An Inspector Banks Novel (Inspector Banks series Book 12)

Nobody is writing better procedurals these days than Peter Robinson in his "Inspector Banks" series. of which "Aftermath," first published in 2002, has just been released in the US as a trade paperback. Stephen King and Michael Connelly are both fans, so this is serious endorsement -- and it's well-deserved. What I like about the series is the fact that no matter how tense and suspenseful things get, the working out of the plot is always tied to good, routine procedural work, so that nothing that happens seems implausible or forced. I also like the emphasis on police work as a team effort, and in the Banks books, the heart of the team is the duo of Banks and Annie Cabott, though other members of the Eastvale police force and the broader North Yorkshire Area office circulate in and out. The on-again, off again romance of Banks and Cabott is a continuing focus, as is Banks's concerns for his children and his ex-wife. Banks and Cabott are credible "troubled" cops, of the kind that seem fashionable nowadays (see Rankin's Rebus as another good example), people worn down by the stresses and the compromises that have to be made in police work and very aware of the politics of institutions like the police, where ambition can tempt and corrupt one in the pursuit of the facts of a case and the doing of justice. Robinson's writing is very good -- his ear for dialogue in various registers, his treatment of the consciousness of both damaged and honest characters, his capacities for description both rural and urban -- they're as good as it gets. He's a deft handler of situations and circumstances that can be conventional and stereotypical in genre novels, and he keeps them fresh.

In this one, a domestic dispute reported by a neighbour in a quiet street in Leeds leads to an investigation by two cops that has horrible consequences -- the discovery of evidence of serial murders. The behavior of the police in their initial response to the report also comes into question -- and forms a sub-plot of the book -- but getting at the truth about the couple who live in the house where the dispute was heard is the main business of Banks and his team. Spousal abuse seems part of the picture too, and the neighbor who reports the disturbance is herself a victim of abuse and has fled to Yorkshire from Canada to escape her husband. Serial killing inevitably gets the media involved, and the more Banks explores, the more he's convinced that the events he is investigating have roots that go far back. Can they be traced? It would spoil things to say more about the plot. Suffice it only to add that judgment is complicated, both in the murder case and in the case of the investigation of police behavior, and the ending is unsettling, though altogether in keeping with the treatment of the crime throughout. This is adult entertainment, splendidly done.

Number 35, The Hill appears to be an ordinary house with an ordinary couple living in it. Lucy and Terry Paine keep to themselves, but cause no problems to the neighbours. But no one knows what has gone on behind the closed doors of this house until what appears to be a domestic disturbance alerts a wakeful neighbour. When the police arrive (2 constables, a man and a woman) they see an injured woman upstairs, but they continue their search for the man by going downstairs. And then nothing is the same anymore for anyone touched by this house and its tragic existence. Banks and his team are on the trail of the Chameleon killer. Someone is abducting young teenage girls right from their neighbourhoods, and then these girls are never seen again. Number 35, The Hill has a lot of secrets, and once the police begin to uncover them, the world never seems the same again to any policeman or policewoman working this bizarre and tragic case. Peter Robinson crafts a wonderful story. Each one in this series seems to be better and more complex than the previous one. I love Alan Banks. A super-smart copper with an empathic soul.

This review refers to the audio version.

#12 Chief Inspector Alan Banks series set in Yorkshire, UK. Banks has moved up the ranks temporarily in this book, filling in for his boss who is out on a medical leave, and he's finding he doesn't like those shoes much, sleeping poorly and worrying incessantly. Working on the Chameleon Killer case involving the disappearance and apparent abduction of several blonde teenage girls, Alan has the killer land in his lap when a 999 call from a neighbor reporting a domestic incident leads a patrol car to the home of Terrance and Lucy Payne. PC Janet Taylor nearly beats Terrance to death when he attacks her partner with a machete.

Lucy Payne, bruised and dazed is carted off to hospital, but it's what's in the basement that gets Alan involved--the dead body of the most recently-abducted girl, staked out on a mattress, with several others found buried in a side room. But as the case progresses, Banks finds he's not satisfied with things, and wonders if Lucy Payne was complicit in the crimes, or if she was really as ignorant of her husband's activities downstairs as she claims to be.

Payne is in a coma and unable to talk, and Lucy has latched onto her doctor's mention of "retrograde amnesia" and "post traumatic stress" and is being less than cooperative, egged on by her neighbor Maggie, who is also an abused wife who escaped from her husband back in Canada. And if Payne is the Chameleon Killer, there's a body missing. Banks' personal life also takes several interesting twists, which I won't comment much on so as not to give away spoilers.

I've already read the next book in this series--it was the first Banks book I read, and after doing so decided to go back to the beginning and do it properly--which was also very excellent. I like the reader for this series although his voices of the different characters aren't always really distinct, but certainly pleasant enough and sets a good tone for the book. Enjoyable, although perhaps a bit long-winded with some needless repetition.

Robinson's novels about the cases -- and the life -- of DCI Alan Banks of the North Yorkshire CID just keep getting better and better, and this, the twelfth in the series, is the best yet. A couple of young police constables get a call to check on a domestic disturbance and what they find in the basement leads to the death by machete of one cop and haunting nightmares for the other, though she manages finally to subdue their attacker. But Terence Payne is clearly the serial killer known as the Chameleon, for whom Banks's huge task force has been searching. It's more responsibility than he's had in his life (he's also an Acting Superintendent) and he's not sure he likes it. And he finds himself making small mistakes. Payne is in the hospital and it's touch and go, but his abused wife, Lucy, seems to be pulling herself together. Only Banks thinks there's something not quite right there. And as they pull the bodies out of the Paynes' basement and start digging up the garden looking for more, Banks suddenly has to deal with upsetting personal news as well -- even more so than the realization that the wife from whom he's separated really isn't coming back. He's been on the brink of burnout before and he doesn't want to go there again. The author does a marvelous job of taking the reader down into the psyches of cops under stress, and the minds of truly bent representatives of humanity, and the victims of a variety of types of abuse. There are some graphic descriptions along the way, but they play into the horror of the story behind the story the reader is forced to confront. The complexities of the narrative -- every one of which is logically necessary and beautifully paced -- remind me of a conductor leading an orchestra unerringly through a symphony. There are layers upon layers and, no matter what your suspicions, you'll be holding your breath until the last page.

This murder mystery, like most of the Inspector Banks series, is set in the Bradford-Leeds area, not far from the Yorkshire north-country where James Herriot had his innocent adventures as a veterinarian. Unlike the Herriot narratives though, the anatomy of this plot is fictional and anything but innocent. There are some grisly, CSI-worthy scenes on these pages.

Generally, this is a worthwhile read, but it tends to drag a little. A lot of the police investigators are repeatedly referred to with their acronym titles attached. "Best let AC Hartnell worry about it... How's PC Taylor coping?" It's unlikely that real police officers would talk this way, and it tends to make sections of the book into an alphabet soup.

Also, Inspector Banks himself is a rather colorless character. He is given the usual back-story supposed to make a police officer "complicated" and burdened. He is divorced. He broods over failed relationships and he drinks, sometimes to excess. We are frequently informed that he is pouring himself another "Laphroaig," a detail presumably meant to give Banks a distinction, a memorable quirk. But it doesn't work. It's like pinning a tassel on a 3-piece suit. Banks remains a blank.

However author Peter Robinson does write about women's interior lives with unusual discernment. He's at his best describing women alone with their thoughts - or simply alone. You'll want to read this book through to its last page to get the full impact of the desolation he perceives.

"Aftermath" by Peter Robinson is an excellent and precise look at police procedure. More accurately, it is a look at what happens after the police have 'nabbed' the wrongdoer, but when there are still loose ends and niggling doubts about the case at hand. As usual Peter Robinson has written a wonderfully crafted novel that is an absolutely compelling and absorbing read.
When probationary PC Janet Taylor and PC Dennis Morrisey respond to the call to checkout the Payne residence because of a report of suspected domestic abuse, they little expect the horror that awaits them. They find Lucy Payne, badly beaten up in the hallway, and a crazed Terry Payne in the basement, armed with a machete. He attacks them, and mortally wounds PC Morrisey; and while PC Taylor does manage to subdue him, she has to use extreme force in order to do so. For the paramedics and the police who respond to the 'officer down' call, the sight of a badly beaten and concussed Terry Payne, and that of Taylor drenched in Morrisey's blood is horrendous enough, however a further grisly find also awaits them in the basement: the body of a young dead girl, tied to a bed. It looks as if unwittingly, Taylor and Morrisey had stumbled onto the lair of the Chameleon, a sadistic serial murderer and rapist who, magically, over a period of months was able to kidnap young teenage girls off the streets, without ever having been seen or detected. Acting Detective Superintendent Alan Banks has been in on the case from the very beginning, and is jubilant that Payne has finally been apprehended (even if he is currently in a coma). However, a few things niggle at Banks. The biggest being exactly what role Payne's wife, Lucy, played in this horrifying crime. Was she, as she claims, the extremely fragile and abused wife who knew nothing of her husband's exploits? Or was she a reluctant accomplice? Or was she something much, much more? Banks cannot shake the conviction that Lucy was a lot more involved in the crimes than she is letting on. But evidence is in short supply. With time running out, Banks enlists the help of an old friend, forensic psychologist Jenny Fuller, to help unravel the enigma of Lucy Payne.
Once I started reading "Aftermath" I simply could not put it down. With each new chapter, fresh horrors were revealed, that kept me absolutely riveted to the page. "Aftermath" is not really an armchair detecting kind of mystery novel. It's more of a look at the truly dark and horrendous side of the human psyche. It is also a look at police procedure -- the never-ending interviews with suspects and potential witnesses, the collating of facts and forensic evidence, and the politics that dictates how an investigation will go. The pacing of the book was brilliant: Robinson juxtaposed the subplots that dealt with Dr. Fuller's investigation into Lucy's past, with those that dealt with Banks's private life, his tying up of loose ends in the case and the subplot that dealt with the police investigation into PC Taylor's excessive assault on Payne, and her spiraling descent into the depths of depression seamlessly. And each subplot was explored and developed beautifully.
"Aftermath" is a dark and disturbing novel but a truly exceptional read.

I have run out of superlatives to describe Peter Robinson, who is arguably one of the finest writers of British police procedurals, on par with P. D. James and Ruth Rendell at their best. I have read ten out of the eleven Inspector Banks novels that Robinson has written over the years, and I have enjoyed most of them immensely. In Robinson's latest novel, "Aftermath," Alan Banks is Acting Detective Superintendent in Yorkshire, substituting for his ailing boss. Banks is depressed and on the verge of career burnout. He smokes and drinks too much, gets too little sleep, and is overwhelmed by the demands of his job. In addition, his love affair with Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot is not going well. Banks is still grieving over his separation from Sandra, his wife of twenty years, and has little time or energy to invest in social relationships.

Banks's life soon goes from bad to worse. He is caught up in the case of the Chameleon killer, a man who abducts and murders teenaged girls. The case appears to be solved when two detective constables respond to a call about a domestic disturbance. The constables open the door, only to find a house of horrors, and they discover the identity of the man who appears to be the Chameleon killer. Those of us who know Peter Robinson quickly realize that the case is just beginning. Who is Terence Payne, the biology teacher who apparently abducted, raped and murdered the young girls? What role, if any, did Terence's wife, Lucy, play in her husband's heinous crimes? Was Lucy a victim of spousal abuse herself, too frightened to tell the police what her husband was up to, or is she hiding something about her own shadowy past?

As usual, Robinson creates a large cast of fascinating and believable characters, such as Maggie Forrest, a domestic abuse survivor who champions the cause of Lucy Payne, and Police Constable Janet Taylor, who stands accused of using excessive force while subduing Terence Payne. Robinson brilliantly explores the theme that police officers who invest themselves in their jobs pay a huge emotional and physical price. He also studies the devastating effects that violence has on people's lives. With keen psychological insight, an unerring ear for dialogue, clever plotting, and compassion for the human condition, Robinson has written a breathtaking novel of suspense. I recommend "Aftermath" unreservedly.

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.

Two police constables are sent to an ordinary house, situated in an ordinary street, nothing unusual about that, but it is about to become infamous. The police officers are sent to the house to investigate complaints of a domestic disturbance. What they stumble upon is truly horrific scene which leaves one of the officers dead and the other one fighting for her life and her career.

The identity of a serial killer, a person capable of blending into the background and slipping away without detection, called for want of a better word, the Chameleon has finally been revealed. But his capture is only the start of such a shocking investigation that it will even test the nerve of inspector Banks, a man hardened to the knowledge of what one human being can do to another.

Aftermath is one of Robinson's best thrillers yet. It begins early on with a phone call from a concerned neighbor to the police after she hears screams coming from the Payne house across the street. An investigative team arrive soon after the call, thinking it is a domestic incident. It soon becomes much more than that. An inspection of the basement uncovers a torture chamber used by the Payne husband to torture, rape, sodomize and eventually kill the victims. 4 are found in this House of Payne.

Banks is brought on early since the victims may be 4 of the 5 missing girls who have disappeared from the area. The 4 are soon identified but where is the 5th?

Robinson's in-depth research into police procedures lends credibility to this work. It is one of his finest and I truly recommend it to fans of British police procedurals and Peter Robinson in particular.

Responding to a domestic disturbance call, two Yorkshire police officers stumble into a killer's lair. One ends up dead, the other, Janet Taylor, finds herself facing possible murder charges. Detective Superintendent Alan Banks arrives at a scene of bloody carnage to find his serial murder case solved.

The horrific, atmospheric opening scenes of Edgar award-winner Peter Robinson's "Aftermath," set up the whole story - the themes of abuse and psychological damage, police accountability and politics and a host of nagging questions. How does a handsome, popular teacher like Terry Payne end up as serial killer of young girls and how did he lure them so easily? What did his beautiful, abused wife, Lucy, know about the atrocities in the basement of her own house?
The lines of the murder mystery interweave with the private lives of Banks and his team. Banks struggles with the news that his ex-wife is pregnant while Banks' on-again, off-again girlfriend, the ambitious Annie Cabot, is assigned to investigate Janet Taylor's culpability in the death of the serial killer and troubled psychologist Jenny Fuller profiles Lucy Payne, rekindling her attraction to Banks. Another victim of abuse, a neighbor, desperate to help Lucy, uses and is used by the media, garnering possibly dangerous attention. Meanwhile, one of the missing girls is not found in Payne's macabre basement graveyard.
Robinson draws the reader with his superb characterizations and thoughtful pacing. As always, his novel is as much about the world we live in - everyday realities and aberrant fringes - as it is about a particular murder. The tension builds to an explosive climax of split-second timing but the more leisurely twists, turns and missteps of the investigation and the investigators create a human drama that lingers in the mind.

Acting Detective Superintendent Alan Banks has the challenge of his career with the discovery of a serial killer. It appears at first that the only thing that remains is to gather evidence and to determine if PC Janet Taylor used excessive force in subduing the apparent killer. Several difficult areas are explored: the serial murders around which the story is centered, together with child abuse, torture, domestic violence, and the excesive force question which might be worth a book on its own. Aftermath is as much the story of PC Taylor, Lucy Payne, and Maggie Forrest as it is of Banks. What happens to these three women is the "aftermath" of the title and stems from the abuse suffered years earlier by Lucy. How Robinson handles the issues and their fates is the true indicator of his mastery of the police procedural.
Robinson does not ask the reader to suspend disbelief; his novels are firmly grounded in reality with believable, all-too-human characters and events which are, unfortunately, all to familiar to our world. (Didn't we in my neck of the woods just go through the Sniper Case?) The impact Robinson's books have on the reader come from the way he handles these characters and events. In the hands of another writer Banks' problems with his divorce from Sandra, his tenuous relationship with Annie Cabbot and the ambivilence he feels toward Jenny Fuller, not to mention his own professional stresses, would be a big bore. Here each character is developed and displayed with mastery. A growing mastery as Robinson has (to borrow from the editorial review) grown before the reader's eyes from the first Banks novel, Gallows View.
I disagree with those who find this book boring, although I did find a few pages with what seemed to be padding, as with Maggie and her shrink. However, the other complaint, that Banks' personal life and relationships are irrelevant, misses the point: Banks the private man cannot be separated from Banks the investigator; these interpersonal relationships define him as much as his work defines him. Altogether a rewarding read and I look forward to the next installment.

I have followed Robinson's Alan Banks through his entire Eastvale career in the previous books, and this current look into his life reassures me that Banks is continuing to mature in his profession and his private life.
As with all good mysteries, the plot is engaging, the story line compelling, and the suspense keeps the reader turning page after page, chapter after chapter long past the sensible time to turn off the light and catch a little bit of sleep before work the next day.
But in my estimation, a great novel's true value is not in its ability to entertain with the imagination, but instead to enrich with reality. That's what Aftermath does. Through the characters and events of this wonderfully crafted world, the introspective reader can learn and grow about self-destructiveness, noble character, honesty, duplicity, deadly misperceptions, kindness . . . . A truly rich mine of personal discovery and awareness that affects not only the lives of Robinson's characters, but also the lives of attentive readers.
I had a special interest in the aspect of the story dealing with satanic ritual abuse of children (SRA) since as an investigative journalist I was one of the first (in 1989)to uncover evidence that the almost fad-like scare was almost entirely urban legend fomented by irresponsible therapy and the completely unscientifically supported theory that SRA could be validated through "recovered memories" hidden by "robust repression." While my articles were vilified as satanic disinformation at the time, the tide has turned and most of the scientific, philosophy of religion, therapeutic, and media circles now concur with my initial findings (and those of other careful researchers). Unfortunately, many novelists haven't kept current nor thought critically about the issue and simply use it as a literary device, a convenient paradigm for grisly crimes and emotions of terror. By buying into such non-truth, their novels immediately throw the knowledgable reader like me into complete awareness that I'm not viewing a corner of reality put to paper but a "made up story." Thankfully, Robinson rises to the occasion and treats the issue with a sensitivity, thoughtfulness, and complexity that does justice to the truth without didactic preaching, black-and-white polarization, or cheap sensationalism.
Does anyone know Robinson's E-mail address or author's Web site? I would love to thank him for an excellent book that has made me a better person for having viewed the world of Eastvale and Inspector Banks through Robinson's eyes.

This, the 12th(!) book in the Banks' series, seemingly starts out with a serial killer apprehended and the case solved. 400 + pages later this author has spun a tale that proves things are not always what they seem to be. That's enough with the plot - I don't want to spoil anything you will read in this book. With many series growing stale or simply sputtering out after 4 or 5 books, this series just continues to get better and better. The author combines police procedural, mystery, suspense, plot line and character development with great balance and incredible poise while never wandering "a-field". If you're new to this series I would suggest reading the books in some semblance of chronological order. If you're an old veteran like I am put some time aside - you won't want to put this one down. Either way you are in for a treat.

Responding to a domestic disturbance call, two Yorkshire police officers stumble into a killer's lair. One ends up dead, the other, Janet Taylor, finds herself facing possible murder charges. Detective Superintendent Alan Banks arrives at a scene of bloody carnage to find his serial murder case solved.

The horrific, atmospheric opening scenes of Edgar award-winner Peter Robinson's "Aftermath," set up the whole story - the themes of abuse and psychological damage, police accountability and politics and a host of nagging questions. How does a handsome, popular teacher like Terry Payne end up as serial killer of young girls and how did he lure them so easily? What did his beautiful, abused wife, Lucy, know about the atrocities in the basement of her own house?
The lines of the murder mystery interweave with the private lives of Banks and his team. Banks struggles with the news that his ex-wife is pregnant while Banks' on-again, off-again girlfriend, the ambitious Annie Cabot, is assigned to investigate Janet Taylor's culpability in the death of the serial killer and troubled psychologist Jenny Fuller profiles Lucy Payne, rekindling her attraction to Banks. Another victim of abuse, a neighbor, desperate to help Lucy, uses and is used by the media, garnering possibly dangerous attention. Meanwhile, one of the missing girls is not found in Payne's macabre basement graveyard.
Robinson draws the reader with his superb characterizations and thoughtful pacing. As always, his novel is as much about the world we live in - everyday realities and aberrant fringes - as it is about a particular murder. The tension builds to an explosive climax of split-second timing but the more leisurely twists, turns and missteps of the investigation and the investigators create a human drama that lingers in the mind.

Acting Detective Superintendent Alan Banks has the challenge of his career with the discovery of a serial killer. It appears at first that the only thing that remains is to gather evidence and to determine if PC Janet Taylor used excessive force in subduing the apparent killer. Several difficult areas are explored: the serial murders around which the story is centered, together with child abuse, torture, domestic violence, and the excesive force question which might be worth a book on its own. Aftermath is as much the story of PC Taylor, Lucy Payne, and Maggie Forrest as it is of Banks. What happens to these three women is the "aftermath" of the title and stems from the abuse suffered years earlier by Lucy. How Robinson handles the issues and their fates is the true indicator of his mastery of the police procedural.
Robinson does not ask the reader to suspend disbelief; his novels are firmly grounded in reality with believable, all-too-human characters and events which are, unfortunately, all to familiar to our world. (Didn't we in my neck of the woods just go through the Sniper Case?) The impact Robinson's books have on the reader come from the way he handles these characters and events. In the hands of another writer Banks' problems with his divorce from Sandra, his tenuous relationship with Annie Cabbot and the ambivilence he feels toward Jenny Fuller, not to mention his own professional stresses, would be a big bore. Here each character is developed and displayed with mastery. A growing mastery as Robinson has (to borrow from the editorial review) grown before the reader's eyes from the first Banks novel, Gallows View.
I disagree with those who find this book boring, although I did find a few pages with what seemed to be padding, as with Maggie and her shrink. However, the other complaint, that Banks' personal life and relationships are irrelevant, misses the point: Banks the private man cannot be separated from Banks the investigator; these interpersonal relationships define him as much as his work defines him. Altogether a rewarding read and I look forward to the next installment.

I have followed Robinson's Alan Banks through his entire Eastvale career in the previous books, and this current look into his life reassures me that Banks is continuing to mature in his profession and his private life.
As with all good mysteries, the plot is engaging, the story line compelling, and the suspense keeps the reader turning page after page, chapter after chapter long past the sensible time to turn off the light and catch a little bit of sleep before work the next day.
But in my estimation, a great novel's true value is not in its ability to entertain with the imagination, but instead to enrich with reality. That's what Aftermath does. Through the characters and events of this wonderfully crafted world, the introspective reader can learn and grow about self-destructiveness, noble character, honesty, duplicity, deadly misperceptions, kindness . . . . A truly rich mine of personal discovery and awareness that affects not only the lives of Robinson's characters, but also the lives of attentive readers.
I had a special interest in the aspect of the story dealing with satanic ritual abuse of children (SRA) since as an investigative journalist I was one of the first (in 1989)to uncover evidence that the almost fad-like scare was almost entirely urban legend fomented by irresponsible therapy and the completely unscientifically supported theory that SRA could be validated through "recovered memories" hidden by "robust repression." While my articles were vilified as satanic disinformation at the time, the tide has turned and most of the scientific, philosophy of religion, therapeutic, and media circles now concur with my initial findings (and those of other careful researchers). Unfortunately, many novelists haven't kept current nor thought critically about the issue and simply use it as a literary device, a convenient paradigm for grisly crimes and emotions of terror. By buying into such non-truth, their novels immediately throw the knowledgable reader like me into complete awareness that I'm not viewing a corner of reality put to paper but a "made up story." Thankfully, Robinson rises to the occasion and treats the issue with a sensitivity, thoughtfulness, and complexity that does justice to the truth without didactic preaching, black-and-white polarization, or cheap sensationalism.
Does anyone know Robinson's E-mail address or author's Web site? I would love to thank him for an excellent book that has made me a better person for having viewed the world of Eastvale and Inspector Banks through Robinson's eyes.

This, the 12th(!) book in the Banks' series, seemingly starts out with a serial killer apprehended and the case solved. 400 + pages later this author has spun a tale that proves things are not always what they seem to be. That's enough with the plot - I don't want to spoil anything you will read in this book. With many series growing stale or simply sputtering out after 4 or 5 books, this series just continues to get better and better. The author combines police procedural, mystery, suspense, plot line and character development with great balance and incredible poise while never wandering "a-field". If you're new to this series I would suggest reading the books in some semblance of chronological order. If you're an old veteran like I am put some time aside - you won't want to put this one down. Either way you are in for a treat.

DCI Banks is the Acting Superintendent in this book. He's also the head of detectives. He's feeling overwhelmed and then they find a serial killer, or killers. Lots of twists and turns. Lots if twists and turns in Banks love life as well. Glad there are more Banks installments!

Anyone who hasn't found the Inspector Banks series is in for a treat if this is the book they begin with. Intelligent characters, clever plotting and brilliant prose have been the highlights of every Robinson book I've read so far. This is by far the best series I have run across, and I have tried many.
Long live Inspector Banks and Peter Robinson!

This mystery novel concerns detective work related to identifying a serial killer in the British Midlands. The protagonist is the police detective responsible for solving these crimes. Though he works hard at his job, he makes believable mistakes, particularly because of incomplete information from others and because of his own erroneous assumptions. The complications of his personal life don't help. The book initially succeeds in luring the reader into the same false lead to the killer. As the story develops, the identity of the real killer becomes increasingly obvious. There is a bit too much dialogue about police business. American readers may find the compulsive smoking and drinking somewhat retro.

I've enjoyed Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks series for many years. His superb storytelling skills have made this series one of my absolute favorites. The characters are always unique and well thought out; the stories are interesting with different twists. Aftermath is no exception. Personally, Banks is at an impasse with the women in his life. Professionally, he's at his peak. The storyline is not necessarily unique but the telling is. Terence Payne, the bad guy, is badder than most; his crimes are even worse. Throw in some more thought-provoking discussion on wife abuse, an horrific tale of child abuse and its aftermath and you've got an A-one story. Don't miss this one.

This might be my favorite Inspector Banks novel. I loved the twists and turns in this work. I also enjoyed how Robinson has three or four plot elements in balance at one time -- it made for a pulsating experience. I thought about this book when I wasn't reading it and raced to the finish as quickly as I could.

...Peter Robinson's new mystery AFTERMATH not only succeeds--it succeeds masterfully. Alan Banks is back on the scene, doing his job. Robinson who could be basking in the glow from his recents awards instead tackles his most serious themes ever--domestic abuse, child abuse, torture, and sexual manipulation as well as murder. The crimes in the plot grow increasingly complicated as the book progresses, and Banks has his share of problems with the women in his life. AFTERMATH is dark. It is gritty. It may take place in the English countryside, but it ain't no cozy.

The book opens up with two young police constables stumbling on the house of a serial killer. In the basement they find the corpse of a young girl. The serial killer attacks one of the police with a machette and he is then killed by the other constable.
Unlike most murder mysteries which usually aim to find a killer this is one about the aftermath, thus the title. The questions revolve around whether the surviving constable will be charged with the murder of the serial killer and whether it will be possible to implicate the wife of the killer. There are naturally a number of other sub plots.
The problem with the book is that it deviates from what a police procedural should be. That is any police procedural depends on a certain degree of accuracy for its fascination. They reveal something about the process of investigation or the process of the law. The problem with this book is that its events are so far from reality it is hard to read without cringing.
One could not imagine in the real world that a police woman, giving away inches in height would be regarded as anything but a hero for dealing with a serial killer in the way described in the book. The idea that she would face investigation is laughable. In addition the process of the investigation is something out of cloud cuckoo land. Any police officer facing a murder charge would receive independent legal advice and be fully aware of things like the impact of changing a statement. Police deal with these issues day in and day out.
The other main plot hinge around whether the wife of the serial killer will be charged is also from arm chair amateur land. The evidence against the woman at the start of the book is that she lived in a house in which young woman were kept captive for weeks and then killed. There is circumstantial evidence of blood on her clothers and other material under her finger nails. The sort of case which would lead in most cases to a defendant being charged and found guilty with a jury deliberation of four or five minutes. However the author for some reason thinks this is not enough.
So the hero of the book a police officer investigates the matter. His long interviews with the wife are some of the most tedious, meandering, poorly thought out interviews of suspects that I have come across. Even a first year constable would not fall into the traps that he does. Questions are asked which are speculative, with no basis, aimed at electing answers unrelated to the charges. The aim in the book is to create a notion of a battle of wits between a crusty old investigator and a wily criminal. However in reality the questioning is so bad it would form a strong basis for any competent defence team to seriously attack the investigation. Not a great book.

I have always avoided British mystery writers (my problem!)because of the difficulty with "flow", whatever that means! I am so glad I persevered. This was an excellent book, complex enough, frustrating enough; a good mystery with good character development. I wish there was glossary of terms however as one misses some of the subtle nuances. I will now read the previous books. Look forward to his next one!

The sonic buffering that ensues in this disc will overwhelm and consume you. It is organic and washes over in waves of droney bliss. A static buzz resonates with a gentle melody bubbling beneath. The 4th listen compels comparison with the 3rd. Eric is a genius and these cd issues will be regarded as classics in years to come. Buy now before they are all gone.

Addressed a horrific topic in a tasteful way. Minimal details, just enough for a realistic picture of the two villains. Fabulously drawn characters. I'm a fan of Banks and Annie Cabott. Maggie is also a 3-dimensional person who is pivotal to the plot.

I like the usual detective work that seems realistic. The story includes the dreary slogging (that most other novels avoid) that is necessary for a successful conclusion. I believe that this is the case in in most murder cases.

Young woman cop covered in blood uses nightstick to defeat homicidal maniac who has just massacred her partner with a machete and is trying to chop her up is investigated for using excessive force. Doh.