Synopses & Reviews
Fire it consumes futures and pasts in a terrified heartbeat, devouring damning secrets while leaving even greater mysteries in the ashes.
The night sky is ablaze as flames engulf two barges moored side by side on an otherwise empty canal. On board are the blackened remains of two human beings. To the seasoned eye, this horror was no accident, the method so cruel and calculated that only the worst sort of fiend could have committed it. There are shocking secrets to be uncovered in the charred wreckage, grim evidence of lethal greed and twisted hunger, and of nightmare occurrences within the private confines of family. A terrible feeling is driving police inspector Alan Banks in his desperate hunt for answers an unshakable fear that this killer's work will not be done until Banks's own world is burned to the ground.
Review
"[A]n engaging pleasure....Characterization is Robinson's real strength. Virtually every character is etched with care, precision and emotional insight." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Just having Banks back, brooding over a case as he sips his Laphroaig Scotch and listens to jazz, is reason to celebrate. Robinson has won just about every mystery award there is....His latest shows why." Connie Fletcher, Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"The Alan Banks mystery-suspense novels are, simply put, the best series now on the market. In fact, this may be the best series of British novels since the novels of Patrick O'Brian. Try one and tell me I'm wrong." Stephen King
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"Among the best British police procedurals published today....[A] complex and intriguing plot....Robinson has once again penned an enthralling read. Strongly recommended." Library Journal
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"Robinson meets and exceeds the expectations created by [his] previous Banks novels....The conclusion of Playing with Fire, while satisfying, leaves the reader yearning for more, and for the next installment of the Banks series. Highly recommended." BookReporter.com
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"[Robinson's] talents...account for both the quickness of mind that makes Banks such a keen protagonist and the diversity of tongue that gives the secondary characters...their lively individuality." Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
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"The Banks novels are a model of dependable professionalism. Given time and a sufficient level of addiction, you could do worse than to seek out four or five and read them straight through. Like Laphroaig and Cassandra Wilson, they satisfy." Patrick Anderson, The Washington Post Book World
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"Robinson is on a winning streak." Tampa Tribune
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"A taut pleasure." Daily News
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"[A]n engrossing story that starts with the investigation of arson and reveals layer after layer of twisted relationships, family intrigue, drugs, and more. Brilliantly plotted and paced, Playing with Fire is sure to send you racing for more Robinson." Georgie Lewis, Powells.com (read the entire Powells.com review)
Synopsis
Inspector Alan Banks returns in this riveting, suspenseful, and incendiary tale of murder by the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author. When suspicious fires destroy three lives, Banks realizes he's facing a maniac whose deadly work is not yet done.
Synopsis
Chief Inspector Alan Banks finds himself up against a diabolical arsonist in this electrifying novel of suspense from New York Times bestselling author Peter Robinson.
In the early hours of the morning, a man reports a fire on two old canal boats. One of the firefighters notices the use of accelerant at the scene and calls the police, but by the time Inspector Banks arrives, the fire brigade have put out the flames and only the smoldering wreckage remains. A body has been found on each barge, and all the evidence points towards a deliberate arson attack.
One of the victims is Tina, a young girl with a drug addiction and a terrible past who had been living with her boyfriend Mark. The other is Tom, an artist who had been living alone. Now, with little evidence to go on and a number of possible suspects, including Tina's boyfriend, the local 'lock-keeper' who reported the fire, and Tina's own father, Banks must begin to delve into the lives of the victims, and to discover who could have wanted them out of the way forever...
From the master of psychological suspense, Peter Robinson, comes a mind-bending thriller of secrets and murder.
About the Author
Among Peter Robinson's award-winning Inspector Banks novels, there are titles which have been named "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. Robinson was born and brought up in Yorkshire, England, and now divides his time between North America and the UK.