Dedicated Man by Peter Robinson

I am loving this Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson. My friends Jo Langthorne and Fi Finch turned me on to these gems and I have my list ready to read all the mysteries starring Yorkshire Chief inspector Alan Banks.

A Dedicated Man is the second of the Inspector Banks series. Harry Steadman was a former university professor who came into some money. He abandoned his teaching stint to pursue his love of industrial archeology (this is explained – somewhat – in the book) and is found bludgeoned to death, stuffed up on a farmer’s field. He was well liked and no one can think of an enemy he may have had – but clearly someone wanted him dead.

Inspector Banks goes through the village, questioning all the locals and uncovering possible motives. One of the things I like about these books is the fact that you’ll have an idea who you think the murderer may be – but you aren’t sure until near the end. Nice suspense.

British fare for a British detective series is in order, don’t you think? I am calling on Nigella Lawson’s recipe for Minute Steak and Mashed White Beans as she stated “When I was a child, steak houses always had something called minute steak, as in minnit, on the menu” and I was imagining her to be eating at some upscale pub or dining establishment (in England of course).