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Inspector Banks #13
The Summer That Never Was
As a teenager in 1965, Chief Inspector Alan Banks was traumatized by the disappearance of his best friend, Graham Marshall. When Graham's decayed bones are discovered 40 years later, those old demons are reawakened. At the same time, Banks is heading a probe into the apparent kidnapping and murder of another troubled teenager, Luke Armitage. The Summer That Never Was, the latest in Peter Robinson's bestselling, Arthur Ellis Award-winning Inspector Banks series (Aftermath, Cold Is the Grave), explores the two cases in parallel, and the reader eagerly waits to discover their possible connection.
Unlike many thriller writers, Robinson doesn't rely on terse prose to fuel the narrative. His smooth style is colourfully descriptive and easy to relax into. Think of it as the equivalent of sipping a pint on the patio of an English pub, one of Banks's favourite occupations. As the suspense builds and the plot takes as many twists and turns as a road through the Yorkshire dales, Robinson is not afraid to detour into further character development, whether it's the tense relationship between Banks and his father or the ongoing grief of his new colleague, D.I. Michelle Hart.
Robinson, raised in Yorkshire but based in Toronto, has sometimes been compared to Ian Rankin, who actually contributes a quote on this book's dust jacket. The two share an ability to evoke time and place with real eloquence, and each writer loves to mix in musical references to help define their characters. Robinson does this very freely here, and with real accuracy. From '60s crooner Val Doonican through dead cult heroes Nick Drake and Ian Curtis to current singer-songwriters Nick Lowe and David Gray (two of Banks's faves), he never misses a beat. Similarly, his cultural references to the England of both the mid-'60s and the present day are spot-on. The Summer That Never Was is the 13th Inspector Banks novel, but there's nothing unlucky about it. Any lover of well-written detective thrillers will feel fortunate to encounter it. --Kerry Doole
408 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
511 people are currently reading
2440 people want to read
About the author
Peter Robinson
275 books2,289 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Peter Robinson was born in Yorkshire. After getting his BA Honours Degree in English Literature at the University of Leeds, he came to Canada and took his MA in English and Creative Writing at the University of Windsor, with Joyce Carol Oates as his tutor, then a PhD in English at York University. He has taught at a number of Toronto community colleges and universities and served as Writer-in-Residence at the University of Windsor, 1992-93.
Series:
* Inspector Banks
Awards:
* Winner of the 1992 Ellis Award for Best Novel.
* Winner of the 1997 Ellis Award for Best Novel.
* Winner of the 2000 Anthony Award for Best Novel.
* Winner of the 2000 Barry Award for Best Novel.
* Winner of the 2001 Ellis Award for Best Novel.
Peter Robinson was born in Yorkshire. After getting his BA Honours Degree in English Literature at the University of Leeds, he came to Canada and took his MA in English and Creative Writing at the University of Windsor, with Joyce Carol Oates as his tutor, then a PhD in English at York University. He has taught at a number of Toronto community colleges and universities and served as Writer-in-Residence at the University of Windsor, 1992-93.
Series:
* Inspector Banks
Awards:
* Winner of the 1992 Ellis Award for Best Novel.
* Winner of the 1997 Ellis Award for Best Novel.
* Winner of the 2000 Anthony Award for Best Novel.
* Winner of the 2000 Barry Award for Best Novel.
* Winner of the 2001 Ellis Award for Best Novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 370 reviews
September 25, 2025
Peter Robinson - image from The Guardian
The body of Inspector Alan Banks’ childhood friend, Graham Marshall, is discovered decades after he was killed. Banks returns from a Greek vacation to offer assistance. He learns much about the unseen elements of the world in which he was raised, including that Graham’s dad was a mob enforcer, and that Graham himself had some secrets worth keeping. Inspector Banks and DI Michelle Hart raise some sparks between them but not a lot of heat. Digging up the past uncovers more than a mere set of bones, it reveals a world of corruption unsuspected, pornography, prostitution, secrets. The investigation into Graham’s demise is echoed in Annie Cabot’s investigation of the suspected kidnapping of a famous couple’s teen child. More teens die. Banks has an iffy relationship with a woman. We learn a bit about police procedure. Not the best of the Banks books, but, per usual, an engaging, entertaining read with enough extra payload to make it worth your time, whether you are reading while off on vacay or curled up someplace nearer to hand.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal and FB pages
Other Peter Robinson books we have enjoyed:
-----Inspector Banks #5 - Past Reason Hated
----- Inspector Banks #9 - Blood at the Root
----- Inspector Banks #10 - In a Dry Season
----- Inspector Banks #11 - Cold is the Grave
----- Inspector Banks #12 - Aftermath
-----The Price of Love and Other Stories
OTHER ITEMS
-----A nifty audio item from The Next Track - Music and Mystery: Author Peter Robinson on Music in his Novels
-----Interview with the author – from The Guardian - Peter Robinson: Why I Write
-----Interview in The Daily Review – March 17, 2017 - Crime writer Peter Robinson on red herrings, Nordic fiction and fast cars
August 24, 2023
Si ya las dos anteriores entregas del inspector Banks me gustaron, esta la he encontrado magistral. La número 13 de la serie, tras “Aftermath”. “The summer that never was” es un ejemplo de cómo debe ser una novela policiaca.
Banks consigue escapar a Grecia, para unas cortas vacaciones. Allí está disfrutando de sus partidas diarias de ajedrez con un lugareño, con el que ha simpatizado. Sin embargo, una noticia aparecida en un diario británico hará que se sienta obligado a regresar a casa. Ha aparecido el cadáver de un amigo suyo de la adolescencia, que desapareció de forma misteriosa, y aunque no pueda ayudar de forma activa en la investigación, se ve impelido a ayudar en la misma.
Al mismo tiempo que regresa desaparece un joven, cuyo padrastro fue un deportista muy conocido, y su madre una modelo que apareció en todas las revistas de la época.
Estas dos investigaciones simultáneas, aunque una de ellas ligada al pasado remoto del inspector, hará que tenga que trabajar con su ex Annie y con una nueva detective, Michelle. Con cada una de ellas en el lugar donde han ocurrido los hechos. Estos dos personajes añaden frescura a un relato cargado de giros y especulaciones, con unas soberbias descripciones locales por parte del autor. Tampoco faltan puyas a las nefastas consecuencias obreras que acarreó la política de Margaret Thatcher (Uno de los crímenes se cometió en esa época), y las consabidas reflexiones morales del inspector, con el que simpatizo profundamente.
Una novela policiaca que te absorbe desde la primera página, mucho menos explícita que la anterior, y que te deja con ganas de leer la siguiente entrega sin la mínima tregua. Aunque le daré un tiempo, no sea que la siguiente no esté a esta gran altura. Cinco estrellas como cinco soles.
Lectura: Noviembre 2018.
Banks consigue escapar a Grecia, para unas cortas vacaciones. Allí está disfrutando de sus partidas diarias de ajedrez con un lugareño, con el que ha simpatizado. Sin embargo, una noticia aparecida en un diario británico hará que se sienta obligado a regresar a casa. Ha aparecido el cadáver de un amigo suyo de la adolescencia, que desapareció de forma misteriosa, y aunque no pueda ayudar de forma activa en la investigación, se ve impelido a ayudar en la misma.
Al mismo tiempo que regresa desaparece un joven, cuyo padrastro fue un deportista muy conocido, y su madre una modelo que apareció en todas las revistas de la época.
Estas dos investigaciones simultáneas, aunque una de ellas ligada al pasado remoto del inspector, hará que tenga que trabajar con su ex Annie y con una nueva detective, Michelle. Con cada una de ellas en el lugar donde han ocurrido los hechos. Estos dos personajes añaden frescura a un relato cargado de giros y especulaciones, con unas soberbias descripciones locales por parte del autor. Tampoco faltan puyas a las nefastas consecuencias obreras que acarreó la política de Margaret Thatcher (Uno de los crímenes se cometió en esa época), y las consabidas reflexiones morales del inspector, con el que simpatizo profundamente.
Una novela policiaca que te absorbe desde la primera página, mucho menos explícita que la anterior, y que te deja con ganas de leer la siguiente entrega sin la mínima tregua. Aunque le daré un tiempo, no sea que la siguiente no esté a esta gran altura. Cinco estrellas como cinco soles.
Lectura: Noviembre 2018.
April 13, 2017
The discovery of the remains of a childhood friend of Banks, who disappeared when they were in their early teens, makes the inspector cut his Greek vacation short. No more has he gotten home, when he needs to assist Annie Cabbott with a very recent disappearance of another young boy. What looked straightforward in both cases turn out to be much more complicated than anyone could guess. The suspense in the parallel stories of history and present and the great characters (old and new) was highly enjoyable and this is another really good one. The tragic end(ings) lifted the whole book another notch and it may be the sun, warmth and Ouzo, but I really think this was worth a (rounded up) 5 stars!
December 22, 2018
The last few DCI Banks novels that I've read have all been excellent, so it was inevitable that the trend couldn't continue.
Instalment 13 in the series is till quite entertaining, but it feels more like a crime novel written by the numbers. Neil Pearson still reads the story to his usual high standard, but Robinson's story doesn't live up to the superior narration.
Instalment 13 in the series is till quite entertaining, but it feels more like a crime novel written by the numbers. Neil Pearson still reads the story to his usual high standard, but Robinson's story doesn't live up to the superior narration.
September 21, 2024
Close to Home (Inspector Banks, #13) by Peter Robinson.
Inspector Banks is brought bank to his early teen years during the 1960's with the unearthing of his childhood friend, Graham Marshall, skeletal remains. Finally after all these years Graham's disappearance is answered...but is it?
At this same time another teen, Luke Armitage, goes missing. The son of a once famous model, Robin, and step son of a famed footballer, Martin Armitage. Luke's biological father was also famous but in the music world. Unfortunately, he never played a part in Luke's life and ended his own life thru suicide.
These two youths and their disappearances on parallel time periods leave Inspector Banks and Annie Cabbot thrown together again. It seems, however, there's a new paramour on Bank's horizon. (Breaking the rules again Alan?)
Peter Robinson wrote this story of parallel murders that influenced Inspector Bank's life and opened his eyes to secrets he never thought possible.
Inspector Banks is brought bank to his early teen years during the 1960's with the unearthing of his childhood friend, Graham Marshall, skeletal remains. Finally after all these years Graham's disappearance is answered...but is it?
At this same time another teen, Luke Armitage, goes missing. The son of a once famous model, Robin, and step son of a famed footballer, Martin Armitage. Luke's biological father was also famous but in the music world. Unfortunately, he never played a part in Luke's life and ended his own life thru suicide.
These two youths and their disappearances on parallel time periods leave Inspector Banks and Annie Cabbot thrown together again. It seems, however, there's a new paramour on Bank's horizon. (Breaking the rules again Alan?)
Peter Robinson wrote this story of parallel murders that influenced Inspector Bank's life and opened his eyes to secrets he never thought possible.
December 31, 2019
Another very good parallel criminal investigation with DCI Banks.
A cold case involving Banks’s missing childhood friend Graham Marshall and the current missing child case of Luke Armstrong converge in this instalment. There is little personal progression of his character in this book but a lot of childhood background which was interesting.
Not as strong as some of the other books in the series but still well worth the read.
A cold case involving Banks’s missing childhood friend Graham Marshall and the current missing child case of Luke Armstrong converge in this instalment. There is little personal progression of his character in this book but a lot of childhood background which was interesting.
Not as strong as some of the other books in the series but still well worth the read.
December 12, 2021
I've read the series in order and have always enjoyed the journey; this time not so much. The premise was interesting enough, with two parallel investigations of murders decades apart, but the storytelling felt stale to me this time around.
Looking forward to the 14th installment in the Inspector Banks series.
Looking forward to the 14th installment in the Inspector Banks series.
April 20, 2021
When a skeleton of a boy that went missing 1965 (the book is set 35 years after), and it turns out its Alan Banks childhood friend, the past won't stay buried. At the same time a local teenage boy goes missing and Banks is determined to find out what happened to them. Reading Peter Robinson is a safe bet for me as I almost always enjoy them and this was no difference. Little less engaging and thrilling but still a good book in the series.
February 27, 2014
The Inspector Alan Banks series is incredible! It just keeps getting better and better, and Alan Banks is a wonderful character. A good policeman, but a man with many flaws and uncertainties which he always seems to work his way through when he's working on a case. I have read a lot of mysteries about past and present homicides, but this one is a step above. The book is about the disappearance and murder of two teenage boys. One from 1965 and one from the present day. The boy lost in 1965 was a school pal of Alan's. He was 14 yeas old when he disappeared from Peterborough where Alan and his friends grew up. His remains were not found until the present day (30 years later). In Eastvale Annie is working on the disappearance of a teenage local boy. Alan is on holiday in Greece when he is drawn into the present-day case of the missing teenage boy in his home patch. He then finds out that his old friend's remains have been discovered in an open field that is being excavated. He hurries home in order to help gain some insight into what happened to his friend thirty years ago. The story slips seamlessly from 1965 to present-day as Alan sets out on a mission to find out what could have happened in both cases. As always there is music and lyrics woven throughout the book. And these lyrics help to weave the two disparate plots together. Peter Robinson is a remarkable author, and this series is such a delight. Can't wait to read the next one.
January 17, 2013
It was OK - nearly gave it a 1 but there are worse books around. The thing I most objected to was the pretentious title-fest of music and musicians, books and authors and paintings and painters. OK, Peter Robinson knows a lot about these things, but frankly, I don't care about that! It doesn't help the story one iota.
January 21, 2018
Quite a nice thriller, which I enjoyed reading. Interesting plot and well-defined characters.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
June 10, 2024
Close To Home, aka The Summer That Never Was, is the thirteenth book in the long running Inspector Banks police procedural series, set in Yorkshire. I started reading them from the beginning in 2013 - the first one was published in 1988, and was gradually starting to catch up, but see that I last read one, Aftermath, in late 2020. It wasn’t a conscious choice to put them aside, I’ve generally enjoyed them, other books with more pressing deadlines just got in the way. This one was published in 2004, but set in the summer of 2001 against the backdrop of the Foot & Mouth disease that decimated British farming for a while. This has Banks investigating two different cases, both involving murdered teenage boys - one in the present on his own turf, and one in his hometown of Peterborough the 60s, where the victim happened to be his close friend. It’s not my favourite of the series, but is another solid well-plotted mystery.
Banks is on holiday in Greece when he learns that a skeleton unearthed on a building site is that of his friend Graham, who disappeared without trace early one morning while doing his paper round in 1965 when they were both fourteen. Feeling compelled to help, he travels back to his home town, where the young DI in charge of the case is initially suspicious of his motives, but of course soon falls for his charms. Meanwhile back home, his ex, DI Annie Cabbot, is looking for the son of a couple of local minor celebrities, who appears to have been kidnapped.
For a book that’s twenty years old, this holds up well. I found myself rapidly immersed back into Banks’ world - he evolves a little more with each instalment, although I’m still repelled by the way he sizes each female character in terms of her sexual appeal, or lack of. All male characters, with the exception of the victims, are of course ugly, which perhaps explains why otherwise sensible women keep falling into bed with him. This all happens off camera, much to my relief. We get to meet his parents for the first time (as far as I can recall anyway) and their stilted and faintly disapproving attitudes towards him go some way to explaining his emotional illiteracy. There’s an awful lot of musical and literary showing off here - in fact if you trimmed down all the mentions of 60s rock songs and singers you could save a hundred or so pages in a book that felt rather long for a thriller. Still, it kept my attention throughout and I didn’t guess the outcome of either mystery. 3.5 rounded up for the usual atmospheric writing.
Banks is on holiday in Greece when he learns that a skeleton unearthed on a building site is that of his friend Graham, who disappeared without trace early one morning while doing his paper round in 1965 when they were both fourteen. Feeling compelled to help, he travels back to his home town, where the young DI in charge of the case is initially suspicious of his motives, but of course soon falls for his charms. Meanwhile back home, his ex, DI Annie Cabbot, is looking for the son of a couple of local minor celebrities, who appears to have been kidnapped.
For a book that’s twenty years old, this holds up well. I found myself rapidly immersed back into Banks’ world - he evolves a little more with each instalment, although I’m still repelled by the way he sizes each female character in terms of her sexual appeal, or lack of. All male characters, with the exception of the victims, are of course ugly, which perhaps explains why otherwise sensible women keep falling into bed with him. This all happens off camera, much to my relief. We get to meet his parents for the first time (as far as I can recall anyway) and their stilted and faintly disapproving attitudes towards him go some way to explaining his emotional illiteracy. There’s an awful lot of musical and literary showing off here - in fact if you trimmed down all the mentions of 60s rock songs and singers you could save a hundred or so pages in a book that felt rather long for a thriller. Still, it kept my attention throughout and I didn’t guess the outcome of either mystery. 3.5 rounded up for the usual atmospheric writing.
February 9, 2017
In this 13th book of the DCI Banks series, we get an interesting view into Banks' childhood when he returns home to investigate a murder of his childhood friend. Soon Banks' finds himself engrossed in a more current murder of Luke Armitage, another teenage boy. I liked following the aspects of both murders while the author slowly builds the level of suspense/tension as each new plot development is revealed so that you really had an on-the-edge-of-your-seat feeling. The characters were also well drawn and fully developed. All in all this book was a very entertaining read.
June 9, 2018
Read and enjoyed a great many of Robinson's books, but this is perhaps my favourite. Linking together an old case of a teenager's disappearance from the 60's and one from the modern day, this book takes three detectives into memories and the realisation that we may never really know another person, even friends and heroes of the past. Deeply disturbing, haunting and evocative. One of Robinson's best
March 13, 2025
Ahh, nostalgia. Going back in time to enjoy the writing of an old favorite brought flashes of memory of Dylan's songs of the time (the 60's) that play their role in this telling of a cold case investigation.
Robinson's careful reconstruction of events in the 60's along with the slow-drip investigation by Annie as well as Banks' contribution was a sharp contrast to most of today's taut, efficient detective stories. Yes, I am feeling emotions. Robinson was a gifted writer as was Bob Dylan.
Just $1.99 from Amazon currently
Robinson's careful reconstruction of events in the 60's along with the slow-drip investigation by Annie as well as Banks' contribution was a sharp contrast to most of today's taut, efficient detective stories. Yes, I am feeling emotions. Robinson was a gifted writer as was Bob Dylan.
Just $1.99 from Amazon currently
October 12, 2024
Very food in its genre
August 14, 2007
CLOSE TO HOME (Police Prod-England-1965/95) – G+
Robinson, Peter – 12th in series
Avon Books, 2003- Paperback
*** On vacation in Greece, Chief Inspector Alan Banks learns the body of a boyhood friend is found, 30 years after the boy went missing. Banks remembers that someone tried to grab his a few days before and feels he has to return to the town where he grew up to finally tell the police about it. In the meantime, another 15-year-old boy has gone missing.
*** Not everyone can pull off having two cases that are parallel, but separate, with the occasional intersection of Banks, but Robinson sure did. The characters are very well drawn and interesting as is the plot, action and suspense. But the main theme of the book was families and how, no matter our age, we always seek the approval of our parents. Robinson did use a lot of musical references in his story, of which I got a bit tired. I enjoyed the book, although I did feel it a bit over long.
Robinson, Peter – 12th in series
Avon Books, 2003- Paperback
*** On vacation in Greece, Chief Inspector Alan Banks learns the body of a boyhood friend is found, 30 years after the boy went missing. Banks remembers that someone tried to grab his a few days before and feels he has to return to the town where he grew up to finally tell the police about it. In the meantime, another 15-year-old boy has gone missing.
*** Not everyone can pull off having two cases that are parallel, but separate, with the occasional intersection of Banks, but Robinson sure did. The characters are very well drawn and interesting as is the plot, action and suspense. But the main theme of the book was families and how, no matter our age, we always seek the approval of our parents. Robinson did use a lot of musical references in his story, of which I got a bit tired. I enjoyed the book, although I did feel it a bit over long.
December 17, 2013
Perhaps you will like this book if you have read and enjoyed the prior 12 books in the series. While it does stand on its own, I found it utterly unreadable. I stopped reading it midway. From chapter one I found the main character to be a self-righteous jerk. The only part (of which I read) that I liked was when the female copper thought that the main character was dwelling on the past. Spot on! I really did not need to read paragraph after paragraph about what this Banks fellow listened to in the 1960s.
Early on reading it I thought it could be salvaged if this Banks guy turned out to be the killer. As this is part of a Banks series that is not very likely.
Early on reading it I thought it could be salvaged if this Banks guy turned out to be the killer. As this is part of a Banks series that is not very likely.
September 25, 2022
I read this under the cover of ‘The Summer that Never Was’ (2003). Two deaths of boys being investigated at the same time, going back between the two kept me reading. Surprising endings, in both cases. More detail on Banks’ childhood, meeting his parents and seeing where he grew up.
Tell me though, why does Banks seem to get in bed or at least think about it, with most women in these books? Is it a requirement of the job?
Tell me though, why does Banks seem to get in bed or at least think about it, with most women in these books? Is it a requirement of the job?
December 21, 2023
Another absolutely knock-you-off your-feet story from Peter Robinson!
Banks is relentlessly pursuing deeds done with malice, cruelty and greed.
His life is on display in all the books and this is no different. Family, lovers, colleagues, friends and foes, they all have such an impact on Bank!
Banks is relentlessly pursuing deeds done with malice, cruelty and greed.
His life is on display in all the books and this is no different. Family, lovers, colleagues, friends and foes, they all have such an impact on Bank!
August 16, 2014
RATING: 4.25
Inspector Alan Banks has been through a grueling time both personally and professionally and has decided to recuperate by taking his holidays in Greece for a month. He's run away from his messy life and has found paradise of a kind, but not for long. For things are happening back home that demand his attention.
During Alan's teenaged years, he had a group of guys that he hung out with, including a boy by the name of Graham Marshall. Graham disappeared and was never heard of again. It's over 30 years later, and his bones are unearthed during a construction excavation. When Banks learns of the discovery, he feels an obligation to be involved in the investigation and returns to the UK. The case is being handled by Detective Inspector Michelle Hart, and Banks offers up his assistance. Alan has been carrying around a load of guilt for years about an incident that happened to him right before Graham disappeared. He feels that if he had reported it, perhaps Graham would not have been killed.
At the same time, back in Banks' home precinct, there is an eerily similar case. A teenager by the name of Luke Armitage has gone missing. He has some small bit of fame, as his birth father was a talented rock musician who committed suicide. His mother was a model, and his stepfather is a well-known athlete. The case is assigned to Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot, with whom Banks had been personally involved. Annie makes a somewhat dubious decision while following a possible kidnapping aspect to the case and seeks advice from Alan.
Robinson skillfully alternates between the 2 investigations. Interestingly, Banks is not the lead inspector on either of the cases but is highly involved on both. The reader is treated to two complex plots, two sets of well-developed characters, two settings, as well as much revelatory information about Banks himself and his somewhat strained relationship with his parents. Banks as a man reminiscing about Banks as a boy was certainly an interesting twist.
I have a few minor criticisms of the book. The first is that I felt Robinson overindulged in nostalgic references to music and television shows when discussing the 1960s background for the Graham Marshall case. The allusions became excessive. The second is that I wasn't entirely satisfied with the resolution. It was well done but somewhat convenient in some respects. However, I have to admit that I didn't have all the plot threads unraveled until they were explained in the conclusion, and the various explanations were completely plausible.
Robinson has a secure place in my top 5 list of favorite authors. You know when you read any of his books that you are placing yourself in the hands of a master. Close to Home is the 13th book in the series and continues a long tradition of excellent writing. The book is very engrossing and has an exceptionally detailed plot featuring superbly well-drawn characters. The Inspector Alan Banks books make up a great series, one which every mystery reader should experience.
Inspector Alan Banks has been through a grueling time both personally and professionally and has decided to recuperate by taking his holidays in Greece for a month. He's run away from his messy life and has found paradise of a kind, but not for long. For things are happening back home that demand his attention.
During Alan's teenaged years, he had a group of guys that he hung out with, including a boy by the name of Graham Marshall. Graham disappeared and was never heard of again. It's over 30 years later, and his bones are unearthed during a construction excavation. When Banks learns of the discovery, he feels an obligation to be involved in the investigation and returns to the UK. The case is being handled by Detective Inspector Michelle Hart, and Banks offers up his assistance. Alan has been carrying around a load of guilt for years about an incident that happened to him right before Graham disappeared. He feels that if he had reported it, perhaps Graham would not have been killed.
At the same time, back in Banks' home precinct, there is an eerily similar case. A teenager by the name of Luke Armitage has gone missing. He has some small bit of fame, as his birth father was a talented rock musician who committed suicide. His mother was a model, and his stepfather is a well-known athlete. The case is assigned to Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot, with whom Banks had been personally involved. Annie makes a somewhat dubious decision while following a possible kidnapping aspect to the case and seeks advice from Alan.
Robinson skillfully alternates between the 2 investigations. Interestingly, Banks is not the lead inspector on either of the cases but is highly involved on both. The reader is treated to two complex plots, two sets of well-developed characters, two settings, as well as much revelatory information about Banks himself and his somewhat strained relationship with his parents. Banks as a man reminiscing about Banks as a boy was certainly an interesting twist.
I have a few minor criticisms of the book. The first is that I felt Robinson overindulged in nostalgic references to music and television shows when discussing the 1960s background for the Graham Marshall case. The allusions became excessive. The second is that I wasn't entirely satisfied with the resolution. It was well done but somewhat convenient in some respects. However, I have to admit that I didn't have all the plot threads unraveled until they were explained in the conclusion, and the various explanations were completely plausible.
Robinson has a secure place in my top 5 list of favorite authors. You know when you read any of his books that you are placing yourself in the hands of a master. Close to Home is the 13th book in the series and continues a long tradition of excellent writing. The book is very engrossing and has an exceptionally detailed plot featuring superbly well-drawn characters. The Inspector Alan Banks books make up a great series, one which every mystery reader should experience.
August 29, 2018
This book opens with Alan Banks vacationing in Greece. He's taking a long holiday after a particularly messy case and messy personal problems. He spends his time reading, listening to music and playing chess with a Greek friend at the local taverna. He still picks up the newspapers however and is shocked when he learns that the body of a boyhood friend had been found at an excavation site. He, the boy, Graham, and two others had been friends as teenagers until Banks left his hometown at the age of 18 for London. He always assumed that Graham had just "run off." He returns early to offer his help to Michelle, an attractive 40 year old cop, who has been taking classes and working hard at her job both to further her education and to forget her past. In typical Robinson fashion this unfolds over time so this won't be a spoiler if you want to read the book.
Michelle is surprised that her boss is not supportive about the investigation. When Banks shows up he doesn't tell her initially that he is one of them which doesn't endar him to either her or her boss. Her boss was a young detective who was with the head detective when they visited Banks when he was 14 to ask about his friend. So that's kind of interesting, but more about that later as they say.
In the meantime, since Banks has abandoned his holiday plans, Annie asks him to assist in the investigation of a missing teenage boy. It's a high profile case. His father is a well known footballer (as they say) and his mother was a well known model back in the day. Then they get a call saying that he has been kidnapped.
However, not soon after they find his body. So now it's a murder investigation.
The two cases are not related except for the fact that they are both about murders of 14 year old boys, and Banks is involved in both of them. In typical Robinson fashion there are so many twists and turns and red herrings.
It's an interesting book about music and memory and how our memories can often trick us. Robinson always weaves music into his books. Banks has eclectic taste in music: everything from Schubert to Monk to the Beatles. As always, I'm a fan. I never miss a Peter Robinson book.
Michelle is surprised that her boss is not supportive about the investigation. When Banks shows up he doesn't tell her initially that he is one of them which doesn't endar him to either her or her boss. Her boss was a young detective who was with the head detective when they visited Banks when he was 14 to ask about his friend. So that's kind of interesting, but more about that later as they say.
In the meantime, since Banks has abandoned his holiday plans, Annie asks him to assist in the investigation of a missing teenage boy. It's a high profile case. His father is a well known footballer (as they say) and his mother was a well known model back in the day. Then they get a call saying that he has been kidnapped.
However, not soon after they find his body. So now it's a murder investigation.
The two cases are not related except for the fact that they are both about murders of 14 year old boys, and Banks is involved in both of them. In typical Robinson fashion there are so many twists and turns and red herrings.
It's an interesting book about music and memory and how our memories can often trick us. Robinson always weaves music into his books. Banks has eclectic taste in music: everything from Schubert to Monk to the Beatles. As always, I'm a fan. I never miss a Peter Robinson book.
May 25, 2018
Detective Alan Banks is on a self imposed banishment to Greece. His marriage has ended and he is licking his wounds. His love affair with fellow detective Annie Cabot has also ended. What draws Alan back home to Eastvale, England is learning that the skeleton of a 14 year old boy who vanished 30 years ago has been found. The boy was Alan's boyhood friend. Meanwhile, Annie is investigating the disappearance of a 15 year old boy who is the son of a prominent ex-football player and former model. The story toggles back and forth between the two cases. Alan is not officially investigating his friend's murder, but he goes to his childhood home to help. He does a lot of reminiscing and realizes he romanticized a lot of the past. He finds a corrupt police situation from the year of the death that still reaches out to threaten him and the local detective investigating the case. Annie, back in Eastvale, keeps in touch with Alan while uncovering a feeble and suspicious kidnapping of the current missing teen. When that case becomes a murder inquiry, Annie must figure out who is lying. I enjoyed this book. Both stories were compelling and the characters were well defined.
February 6, 2010
The Inspector Banks series of mystery novels is very popular, both in England and here, so let me say right up front: I'm not the right reader for these stories. Many other authors and readers whose taste I generally share like them, but I can't figure out why. Inspector Banks is a dark character, moody, almost morose, which would be fine, except that the story just plods along. There is a heaviness to it, a lack of energy, that drained me. Am I spoiled by American mystery/thrillers which bubble on the page? Maybe. On the other hand, I kept running into paragraphs which struck me as nothing more than padding. A woman detective watching from a hiding place in the summer. It's very hot. Three paragraphs of being hot; another of where to pee. I didn't learn much about her except that she wears pantyhose; the story moved along not at all.
I had high hopes for Inspector Robinson, and find myself disappointed.
September 23, 2017
i thoroughly enjoyed this Banks novel. I havent read that many of the Banks novels. This one intrigued me because of the time period in the past to which the murder goes back to, namely the 1960s. this was my era of growing up and i can easily relate to some of the reminiscences of Chief Inspector Banks , it brought a number of long forgotten 1960s things back to mind. i though the storyline was excellent
December 13, 2013
This is was a really good edition to the series. The story just sucked me in and didn't let go.
Read
February 8, 2023DNF
March 4, 2025
Really good. Two stories of teen boys’ deaths in different times & places weave together well. More character development with Banks, Annie, & others feels satisfying.
September 3, 2019
This story is composed of parallel cases that have a three decade time lapse between them. The police are trying to figure out why boys, as a whole... and these two in particular...one in the past and one in the present...have run away or become easy prey to abductors. Alan Banks finds that the reasons have changed very little in the 35 years since his friend, Graham...whose bones have just been unearthed... disappeared. It mattered very little that Graham was cool and popular where the current boy, Luke...was lonely, talented, and precocious. Banks must also reveal one of his own most closely guarded secrets...the evidence he withheld as a boy during the initial police investigation into Graham’s disappearance. Robinson creates a complex and intriguing story while bringing into question if we can really know anyone...even those closest to us.
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