Rating: 
Summary: You'll Be Yearning For More --- Highly Recommended!
Review: Peter Robinson has been incrementally building a fan base in the United States for a while now, and though it is a dedicated one, it is at this point numerically somewhat less than what he deserves. His novels detailing the exploits of the quietly eccentric Police Inspector Alan Banks and D.I. Annie Cabbot are better known in his native Britain; this may change with the United States publication of PLAYING WITH FIRE.The book finds Banks and Cabbot still working through the dissolution of their romantic entanglement while trying to keep their professional relationship viable and functioning. Both have found other interests that they are trying to maintain within the demands of their job when they are summoned to a Yorkshire canal to investigate a fire that has engulfed two barges and resulted in the death of two individuals. It is quickly determined that the fires were deliberately set. Within a short time, a second fire consumes a trailer in the remote English countryside and another life is lost. While the fires appear to be related, the connections among the victims --- a young heroin addict, a supposedly starving artist and a failed businessman --- remain unknown. Robinson is in no hurry here, as he sends Banks and Cabbot along their respective ways while they attempt to unravel the backgrounds of the victims and seek to uncover the linkage that may determine the motive and, ultimately, the perpetrator. A dead end, a clue, a red herring ... all are part of the investigative process, and while things move slowly, Robinson's pacing is exquisite, maintaining a nice balance between describing the investigation and further developing the personae and relationships of the principals. Banks, especially, is an absolute delight. His life is basically his work and he has an eclectic taste in music, which ranges from the classical to Van Morrison to what is on the radio right now. Robinson additionally relies more on quiet drama than explosions and karate battles to move things along. Most of the violent acts take place off the page, yet PLAYING WITH FIRE is not a "cozy" by any means. His description of the aftermath of a fire will almost certainly cure the reader of any longing for "char-broiled" fare. Robinson also takes a very subtle look into the world of artists and collectors. I have to confess that I learned more about painting after reading a few pages of this book than I did during an eight-week course on the subject. PLAYING WITH FIRE also introduces one of the most cunning and calculating villains I've encountered recently; the black heart's identity is concealed for almost the entire book, though fans of the genre will spot him fairly early on. I have a feeling he'll be back; he's too good to be confined to a single book. Robinson meets and exceeds the expectations created by such previous Banks novels as IN A DRY SEASON and CLOSE TO HOME. The conclusion of PLAYING WITH FIRE, while satisfying, leaves the reader yearning for more, and for the next installment of the Banks series. Highly recommended. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Rating: 
Summary: excellent book and addition to the series
Review: 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. If this fourteenth entry in the series doesn't line itself up for several international awards, I'll eat my proof copy.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost Interesting, yet bland, plot & characters.
Review: Robinson is vastly overrated. Nevertheless, the plot in this novel is a little better than most of his novels. Characters are etched with a vagueness that undermines the possibility of depth and ambiguity of character, that Robinson, I suspect, thinks he is creating. Main problem is Banks--Robinson thinks that facts about Banks's life--divorce, former girlfriend on force, long-range relationship, living alone etc--creates a complex, edgy character, but what the reader gets is detective that moves shallow and superficially through the novel. Robinson succeeds much better with a one-time character--the gallant lad whose heroin addicted girlfriend dies--very good portrait of angst filled young man, dealing with life, authentic personality-- his anger is vivid. I liked art expert characterization also. But Banks, female cop, cliched doctor, painter just sit there, dull and uninvolving. Forgettable novel. Highly forgettable.
Rating:
Summary: Not for children
Review: The plot deals with several murders, and gives graphic descriptions of dead bodies including badly burned corpses and a man splattered by a shotgun blast. It also deals with autopsies and the smell of death. Not for the faint at heart.
There is collateral damage as the plot develops. If you are looking for a novel where the main villain is punished you will be disappointed. Some characters get more than they deserve as punishment for misdeeds, and some go unpunished. This is a complex plot, dealing with topics ranging from pedophilia to stolen identities. It makes you wonder if you really know the people around you. It also explains why many police officers drink, some heavily, considering what they must deal with in the course of investigations, and why they may be inclined to get a bit rough on the assumption that the suspect must be guilty of something. The plot is a little unfinished as some people seem to just drop out of sight. In the words of Shakespeare, some people vanish into thin air. One can wonder what happened to Mark.
Rating:
Summary: His best in a while......
Review: This is just about the best mystery I've read in a while and approaches the quality of IN A DRY SEASON, which Robinson wrote a few years back. The author does a great job of developing a tight plot with a few twists and turns that may surprise the most dedicated mystery lover. Robinson also further develops his the main characters Alan and Annie, as well as introducing a six-foot tall Jamaican immigrant female police officer who is bound to turn up again (one hopes!).
Several mystery writers have used fire as a "character" in their novels including Patricia Cornwell, P.D. James, and Elizabeth , so you might think Robinson could not come up with something very different, but he does. He crafts a new and from my perspective particularly horrible slant as he merges perspective of the victim, the art world, old and new friendships, and the ongoing development of the relationship between Annie and Alan.
For ages, female mystery writers have created and directed the exploits of male investigators. Robinson turns the tables, very effectively as he explores the psyche of Annie who is becoming almost as likeable as Harriet Vane. Robinson shows that females don't have to be dumb bunnies who are rescued from the jaws of death after they stupidly play into the killer's hands - sometimes the male needs rescuing. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery, reading past my bed time to finish it.
Rating:
Summary: Another Outstanding Inspector Banks Book
Review: This is the 14th book in the outstanding Inspector Banks series. This is a series that relies not only on high quality mysteries to make it interesting but extremely engaging characters whose lives develop before our eyes. The main characters in the series, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks and his second in command Detective Inspector Annie Banks return once again and pick up from where they left off last time. As a series, it's usually a good idea to read the books in order, although in this case I think it could be read as a stand-alone without missing out on too much valuable information. But on to what actually happens in the book itself. The case that has Banks and the other members of his Western Area Headquarters, Major Crimes Team out in the middle of the night is an arson attack on two derelict barges. It's soon apparent that among the burning wreckage lie two bodies, prompting the case to be investigated as a double homicide. On the surface there is no obvious reason why someone should set fire to a couple of broken down barges. The fact that they were homes to squatters at least gives Banks some leads to follow. Then, the pace accelerates when a second arson attack takes place in a caravan located less than 10 miles from the first fire. What starts out as a seemingly straightforward case of arson soon becomes more complicated once some connections between the two fires are made. Thanks to one of the victims turning out to be a local artist, it looks more and more likely that the crime they are investigating could have something to do with art forgery. A part of the investigation that I found particularly fascinating was the work done by the Fire Investigation Officer Geoff Hamilton. Apart from the sardonic wit and gruff attitude of the man himself, the actual process of sifting through the ashes in order to determine whether the fire was deliberately lit, where it started and when it may have been started was told in a detailed and very interesting fashion. Call it the fire-bug in me but I found this part of the investigation enthralling. There really isn't a lot in the way of new ground to be forged when dealing with police procedural stories. A crime takes place, the police arrive, work the scene, gather evidence, send it to forensics, perhaps attend an autopsy and conduct a heap of interviews. So what makes this such a fresh and interesting story is the strength of the characters, their substantial backgrounds and the dialogue that rings true. Alan Banks in particular is a very engaging character, as one would hope being the main protagonist in the story. There is obviously a personal history between himself and Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot, and I'm guessing that this would have been covered in one (or more) of the earlier books in the series. While it does create a little bit of tension between the two of them while working the case, it merely adds to the depth of their characters. Banks' love of a glass of Laphroaig Scotch whilst relaxing to one of his many jazz CD's of an evening sounds to me like the perfect way to end each day and epitomises the laid back nature of the man. As the investigation progresses, the pace of the book increases subtly until we are faced with quite a dramatic ending, serving to top off a very satisfying story. Enough of the case is solved to provide a satisfactory ending, while enough loose ends remain to ensure that there will be something to pick up in the next book in the series.
Rating:
Summary: A grand scale thriller
Review: Two derelict canal boats are destroyed by fire in the dark hours of the night. Firefighters find a body on each boat, squatters who had been living there illegally. Detective Inspector Alan Banks uncovers enough suspicious evidence to determine that the arson cases are also murder. The police catch a man fleeing from the scene, who turns out to be the boyfriend of a junkie named Tina who had escaped a horrible home life. She is one of the deceased. The other boat held a reclusive artist, and as the police dig into his life they find that he may have been involved in some shady dealings. When another fire occurs a few days later, resulting in the death of another man, Banks is sure that the fires and deaths are connected. As he and his fellow officers sift through the clues, they find ties to the art community and the possibility of forgery. Can they find the identity of the arsonist before he kills again? This is the first Inspector Banks book I have read by Peter Robinson, but now I am anxious to read the other books in this series. Obviously, it would be better to read the others first to get a background on the characters, but I did not feel reading this one first detracted from Playing With Fire at all. The reader gets a sense of the characters, especially Inspector Banks and detective Annie Cabot. Both are dedicated to their jobs and work diligently to find the perpetrator of the crimes before the killer harms others. There is an undercurrent of tension from a failed relationship between the two which makes their conversations intriguing. I have long been a fan of British police procedurals, and Mr. Robinson compares very favorably to my favorite author Elizabeth George. The characters have long standing relationships, developed from novel to novel, and readers can form their own connection with the characters. The plot moves at a meandering pace, slowly doling out clues at the right intervals so that the reader can discover the identity of the culprit at the same time as the police. It is a definite page-turner, and the reader will be surprised at who the murderer turns out to be. Mystery lovers will be delighted in this newest offering from Peter Robinson. Playing With Fire has all of the intense and suspenseful elements necessary for a grand scale thriller. -Melissa Parcel
Rating:
Summary: Good mix of story and character
Review: When two abandoned river barges catch fire, killing two squatters, the signs point to arson. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks and sidekick Detective Investigator Annie Cabbot realize that their plans for getting away with their current love interests are shot--they'll be working overtime to track down the firebug--unless the fires were set for a reason more sinister than simply to see things burn. Suspicion first turns to the boyfriend of one of the victims--conveniently absent during the fire. But the young man doesn't feel right to Banks. Could it be the girl's step-father--a man suspected of sexually abusing the girl? A second fire two nights later gives Banks and Cabbot another line to pursue--one that centers around art forgery. Because it is just possible that someone is cleaning up a mess--or a criminal network that has turned on him. Fortunately, Cabbot's boyfriend is an art professional. Unfortunately, Banks doesn't like the handsome boyfriend and the result is friction between two cops who have to work together closely. Author Peter Robinson does a fine job developing characters and story simultaneously. Banks, with his recently ended marriage, his unsuccessful affair with Cabbot, and his current go-nowhere relationship with an out-of-town cop, remains sympathetic as he tries to track down the criminal--and to keep his feelings toward Cabbot's lover from veering into jealousy. Detours into the point of view of the young man initially suspected of arson add to the story's atmosphere. I thought that the solution became a bit too obvious a bit too soon--and some of Banks' decisions seemed irrational, but overall, PLAYING WITH FIRE was an engrossing and enjoyable read.
| 
