Cold Is the Grave

Inspector Banks #11, 13

by Peter Robinson

The deep-rooted animosity between Yorkshire detective Alan Banks and his boss, Chief Constable Jeremiah Riddle, provides a psychologically complex subtext that runs throughout Peter Robinson's prize-winning police procedural series. The tormented professional relationship comes to a head in Cold Is the Grave when Riddle asks Banks for a personal to bring home discreetly and unofficially his runaway daughter.

Banks accepts the assignment reluctantly. He will have no official status or support while conducting the investigation in London. Nevertheless, his concern for the teenage girl, whose nude image is showing up on Internet porn sites, sends Banks south to ask questions on his own time. He quickly finds her--and learns that the Riddles have some serious skeletons in their family closet. As the investigation deepens, Banks is partnered with Annie Cabbot, who has her own problems with interdepartmental politics--she fears that reporting her attempted rape by a colleague will kill her career. As these internal dramas play out, Robinson's complex network of plot twists unwinds to a satisfying but deeply disturbing conclusion. --Deirdre Hanna

Genres: Crime, Mystery

1 pages, Audio CD

First published January 1, 2008

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

[Marion Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

**spoiler alerts**

I'm finally on the other side of 'halfway' through re-reading all the Detective Alan Banks mysteries by the astounding Peter Robinson.

At long last Banks puts to rest his terrible guilt and wonderings about his childhood friend Graham. I loved learning more about his relationship with his parents and the tiny love interest moments with Michelle.

A satisfying read, an absorbing mystery. I seriously can't get enough of Robinson's writing.

[Beatrijs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have long been a fan of Peter Robinson's crime novels, and particularly of Alan Banks. In The summer that never was, all the familiar faces of Eastvale return, and a new character, DI Michelle Hart is added to that mix, albeit in a different county nearer the Big Smoke.
In this novel, you can find once again the familiar mix of themes that seem to stick to Inspector Banks like glue: sex, drugs and yes, why not, rock& roll, as well as history, politics, war - if this seems too much to you, I beg you to give his novels a wide berth. But if you're interested in this character with so many layers to him, then by all means read the whole series.
Starting with Gallows views, as scary as they come, Robinson has grown from strength to strength: he hardly ever tackles 'fashionable' murders: his murder mysteries are organic in the extreme, as organic as the very human characters that people his books.
highly recommended (I must dig out more from my book shelves for re-reading soon)

[Alan Whitlam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this double header

[Rudolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed.

[Brian Carrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good story.

[Donna Mcnab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Banks is enjoying a much needed rest away from police work on an island in Greece when he gets the news that the body of his missing boyhood friend has been found. Banks immediately heads home one week short of the end of his holidays. At the same time, Annie Cabbot takes on the case of a missing boy and asks for Banks' help in solving the case. The parallel cases make an interesting spin, one from many years ago and one current.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Summer the never was' is good. Though sometimes it was difficult to keep up with two separate murders that happened in two different time periods, it was still good. I enjoyed 'Cold is the grave'. These murders were somewhat related through different channels and linked by one or two minor characters.

[Gemma Purple · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reading the books in order so I read these two books with another in the middle. I feel that Peter robinson's writing style has moved forwards and the characters have developed. I really enjoyed 'the summer that never was' in particular, although it was very sad.

[Neville · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that I enjoyed. Should have read it before 'The Summer That Never Was', but still enjoyed. Banks has to find the killer of the bosses daughter. Seems to be straight forward, but a number of twists have you thinking.

I am now looking forward to the next Banks story.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Alan Banks travels to his home town when the skeleton of a childhood friend is discovered. Although he is not on this case he decides to ask questions of his own, meanwhile back at his office a young boy goes missing.

[Teresa Westwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

2in1. Two enjoyable inspector Banks novels in the one tome. Both full length, full novels, and both different. Inspector Banks visits old stamping grounds, and is part of the history of one crime. The other finds him having to stand his ground. Enjoyable but very different tales, well worth a read.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imaginative, engaging police mystery with Inspector Alan Banks. Set in Yorkshire.

[Kirsty Darbyshire]

[I read this for a mailing list discussion and my comments will get cut'n'pasted here when the discussion begins.]

[Shelley Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Adequate writing and a fair plot, but nothing very original or frightening.

[Richard Spring · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK