In a Dry Season [Audio CD]

Peter Robinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2002

Detective chief inspector Alan Banks is a walking midlife crisis, full of rage because of his recently failed marriage, a career crippled by a jealous superior, and problems with his son. In less skilled hands, Banks could have quickly become a royal pain, but Robinson makes him instead a very likable character, who is slightly baffled and bemused by his bad luck. When he criticizes his son Brian's decision to drop out of college to become a rock musician, Banks quickly regrets it--recognizing the same impulses that made him rebel against his own parents, and some of the pain he felt when a college friend died of a drug overdose. The realization that Brian's heavy-metal band is actually quite good brings genuine pleasure to a man whose idea of rock is Love's Forever Changes and other 1970s delights.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Recorded Books, LLC (2002)
• ISBN-10: 1402534949
• ISBN-13: 978-1402534942
• ASIN: B0013QXLJC
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,600,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Peter Robinson's award-winning novels have been named a Best-Book-of-the-Year by Publishers Weekly, a Notable Book by the New York Times, and a Page-Turner-of-the-Week by People magazine. Robinson was born and raised in Yorkshire but has lived in North America for over twenty-five years. He now divides his time between North America and the U.K.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peter Robinson reaches an apex, September 28, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (San Francisco Bay area( CA.)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In a Dry Season (Hardcover)

This book is just a small departure from the normal Detective Banks format, but Peter Robinson is a gem when it comes to British murder mysteries. His books just keep getting better, and this book is so beautifully crafted that you are drawn into the story and wonderful characters. Each Inspector Banks book moves us further into his life and ties us closer to his very believable characters.This book takes a short detour into the past with a wonderfully creditable portrayal of wartime England, while moving the reader subltly along in Bank's life. Incredibly good read, stayed up all night to finish it. Peter Robinson sets new standards for British police proceedurals. Can hardly wait until the next one! I strongly recommend that you read absolutely every Inspector Banks mystery you can lay your hands on!!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Mystery, March 10, 2002

By 

Untouchable (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In a Dry Season (Inspector Banks Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

A village that has been flooded to create a reservoir is uncovered during a particularly dry summer. While exploring, a boy discovers a human skeleton that, in all likelihood had been put there over 50 years ago. Was the person murdered or was it an accident? Will it be possible to solve such an old case?

The man chosen for the job is DI Alan Banks. He's been out of favour with his superiors, prompting his selection for what sees to be a hopeless, dead-end job. But, through determination, perseverance and help from local sergeant, Annie Cabbot, he makes slow progress.

Peter Robinson alternates between the present and the past in an effective narration of the story. By doing this, we are treated to both the lead up and the aftermath of a time surround by turmoil. As Inspector Banks uncovers clues and chases up leads, we are taken back to when it all took place and get to witness every detail first hand. It really is a technique that works extraordinarily well.

As far as police procedurals go, this ranks very highly with pieces of the puzzle revealing a more and more tragic story, leading right up to the consequences played out in the climactic present-day scenes. This is definitely a book to put on your must-read list, particularly if you are a fan of well-constructed mysteries.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wondeful read, March 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: In a Dry Season (Hardcover)

He already thought that he had sunk to the bottom after his marriage ended and he was relegated to desk duty due to one insubordination too many. So when his superior assigns him to investigate human remains found in the remote Thornfield Reservoir, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks jumps on the case.

Even before he travels to the reservoir, Alan knows that the extra dry season led to the bones being discovered as the water no longer covered them. The forensic crowd determine that the victim is Gloria Shackleton, a Land Girl who worked in the village of Hobb's End during World War II. Just after the war, a reservoir was built on the site of the village. Though someone murdered Gloria five decades ago, Alan investigates the crime as if it happened yesterday.

IN A DRY SEASON, the tenth Inspector Banks police procedural, may be the best tale in the highly regarded series. The story line is filled with details from the past and the present that cleverly intertwine into a wonderful investigation. Alan's marital and job problems provide much insight into his character. The support cast, especially the deceased's sister-in-law, augments the plot with much depth from two eras. There may be a drought in Yorkshire, but there is no literary one as long as Peter Robinson continues to provide readers with novels that the audience can bank on as being superb.

Harriet Klausner