Friend of the Devil
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk
Whatever the profession (from medicine to cuisine), it's always good to sit back and relax, knowing that you're in the hands of a consummate professional. So it is with crime fiction, and Peter Robinson is one of the most reliable names around. He has written 17 books in his much-acclaimed Inspector Bank series (Friend of the Devil is the 17th), and his writing has the confidence that is commensurate with the best in the field.
DI Annie Cabbot is on loan to another area (and is not working with her colleague, Chief Inspector Alan Banks), and finds herself saddled with a difficult case. A woman’s body is found in a wheelchair by the sea. Her throat has been ripped open. At the same time, a teenage girl has been raped and murdered after an alcohol-fuelled night out. DCI Banks is dealing with another case. The two detectives experience very dissimilar results: Banks is faced with a multiplicity of suspects, while Annie Cabbot makes absolutely no progress in her case. Those familiar with detective fiction won't be surprised to learn that the various cases turn out to be interrelated, and when the duo begin to make considerable inroads into the mysteries, they find that aspects of their own pasts are coming back to haunt them. And a burning question becomes ever more pertinent: just how many killers are involved in these cases?
We may be used to relationships between male and female detectives that alternate between the fractious and the reluctantly affectionate, but Peter Robinson has always been able to steer a very confident route down this particular avenue, always firmly keeping cliché at bay. But (as always with this author), the plot’s the thing to catch the attention of the reader, and Friend of the Devil works out a labyrinthine narrative with a particularly pleasing attention to detail. --Barry Forshaw --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
Praise for Piece of My Heart
(: )'Robinson has to use all his ingenuity to find the solution to both killings. This book benefits hugely from Robinson's sympathetic leading man and the richly recorded Dales settings.'
(Scotsman )'PIECE OF MY HEART brilliantly evokes the time of British psychedelia (which I remember as standing in a muddy field sucking on a weak joint), as well as being a terrific contemporary crime novel.'
(Independent on Sunday )'Peter Robinson has for too long, and unfairly, been in the shadow of Ian Rankin; perhaps Piece of My Heart, the latest in the Chief Inspector Banks series, will give him the status he deserves, near, perhaps even at the top of, the British crime writers' league . . . Piece of My Heart brilliantly interweaves past and present, providing two strands of tension for the price of one, and further enhancing Alan Banks's reputation as one of crime fiction's most appealing cops.'
(Marcel Berlins, The Times )'This is Banks' 16th outing and the best yet'
(Mirror )'This book must be the bargain of the year, for it is two riveting, equally interesting crime novels in one. What takes it into the premier league, however, is Robinson's utterly convincing and moving portrayal of Chadwick and Banks'
(Telegraph )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Best enjoyed in the context of his earlier work AFTERMATH, Peter Robinson's FRIEND OF THE DEVIL is a stunning addition to his British police detective series. Not only does the reader glimpse more of the unfolding dynamics between the main characters, but also, the case hearkens back to the past as new murders challenge both the detectives and the reader to look at the past through a different perspective.
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks and Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot investigate a series of chilling murders. Cabbot investigates a brutal and chilling murder of a parapalegic woman in a wheelchair while Banks investigates the brutal murder and rape of a woman found in The Maze. Although these crimes seem unrelated, the murders provoke both Banks and Cabbot to look into their own histories to past crimes that have touched their lives. The eerie murder of the mysterious woman in the wheelchair haunts the imagination as the detectives ponder the thoughts a woman unable to defend herself or even voice a protest in her last moments. The first layer of clues unraveled is only one layer to this finely constructed suspenseful mystery. When Banks' investigation solves the mystery of one crime detail of the rape and murder, more mysteries emerge. Will the security cameras around the Maze aid or complicate this investigation? Each clue, each new development twists and turns the investigation, keeping the reader in suspense until the final dramatic scene.
FRIEND OF THE DEVIL explores the ambiguity in the relationship between Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks and Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot. Peter Robinson's unflinching and realistic look into the conflicts in their personal lives add a depth to the characterization as their past chafes and recalls earlier moments and the character's personal weaknesses. In FRIEND OF THE DEVIL, relationships aren't easy or simplistic and, to the reader's delight, neither is the path to catching the perpetrators of these crimes. Precise, sometimes stark descriptive details heighten the terror of these crimes all the way to the shocking climatic end.
Chilling, eerie and full of surprises, Peter Robinson's FRIEND OF THE DEVIL gradually builds up a fascinating look into memory, interweaving it into the very thematic structure. Memory underpins this mystery, interwoven within the very core as reminiscences from a former case haunt Banks. Past events present obstacles to personal relationships. Even in the murders themselves, Banks and Cabbot must delve into the memories of witnesses. Quite simply, Peter Robinson's kaleidoscope into memory makes FRIEND OF THE DEVIL a good choice for readers who might crave a little extra to ponder in addition to riveting suspense.
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks and Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot investigate a series of chilling murders. Cabbot investigates a brutal and chilling murder of a parapalegic woman in a wheelchair while Banks investigates the brutal murder and rape of a woman found in The Maze. Although these crimes seem unrelated, the murders provoke both Banks and Cabbot to look into their own histories to past crimes that have touched their lives. The eerie murder of the mysterious woman in the wheelchair haunts the imagination as the detectives ponder the thoughts a woman unable to defend herself or even voice a protest in her last moments. The first layer of clues unraveled is only one layer to this finely constructed suspenseful mystery. When Banks' investigation solves the mystery of one crime detail of the rape and murder, more mysteries emerge. Will the security cameras around the Maze aid or complicate this investigation? Each clue, each new development twists and turns the investigation, keeping the reader in suspense until the final dramatic scene.
FRIEND OF THE DEVIL explores the ambiguity in the relationship between Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks and Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot. Peter Robinson's unflinching and realistic look into the conflicts in their personal lives add a depth to the characterization as their past chafes and recalls earlier moments and the character's personal weaknesses. In FRIEND OF THE DEVIL, relationships aren't easy or simplistic and, to the reader's delight, neither is the path to catching the perpetrators of these crimes. Precise, sometimes stark descriptive details heighten the terror of these crimes all the way to the shocking climatic end.
Chilling, eerie and full of surprises, Peter Robinson's FRIEND OF THE DEVIL gradually builds up a fascinating look into memory, interweaving it into the very thematic structure. Memory underpins this mystery, interwoven within the very core as reminiscences from a former case haunt Banks. Past events present obstacles to personal relationships. Even in the murders themselves, Banks and Cabbot must delve into the memories of witnesses. Quite simply, Peter Robinson's kaleidoscope into memory makes FRIEND OF THE DEVIL a good choice for readers who might crave a little extra to ponder in addition to riveting suspense.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
That this, the 17th novel in the Inspector Banks series, feels fresh and the characters are still developing, is testament to Peter Robinson's considerable skill as a writer. His plots are dark and often harrowing, as is the case here, with two seemingly disparate cases; Banks is focussed on the rape and murder of a young student in a secluded alleyway in Eastvale, while DI Cabbot is seconded to Eastern Division and is investigating the violent death of a quadriplegic. Inevitably, both cases dovetail, but convincingly so, and there's an interesting tie-in with Robinson's standalone book 'Caedmon's Song' - one piece of advice, if you haven't read 'Caedmon's Song', do so before reading this. It'll make your experience of this novel much richer.
As the cases come together, they get more harrowing and the violence continues, leading up to a bloody, enthralling climax. The principal characters, Banks and Cabbot, are as interesting as ever; seemingly having drifted apart somewhat, they both have personal adventures of their own, but cannot cut themselves off from each other completely. There are also many other great characters, and Robinson's dialogue, scene setting and understanding of common prejudices and cultural habits make for a great read. Highly recommended.
As the cases come together, they get more harrowing and the violence continues, leading up to a bloody, enthralling climax. The principal characters, Banks and Cabbot, are as interesting as ever; seemingly having drifted apart somewhat, they both have personal adventures of their own, but cannot cut themselves off from each other completely. There are also many other great characters, and Robinson's dialogue, scene setting and understanding of common prejudices and cultural habits make for a great read. Highly recommended.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Two weeks after she has been on loan from the Western Area HQ Eastvale police station to the Spring Hill police station in the Eastern Area, Annie Cabbot is assigned the murder investigation of a woman found in her wheelchair at the edge of a cliff, with her throat slit. At first appearing to be about 40 years old, she is soon found to have been only 28, a quadriplegic who had been a resident in a care home nearby to the murder site. At the same time, Inspector Alan Banks, Annie's one-time lover, is investigating the brutal rape and murder of a 19-year-old girl in Eastvale. The investigations of the two cases are juxtaposed in alternating sections, with the lines at times conjoining.
Further inquiries in the "Wheelchair Murder," as it is dubbed by the press, result in the realization that the dead woman was involved in an infamous case six years earlier [and the subject of an earlier book], with which Cabbot and Banks were deeply involved, and the case immediately becomes much more complex. An underlying theme is "the secrets and burdens people carry around with them," and their memories.
All the favorite elements of this wonderful series are present here: The terrific writing, evocative descriptions of the English landscape and cityscape, Banks' indulging in his regular pint or glass of wine [general over-indulgence in alcohol palpable throughout], the marvelous backdrop of music by Bill Evans, Coltrane and Monk, among others. What is different in this newest series entry is the emphasis on the character and personality of Annie Cabbot. Although Banks is the usual protagonist, and an always fascinating one he is, allowing Annie to take her equal place at center stage here only adds one more dimension to this always excellent series.
Further inquiries in the "Wheelchair Murder," as it is dubbed by the press, result in the realization that the dead woman was involved in an infamous case six years earlier [and the subject of an earlier book], with which Cabbot and Banks were deeply involved, and the case immediately becomes much more complex. An underlying theme is "the secrets and burdens people carry around with them," and their memories.
All the favorite elements of this wonderful series are present here: The terrific writing, evocative descriptions of the English landscape and cityscape, Banks' indulging in his regular pint or glass of wine [general over-indulgence in alcohol palpable throughout], the marvelous backdrop of music by Bill Evans, Coltrane and Monk, among others. What is different in this newest series entry is the emphasis on the character and personality of Annie Cabbot. Although Banks is the usual protagonist, and an always fascinating one he is, allowing Annie to take her equal place at center stage here only adds one more dimension to this always excellent series.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Friend on the Devil - a good read
Another in the DI Banks series, this is a good read and further develops the established realtionships between the key characters in the series. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Steve Cowles
Just gets better every time.
Another excellent book by Peter Robinson. This plot is reminiscent of something by Reginald Hill. , I suppose this is due to the complicated nature of the crimes and their dual... Read more
Published 7 months ago by A. Browne
Depresively romantic
I read this book as part of Crime book club. Probably wouldn't choose otherwise but I don't regret I read it. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Ms. Liga Dzene
Chilling and realistic
In the Maze, a warren of alleyways and coutyards in the heart of Eastvale a young woman lies dead. After being raped her body has been laid out in a posed position on a pile of... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Ed Taylor
Peter Robinson stories.
Anyone who likes this author will enjoy this book. Peter Robinson never lets me down, I get hooked from page 1 and find it difficult to put down until every last page has been... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Chris
Friend of the Devil
Once again Peter Robinson's DCI Alan Banks logicaly solves the case. As with the whole series this book is well planned and written. Read more
Published 15 months ago by BrianR
Friend of the devil
If you like detective novels you'll love this series, try and read them in order as they refer to past events in previous books.
Published 21 months ago by Kat
Another page turner from Robinson
I really enjoyed reading this book adn often found it hard to put down. I tend to agree with other reviewers that the Annie mid life crisis was a bit laboured but I thought the two... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Ray Reviewer
A real page turner-great summer read!
Once again a fast paced page turner acting Chief Inspector Banks. Peter Robinson can now take his place among the best British crime novelists! Read more
Published 21 months ago by Linda Blaskovic
Crime mystery -Friend of the Devil
Another excellent Inspector Bank's novel. If you enjoy Peter Robinson's story telling ..you will enjoy this!
Published 22 months ago by Christine Bebbington
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