Dry Bones that Dream

Inspector Banks #7

by Peter Robinson

It was 2.47am when Chief Inspector Alan Banks arrived at the barn and saw the body of Keith Rothwell for the first time.

Only hours earlier two masked men had walked the mild-mannered accountant out of his farmhouse and blasted him with a shotgun. It was clinical. Clearly this is a professional hit but Keith Rothwell was hardly the sort of person to make deadly enemies. Or was he?

The investigation soon raises more questions than answers. The name Robert Calvert comes up. Who exactly is he? The more Banks scratches the surface, the more he wonders what lies beneath the veneer of the apparently happy Rothwell family. When his old sparring partner, Detective Superintendent Richard Burgess, arrives from Scotland Yard, the case takes yet another unexpected twist...

"The novels of Peter Robinson are chilling, evocative, deeply nuanced works of art," notes Dennis Lehane. "Peter Robinson's cast of characters is vividly drawn. Well written...highly entertaining," adds 'Scotland on Sunday.'

Librarian's note: this novel has two different titles, 'Dry Bones that Dream,' and for North America, 'Final Account.'

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, British Literature, Thriller, Audiobook, Procedural

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Librarian 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.

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Robinson's crime stories are always well plotted & highly entertaining-& this one is no exception.
One of the best things about this story is that the main character, DCI Alan Banks, is the most human he has been in any of the novels so far. In one chapter Banks drinks alone at various pubs in Leeds & we see his anger & frustration with the case he is working on. It's this wonderfully self assured writing that lifts Robinson's novels above many others in the genre.
The DCI Banks novels (apart from the odd glitch) are getting better all the time, & having now read seven of them I'm glad there are still plenty more left for me to enjoy.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks series. And Final Account is (so far) one of the best of them. Robinson writes about real people with an earthiness and humour that never fails to captivate me.

When he investigates the brutal and premeditated murder of a wealthy accountant, Banks discovers that the quiet family man lived a double life that has made him twice as many enemies.

A highly recommended series.

[Paul Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The tape started at the jazzy “Forlane” section of Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin. Not bad for a walk to work on a fine spring morning.”

As it is with Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch, or Linda Fairstein’s Alex Cooper, Peter Robinson’s continued development of the richness and depth of DCI Alan Bank’s persona is (at the very least) of equal importance to the actual story line in which he participates.

Alan Banks is a real man with real characteristics – he loves classical music to distraction; he enjoys a jar or two of his favourite beer; he’ll even indulge in a scotch if the problem he’s considering is a little deeper or a little more pressing; he’d much rather deal with the nuts and bolts of policing and crime solving than the management issues of reprimanding one of the officers reporting to him; he worries about his marriage and his ability to withstand the allure of a very attractive woman who’s smart and comes packaged with the added bonus of being an accomplished classical musician!

And like Peter Falk’s Colombo, Alan Banks always has that nagging last question! There is no way that he’ll walk away from a case - even an ostensibly solved case that the department is convinced is tied down, locked up and notched as a solved win – if there’s a loose thread left blowing in the breeze!

Keith Rothwell’s brutal murder was one of those cases. The clues led to a multi-million dollar money laundering scheme. The proverbial loose thread led to an entertaining last-minute twist that capped off one of the finer entries in what already qualifies as a first-rate series.

Paul Weiss

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. Have you noticed how many titles of mysteries and thrillers are double entendres? Open to different interpretations or a play on words? Especially as one looks a second time at the title from the perspective of having read the book? No better example than 'Final Account.' Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks in Yorkshire, where some of my distant relatives still reside, is called to the scene of a murder which appears more like a gangland slaying in Al Capone's Chicago. Accountant Keith Rothwell has had his head almost blown off by a shotgun wielded by professionals who waited patiently for his return home. The police can't understand it, and neither can the family of this meek and mild man. Banks has a relatively good department in Eastvale, and the hidden life of the victim slowly reveals itself with steady, but unspectacular, police work. It continues to the surprise ending! Were he and Robert Calvert one and the same? Is the Yard correct in saying he was connected to a corrupt dictatorship in the Caribbean? Let's see, I can count four ways to understand the title. PS: the book even has two titles, 'Final Account,' and 'Dry Bones That Dream.' (Jun2020/Mar2025)

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't 5 stars for me because I didn't like the final chapter. The "bad guy" tells Inspector Banks a loooooong story during a looooot of pages about the crimes. Scribd.com's English text, and translation for Portuguese + audio in English from Google Translate. Continuing the Project Learning English by myself.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Popular culture stereotypes accountants and actuaries as boring folk. But what happens to accountant Keith Rothwell in Final Account, the seventh novel in Peter Robinson’s excellent DCI Alan Banks series proves riveting: Returning home with a night out with his wife for their anniversary, Rothwell is grabbed by two masked men, made to kneel, and has his face shot off with a shotgun. Rothwell’s wife and daughter are tied up inside their posh home all the while.

Not only is Rothwell’s end out of the ordinary, Detective Chief Inspector Banks soon finds out that his life and financial practice were, too. I don’t want to divulge any more than that, but let’s just say that Rothwell’s imperious, lavish-spending wife or his demanding children had any idea of who their father really was.

I don’t know how Robinson does it, but each novel has been exciting, more complicated, and more enjoyable than the last. Final Account is no exception. I can hardly wait for No. 8, Innocent Graves.

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have still to be disappointed in a Inspector Banks novel. This is number 7 in the series and one that feels like an "early one" to me, who have read them more or less randomly mixed up. This starts with a grisly "gangland"-style murder of a seemingly dull accountant and the simultaneous disappearance of a former partner of his. Banks again go in clinch with the notorious "Dirty Dick" Burgess of the secret service, but on his team he has Susan Gay and Sergeant Hatchley is back! Even if the end twist was heavily suspected, I did like the a bit bleak ending to this one and again this and also some other parts reminded me of Sjöwall/Wahlöö:s "Beck"-novels.

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

DCI Alan Banks' seventh case sees the execution of an accountant, whilst his wife and teenage daughter are tied up. Banks find himself following a trail that includes double identities, affairs, homophobia, racism and assassins for hire; as well as international money laundering and interest from his part friend / part enemy and old sparring partner linked to the security services, DS Richard Burgess. A surprisingly believable and engaging tale with a pretty good conclusion. 6 out of 12.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one. Three and a half stars.

[Larraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the body of an accountant is found brutally murdered with most of his face gone, it soon becomes obvious that this was more than just a murder. Keith Rothwell was an ordinary, colorless man who nobody seemed to know. He worked tirelessly and made a lot of money, living in a beautiful restored farmhouse. His wife and daughter are horrified to discover the body, but everything matches - the appendix removal scar, the blood type, the clothing. Then a woman calls to say the face of the man in the newspaper is her friend and one time lover, Robert.

Soon things begin to heat up when money laundering and tax evasion become part of the case. I just finished watching the five seasons of the Alan Banks series that starred Stephen Tomkinson, not the person I would have chosen, but he did a fine job nevertheless. The episodes were surprisingly close to the books although, despite the fact that some were of the earlier books, he was no longer married to Sandra. It's too bad there aren't anymore because I really enjoyed the series including the wonderful scenery.

When I was a little less than half through the book, I realized that this was one I had seen televised. Like the other books in the series, there are loads of twists and turns. The ending is left somewhat ambiguous which is interesting.

I have yet to read a Peter Robinson/DI Banks that has disappointed me. This one was no different. It was enjoyable to the end.

[Girish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Police Procedural is not exactly about the crime but more about the process of arriving at the truth. Once you have this clear in your head, you can digest this book a lot more easily.

Keith Rothwell, a stereotype boring accountant, is shot dead mafia style at his own house by two men in balaclava while his wife and daughter are tied up. Seems like a professional hit. Except Keith Rothwell is identified as the playboy Robert Culvert by his ex-girlfriend. When Inspector Banks and his team are working the leads, politics happens and they are told to back off the best lead.

Ian Banks is no Harry Hole with the brooding. In fact, Ian Banks is more human than we give police officers credit for. The rest of the characters are varying shades of police stereotypes - a lady cop facing sexism in the all boys club, the foul mouthing but efficient partner, the divorced philosophical helpful cops. Even the witness and other characters are built around stereotypes - Imagine an Indian/Pakistan witness who is shown to have a Ganesh idol despite she being a Christian. Don't even get me started on the British county stereotyping of Leeds and Yorkshire people.

I found it oddly enough comforting with the stereotyping. The grandstand mystery was somewhat numbed since you would have guessed it 8 times out of 10 (I did in the first chapter) plus there is a lot of deception and clever people thrown in. Still as far as police procedural go, this one is very British - by the book and whining. A decent read.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I read the earlier books in this series; so I couldn’t really connect with Inspector Banks nor the other characters. However, it was an intriguing mystery that held my attention. I’m not quite sure what to make of the ending, and wonder if more will be revealed in the next installment.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Police procedurals especially from Great Britain are some of my favorite mysteries. I have read about Inspectors Lynley, Allyn, Thanet and now Allen Banks. His beat is the Yorkshire area of England. Final Account is my first book by Robinson and I do want to know more about his character and his cases.

Final Account starts off with a bang literally. Why would anyone want to kill a mild mannered accountant? What could this person be involved in that would create the mess that Banks is uncovering?

Allen Banks methodically works though the case with the help and some interference from other law officials. This murder gets more complicated with every passing chapter.

If you are interested in a long running series with fascinating cases and the opportunity to get to know the characters, this may be the series for you.

[Lawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to follow.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple returns home following their anniversary dinner. Intruders tied up their daughter who was home alone. They tie up the wife when she arrives and force the man to the barn/garage. Soon two shots are heard. The daughter finally manages to free herself from the bonds and frees her mother. Inspector Banks finds the man's face blown up beyond recognition. It looks like an assassination. They find evidence he'd been laundering money. It begins to get interesting when a woman comes forward saying the man looks like someone she knew by another name. With characteristics of a cozy and a thriller, this installment may not completely satisfy readers of either genre by not being "cozy" enough for those wanting a little less blood and gruesomeness but being a little slower paced than most thrillers. Audio visits with James Langton narrating the Inspector Banks series always provide a few enjoyable listening hours. (3.5 stars)

[Natalie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instalment #7 is a 5-star crime read. I really enjoy the methods, motives and mind-twisting turns the Chief Inspector Banks series take in this seventh novel. This one was particularly intriguing and the characterisations are central to the plot (I suppose as usual). There is a definite pace to these reads now and I will definitely be continuing on with the series.

[Paula Dembeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This, the seventh book is another great addition to the series.
The story begins with a gruesome scene: a man has been shot execution style out in the barn on the property of his high end family home. The shooting was done at close range and there is little of his head left except some mangled bone and tissue. The headless corpse presents the CID with their first clue: this is not a burglary or a random killing. Nothing is missing from the house where the man’s wife and daughter were tied up when the shooting took place. Clearly this is a targeted hit. But the killer has left an important and telling clue in the paper wadding jammed into the shotgun that was used, a critical piece of the puzzle that the CID uses to start the investigation.
The victim is Keith Rothwell, a quiet self employed accountant who kept very much to himself. The ant-terrorism squad is called in to investigate but it is Rothwell’s business affairs that quickly become the major focus of the inquiry. As the investigation proceeds, it becomes more and more apparent that Rothwell was not the person most people thought he was. Seems he was leading a double life, one filled with gambling, women and dancing.

Some of the changes in the station that were hinted at in the last book have come to pass. Detective Sergeant Richmond is set to move to the Yard at the end of the week and Detective Constable Hatchley has returned. This has created some angst for Susan who initially has difficulty sharing the office with the big, bluff, burley man she clearly dislikes. But despite his faults, Susan discovers he is a determined and hard worker and his reputation for laziness is unfounded. It seems many have underestimated this man who brings a different set of knowledge and skills to Eastvale CID, knowledge which includes a country wide network of low life quasi criminal informers that no one had been able to penetrate.

Banks has now turned his attention to piano music. We know that music is an important part of who Banks is, as well as an integral part of his investigative process. In each novel we hear about his changing taste in music. The recent turn to piano music, whether it be classical, jazz, or the blues, even has him musing about taking piano lessons!
Things on the home front continue their downward spiral and both Banks and Sandra realize what is happening but can’t seem to stop it. The children cannot keep their marriage together any longer and they are going their separate ways, with their own lives and work. With Brian away at Portsmouth Polytechnic and Tracy on a school exchange program in France, both Sandra and Banks try some bridge building, but they are clearly struggling to keep it together despite their feelings for one another. They are both immersed in their work, always away from home and from each other. Each has an independent streak, something which was a strength in their relationship, but which is now driving them apart. Banks, who has faced temptation before with Jenny Fuller, now faces it once more when he meets a beautiful classical viola player during this investigation. He feels guilty for his thoughts. It seems clear that it is only a matter of time before he succumbs to the inevitable.
This story throws a wide net including pornography, distant Caribbean dictators, the reappearance of Banks old nemesis “Dirty Dick Burgess”, a bucolic locale in distant Greece, and a reminder that not everyone is the person they seem to be.
The novel is also filled with the beautiful descriptive details that Robinson excels at, especially towards the end of the story when he describes two young police officers out on night patrol and a final chase scene on a train and through the streets of London.
As a character, Banks maintains a firm hold on our attention as the series continues. Robinson keeps adding layers of complexity to his personality, which keeps the reader not only interested, but sympathetic to a man with an interesting mixture of hard edges and soft spots.
A great read.

[Tina Culbertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we are again in the Yorkshire countryside with DCI Banks investigating another murder. The scene begins with Banks and fellow constable Susan Gay out in the cold wee early morning hours when bland and middle aged accountant Keith Rothwell is found murdered. Rothwell was kneeling, hands tied behind his back and shot in the head. His family discovered the gruesome scene and this where the investigation kicks off.

Rothwell was described as bland and conservative businessman. Nothing exciting about his life or his work. Then Banks gets a call from a young woman who wants verification that the photo of the victim (Rothwell) is a mistake. She knows this man reported as murdered and it’s not Keith Rothwell at all. Banks meets with Pamela, a lovely young musician, and she informs him the man is actually Robert Calvert, her former lover. Rothwell (or Calvert) had a secret life and this opens up another avenue of investigation.

There are many twists to the plot lines which include a drug dealing Caribbean dictator laundering money, several likely suspects and an ending I never saw coming!

This is the seventh book I have read in the DCI Banks series by Peter Robinson. Evidently I’m hooked. Each book mentions Banks love of music and we go from opera to jazz to the Beatles. He always has his Walkman with him and usually has music cassettes for the car. I wonder what type of music he’ll be interested in next.

As for food, of course there is the usual pub grub mentioned and lots of ales and lagers consumed during our detectives working lunches. DCI Banks has a love of Laphroaig, an expensive single malt Scotch whisky. He and his wife Sandra sip their drinks while catching up on life and each other in the rare evenings they are both at home.

One description of an Indian restaurant sounded exotically tantalizing. The aromas of all those spices.

“Banks and Blackstone sat across from each other in an Indian restaurant… drinking lager and nibbling at pakoras and onion bhaji. The aroma was tantalizing – cumin, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, mingled with other spices.”

Keeping to the English menu I grabbed one of Nigel Slater’s recipes. Pork and Pears. Yes, apples are the usually pairing with pork but Nigel used pears. It was good. I think DCI Banks would have enjoyed this meal.

If you’d like the recipe click on over to my foodie blog: Squirrel Head Manor.

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve always been fascinated with people who live double lives. You know the ones I'm talking about. These are the people who somehow managed to fake their death and escape from their current existence. They go on to successfully reinvent themselves, start over, and live radically different lives. I'm not sure that it speaks very well of me that those folks who live that scenario fascinate me, but they do. Even country singer Tom T. Hall got into that act a few years ago with a song called “down in the Florida Keys.” it's hard to find the song on places like apple music, and I suppose it didn't sell very well. But it's a fascinating scenario for me, nonetheless.

This is the story of an accountant with a social-climber wife and a couple of kids. On the surface, his life seems rather drab and unimpressive. There isn't much that distinguishes him from others in his profession. That all changes the day they find his body. Someone that murdered him. They thought his name was Keith Rothwell. And, indeed, it was. Things seemed cut and dried until Pamela Jeffreys shows up. She doesn't know Keith Rothwell. But she has been in love with Robert Calvert for months. She is certain the dead guy whose face she saw in the newspaper is Robert. If that's true, who is the dead guy people assume was Keith Rothwell?

I'm fascinated with the character of inspector banks. His children are verging on adulthood, and he appears to be in a reasonably good marriage with the lovely Sondra, who operates an art gallery. And yet, he can't help but stray. To his credit, he never acts on his lustful desires; but he takes serious notice of Pamela. That pattern seems to exist throughout this series.

This is not a fast-action book. It's a slow British police procedural, but you can't call it plodding. It's not that. I enjoyed being with inspector banks as he meandered down the increasingly murky path that led from Keith Rothwell to Robert Calvert. I suspect you'll enjoy it as well if you read this.

[Alison C · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mild-mannered accountant is brutally executed as Peter Robinson’s "Final Account" begins, and Detective Inspector Alan Banks is at a loss to understand why someone felt he deserved such a gruesome death. Before too long, though, he finds that there is much more to the man than meets the eye, and following the clues leads him far afield from Yorkshire, ultimately stretching to the Caribbean and Southern Europe too…. I only just finished the previous novel in the Alan Banks series a few days prior to starting this one, but I’m enjoying them so much, and there are so many titles to catch up with, that it doesn’t feel like I’m “binge-reading” at all. Inspector Banks is as complex a character as one could want, and this novel emphasizes his love of classical music in a way that both adds more dimension to his character and some important plot points as well - though now I feel that my classical music education is sorely lacking, particularly in terms of the more modern composers referenced in this story. So, a mystery to solve, and some music to find too, what more could one want? Recommended!

[Patti K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 1994 Inspector Banks mystery in Yorkshire that stems from greed
and dangerous secrets kept. An accountant who skimmed profits for
years and barely interacted with his family schemes to be murdered
by proxy. Another man wearing his clothes executed in the accountants's
barn. TS Eliot is quoted: I will show you fear in a handsful of dust. A nd a
violist Pamela Jeffreys is caught up in the intrigue and is savagely beaten
and Alan Banks feels responsible and is full of guilt even after the killer
is killed. Complicated emotions and bizarre twists and turns makes this
a very suspenseful novel.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason, I had only seen this DCI Banks not read it. As always, when you compare the two one is going to fall short (it doesn't help when you have a vision of the lead that doesn't exactly match what's in the book!). Having said that, this is a great series for people who like dark, but not too dark, and who will appreciate the mix of personal (once again, I have to mention the music choices and the implied playlist) and murder. Knowing what happened may be the reason for the loss of a star but, obviously, I can't unknow what the solution was.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent entry in the Inspector Banks series. It has also been filmed for television in Britain and is available on DVD, quite well done. A puzzling execution-style murder of a seemingly quite boring accountant leads to unsettling revelations about his life. Definitely recommended, as is the whole series.

[Lesley Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this because apart from being my favourite genre, crime/detection, it's set in the North of England. I've lived in the South for over 30 years now, but this book took me back. There is a difference, the scenery, the atmosphere, the ambience, the characters, all well drawn and understood. It keeps you involved with the 'cast', you care, right to the end, about them all.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this definitely has a slightly dated feel to it (particularly in the sense of what passes for salacious photography) and I'm not a huge fan of the ending, I appreciate what Robinson does here with Banks's evolution as a not-totally-together middle-aged copper.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully absorbing book. Really enjoyed this one. The only thing I will say is that it didn't have a strong build to a climax. Everything kind of ticked along until the conclusion. Either way, it was an enjoyable read.

[LilBib’Phile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Robinson writes well, but I think this whole thing could have been shorter. By the time the end came around, I was more than ready for it. Very well plotted story, though.

[Bicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every once in a while, Peter Robinson tries something new within his field of police procedurals. In this case, it is the surprise ending. It does not work. Though, as always, it is readable.

[Nancy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another excellent Inspector Banks novel. In this story, there is a brutal murder of an accountant who seemed to be the stereotypical accountant - low-key, boring, quiet family man. However there was much going on in the background that his wife and children did not know about, and it turns out that those things are what caused the violence. There are several other characters who are deeply involved in things and who come to sorry ends as well. But, there is a surprise at the end, just when the reader thinks things are solved.

[Manu Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sans doute pas le meilleur de la série, mais j'aime toujours autant retrouver mon inspecteur Allan Banks. Et pour une fois, j'ai découvert le dénouement dès la moitié ! (suffisamment rare pour être souligné)