DCI Banks: Playing with Fire
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Playing with Fire is a typical Peter Robinson book. And if that sounds like damning with faint praise, it's anything but. Since Gallows View in 1987, Robinson has been turning out one of the most assured and entertaining series of crime novels in the genre, with his doughty Inspector Alan Banks one of the most solidly drawn of protagonists.
But perhaps the real reason behind the considerable success of the books is that unerring combination of brilliantly turned plots and wonderfully evoked locales: the Yorkshire Dales have proved a very fertile stamping ground for Robinson's irresistible brand of restrained mayhem.
Banks is handed his most piquant problem in Playing with Fire, and the rural backdrop is once again a key player in the action. On a chill winter's morning, a fire is found to have consumed two narrow boats on the Eastvale canal. Banks and his associate DI Annie Cabbot find themselves examining some grisly remnants: charred bodies found on the remains of the two boats. But who are the victims of what appears to be a calculated act of murder? An enigmatic artist with few friends? A young couple who spent most of their time stoned on illegal substances? Banks and Cabbot quickly find themselves with a host of possible perpetrators on their hands, from the father of the young girl who died in the attack to a duplicitous art dealer. But the heat is turned on for Banks--literally--when the murderous arsonist gets to work again.
As in the seminal In a Dry Season, Robinson doesn't shirk from tackling some pretty convoluted plotting, but any confusion the reader is plunged into is very satisfyingly resolved, and Robinson's already strong reputation will grow with this book. --Barry Forshaw --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
Smarting from the break-up with his girlfriend, DI Annie Cabot, and still in shock from his ex-wife's recent pregnancy, DCI Alan Banks welcomes the diversion of a fire on two houseboats on the old Eastvale canal.. even though two bodies are then found on board. But was it arson or accident? And why was the boyfriend of one of the victims found lurking in the woods watching the fire-fighters in action? The case soon widens with another fire, another death, the discovery of art fraud, paedophilia and incest. And to add to it all DI Cabot has a new man - one that Banks doesn't like or trust an inch. As the case unravels and becomes ever more complicated, so Banks' personal life becomes entangled, occasionally blurring both his and Cabot's vision of the real villain in their midst. Crossing the York moors from city to village, Robinson draws a vivid picture of life in the North. Tauter than "The Summer that Never Was", the plot moves quickly and intelligently with Banks once more central to the core. Only this time he may have bitten off more than even he can chew.... A must for all Robinson fans. - Lucy Watson
--This text refers to the
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
In this 14th book of the consistently high quality Inspector Banks series, a case of arson drags Banks and his team out in the middle of the night. It’s soon apparent that among the burning wreckage lie two bodies, so they launch their inquiry as a possible double murder. Then, the pace accelerates when a second arson attack takes place less than 10 miles from the first.
Once again, the very engaging Banks is backed up by his second in command D.I. Annie Cabbot creating a delightful partnership. The characters keep growing and getting more interesting, giving an extra dimension to each successive book. As far as police procedurals go this was another strong addition to an already excellent series. I’ve found reading the Inspector Banks series always captivating and this one was no less so. I found myself sitting up far into the night to finish it.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This, the 14th novel in Robinson's Inspector Banks series, is a super read. The prose is typically well constructed and flows easily, with clear, evocative descriptions of people and places. The story is set, as usual, near Eastvale in Yorkshire, with DCI Banks, DI Cabbott and team investigating a series of arson attacks. We learn lots about the different characters and suspects - variously feeling sorry for, irritated by and concerned about them. Issues of family relationships, drug abuse, social class and deceit are all explored. As ever, the reader feels closely connected to Banks - though his personal life is rather more thoughtful than active here - perhaps a sign of him getting older and reflecting more on what's happened throughout the years.
A great read and a typical Peter Robinson page-turner.
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Playing with Fire is that rare beast; a Peter Robinson novel that hasn't had its titled bashed about for North American markets, which is rather refreshing. And, of course, considering that title, it is full of fire, destruction, conflagration (physical and emotional) as well a new burning power in the writing itself too, which makes the book possibly Robinson's strongest, most cunning plotted mystery yet, if perhaps not the most "meaningful" or innovative.
It begins, of course, with flame. In the wee hours of a cold January morning (the chill of the climate and atmosphere is a brilliantly effective contrast to the searing fires of the plot) two narrow-boats are found burning on a lonely stretch of a Yorkshire canal. When the fire-fighters have done their work, the investigators move in, and two dead bodies are found in the remains, blackened and burnt. And, of course, in the best traditions of the murder-mystery, traces of accelerant are found.
However, which was the intended victim? Tina, the drugged out young girl living with her boyfriend on one boat, or Tom, the lonely, seemingly reclusive artist who lived on the other? As Robinson's well-seasoned protagonist Chief Inspector Banks sets the investigations in motion, the threads tangle and the case proves to be every bit as complex as it promised at the start. And this particular twisted firestarter is not done yet...
Peter Robinson is remarkable; with every single book for about 6 years, he has been continuing to expand his series, smashing down boundaries, reaching new heights with every single book. While once his reflective Inspector Banks novels were simply nice little procedurals to while away an evening, lately they have become something far more remarkable, and he has moved into the front rank of male crime writers, alongside Ian Rankin and Michael Connelly in writing moving, artful crime novels that shed light on all aspects of human experience. There are so many things to recommend him, not least his evocation of landscape and ability to probe the very human depths of every single characters instinctive motivations. He plots as if he were born to the genre, and his protagonist Banks is a true marvel. Less of a tough-as-nails guy than Bosch or Rebus, Banks is thoughtful, moral, reflective and, dare I say it, not startlingly interesting on the surface (but, of course, therein lies his shining humanity) and in Playing with Fire there are enough personal trials for him to deal with to satisfy any connoisseur of fascinating protagonists. The other human aspects of this book are incredibly well-done; moving and expansive, Robinson reaches out to all his characters, taking them gently by the hand and leading them to the reader, in sometimes shocking ways.
The cracking, multi-faced plot is in itself engaging and clever, with surprises and shifts in tone and pitch that elevate it far above the average, the only thing that lets this novel down is it's slightly annoying solution - though this may well just be down to personal taste. Otherwise, this is a 14th excellent Banks novel from Peter Robinson.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
not bad
i would have given this book which is well written , a 5 star rating, but i`m probably too catholic in my tastes , and don`t need an overly reliance on sex. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Peter Wiley
Great!
Excellent as always - one of my favourite authors. Long live DCI Banks!! I don't think anyone reading this and is a die hard fan will be disappointed.
Published 9 months ago by Ginger
Great but not "New"
I don't know why, in 2011, this is being advertised as a "new Alan Banks novel." It was published in 2004. At least the title is the same in the UK and the USA, so I wasn't fooled. Read more
Published 15 months ago by C. Robinson
Another excellent read
With Susan Hill's Simon Serailler, I am finding Peter Robinson's Alan Banks' novels the best detective series around at present and "Playing with Fire" maintains its high standards... Read more
Published 22 months ago by L. Wynn Williams
This is the CD version of the story
This is my first experience of Peter Robinson's apparently long-as-your-arm body of works about Inspector Banks but instead of reading the book I decided to try a flavour of this... Read more
Published on 13 Feb 2010 by Berengaria N
Banks takes the biscuit and is reminded of his youthful...
I'm not sure if I've read Peter Robinson before. Probably I have, he's prolific and my wife likes Inspector Banks. Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2009 by Build another bookcase
Not Many Sparks
As appealing a pairing as Annie Cabot and Alan Banks are, this is not an example of Robinson writing at the top of his game. Read more
Published on 16 April 2008 by J. Huntington
Inspector Banks Novels are Always Worth Reading
Peter Robinson grew up in Yorkshire, and is the author of a number of previous novels featuring Inspector Banks. Read more
Published on 28 April 2007 by J. Chippindale
One of the best books in the Inspector Banks series
Peter Robinson keeps getting better. This book, the latest in the perennial Inspector Banks series, is certainly one of the best. Read more
Published on 28 Dec 2004 by Kirk McElhearn
Slapdash and tired?
I've been a big fan of the Inspector Banks series, but I fear that "Playing with Fire" is distinctly under par. Read more
Published on 6 Dec 2004 by Mr. Stephen Edwards
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