This novel, first published in 1987, isn't old enough to make it classify as historical fiction yet it is old enough to make the issue of women's liberation seem dated. I'm glad to say that the lack of technology and forensic investigative resources never bothered me because it was so clear that they were not yet widely used. I wanted to begin reading this series with the first book in order to decide whether to continue with the rest and before I began buying them up. Now I'm slightly confused. When viewed strictly as a police procedural it was very enjoyable and I thoroughly liked the setting of the smallish English village of Eastvale in Yorkshire. There are just enough descriptions of the countryside and places nearby to allow me to understand the geography and the types of people native to that part of England. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks has only been in Eastvale for less than a year after transferring from London. Watching how he and his wife and two children are adapting to their new surroundings is a large part of this story. On the other hand, I didn't like the way Banks and several other characters were portrayed in their private lives. I have a clear view of Banks as a policeman, but not as a man.
You would not expect such a small town in the north of England to have quite so much crime, but there seems to be something of a crime spree going on. Since the incidents begin with seemingly small occurrences it takes a little while for the police to have enough information to effectively work on the cases. Then it becomes necessary to figure out exactly how or if they are related or connected. Pulling in the female psychologist to help with profiling the peeping tom seemed to come much too early in the story and explaining that it was done to head off any criticism from the local women's liberation movement fell rather flat when that argument over whether a man or woman should be consulted was never used by anyone.
When you read this novel you have to take into account the time period in which it was written and first released. The women's lib arguments did not seem particularly effective to me, but perhaps that is simply from hindsight. The police procedural aspects were quite well written so the novel was very much a success for me from that standpoint. I had planned to read the books in chronological order if this one proved satisfactory. Instead I think I will skip ahead in time and see if I like the way the author has grown the Alan Banks character. After all, it is Banks who must carry the story and if I find myself not wanting to read about the main character there really is no need to continue the series. Here's hoping the next book I read will give me what I'm looking for in a mystery novel. Also, I keep seeing reviews calling these novels "quick, easy reads". I read this book in less than a day. That isn't exactly what I'm looking for. If I am so involved that I just can't stand to put a book aside, that's one thing, but just being "quick and easy" is something quite different. I was involved in the portions of this book I was thoroughly enjoying so I hope the series becomes more developed along the police procedural lines.
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