector Banks sets the investigations in motion, the threads tangle and the case proves to be every bit as complex as it promised at the start. And this particular twisted firestarter is not done yet...
Peter Robinson is remarkable; with every single book for about 6 years, he has been continuing to expand his series, smashing down boundaries, reaching new heights with every single book. While once his reflective Inspector Banks novels were simply nice little procedurals to while away an evening, lately they have become something far more remarkable, and he has moved into the front rank of male crime writers, alongside Ian Rankin and Michael Connelly in writing moving, artful crime novels that shed light on all aspects of human experience. There are so many things to recommend him, not least his evocation of landscape and ability to probe the very human depths of every single characters instinctive motivations. He plots as if he were born to the genre, and his protagonist Banks is a true marvel. Less of a tough-as-nails guy than Bosch or Rebus, Banks is thoughtful, moral, reflective and, dare I say it, not startlingly interesting on the surface (but, of course, therein lies his shining humanity) and in Playing with Fire there are enough personal trials for him to deal with to satisfy any connoisseur of fascinating protagonists. The other human aspects of this book are incredibly well-done; moving and expansive, Robinson reaches out to all his characters, taking them gently by the hand and leading them to the reader, in sometimes shocking ways.
The cracking, multi-faced plot is in itself engaging and clever, with surprises and shifts in tone and pitch that elevate it far above the average. If this fourteenth entry in the series doesn't line itself up for several international awards, I'll eat my proof copy.

Another disappointment. Once again, Banks is seen to be the protector of his ex lover, and she, (Annie) is so taken with her lover, she misses all the clues the reader picks up right away. Half way through I kept hoping the villain wasn't the most obvious one.
Eliminate every song title and artist listened to, and that will shorten the novel by a hundred pages. To be honest, the mystery was almost non relevant, and I am getting to the point where I really don't like the man "Alan Banks" or maybe it's Peter Robinson?

Robinson explores the human psyche. How a person's history shapes how we see the world. How a person can be warped by bad experiences. How caring is at the core of some people's being and in individuals can be completely missing.

This novel kicks off with a highly suspicious fire that destroys a couple of barges and kills two people, the rather washed up failed artist who lives on one and the young heroine addict who lives on the other. Banks and Annie Cabot handle the investigation, their strained relations after breaking up a couple of books ago not helped by Banks instinctive dislike of her new boyfriend. Incest and art forgery feature heavily in the various cans of worms their investigation leads them to open. It's great fun and a decided return to form after the disappointing previous instalment.

I have read every single one of Robinsons books and love all of them EXCEPT "The summer that never was", which I found trite and unconvincing, almost as though Robinson really did not want to write the book and was merely following orders.
Playing with fire has Peter Robinson once again giving his hero Inspector Banks a interesting case which he works on with his usual determination mixed with a bit of humour. Set in wonderful Yorkshire in the depths of winter it is good to see the old Banks and Robinson back again.

This is one of the better myster/suspense books I have read. It has excellent character development. In particular, the main characters Inspector Banks and Annie Cabbot are well developed. Banks' suffering and loneliness is brought out very well. The book makes the point that you never can know what life will bring and that all surprises are not good ones. The ending is a surprise, but it is logical and skillfully developed.

You really can't beat Peter Robinson for the modern police novel.

In my view, Peter Robinson is one of our greatest writers of detective fiction: in his Alan Banks' novels, he has created a complex, interesting man struggling with his issues. I am reading all of his Alan Banks novels chronologically, which I recommend because he refers to prior events in Banks' life, events that will not be as meaningful to the reader if he has not read the prior novels. In "Playing with Fire" Robinson intrigues us with a series of fires that have claimed lives. Are we dealing with an arsonist or could these fires be cleverly planned attempts to murder the victims? As Banks pursues his investigation, the reader is swept up in exciting events, one of which almost costs Banks his life. Robinson is in top form here as we join him in unravelling a fascinating mystery and in further developing the pains and pleasures of Banks' life in Yorkshire.

Robinson is vastly overrated. Nevertheless, the plot in this novel is a little better than most of his novels. Characters are etched with a vagueness that undermines the possibility of depth and ambiguity of character, that Robinson, I suspect, thinks he is creating. Main problem is Banks--Robinson thinks that facts about Banks's life--divorce, former girlfriend on force, long-range relationship, living alone etc--creates a complex, edgy character, but what the reader gets is detective that moves shallow and superficially through the novel. Robinson succeeds much better with a one-time character--the gallant lad whose heroin addicted girlfriend dies--very good portrait of angst filled young man, dealing with life, authentic personality-- his anger is vivid. I liked art expert characterization also. But Banks, female cop, cliched doctor, painter just sit there, dull and uninvolving. Forgettable novel. Highly forgettable.

Love the character Banks...

These are the kind of books with so much detail and character development, that you could read it again.

Fortunately, Robinson is a prolific writer.

Three stars comparing it to his other books.

I've read over 150 thrillers/mysteries during the past 5 years and this novel ranks as one of the five worst. The story is a complete bore and the killer is so perfectly obvious that it seems that the only way the author keeps the story moving is to include monotonous drama about a sexually abused teenager and an emotionally limited inspector. The title, the ending and the loose ends are all meaningless and disappointments. The moral of the story: don't pay attention to the rave reviews on the inside flaps!

Sorry all your Robinson fans, but this one left me so bored that I just could not finish it. Some of the characters grabbed me and tried to pull me in, but then I'd get pushed out again. Some of the writting style was confusing as was the British language references. It took me some time to step into this style novel, and actually, I just never stepped far enough. Didn't enjoy this one, and if all of Robinson's books are this style, I'd have to say I won't be reading any more of them. But you guys enjoy it if it's your thing!

Adding to my Banks collection, although I discovered I had read it before. This one is fairly dark and scary, with a traumatic ending. The BBC has done a four-part tv series of dci Banks, also very dark. Sort of like a British type Wallander. Have already discussed the book with friends.