Friend of the Devil by Peter Robinson

Posted in Books, British by Tina

devil Once again we have two separate murder investigations going on here. In my opinion, his writing gets better with each book. So far there are currently 23 DCI Banks books out and I’m on a mission to catch up with the series. Then I can eagerly await publication of the newest book in the future.

This book, Friend of the Devil, is number 17 in the series.

DI Annie Cabbot has been loaned out to neighboring police force but she is in touch with Eastvale Police as the two investigations appear to relate to one another.

Alan Banks is paired with obnoxious DS Kevin Templeton and one of my new favorite characters, Winsome Jackman. Winsome is a 6 foot black female detective hailing from Jamaica. You can imagine the stir she causes in the quiet Yorkshire dales since they’ve never had any ethnicity in the police force before.

In Banks’ investigation we have a collage-aged drunken female who was found raped and murdered in The Maze. There are many suspects but the murderer wasn’t who I thought it would be. Great job of keeping that a mystery up until the end. I wish he had written about the murdered girl’s family again though, see them have closure.

Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot’s investigation involves a wheel-chair bound woman who had her throat slit. Why would anyone want to harm a paraplegic? That is revealed, as well as a blast-from-the-past from a previous book, when they discover the murderer in this case.

At the 60% mark there was a huge twist and surprise! As always what I love about Alan Banks is the dedication to the job as well as his personal life interests of literature, music and food. Reading some reviews there are folks who only want the murder investigation and have zero interest in the personal life and loves of our detectives. I like the balance of knowing who these people are when they aren’t working. It makes them more rounded characters for me.

There was quite a bit of food mentioned in this book as many discussions take place in a pub. At one point Banks meet someone in a wine bar and enjoyed a good wine and baked brie with toasted baguette. Yorkshire puddings, sausages, vegetarian meals, Black Sheep ales and more.

Again I honor Annie by preparing a Hearty Rice Vegetable skillet. The recipe didn’t call for adding avocado but since I had some sliced on the table, I thought, why not. It was wonderful! Recipe may be found at Squirrel Head Manor.

rice3

Linking up with Joy’s British Isles Friday
The British Book Challenge at The Overflowing Library.

BBC

25Apr2016

Aftermath, book #12 in the Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson

Posted in Books, British by Tina

Aftermath is the 12th book in the DCI Banks series. As a big fan of this series and of police procedurals I have to say this one was grittier than most of his previous books. Obviously there is a murder to investigate in the Yorkshire Dales setting, that’s a standard, but the crimes in this book were horrendous.

We are looking at a serial killer and the victims are young women, all in their late teens. The story is unfolded in graphic detail manner, focusing on a serial killer, a rapist all the while linking in sub stories about child abuse, sexual exploitation and domestic violence. As I said, this book was darker than any of the others but in my opinion, well written.

One of the sub plots is about Detective Sargent Janet Taylor. She and her partner Dennis respond to a domestic violence call. It is here the story begins when they enter a home, find Lucy Payne, the wife, knocked out, splayed out on the floor with blood on her head. The detectives proceed to check the house, head into the basement where they find a naked girl tied to a bed, strangled and quite dead. At that point they are attacked by the abusive husband, Terry Payne. As he wields a machete and cuts Dennis down, Janet thrashes him with her police baton, finally subduing him and handcuffing him to a handrail in the basement.

As you read on there is an excessive violence case considered on DS Taylor. She was defending her partner, defending her own life – but she must have brought that baton down on Payne one too many times. As someone who works in law enforcement I did not like the way that story line was heading but, that is my personal opinion.

Another sub plot revolves around Maggie Forest. She is the one who called the police when she heard Lucy Payne scream. She is also a victim of domestic violence, living temporarily in England while she escapes her abusive husband back in Toronto. Her point of view is to protect Lucy from the press as she sees her as a victim. But could Lucy have been living in that house and not know her husband was keeping young women captive? Is she part of the killings too?

From the start of this series I have watched Alan Banks grow in his job, watched his children grew up, his wife becoming distant and how our committed copper handled his professional and personal life. This is by far his most salacious book in the series.

Now, I have my opinions about things that I felt were not resolved but those will be spoilers if you have not read this book. If you have read it please write me so I can share a few of those unresolved story lines and get your opinion.

Will I read more? Absolutely! I love Alan Banks and enjoy all the musical references as well as food references in the books. As a matter of fact I have already downloaded book 13 to my Kindle. More later………………

Linking up with Joy’s British Isles Friday and Kirsty at The Overflowing Library for the British Book Challenge

29Oct2015

Cold is the Grave, book #11 in the DCI Banks series

Posted in Books by Tina

Cold is the Grave is a good continuation of the previous DCI Banks book, In a Dry Season. By that, I don’t mean you need to read that one first, you wouldn’t be lost reading these mysteries out of order. The investigations and cases are separate stories altogether. It’s more of a development of Alan Banks’ character, seeing where his personal life is taking him as well as his place in the Eastvale Police Department. So, in that respect you would need to read them in a sequence but the investigations themselves are self-contained.

This book has Banks’ boss, Jimmy Riddle, asking him for a favor. Riddle wants Banks to locate his daughter Emily. Why would Jimmy Riddle ask Alan Banks for anything? He hates him and went out of his way to make Banks’ career a nightmare. Despite disliking Banks on a personal level Riddle quietly admires how tenacious he is as well as Banks’ track record in solving cases. Banks grudgingly agrees to help, knowing Riddle will make his life a little easier for acquiescing to this favor.

When he finds sixteen-year old Emily she is living in London, using drugs, drinking to excess and living with a man as old as her father. Getting her to return home seems hopeless but something happens that convinces Emily to return on her own. It’s after this all the different mysteries and character developments start intermingling. I’m pleased DS Cabbott is in this book and she and Banks work together.

The end was interesting – not wanting to give it away – but there was much action and so much tied up, but so much was extremely unlikely scenario-wise. Still, I am loving Alan Banks in this book as I was the last one.

Food references……….

Banks is doing an interview in a pub: “The food came – balti prawns for Craig and lamb korma for Banks, along with pullao rice, mango chutney and naans……”

“It was one of those places that Banks thought trendy in its lack of trendiness. All scratched wood tables and partitions, pork chops, steaks and mashed potatoes. But the mashed potatoes had garlic and sun-dried tomatoes in them and cost about three quid a side order. Venison sausage with braised red cabbage and garlic mashed potatoes.”

“A jumbo Yorkshire pudding filled with roast beef and gravy, washed down with a pint of Theakson’s bitter……..”

“Rosalind carried on stuffing the wild mushroom, olive oil, garlic and parsley mixture between the skin of the chicken, the way she had learned in her recent course on the art of French cuisine.”

I opted to do the roast chicken. It was fantastic.

Served with asparagus and an ozro dish with peas and corn,

Adding my review to Goodreads, The British Book Challenge and Beth Fish Reads for her Weekend Cooking Series.

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog’s home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

19Sep2015

In a Dry Season, book #10 in the DCI Banks series

Posted in Books by Tina

Reading Peter Robinson’s series about DCI Alan Banks has me wanting to drink more gin and tonics, eat more pub style food and wanting to visit Yorkshire. This is book # 10 in the DCI Banks series and I am already tucked into the next book. More on that one later. I am absolutely addicted to these police procedurals and will be at a loss when I have caught up with Robinson’s latest books.

In a Dry Season starts with skeletal remains being discovered under an old outbuilding. A boy is exploring village structures which had been underwater for over 50 years. The village had been flooded to create a reservoir long ago but with drought conditions, the reservoir dried out, this old town emerges. It’s mostly preserved and as you can imagine, a child would love to snoop around in such a magical looking place. The boy falls through the roof of a structure and discovers the human bones.

The mystery starts with DCI Banks being assigned to this remote little corner, teaming up with DC Annie Cabot. They have to determine if the remains are from an accident or a covered up murder. How can they possibly know who this was or what happened since the place has been underwater for so many years. The side story features a mystery novelist who is clearly upset when she views the emerging story on television news. Obviously she knows something, you can tell that from the first few pages of her storyline, but how much involvement or information does she have? The story moves back and forth between present day and 1941 in the war era.

This book and Final Account have been my favorites so far. I love how Alan Banks’ character continues to develop and hearing about his personal life interjected into the investigation.

I am already reading Cold is the Grave, book #11. Totally addicted!

Food references……….

Food mentioned throughout. As Banks was studying a menu in a pub:
“Banks went through tandoori chicken and chips, venison medallions in a red wine sauce and fettucine Alfredo before striking gold: beef and stilton pie.”

People in the countryside always fared better than city folk as far as food went during rationing:
“There were always plenty of vegetables, egg, butter and milk. Our neighbor, Mr. Halliwell, the butcher, was probably the most popular man in town, so we were able to swap any tea and sugar for an extra piece of mutton or pork.”

“For Gloria’s twentieth birthday … we gorged ourselves on grilled sausage with mashed potatoes, braised butter beans, followed by jam roll with custard.”

“Annie filled a large pan with water and added a little salt and oil then set it on the gas ring. She didn’t waste a gesture as she chopped mushrooms, shallots, garlic and courgettes…”

“Vivian Emsley sat down with her gin and tonic….”

Drinks include Swan’s Down Bitter, Theakston’s bitter, claret and Banks’ signature drink, Laphroaig Scotch.

This one is for Detective Constable Annie Cabot – a vegetarian offering, something hard to find in the pubs. I substituted eggplant for the courgettes, getting the recipe from Leanne Brown’s cookbook, Good and Cheap. Recipe may be found at Squirrel Head Manor

Mystery and Police Procedurals – Do you have a favorite author?

Adding my review to Goodreads, The British Book Challenge, Joy’s British Isles Friday and Beth Fish Reads for her Weekend Cooking Series.

20Apr2013

Hanging Valley by Peter Robinson

Posted in Books by Tina

Another murder mystery in the Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson. Actually, I ought to say Chief Inspector Banks as he needs to correct people on his position so many times. This is the fourth in the series and no, you don’t need to read them in the order printed/written to enjoy the stories.

That being said, it’s not my favorite of the four I have read so far. The storyline was easy to follow and of course I enjoy a story where I can’t quite figure out who the culprit is until the end. But the ending was too abrupt. It wrapped all the loose ends up but… I wish it had not been such a sudden ending.

Don’t let my opinion put you off though – if you enjoy the Inspector Banks mysteries, and you enjoy reading about the little pub meals sprinkled here and there in the novels…you would enjoy reading this one.

The storyline: A hiker is enjoying the beauty of a Yorkshire afternoon, climbing the valley above the village of Swainshead. When he sees a thicket filled with wildflowers and goes to investigate, he discovers a maggot-ridden body rotting in the clearing. Call in the authorities and the story begins. Once the identity of the body is discovered, the police wonder if there is a connection to an unsolved murder in Swainshead five years prior.

Suspects include the Collier brothers, the wealthiest and most powerful family in Swainsdale, Sam Greenock, a complete creep and owner of a guest house in town and Sam’s wife Katie, who is damaged by a strict religious upbringing. The two Collier brothers are very different from one another but their common goal seems to be directing the investigation away from them and the village. I especially disliked Nicky Collier – what a piece of work.

There are a few chapters devoted to a trip to Toronto where Banks combines forces (unofficially, of course) with Canadian police agents. I loved the descriptions of the pubs, the food and ales Banks tried and the British perspective on his short experience in Canada.

Some food items mentioned
Chapter 1: A breakfast of sausage, bacon, black pudding, fried bread, grilled mushrooms, tomato, 2 fried eggs, tea, toast and marmalade

Chapter 3: First things first, Banks thought, and headed for the bar. He ordered Cumberland sausage, beans and chips, then paid, took his numbered receipt and waited while Freddie Metcalf poured him a pint of Pedigree

Chapter 8: ……….Detective Superintendent Gristhorpe sat hunched over a pint of Theakston’s Bitter and a veal-and-egg pie

Chapter 10: Doors to both parts of the house were open, allowing access to drinks, a huge table of cheese, pates, smoked salmon and fresh fruit

Chapter 11: (Eating in a Canadian pub) Prime-rib roast, Yorkshire pudding, Caesar salad, White Russian, red wine, a pint of Creemore, coffee and cognac

Lots of food choices and although I was mighty tempted to have a prime rib dinner…..I decided to go with a creatively healthy version of the sausage meal. Instead of the Cumberland sausage (which I would love to have but don’t think are available in my area) I made a healthy meal of turkey sausage and vegetables. I was sorry.

Details are at Squirrel Head Manor but I can tell you, I wouldn’t make it again.

If my count is correct Peter Robinson authored 27 books in this series. I intend to read them all. Coming up I have reviews for A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy as well as An Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce.

I am sharing this with Beth Fish Reads for the Weekend Cooking series.

Happy Reading!

7Sep2012

Dedicated Man by Peter Robinson

Posted in Books by Tina

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).