A fabulous crime novel from Peter Robinson
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A fabulous crime novel from Peter Robinson. Inspector Banks I thought was very good and when Hayley Daniels was murdered in the Maze, Banks after a lot of hard work found out who had done the dirty deed. I'm not going to spoil it for other people especially if they have not read the book, but when the person is unmasked who did this, Banks is at his finest during the interview, the person's solicitor is rather a quiet character but then she tells Banks to be quiet but this does not deter the inspector from doing what he has to do.
I thought the character DI Annie Cabbot was brilliant, she had a tough time at the end of the book but before that I enjoyed the part of the book where she had a talk with Les Ferris and he was very knowledgeable and knew his stuff.
I liked Peter's descriptions in the novel, especially describing Whitby and the scenery and Captain Cook's statue also got a mention and as I read I could imagine the Whitby description because I have read about the town in books.
In his book Peter killed off a detective and I was surprised at that, but having said that this is part and parcel of the crime novel and this is what makes it interesting for the reader.
I wonder if Annie Cabbot and Banks will get together, Banks is now alone and we know his wife Sandra has re married so I wonder if Peter will merge Cabbot and Banks together.
I have most of the Banks series and I enjoy them so I eagerly await Peter's next offering.
Well done Peter, absolutely brilliant.
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Keeps getting better
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I used to rate Peter Robinson as a better than average police procedurals writer, but nothing more. I think he has really hit his stride now though and the last couple of Inspector Banks I have read have been well above average. It isn't so much the plots - although these are fine - it is more the characterisation which has reached a level of complexity and maturity way beyond that normally seen in novels of this type. Banks - while being a little maverick - isn't the cliché that often seems to be the only way to make crime novels interesting. The most striking feature of his novels for me though is the fact that he manages to portray mature professional women in a way that few male writers master. And he is balanced. The men are just as unsure / interesting (or is that messed up) as the women which gives an edge of reality few crime writers manage.
The story in "Friend of the Devil" is about lives damaged by crime, and the revenge that individuals take when they don't feel justice has been served. It is also however about how individuals who just feel humiliated and frustrated can resort to the same extremes of behaviour as the truly disturbed - and about the everyday prejudice, uncertainty and disorientation that everyone experiences.
I really enjoyed this novel and recommend it highly to both those who enjoy a good crime story and those who like a bit more of a psychological study.
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5 stars for pace and plot, 3 stars for lack of care
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The latest Banks novel could have been one of the best. A very good, if slightly unlikely, double plot involving the two main characters, Banks and Cabbot, leads to a good level of complexity. As always the storyline has good pace and the book is a real pageturner. Like other reviewers, I enjoy the musical references, and the fact that Peter Robinson tries to keep the Eastvale police up with the times.
However, as with a couple of the other recent Banks novels, I can't help feeling that the minor characters and the background to the main plot have been dashed off without due care. For instance, (and there are several other examples),Sophia, a BBC producer, who is supposed to be developing a five-part series on Booker Prize winners, dismisses, with a yawn of boredom, two of the most obviously interesting. 5 minutes research would have revealed that Percy Newby was awarded the CBE for services as Managing Director of the BBC - might be interesting to a BBC producer? JG Farrell wrote a series of three brilliant novels, and was then drowned in mysterious circumstances, again not a bad subject for a series on Booker Prize winners.
These things matter in a crime novel!
There is a more serious flaw in the plot, around the recognition of one of the most important characters, but to be fair, the pace of the denouement swept me past it, and I only spotted it with the benefit of hindsight.
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Disappointing
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Unlike most of the other reviewers, I was disappointed with this book. I have read all Peter Robinson's books, and was looking forward to this one. But I found it confusing and difficult to follow, far too many characters. I am also getting very irritated by the constant referral to what music everyone is listening to - who cares!
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Intruguing use of a previous novel
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A tight thriller from beginning to end. I like how Robinson's protagonists move with the times - mobiles and CCTV play an important role in this novel. Also, Robinson harks back to one of his non-Banks novels, Caedmon's Song, in a most intriguing way. Strongly recommended.
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