Although best known for his long-running series of novels featuring Inspector Alan Banks, Peter Robinson is also a writer of short stories, and this is his second collection, after
Not Safe After Dark: and other works. This collection contains 10 short stories, three of which feature Banks, and a novella in which the central story concerns Banks' last days as a policeman in London before his move north to Eastvale. All of the short stories have been published elsewhere, but it would take an avid collector of short stories from several countries to have read them all before - I'd only come across the one that's in John Harvey's
Men from Boys.
The short stories show off Robinson's considerable versatility as a writer, with a wide range of settings, from war-time stories, to elements of the supernatural, parodies, PI's and the more familiar territory of Eastvale. All are rewarding, with interesting characters, atmospheric settings and intriguing plot lines. Particular favourites were Cornelius Jubb, a tale exploring racial tension in the American army and in Yorkshire, The Price of Love (the title story, in which the central character is a young boy, and Walking the Dog, with its dramatic twists. Fans of Banks will be delighted with the novella that concludes the collection; it begins with Banks in his present Eastvale home receiving a letter that prompts him to remember his last days working in London. We're then transported back to the mid-80s, and find Banks investigating prostitute murders in Soho; key series characters, including his family, Gristhorpe, and Dick Burgess are all introduced. Alongside a tense, taut plot, featuring organised crime, vice and violence, we get the background on Banks' early career follow him through his decision to apply for a vacancy in Eastvale. A great story in its own right, but also a good way to build up a fuller picture of Banks and to provide some further context for all that happens in his personal life through the series of novels. Highly recommended.
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