Customer Reviews

Final Account

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is Identical in every way to "Final Account" except for the title and the Copyright date! It is even listed by Amazon as a recomendation to those who bought Final Account which is how I wound up with it. Imagine my disappointment when I opened the book to find this out. I enjoyed Final Account but it really steams me to have paid for it TWICE!

I'm a huge fan of the Scottish writer Ian Rankin, so when I heard him favourably compared to Peter Robinson, I had to check the latter out. Of course I started with the first of the Inspector Banks series and was surprised to find no similarity to the Rankin books at all. The Robinson novel was a modern variation of the cozy English village police procedural made famous by so many other writers. Where was the grit of Rankin, the complicated psychology? Well here it is, finally, in Robinson's sixth Banks mystery, recently reissued. This is a fine piece of work, masterfully written, with a truly surprising ending. Now I know why reviewers have mentioned Rankin (a must read) and Robinson in the same breath. And I'll definitely be reading more.

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.

I wish I had read the reviews before ordering this book. I read all of Robinson and was delighted to see a "new" title. When I received it, it was familiar right away, but I knew I had not read any book by this title. This is a Pan paperback publication, and Final Account is an American publication. I expected the Final Account copywright page to list "Previously published as...", but it was not there. It was not possible to "look inside the book" to get the copywright date, so I don't know how you would have avoided this error, except to have read the reviews. Actually, it was ok the second time around!

Peter Robinson is one living author whose book titles will be circulated to all my family members when my next birthday draws near. He has rejuvenated an appetite for murder mysteries that had become jaded.

This one opens, literally, with a bang, as two masked men abduct an accountant. The incident is witnessed by the man's wife and daughter. Soon after shots are heard at the nearby barn on the accountant's Yorkshire property. The man's face has been blasted off. Chief Inspector Alan Banks is summoned and begins investigating. It becomes clear that the abducted man, Keith Rothwell, was not all he seemed to be. Layer after layer is peeled off his public and private image, his essential identify becoming more and more elusive.

Almost all the traditional elements of the murder mystery genre are skillfully worked by Peter Robinson. Characterization is a stand out feature, although characters all seem to be uniformly articulate. Readability is another sterling quality. This is a murder mystery that will easily draw you in, and one that will leave you feeling afterwards that your time with it has been well spent.

Peter Robinson is a Canadian who writes English mysteries, set for the most part in Yorkshire. His detective, Inspector Banks, is a police homicide detective who has a working class background, a love of classical music, and (in this book), a deteriorating marriage because he spends so little time at home.

The book gets off to a breathless start with the arrival of police to investigate a murder -- the body is in the barn of the victim's Yorkshire "farm" (this isn't a working farm). Two masked men had tied up the man's wife and daughter, taken the man to the barn, and shot him in the back of his head with a shotgun -- leaving a grisly scene. But this is not a particularly gruesome book -- most of the time is spent trying to find out who killed the man and why.

Although there are lots of twists and turns, I can't say I was surprised very much by the ending (that twist had crossed my mind) -- but the book was so well written I could hardly wait to get back to it.

If you like "English" mysteries (the kind P.D. James writes), you will enjoy this mystery and others in the series.

"Final Account" is the story of Keith Rothwell, a mild-mannered accountant who has been brutally murdered, execution-style. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks, with the help of his colleagues, investigates Rothwell's shady business dealings as well as his family and social contacts. Banks discovers that Rothwell's life was a great deal more complicated than the police could ever have imagined. Once again, Peter Robinson has created a fascinating character study of a man whose outward appearance is deceptive. The book has many wonderful qualities. It is full of colorful Yorkshire characters who are brought to life in exquisite and entertaining detail. Robinson's descriptions of the beautiful English countryside are lovely. The mystery is satisfying although the ending is a bit far-fetched. I especially like the character of Inspector Banks, who has always been a man of contradictions. He is compassionate towards victims, but he can be ruthless and cruel when necessary. Although he loves his wife, he all but ignores her when he is on a case. He has little formal eduation, but he has a deep interest in music and literature. Banks is one of the most interesting of all the British detective heroes and "Final Account" is a fine mystery in the Inspector Banks series.

Peter Robinson is one living author whose book titles will be circulated to all my family members when my next birthday draws near. He has rejuvenated an appetite for murder mysteries that had become jaded.

This one opens, literally, with a bang, as two masked men abduct an accountant. The incident is witnessed by the man's wife and daughter. Soon after shots are heard at the nearby barn on the accountant's Yorkshire property. The man's face has been blasted off. Chief Inspector Alan Banks is summoned and begins investigating. It becomes clear that the abducted man, Keith Rothwell, was not all he seemed to be. Layer after layer is peeled off his public and private image, his essential identify becoming more and more elusive.

Almost all the traditional elements of the murder mystery genre are skillfully worked by Peter Robinson. Characterization is a stand out feature, although characters all seem to be uniformly articulate. Readability is another sterling quality. This is a murder mystery that will easily draw you in, and one that will leave you feeling afterwards that your time with it has been well spent.

Of all the British police procedural mysteries I've read, and I've read a bunch, Robinson's Inspector Banks books are my favorite. Mind you, there are others close in second and third place, but he's on top. Wonderful primary characters you can care about, fascinating plots, secondary characters who add realism and dimension to the story. Light touches of humor or humanity. I wish Robinson was as prolific as Francis.

I've noticed that more than one of Peter Robinson's books have two titles. I just figured it is because British books often have different titles than they have in the US. I had to check the author's page on line to keep the order straight, but I found the extra effort worth it.