Rating: 
Summary: I am really surprised and impressed by this novel
Review: I did not think the story would live up to the billing on the back page or, indeed, my own hopes once I had read the editorial on amazon. I am so pleased that it did. Robinson cooks up a feast of nostalgia, mystery and pshycology in a very unusual detective story.Perhaps most impressive are the diary extracts that tell of life in a tiny Yorkshire village during the War. The voice of the narrator we know is the echo of a million other British voices during those days. Rationing, blackout, land armies and American servicemen all take their place in the reminiscing pages to paint a detailed picture of the life and times of the victim, Gloria. Interspersed there is the police investigation and the trials and tribulations of Robinson's very readable hero, Banks. Difficulties with the boss, ex-wife, son and colleague are juggled admirably by the author who moulds all the rich ingredients into one fast-paced, enjoyable read. Refreshingly, he decides against falling into the ever present trap of saying too much or adding one twist too many, choosing instead to deliver a cameo of shocks in the epilogue. Just when I thought I had finished, there was another couple of pages that caused the eyebrows to raise and the grey matter to think again at what I had just read. I would like to read more of Banks books, but I am wary that the actual subject matter in this novel will far surpass any that appears in the other ten or so volumes. One day I am sure I will have done the set, so to speak, but for now I am going to be content with having had the pleasure of reading this as a brilliant one-off.
Rating: 
Summary: Less is More
Review: I enjoyed the first half of this book and thought that perhaps it was in a different category from the others in the series, as the reviews suggested. But I grew tired of the constant rapid cuts between past and present--Robinson would have done better to give fewer and more extended sections. And the war-time characters and period detail wore thin. I was skimming by the end.
Rating: 
Summary: Super book!
Review: I had this book sitting on my bookshelf for over a year. I'd picked it up at the airport, read the first few pages and then set it aside, the way I do with countless other books I buy.
The other night, I was desperate for something "light" to read and I picked it up again. Read another chapter and I was hooked.
I like the way that Robinson writes--spare but with enough detail that all the various descriptions of wartime Britain that I grew up with somehow came together into a poignant whole for me. And the mystery itself was a good one; very suspenseful with a few twists that weren't "unfair". . .the clues were there when I scanned back.
I've read lots and lots of the modern English mystery writers and I think that Robinson could well become my favorite. However, as this is my first, I will reserve my final judgement until I can get to the bookstore (tonight!) and start on another one.
Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic Read
Review: I hate to agree with all the other reviewers but, THERE RIGHT!, ' In A Dry Season' is Mr. Robinson's most involved, and involving novel. That wonderful copper Alan Banks has reached his apex of disappointment. His marriage is over and his career is hanging by a thread. His relationship with his son is shaky. Then a case that nobody wants is dropped in his lap. A body has been discovered buried in a old deserted villiage. Banks begin's unravelling the mystery, finding out who the victim was, and in the process discovering some things about himself. Cutting back and forth from the past to the present, Mr. Robinson does a brillant job of keeping the reader guessing. You feel the regret and bitterness, as Banks discovers secrets that some people never wanted dug up. I can't wait to read the next installment in this ever improving series..
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite authors
Review: I have a hard time waiting for Mr. Robinson's next book. I love his style of writing and the people he writes about. When is the next book due to be published?
Rating:
Summary: One of the best of ten Allan Banks's mysteries
Review: I have been a big fan of Mr.Robinson's for many years since I read his short story "Innocence". I have read all his Allan Banks' mysteries and his last book is great. The characters from the past as well as from present are all very written. You remember them long after you finished reading. The war period description is very realistique. And, of course, Allan Banks is as good as usual in solving the crime which is over fifty year old. I like Allan very much. Let's face it: there is not very many great investigators who listens to the classical music and reads nineteen century english writers. Banks does not talk much, but he can listen and observe, and he cares about the cases he investigates. In this book he gets a lot of help from new character, Annie. I hope we will see both Allan and Annie in new mr.Robinson's books.
Rating:
Summary: CAPTURING!
Review: I have read all of Peter Robinson's books and have loved them all. "In a Dry Season" captures Alan Banks, and we learn so much more about his growning up. THIS IS THE BEST, but read the others first so you can get to know Inspector Banks. All of Peter Robinson's books are first class.
Rating:
Summary: Too many personal issues
Review: I have read all of Robinson's Inspector Banks novels up to this one and i must say that this one kinda dissapointed me. I mean dont get me wrong, this was a good book and i finished it very quickly but this is my problem: Too much emphaisis on the personal lives of the characters. The book goes way overboard in digging into banks life and his current problems I.E. separation with his wife, a feud with his son, and an emerging romance with a fellow copper. It almost seemed like the murder investigation was backseat and this book was just a vehicle for digging into banks personl life. There wasnt that much investigating and the plot was pretty predictable (I guessed the actual murderer early on). I remember one scene that took up two pages in which Banks remembered years ago, going to his dead friends parents house to tell them the news. What was the point of this? I skipped it. The quick fling with Anne was boring too and Banks should be with Jenny Fuller now anyway. Ok book but not as good as "Blood At The Root" or Wednesday's Child".
Rating:
Summary: another wonderful Inspector Banks mystery.
Review: I put off reading the latest Peter Robinson mystery because it is such a treat when a new one is published that I wanted to savor the moment. Although I found the plot a little stale (I know I have read at least one other mystery where a body is found in a village which had been buried under water until the reservoir dried up), I still enjoyed the sharp character portrayals at which the author is so skilled. I'll be eagerly waiting the next one.
Rating:
Summary: A Fanastic Story - You'll Enjoy This One!
Review: I really enjoyed this book. This is the fourth of the Banks series that I have read, and it is my favorite so far. A skeleton is found under the floor in a house at the bottom of a flooded reservoir that has dried out in a drought. Two stories then begin. One, modern day, in which Banks tries to piece together what happend to this woman more than 50 years ago. The second story take place in the past and tells the story of the dead woman as it really happened. All the while, the reader gets to watch Banks try and reconstruct the killing, while also reading the actual story as it happens leading up to the killing. The other nice thing about the Banks series is that it gives us "Yanks" a slight flavor of what it's like to live in the UK. This is also very refreshing. Buying this book is money well spent. Give it to a friend when you're done. They'll thank you for it.
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