- Hardcover: 448 pages
- Publisher: Macmillan (11 Jan 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0333907418
- ISBN-13: 978-0333907412
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15 x 4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 568,317 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Aftermath
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Amazon.co.uk Review
The mystery novels of Peter Robinson (Aftermath is his 12th) have only increased with power and intelligence. It's a dirty little secret of the crime-fiction genre that many of its writers simply spin their wheels, repeating a successful formula and hoping, if not assuming, that their fans won't notice. Writers like Robinson, however, actually seem to grow in front of our eyes, delivering books of greater complexity each time. His previous two books, Cold Is the Grave and In a Dry Season, were equally novels of character and novels of crime and Aftermath is no exception.
Like recent books by fellow English writers Reginald Hill, Val McDermid and Stephen Booth, Aftermath centres upon a grim case in which attractive young girls have disappeared, victims of a cunning psychotic killer whose identity is well concealed behind a façade of respectability. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks of the Yorkshire Police is in charge of the case, but he's also got unavoidable personal distractions. His estranged wife is pregnant by her lover and wants the divorce he's been dragging his heels over.
There is nothing cosy about the kind of English mysteries written by Peter Robinson, even if they do take place in picturesque rural villages. He's not afraid of gore, deviance, violence or any of the baser emotions and it's a raw old world behind the hedgerows and cottage walls. If Aftermath is your first taste of his tough-tender sensibility, it won't be surprising if you are soon hooked on the work of one of today's most accomplished practitioners of detective fiction. --Otto Penzler
Review
'A writer at the very height of his powers.' Ian Rankin; 'What raises Robinson's series out of the routine is the thoughtfulness of the writing, the subtlety of the characterisation and the skill of the plotting.' Observer
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Banks Shows No Sign Of Going Overdrawn,
By Kenny JR "Ken x" (Wigan, Lancs. United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Aftermath (Inspector Banks Mystery) (Hardcover)
First of all the plot in this excellent novel is not a comfortable one and although the book is easy to get into it will no doubt not suit everyone. Acting Superintendant Alan Banks is having a pretty tough time at this point in his life. His wife is divorcing him, his kids are grown up and his current love interest is akin to catching a bar of soap in the bath. He is managing an investigation into the Chameleon Killer with little success and the world rests weary on his shoulders. However a chance call to a domestic disturbance starts to unravel the disappearances of the missing teenage girls and Banks ends up with his most traumatic case to date.For those unfamiliar with this wonderful character this would not be the worst place to start as the novel not only refers back to previous cases (novels) and happier times but perhaps for the first time in this series we spend most of the time with Banks and see what the stresses of the job are doing and indeed have done to him. Peter Robinson has developed Banks so much over the past 15 years that as in real life the man who investigated the murders in Gallows View is different to the man who gets to the bottom of it all by the end of Aftermath. If you like your thrillers to have depth and to be pacy, full of twists with real life locations then I cannot recommend this novel enough. Stick with it because the surprise is bound to get you.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another good read from Robinson,
By martin verlaine (Suffolk) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Aftermath: A Novel of Suspense (Inspector Banks Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)
This was quite eagerly awaited as the last Banks I read was superb ( Cold is the Grave)This was a compulsive read. Like other Robinson novels, it seeks to involve the reader and treat the issues in an intelligent and realistic manner. Those who pick this as their first Banks may be confused by the major characters but previous novels should be read to see that the story lines are cleverly plotted and Banks' relationships followed through in a seamless manner. To the plot, it could be argued that this type of novel is done to death ( sorry) given the detailed police procedural narrative. However, what is outstanding here is the very well identified fallabilitiy of ordinary policeman involved in a high profile investigation where the failure of adequate supervision due to under resourcing evidentially leads to ( a la Yorkshire Ripper) failure to identify a serial killer before other deaths arise. OK maybe this to is cliched but it is done so well that you accept the premise. Banks is again well drawn and whilst you can say that there are too many dectectives in current fiction who have relationship and emotional issues these identified here are a continuing theme from previous novels and can be seen as related to the strains of committed police work at the high level. The closed environment surrounding a high profile case could not have been better told and the examination of the media to events never less than credible. I must admit I could not put this book down and ultimately one of its strengths is the gripping narrative and ( perhaps surprisingly) lack of sub plot. The compulsive nature of the need to seek the truth has never been better detailed. Where it failed to attain 5 stars( I am not a willing giver of such an accolade) was in the fact that it seemed the author had an intense desire to tidy up the loose ends and end the novel in a somewhat abrupt manner-quite why I am not sure. . As Robinson seems content to let the reader begin to see that Banks is increasingly disenchanted with policing, this theme and the political nature of Police and excessive force in attempting arrests could have been carried over to the next novel.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A book to keep you awake into the small hours...,
This review is from: Aftermath: A Novel of Suspense (Inspector Banks Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)
This was the first Peter Robinson book I had read, and my introduction to Inspector Banks. The whole detective genre is getting a bit stale now, and this really does not redress the balance, a detective with family problems, a few ambitious sidekicks, a love interest within the job, and a forensic psychologist that noone ever takes seriously. However once you get over that you get into a really gripping story that you will not want to put down. A series of abductions, and presumed deaths of young girls has taken place, and instead of the book taking you through the investigation and subsequent revlation of the guilty party it starts off with the identification of the abductor in the most explosive of ways. The book concentrates then on the fallout of the crimes, and delves back into the pasts of the guilty party, shedding light on what may have caused their deviant behaviour..I would say the only bad point of the book is the character of the cop under investigation of heavy handidness, I feel the character was weakly developed, and never really got going, to the point that you didn't really make a connection with the character or care what happened. Also like so many of these types of books, the end came too soon, whether because my enjoyment was so great that I wanted it to go on, or, as I suspect a page limit was approaching and it was time to wrap things up (why do so many modern books give me this impression).Will I read more Robinson books about Inspector Banks ? You can be assurred that I will, and I will keep a keen eye out for the next installments in this series.
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