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Past Reason Hated: An Inspector Banks Mystery by Peter Robinson
From Publishers Weekly The inhabitants of Robinson's Yorkshire are a far cry from James Herriot's sturdy farmers. In this literate mystery, Chief Inspector Alan Banks must deal with the vicious stabbing death of a young lesbian in a room illuminated by the light of a crackling fire and a Christmas tree, the murder by starvation of an incestuous old lecher, the slashing to ribbons of a Twelfth Night cast's costumes and the near-fatal strangulation of his newest detective constable, Susan Gay. Banks, seen last in The Hanging Valley, subjects all potential suspects--including past and present spouses and lovers, a group of amateur thespians and members of the police force--to an extended (perhaps too extended) psychological investigation. The puzzle's grip is weakened by some unconvincing red herrings and the detectives' lengthy musings; nevertheless, Robinson, a Toronto resident and winner of the Crime Writers of Canada Best Novel award, creates an appealing Yorkshire setting with evocative descriptions of the wintry town, dales and seaside. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Reader Reviews Satisfying, solid mystery, August 1, 2003 Reviewer: Robin Currier from San Juan Capistrano, CA USA Peter Robinson always produces a solid, interesting mystery. His main character, Alan Banks, is a complex, compassionate police inspector with problems of his own. A thoughtful man with a love of classical music, Banks does not have the literary knowledge of Shakespeare or contemporary myster writers of his author. (I thought it amusing that one of the characters makes a flip comment comparing Banks to a P.D. James detective which goes completely over Banks' head.) Robinson cleverly weaves elements of Shakespeare, classical liturgical music, and sexual identity into a complex psychological mystery. As always, Robinson portrays Yorkshire in a convincing, vivid way. A satisfying read, this book is not quite up to the standards of his later works. That doesn't take anything away from this book, but simply reflects how much Robinson grew as an author in later books. "In a Dry Season" is my favorite of his works, and one of the best recreations of 1940s and contemporary Yorkshire in print.
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