Final Account: An Inspector Banks Mystery (Inspector Banks Mysteries (Hardcover))

Rating:
Summary: A series that's important to read in order
Review: I can only suspect that the nay-sayers haven't read the previous books in this series. Banks is a bit like scotch whiskey - an acquired taste. Much of the pleasure in reading this book lies in knowing Banks and his supporting characters. What kind of music will Banks be "into" in this book (it changes in each book)? Will Susan Gay develop a life outside of her work? What nasty tricks will Burgess be up to in this episode? What's up with Banks' marriage and can he resist temptation one more time?

So, my advice to other readers is to invest the time in reading this series from the start. The first few books are only so-so but they lay the foundations to make later books a much enjoyed reading experience.

Rating:
Summary: only ok
Review: I picked up this book partly because the blurb in the back said that he's comparable to Ruth Rendall. Unfortunately, I found him far from being comparable in a good light beyond the generics of background. I could predict how the murder would be resolved almost from the beginning, which was disappointing. The secondary characters were too one-dimensional as well. Even though the plot was predictable, the book moved at a good pace which is why I wasn't bored. I could only imagine that he has other books that are better if he's been compared to Rendall.

Rating:
Summary: Bloody barbaric detectives
Review: Oh my gosh,this book was a pain.The first 200 pages were ok but after that,the story loses heat and dragged on without a plot.The writing was mediocre and lazy as if he were in a rush to finish this book.Also,Banks was a very unlikeable character.He was lusting after Pamela when he was already married,he got into a fight in a pub and he came across as a very unsentimental man.Other than that,the detectives in this book,other than Susan,were just plain barbaric.They acted like criminals instead of detectives.And the part about the "shaved pussies"was totally disgusting.All in all,the book was a pain to read.The contrived plot,mediocre writing plus all the unlikeable characters just make this a very bad book.