The considerable appeal of this first novel, an English village police procedural, lies in Robinson's updating of the genre with realistic treatment of contemporary violence and sexual issues, while maintaining the charm and civility of the setting. Inspector Banks's fifth case is an ironic, suspenseful tale of family secrets, hidden passions and desperate violence.

His first cases involve a Peeping Tom frightening the women of Eastvale; two glue-sniffing young thugs breaking into homes and robbing people; and an old woman who may or may not have been murdered. If you haven’t encountered Chief Inspector Alan Banks before, prepare for a crash course in taut, clean writing and subtle psychology. The viewing figures were successful enough for three more adaptations to be commissioned– Playing With Fire, Friend Of The Devil, and Cold Is The Grave–under a series title DCI Banks showing as six one-hour episodes, which started airing on 16 September 2011. In July 2010, ITV commissioned a television adaptation of the novel Aftermath with Stephen Tompkinson playing the role of Banks.If you haven't encountered Chief Inspector Alan Banks before, prepare for a crash course in taut, clean writing and subtle psychology. When an old woman is murdered in her home, Banks must determine if yet a third criminal--a killer--has surfaced, and if any or all of these events are related.

The novel follows Inspector Banks as he investigates the murder of Officer DI Bill Quinn, who has been shot through the heart by a bolt from a crossbow while convalescing at the St. Complicating matters is his attraction to the psychologist brought in on the Peeping Tom case and the fact that his own wife has become one of the Peeper's targets. Chief Inspector Alan Banks of Britain's Eastvale Regional Police reappears in another fluently written, superior mystery.But it was always like that - the telephone might bring you together for a few moments, but there's nothing like it for emphasising distance.

DC Gay and Chief Inspector Alan Banks soon find plenty of suspects as they begin to delve into Caroline's past and the women's present life: Veronica's ex-husband, who is a well-known composer; a feminist poet; the cast and crew of a play Caroline was rehearsing; and Caroline's eccentric, reclusive brother, Gary Hartley. A rotting corpse in the Yorkshire Dales brings Chief Inspector Alan Banks to the insular village of Swainshead in the latest of Robinson's ( Gallows View ) justly acclaimed series of procedurals. The novel was selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the best mysteries of the year, nominated for the 1996 Hammett Prize, [4] and won the 1997 Arthur Ellis Award for 'Best Novel'. The victim was white, in his early thirties, five feet eleven inches tall, ten and a half stone in weight, and in good physical condition.

The sort of mystery novel which keeps the reader, willing-unwilling, turning the pages far into the night….