From Publishers Weekly
Chief Inspector Alan Banks of Britain's Eastvale Regional Police reappears in another fluently written, superior mystery. In this third outing he plays good cop while Supt. Richard ("Dirty Dick") Burgess, a special investigator from London CID, plays bad cop in investigating the murder of a young constable sent to keep order at an anti-nuclear demonstration. "A full-blown riot in Eastvale, admittedly, on a small scale, was near unthinkable," Banks muses. It's a drowsy town of 14,000 that time has passed by, yet a murderer--one of the demonstrators--undeniably has struck with a flick-knife (switchblade). Dirty Dick, a notorious stud and heavy drinker, roars into town, convinced that Bolshies and terrorists have killed PCsic Gill. A user of terror tactics himself, he's intent on making a collar even if the evidence must be bent. He brushes off Banks's suggestions that the demonstration may have been used as cover for a grudge killing. In a story that uses considerable psychological subtlety in exploring the afterlives of '60s flower children, Banks traces the crime to its roots in the past. Toronto author Robinson ( Gallows View ; A Dedicated Man ) has created a stalwart cop in Alan Banks, a man who loves justice and understands a woman's heart. Mystery Guild alternate; paperback rights to Avon . Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The author of A Dedicated Man ( LJ 7/91) returns with another fine traditional English mystery featuring Inspector Banks.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Washington Post
"An exceptional series."
From Kirkus Reviews
When the crowd recedes from an anti-nuke rally in quiet Eastvale, crowd-controlling P.C. Edwin Gill lies dead. Chief Inspector Alan Banks (A Dedicated Man, p. 698, etc.), left alone for two weeks while his wife and children visit her ailing father, has to deal not only with the mystery of who stabbed bullying P.C. Gill--the knife is swiftly traced to Maggie's Farm, home to mellow, aging radical Seth Cotton and a pick-up commune including, among others, gentle Mara Delacey and troubled Paul Boyd--but with the problems of fending off the usual pangs of lust for psychologist Jenny Fuller (now involved with Dennis Osmond, another suspect), and dealing with officious, womanizing Supt. Richard (``Dirty Dick'') Burgess, a Scotland Yard interloper who won't stick at anything for fast results. Alan smokes, drinks, frets, and otherwise behaves like an increasingly attractive human being en route to a denouement right out of Ruth Rendell's second drawer. Fans of British procedurals should get to know this appealing series. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
New York Times Book Review
"Thoughtful...vivid...challenging...like the region that breeds them, the people in Robinson's mystery flaunt their colors but keep their secrets."
Virginia Pilot and Ledger-Star
"A rich, multi-layered book, elegantly written and carefully plotted."
Orlando Sentinel
"Excellent."
Book Description
A peaceful demonstration in the normally quiet town of Eastvale ended with fifty arrests -- and the brutal stabbing death of a young constable. But Chief Inspector Alan Banks fears there is worse violence in the offing. For CID Superintendent Richard "Dirty Dick" Burgess has arrived from London to take charge of the investigation, fueled by professional outrage and volatile, long-simmering hatreds.Almost immediately, Burgess descends with vengeful fury upon the members of a sixties-style commune -- while Banks sifts through the rich Yorkshire soil around him, turning over the earthy, unsettling secrets of seemingly placid local lives. Crossing "Dirty Dick" could cost the Chief Inspector his career. But the killing of a flawed Eastvale policeman is not the only murder that needs to be solved here. And if Banks doesn't unmask the true assassin, his superior's misguided obsession might well result in further bloodshed.
About the Author
Peter Robinson grew up in Yorkshire. His previous Inspector Banks novel, In a Dry Season, was nominated for the Edgar Award, was named a New York Times Notable Book, and won the Anthony Award.
A Necessary End FROM THE PUBLISHER
A peaceful demonstration in the normally quiet town of Eastvale ended with fifty arrests — and the brutal stabbing death of a young constable. But Chief Inspector Alan Banks fears there is worse violence in the offing. For CID Superintendent Richard "Dirty Dick" Burgess has arrived from London to take charge of the investigation, fueled by professional outrage and volatile, long-simmering hatreds.
Almost immediately, Burgess descends with vengeful fury upon the members of a sixties-style commune — while Banks sifts through the rich Yorkshire soil around him, turning over the earthy, unsettling secrets of seemingly placid local lives. Crossing "Dirty Dick" could cost the Chief Inspector his career. But the killing of a flawed Eastvale policeman is not the only murder that needs to be solved here. And if Banks doesn't unmask the true assassin, his superior's misguided obsession might well result in further bloodshed.
Author Biography:
Peter Robinson grew up in Yorkshire. His previous Inspector Banks novel, In a Dry Season, was nominated for the Edgar Award, was named a New York Times Notable Book, and won the Anthony Award.
SYNOPSIS
A peaceful demonstration in the normally quiet town of Eastvale ended with fifty arrests—and the brutal stabbing death of a young constable. But Chief Inspector Alan Banks fears there is worse violence in the offing. For CID Superintendent Richard "Dirty Dick" Burgess has arrived from London to take charge of the investigation, fueled by professional outrage and volatile, long-simmering hatreds.
Almost immediately, Burgess descends with vengeful fury upon the members of a sixties-style commune—while Banks sifts through the rich Yorkshire soil around him, turning over the earthy, unsettling secrets of seemingly placid local lives. Crossing "Dirty Dick" could cost the Chief Inspector his career. But the killing of a flawed Eastvale policeman is not the only murder that needs to be solved here. And if Banks doesn't unmask the true assassin, his superior's misguided obsession might well result in further bloodshed.
FROM THE CRITICS
Washington Post
An exceptional series.
Orlando Sentinel
Excellent.
New York Times Book Review
Thoughtful...vivid...challenging...like the region that breeds them, the people in Robinson's mystery flaunt their colors but keep their secrets.
Virginia Pilot and Ledger-Star
A rich, multi-layered book, elegantly written and carefully plotted.
Publishers Weekly
Chief Inspector Alan Banks of Britain's Eastvale Regional Police reappears in another fluently written, superior mystery. In this third outing he plays good cop while Supt. Richard (``Dirty Dick'') Burgess, a special investigator from London CID, plays bad cop in investigating the murder of a young constable sent to keep order at an anti-nuclear demonstration. ``A full-blown riot in Eastvale, admittedly, on a small scale, was near unthinkable,'' Banks muses. It's a drowsy town of 14,000 that time has passed by, yet a murderer--one of the demonstrators--undeniably has struck with a flick-knife (switchblade). Dirty Dick, a notorious stud and heavy drinker, roars into town, convinced that Bolshies and terrorists have killed PCsic Gill. A user of terror tactics himself, he's intent on making a collar even if the evidence must be bent. He brushes off Banks's suggestions that the demonstration may have been used as cover for a grudge killing. In a story that uses considerable psychological subtlety in exploring the afterlives of '60s flower children, Banks traces the crime to its roots in the past. Toronto author Robinson ( Gallows View ; A Dedicated Man ) has created a stalwart cop in Alan Banks, a man who loves justice and understands a woman's heart. Mystery Guild alternate; paperback rights to Avon . (Mar.)
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