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Inspector Banks #24
Sleeping in the Ground
MICHAEL CONNELLY calls Peter Robinson "an author with amazing empathy, a snare-trap ear for dialogue, and a clear eye for the telling detail."
See why in Sleeping in the Ground, the gripping new novel starring Alan Banks — featuring an opening scene you'll never forget, and a finale you won't see coming.
At the doors of a charming country church, an unspeakable act destroys a wedding party. A huge manhunt ensues. The culprit is captured. The story is over.
Except it isn't. For Alan Banks, still struggling with a tragic loss of his own, there's something wrong about this case — something unresolved. Reteaming with profiler Jenny Fuller, the relentless detective deeper into the crime... deep enough to unearth long-buried secrets that reshape everything Banks thought he knew about the events outside that chapel.
And when at last the shocking truth becomes clear, it's almost too late.
Packed with twists and turns, heart and soul, this is another triumph from an author "at the top of his game" (LOUISE PENNY).
See why in Sleeping in the Ground, the gripping new novel starring Alan Banks — featuring an opening scene you'll never forget, and a finale you won't see coming.
At the doors of a charming country church, an unspeakable act destroys a wedding party. A huge manhunt ensues. The culprit is captured. The story is over.
Except it isn't. For Alan Banks, still struggling with a tragic loss of his own, there's something wrong about this case — something unresolved. Reteaming with profiler Jenny Fuller, the relentless detective deeper into the crime... deep enough to unearth long-buried secrets that reshape everything Banks thought he knew about the events outside that chapel.
And when at last the shocking truth becomes clear, it's almost too late.
Packed with twists and turns, heart and soul, this is another triumph from an author "at the top of his game" (LOUISE PENNY).
336 pages, ebook
First published July 13, 2017
About the author
Peter Robinson
353 books2,191 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 653 reviews
August 28, 2017
Twenty fourth in series and still pretty darn fantastic. Impressive, and since I have read this series from the beginning, that means I have been reading this series for almost 2/3rd's of my life.
A wedding and a funeral, beginning and endings. Of course the wedding doesn't turn out well, pure understatement there, and the person in the casket had secrets not revealed to Banks until forty years later. Also, some things are never truly over, there is guilt and revenge, and some people just don't care about new beginnings.
This series is one of the best police procedurals around, well written, tightly plotted, and some very interesting character that have gone through some harrowing times. Banks himself, is a complicated, multi faceted character. Love music, poetry and this series always contains some of these. Introspective, but beginning to rethink his solitary life as he is getting older. Just a balanced mix of case and personal. A series well worth reading.
ARC from edelweiss.
A wedding and a funeral, beginning and endings. Of course the wedding doesn't turn out well, pure understatement there, and the person in the casket had secrets not revealed to Banks until forty years later. Also, some things are never truly over, there is guilt and revenge, and some people just don't care about new beginnings.
This series is one of the best police procedurals around, well written, tightly plotted, and some very interesting character that have gone through some harrowing times. Banks himself, is a complicated, multi faceted character. Love music, poetry and this series always contains some of these. Introspective, but beginning to rethink his solitary life as he is getting older. Just a balanced mix of case and personal. A series well worth reading.
ARC from edelweiss.
February 11, 2019
This is the twenty-fourth entry in Peter Robinson's series featuring Inspector Alan Banks a member of the police department in the fictional town of Eastvale in the north of England. Through the years, Banks has risen through the ranks and is now a Detective Superintendent, overseeing a group of detectives.
As the book opens, Banks is at a funeral. It's a particularly difficult one for him, since the woman who has died was the first girl he ever loved. While they were still in college, she broke up with him, refusing to explain why, and he had not seen or heard from her in over forty years. But as is so often the case with your first real love, Banks has never forgotten her and is deeply saddened by her death.
Banks had turned his cell phone off for the funeral and in his melancholy, forgets to turn it on until he leaves the train after arriving back home. When he turns it back on, the phone explodes with texts and voicemail messages demanding his urgent attention. A sniper has opened fire on a wedding party leaving a church in a small village near Eastvale. Seven or eight victims are down and the gunman who fired from a hillside overlooking the entrance to the church has escaped. In the confusion, only one person even caught a fleeting glimpse of him.
Banks arrives on the scene to find total chaos. Four people will ultimately die of their wounds, including the bride and the groom. One of Banks's detective who was in the party has suffered a minor wound but will recover. Banks now takes charge of an investigation that will naturally unfold under intense media pressure. Many questions need to be answered: Was this a terrorist attack? Did the gunman have an intended target or targets, or was he just firing randomly into the wedding party? Why did he select this particular wedding party?
Inevitably, this will be a very broad investigation which must look into the background of all of the victims in an effort to determine if any of them had an enemy who might have attacked them. Banks will be reunited with Jenny Fuller, a profiler from an earlier case, who will join the investigation in and effort to point them in the direction of the sort of person who might have committed such an horrendous crime. Throughout the book, he will continue to be haunted by the death of the woman he had loved.
As with any long-running series, the cast of characters is now fully familiar and it's fun to see them all back again interacting with each other. The case is an interesting one and it takes some unexpected twist and turns. The police work is solid, and the story proceeds at exactly the right pace before ending with a great climax. Another solid addition to the series.
As the book opens, Banks is at a funeral. It's a particularly difficult one for him, since the woman who has died was the first girl he ever loved. While they were still in college, she broke up with him, refusing to explain why, and he had not seen or heard from her in over forty years. But as is so often the case with your first real love, Banks has never forgotten her and is deeply saddened by her death.
Banks had turned his cell phone off for the funeral and in his melancholy, forgets to turn it on until he leaves the train after arriving back home. When he turns it back on, the phone explodes with texts and voicemail messages demanding his urgent attention. A sniper has opened fire on a wedding party leaving a church in a small village near Eastvale. Seven or eight victims are down and the gunman who fired from a hillside overlooking the entrance to the church has escaped. In the confusion, only one person even caught a fleeting glimpse of him.
Banks arrives on the scene to find total chaos. Four people will ultimately die of their wounds, including the bride and the groom. One of Banks's detective who was in the party has suffered a minor wound but will recover. Banks now takes charge of an investigation that will naturally unfold under intense media pressure. Many questions need to be answered: Was this a terrorist attack? Did the gunman have an intended target or targets, or was he just firing randomly into the wedding party? Why did he select this particular wedding party?
Inevitably, this will be a very broad investigation which must look into the background of all of the victims in an effort to determine if any of them had an enemy who might have attacked them. Banks will be reunited with Jenny Fuller, a profiler from an earlier case, who will join the investigation in and effort to point them in the direction of the sort of person who might have committed such an horrendous crime. Throughout the book, he will continue to be haunted by the death of the woman he had loved.
As with any long-running series, the cast of characters is now fully familiar and it's fun to see them all back again interacting with each other. The case is an interesting one and it takes some unexpected twist and turns. The police work is solid, and the story proceeds at exactly the right pace before ending with a great climax. Another solid addition to the series.
October 26, 2017
This novel was an amazing surprise!
Upon receiving this novel, I was very hesitant about reading it not knowing how I would feel reading the twenty-fourth book in a series. I thought I would be lost with no idea about what was going on within the story or the characters. Man, I'm happy I was wrong on that account. Yes, reading the previous novels in this series probably would help in understanding the characters more and their backgrounds along with previous crimes; however, it was not a necessity. This book was also amazing as a standalone.
For those who love shows similar to CSI, Criminal Minds, Chicago PD, etc: this book is for you! While reading, I felt like I was reading an episode that was being acted out in my head except with a book you get way more detail. It was awesome! As much as there is a main character of Alan Banks, he's not the only main character. There is a team within his department that also could be considered as main characters (they were to me at least). I really liked this unique aspect to the novel where it didn't feel like it was a sole person's responsibility to solve a crime and instead was more realistic including a network of people.
As for the story, it was extremely well done, definitely one of my favourite murder mysteries of this year (if not one of my favourites ever). It caught my attention from the beginning and I didn't once get bored. I was enthralled in the story and I wasn't able to predict the suspect.....at all. I was able to predict it at one point in the story but that was essentially when it was confirmed. That's a rarity for me. Typically, I'm able to predict the murderer and then I spend the rest of the novel waiting to see how that suspect is discovered.
I hinted at this above but I also really loved the detail of this novel. Although it's a fictional story, it felt well researched. There was scientific and forensic techniques mentioned that added immensely to the story. It made the story one thousand times more realistic than the average murder mystery novel that doesn't reference any of the actual science behind a murder and how it's necessary for evidence.
This book was amazing! Very happy to have read it and I hope to read more from Peter Robinson in the future!
***Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a physical copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
Upon receiving this novel, I was very hesitant about reading it not knowing how I would feel reading the twenty-fourth book in a series. I thought I would be lost with no idea about what was going on within the story or the characters. Man, I'm happy I was wrong on that account. Yes, reading the previous novels in this series probably would help in understanding the characters more and their backgrounds along with previous crimes; however, it was not a necessity. This book was also amazing as a standalone.
For those who love shows similar to CSI, Criminal Minds, Chicago PD, etc: this book is for you! While reading, I felt like I was reading an episode that was being acted out in my head except with a book you get way more detail. It was awesome! As much as there is a main character of Alan Banks, he's not the only main character. There is a team within his department that also could be considered as main characters (they were to me at least). I really liked this unique aspect to the novel where it didn't feel like it was a sole person's responsibility to solve a crime and instead was more realistic including a network of people.
As for the story, it was extremely well done, definitely one of my favourite murder mysteries of this year (if not one of my favourites ever). It caught my attention from the beginning and I didn't once get bored. I was enthralled in the story and I wasn't able to predict the suspect.....at all. I was able to predict it at one point in the story but that was essentially when it was confirmed. That's a rarity for me. Typically, I'm able to predict the murderer and then I spend the rest of the novel waiting to see how that suspect is discovered.
I hinted at this above but I also really loved the detail of this novel. Although it's a fictional story, it felt well researched. There was scientific and forensic techniques mentioned that added immensely to the story. It made the story one thousand times more realistic than the average murder mystery novel that doesn't reference any of the actual science behind a murder and how it's necessary for evidence.
This book was amazing! Very happy to have read it and I hope to read more from Peter Robinson in the future!
***Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a physical copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
September 9, 2017
I've been a fan all along. However, I found this addition to the series quite tedious as the plot evolved. Also, the musical references, which I once thought of as entertaining, are so numerous as to become irritating to me.
October 2, 2018
The Inspector Banks series is one of my favorites and once again Peter Robinson proves that he can write a damn good mystery. This, his latest effort, is a very strange tale and a little different from his other books.
On the very first page, a wedding party is joyously leaving the church, when a sniper start picking them off one by one. In an attack that only lasts for minutes, the bride, groom, groom's father, maid of honor, and bride's maid are dead and several others are injured. It is a beginning that will leave you somewhat shaken and that is just for starters. By page 100, it appears that the murderer is identified, although the motive is unknown. No spoilers here but have you ever read a 300 page police procedural where the murderer is captured almost immediately? Banks has doubts and starts digging into past history to see if there are any clues to what might have caused this massacre.
It is a story where people are often at cross purposes and the team is somewhat divided in their opinions of who is the killer. It is an interesting look at a situation where the obvious may not be the answer. Robinson is at the top of his game and I recommend this book.
On the very first page, a wedding party is joyously leaving the church, when a sniper start picking them off one by one. In an attack that only lasts for minutes, the bride, groom, groom's father, maid of honor, and bride's maid are dead and several others are injured. It is a beginning that will leave you somewhat shaken and that is just for starters. By page 100, it appears that the murderer is identified, although the motive is unknown. No spoilers here but have you ever read a 300 page police procedural where the murderer is captured almost immediately? Banks has doubts and starts digging into past history to see if there are any clues to what might have caused this massacre.
It is a story where people are often at cross purposes and the team is somewhat divided in their opinions of who is the killer. It is an interesting look at a situation where the obvious may not be the answer. Robinson is at the top of his game and I recommend this book.
August 18, 2017
what a shame...I love Banks, but this book was a lot to do about nothing. Even the ending which could have been exciting and threatening was anticlimactic. Are we just writing and reading because we don't know how to end Banks?
July 31, 2017
My View:
I applaud Peter Robinson on his opening chapter - he has managed to put humanness, individuals, people… back into the narrative of mass murders, thrill/spree killings. Too often we view the landscape with the lens of a camera – we “see” reporting’s, documenting of such real life atrocities without emotion, as if the deaths and maiming are without consequence, without pain or effect on others. “If the incident was a scene in a film, it would have looked beautiful. The violence would have taken place in elegantly choreographed silence and slow motion…but the way Terry Gilchrist saw it – and he was there –it was as swift as it was brutal…a crack…a dull thud, then a patch of blood spread over the bride’s chest. Her body arched… blood soaked white chiffon and lace, her mouth open, the scream forever struck in her throat…it was all finished in less than a minute. One of the fallen guests was moaning with pain. Nearby, a bridesmaid sat propped up against a gravestone crying, her hands pressed to her bloody midriff where something wet and shiny rested in her lap…” chapter 1
The introduction is bloody, brutal and honest. You cannot help but be affected by the sufferings here. Consequences are felt.
But don’t be put off by the graphic violence in this chapter – it serves it purpose well – it reminds us that people are suffering, it connects the reader with the brutal event and the survivors and the first chapter is the only truly gruesome scene in the book. We read on to discover the motivation of the villain, we discover the long reaching effects of the crime, the effects on those attending the wedding - injured or not and the effects on those who have to deal with these types of situations – the medics, doctors, police… It is a shocking reminder that these type of events happen to real people, not to two dimensional characters on a screen.
Further the plot is nuanced with Banks’s personal experience of death and mourning (of a once close friend) as he reflects on life, death and love. Consequences of actions/reactions to events in the past are also explored in a meaningful way. This is a multi-layered narrative.
This is the twenty-fourth book in the DCI Banks series but it can easily be read as a standalone. The events that explode on the opening pages are familiar to all, the unravelling of the crime is an engaging and compelling reading.
I applaud Peter Robinson on his opening chapter - he has managed to put humanness, individuals, people… back into the narrative of mass murders, thrill/spree killings. Too often we view the landscape with the lens of a camera – we “see” reporting’s, documenting of such real life atrocities without emotion, as if the deaths and maiming are without consequence, without pain or effect on others. “If the incident was a scene in a film, it would have looked beautiful. The violence would have taken place in elegantly choreographed silence and slow motion…but the way Terry Gilchrist saw it – and he was there –it was as swift as it was brutal…a crack…a dull thud, then a patch of blood spread over the bride’s chest. Her body arched… blood soaked white chiffon and lace, her mouth open, the scream forever struck in her throat…it was all finished in less than a minute. One of the fallen guests was moaning with pain. Nearby, a bridesmaid sat propped up against a gravestone crying, her hands pressed to her bloody midriff where something wet and shiny rested in her lap…” chapter 1
The introduction is bloody, brutal and honest. You cannot help but be affected by the sufferings here. Consequences are felt.
But don’t be put off by the graphic violence in this chapter – it serves it purpose well – it reminds us that people are suffering, it connects the reader with the brutal event and the survivors and the first chapter is the only truly gruesome scene in the book. We read on to discover the motivation of the villain, we discover the long reaching effects of the crime, the effects on those attending the wedding - injured or not and the effects on those who have to deal with these types of situations – the medics, doctors, police… It is a shocking reminder that these type of events happen to real people, not to two dimensional characters on a screen.
Further the plot is nuanced with Banks’s personal experience of death and mourning (of a once close friend) as he reflects on life, death and love. Consequences of actions/reactions to events in the past are also explored in a meaningful way. This is a multi-layered narrative.
This is the twenty-fourth book in the DCI Banks series but it can easily be read as a standalone. The events that explode on the opening pages are familiar to all, the unravelling of the crime is an engaging and compelling reading.
December 8, 2017
I have read every DCI Alan Banks and they are now very familiar and comfortable reading experiences. It's not like the books have become interchangeable or stagnant, but there are features which tend to reappear. For example the books are all set in Northern England, in and around Eastvale a small town in Yorkshire. They feature Alan Banks, a smart, music-loving, working-class bloke who became a policeman for no apparent reason and has advanced up the ranks to his current title of Detective Superintendent.
The supporting characters in the books have evolved (and grown more prominent) in the more recent books, with Robinson adding DI Annie Cabot, Chief Superintendent Catherine Gervaise and DC Geraldine "Gerry" Masterson to balance out the central role Banks plays. Sadly, in SLEEPING IN THE GROUND, my favorite supporting character , DS Winsome Jackson hardly appears (for reasons I won't divulge here).
The mystery at the center of this entry in the long running Banks series is both more and less interesting than usual. There's a horrific mass shooting (at a wedding, no less) to begin the book and when a body of a man with his fingerprints matching a weapon that fired the bullets at the scene is found with a self-inflicted fatal wound it appears as if the mystery is over before it has begun. But of course there are developments which lead to a reopening of this apparent open-and-shut case....
In addition to the main mystery we get a lot more internal dialogue from Banks as he ponders his romantic future and past. A blast from the past, the lovely psychological profiler Jenny Fuller who appeared in some of the very early (like books 8-11) Banks books, has returned to Eastvale and she ends up working with the police to try and identify and understand the mind of a person who can shoot a dozen shots into a wedding (killing both bride and groom).
In addition to Banks we also follow Annie's thoughts for awhile. Even more importantly we also get the POV of Gerrie, who is the most junior member of the team but who eventually makes the most important breakthroughs leading to the eventual denouement and resolution of the case at hand.
Overall, SLEEPING IN THE GROUND is a better than average entry into the British police procedural oeuvre, and for longtime Robinson readers like myself, an enjoyable and familiar diversion.
3.5 STARS.
The supporting characters in the books have evolved (and grown more prominent) in the more recent books, with Robinson adding DI Annie Cabot, Chief Superintendent Catherine Gervaise and DC Geraldine "Gerry" Masterson to balance out the central role Banks plays. Sadly, in SLEEPING IN THE GROUND, my favorite supporting character , DS Winsome Jackson hardly appears (for reasons I won't divulge here).
The mystery at the center of this entry in the long running Banks series is both more and less interesting than usual. There's a horrific mass shooting (at a wedding, no less) to begin the book and when a body of a man with his fingerprints matching a weapon that fired the bullets at the scene is found with a self-inflicted fatal wound it appears as if the mystery is over before it has begun. But of course there are developments which lead to a reopening of this apparent open-and-shut case....
In addition to the main mystery we get a lot more internal dialogue from Banks as he ponders his romantic future and past. A blast from the past, the lovely psychological profiler Jenny Fuller who appeared in some of the very early (like books 8-11) Banks books, has returned to Eastvale and she ends up working with the police to try and identify and understand the mind of a person who can shoot a dozen shots into a wedding (killing both bride and groom).
In addition to Banks we also follow Annie's thoughts for awhile. Even more importantly we also get the POV of Gerrie, who is the most junior member of the team but who eventually makes the most important breakthroughs leading to the eventual denouement and resolution of the case at hand.
Overall, SLEEPING IN THE GROUND is a better than average entry into the British police procedural oeuvre, and for longtime Robinson readers like myself, an enjoyable and familiar diversion.
3.5 STARS.
March 16, 2018
Far from a top Banks' it's still obvious that Robinson's books are a notch above most in the genre. As usual, it's great to re-visit the characters that one knows so well by now and the story and narrative flows nicely as ever. An odd case, someone goes on a killing spree on a local wedding, turns out to have long stretching ties in the past. A straightforward enough story with a logical - but very satisfying - end. Three stars is by comparison only, if I wasn't so spoiled by many of the 24(!) others in the series, I'd award it a 4. If you are only to read one single Banks novel... ...why?
April 15, 2024
I read this a while ago, but am now bringing my review to Goodreads.
This is the twenty-fourth book in the DCI Banks series but it can easily be read as a standalone.
The events that explode on the opening pages are familiar to all, the unravelling of the crime makes this an engaging and compelling read.
Robinson excels at both plotting and characterizations. If you want to know how the British police organize, investigate and capture criminals this is the book to read.
This is the twenty-fourth book in the DCI Banks series but it can easily be read as a standalone.
The events that explode on the opening pages are familiar to all, the unravelling of the crime makes this an engaging and compelling read.
Robinson excels at both plotting and characterizations. If you want to know how the British police organize, investigate and capture criminals this is the book to read.
October 24, 2017
Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks series is one of my hands down favourites. Sleeping in the Ground is the 24th entry.
I have such a delicious sense of anticipation when I open the cover of the latest Banks. I had no idea what the plot was about, but knew I would be in for another great read. I wanted to catch up with characters I've come to know and appreciate. What has gone on in their lives? Robinson keeps them moving forward in real time with each new entry.
Sleeping in the Ground opens with a wedding - and a funeral. A unknown gunman opens fire on a countryside wedding, killing and wounding many. Banks is away attending the memorial service of his first love from forty years ago, when he is called to the scene. He's become quite introspective with her passing, looking at his own life and decisions. But, it seems to be manifesting itself in anger and short tempered outbursts - quite unlike the usually composed Banks.
The killer is identified early on in the book and I wondered where the book could go from there, as there were still many pages remaining. Banks has some niggling doubts though and continues to investigate even as the case is declared solved. Robinson's plot was inventive and completely unpredictable. I truly enjoy being surprised by a mystery as I read so many.
Robinson excels at both plotting and characterizations. As I mentioned earlier, I read this series as much for the mystery as for those who populate the pages. Familiar supporting players are back, including one from Banks' past. The settings and descriptions have me yearning to sit in a pub with a packet of crisps, catching up on the latest.
As always, I enjoy Bank's music selections. I've often put the book down to look up and listen to a song that is playing in the book, curious as to how and why it fits that particular scene or moment. Banks is also into poetry now and those references are also well suited.
Robinson's prose are effortless and so very engaging. Sleeping in the Ground is a stellar entry in this series - and I will be eagerly awaiting number twenty five.
I have such a delicious sense of anticipation when I open the cover of the latest Banks. I had no idea what the plot was about, but knew I would be in for another great read. I wanted to catch up with characters I've come to know and appreciate. What has gone on in their lives? Robinson keeps them moving forward in real time with each new entry.
Sleeping in the Ground opens with a wedding - and a funeral. A unknown gunman opens fire on a countryside wedding, killing and wounding many. Banks is away attending the memorial service of his first love from forty years ago, when he is called to the scene. He's become quite introspective with her passing, looking at his own life and decisions. But, it seems to be manifesting itself in anger and short tempered outbursts - quite unlike the usually composed Banks.
The killer is identified early on in the book and I wondered where the book could go from there, as there were still many pages remaining. Banks has some niggling doubts though and continues to investigate even as the case is declared solved. Robinson's plot was inventive and completely unpredictable. I truly enjoy being surprised by a mystery as I read so many.
Robinson excels at both plotting and characterizations. As I mentioned earlier, I read this series as much for the mystery as for those who populate the pages. Familiar supporting players are back, including one from Banks' past. The settings and descriptions have me yearning to sit in a pub with a packet of crisps, catching up on the latest.
As always, I enjoy Bank's music selections. I've often put the book down to look up and listen to a song that is playing in the book, curious as to how and why it fits that particular scene or moment. Banks is also into poetry now and those references are also well suited.
Robinson's prose are effortless and so very engaging. Sleeping in the Ground is a stellar entry in this series - and I will be eagerly awaiting number twenty five.
September 27, 2018
Another great novel
I have to admit I came late to this series. I only started about 4 or 5 years ago, I have managed to read in order with some mammoth binge sessions, to catch up on. This one easily lives up to the standard of the previous 23. That is one hell of an achievement to hit the mark every time.
It was unusual to have chapters over 6-10 pages long, I think some were over 30, which is very unusual nowadays. But it works, there is a lot of detail, but not too much. The author obviously knows and loves the setting.
Some new characters and a few old ones reappearing in this, can't wait to read book 25 to see what will happen next.
I have to admit I came late to this series. I only started about 4 or 5 years ago, I have managed to read in order with some mammoth binge sessions, to catch up on. This one easily lives up to the standard of the previous 23. That is one hell of an achievement to hit the mark every time.
It was unusual to have chapters over 6-10 pages long, I think some were over 30, which is very unusual nowadays. But it works, there is a lot of detail, but not too much. The author obviously knows and loves the setting.
Some new characters and a few old ones reappearing in this, can't wait to read book 25 to see what will happen next.
November 18, 2017
You've got to hand it to Peter Robinson. The guy really knows how to write a cracking mystery novel, filled with interesting characters such as his cynical sidekick Annie Cabbot, and the lovely Winsome and fearless young Gerry Masterton. Even his old boss Gristhorpe, with his "endless stone wall building project", makes an appearance in this study of a mass killing with ties to a long past murder. The descriptions of the scenic Yorkshire hills and dales don't hurt either. BUT this book, as do several of his other more recent works, comes with two caveats: first,Robinson peppers his novels with endless endless endless references to music from Schubert to Pink Floyd. A music aficionado might love this, but for many readers, the references are intrusive and irritating. Instead of shining a light on the character of DS Alan Banks (the main detective), they come off as braggadocio --as if the author is showing off his extensive knowledge of music. And secondly, as I have mentioned before in a previous review, Banks should be renamed Bond, yes James Bond, for the number of women, both young and old but yes, it must be said, often much YOUNGER WOMEN, who harbour romantic feelings for the 60ish detective. In this book alone, Banks learns from an acquaintance that his long lost first love never stopped adoring him and then we also learn that a former female colleague --who comes back after 25 years in Australia --has never gotten over him. Now this is all fine and dandy, but as some male and most female readers already know, Annie Cabbot his former lover and current sidekick (and yes 15 years his junior) still carries a torch for Banks AND now we discover that his 20something DC,Gerry Masterson, finds him attractive. Now maybe there are dozens of cute young things with daddy complexes or desires to feather their own nests hanging around Yorkshire but in my experience not many 25 year olds are attracted to 60 year old men. The guy is not George Clooney or Hugh Hefner. Or Ben Affleck. Really it has got to be the author's fantasy and it sadly detracts from an otherwise excellent book. Just sayin'...
January 22, 2023
Clear DNF. Very unlike most of Peter Robinson's books that I have very much enjoyed.
Robinson reintroduces a profiler who made an appearance in an earlier book. His portrayal of a profiler was amateurish, as off the mark as possible and destroyed the story. She knew nothing yet spoke nonstop, a familiar combination. Having been a psychologist in my working life, I feel very comfortable in making this judgement.
I would suggest that you give this book a pass, even if you truly enjoy Robinson's Inspector Banks series.
Fini
Robinson reintroduces a profiler who made an appearance in an earlier book. His portrayal of a profiler was amateurish, as off the mark as possible and destroyed the story. She knew nothing yet spoke nonstop, a familiar combination. Having been a psychologist in my working life, I feel very comfortable in making this judgement.
I would suggest that you give this book a pass, even if you truly enjoy Robinson's Inspector Banks series.
Fini
May 8, 2018
If you want to know how the British police organize, investigate and capture criminals this is the book to read - - It is amazingly thorough - you are part of the team that Detective Superintendent Banks leads in the search for a spree killer. You will work alongside Banks and his subordinates as they try and solve a very tough case. A sniper shoots and kills a number of participants in a wedding party - the hunt is on and everyone in Banks' team is leading the charge - this is a painful case and everyone wants it solved - now. An excellent addition to the "Inspector Banks" books.
September 17, 2017
Opposite of a page turner. Forced myself to get through it. Boring.
June 30, 2017
Sleeping In The Ground
By
Peter Robinson
What it's all about...
It's a beautiful day for a wedding. But suddenly shots are fired and both wedding party members as well as guests are left dead and bleeding. It takes the police as well as emergency vehicles longer than normal to get to the dying, bleeding and wounded. By the time they do...the shooter is gone...there is no sign of him anywhere. Inspector Banks...on his way home from a funeral...ends up at the crime scene where there is confusion as well as chaos. No one has seen any sign of the shooter except perhaps a youth staying at a hostel. But a conversation with him leads Inspector Banks and his team no where.
Why I wanted to read it...
I love these books and I think I have read almost all of them. They are filled with mystery, tea, fried breakfasts, meaty pies and complexities.
What made me truly enjoy this book...
I love the character of Inspector Banks. I truly enjoy the way these books are written. I love watching the mystery unfold. It's just a perfect book to snuggle up with on any kind of a day...beachy, rainy, snowy!
Why you should read it, too...
Readers who love intense yet British mysteries should truly enjoy this book just as much as I did.
July 27, 2018
This book was hard to put down. I couldn't wait to get to the end of the book to find out who the real killer was.
What starts out as a beautiful wedding at a charming old church ends in horror as gunfire strikes killing and injuring members of the wedding party. The mother of the bride is not injured. It leaves the detectives wondering why she is spared since she was right in the line of fire.
They suspect a local man as he had purchased several high powered guns and lives near the sight of the church. When they enter the suspect's home it looks like he has committed suicide. After the coroner takes another look at the body of the suspect he finds there is evidence of foul play and not a suicide.
The hunt is on to find the true killer. The shooting all ties back to the mother of the bride who was friends with a girl who was killed when they were teenagers decades earlier.
This is a twisting journey that you won't want to miss out on. The ending and the real killer is a great surprise to everyone after a lot of investigating by all the detectives working together.
A must read. Recommend to friend and family.
So the hunts continues for the real killer.
What starts out as a beautiful wedding at a charming old church ends in horror as gunfire strikes killing and injuring members of the wedding party. The mother of the bride is not injured. It leaves the detectives wondering why she is spared since she was right in the line of fire.
They suspect a local man as he had purchased several high powered guns and lives near the sight of the church. When they enter the suspect's home it looks like he has committed suicide. After the coroner takes another look at the body of the suspect he finds there is evidence of foul play and not a suicide.
The hunt is on to find the true killer. The shooting all ties back to the mother of the bride who was friends with a girl who was killed when they were teenagers decades earlier.
This is a twisting journey that you won't want to miss out on. The ending and the real killer is a great surprise to everyone after a lot of investigating by all the detectives working together.
A must read. Recommend to friend and family.
So the hunts continues for the real killer.
January 28, 2020
Sleeping in the Ground is the 24th novel featuring detective Alan Banks. Even after all this time Peter Robinson shows no sign of staleness & opens the book with a mass killing at a wedding. Robinson writes a gripping narrative as is, for me, one of the finest authors of police procedurals around.
Sleeping in the Ground also throws up some new insights into the past life of Alan Banks. Even Banks find out a few things he never knew about his past. However, the detective's personal life never overshadows the main plot but works nicely alongside it.
Another fine novel in the series.
Sleeping in the Ground also throws up some new insights into the past life of Alan Banks. Even Banks find out a few things he never knew about his past. However, the detective's personal life never overshadows the main plot but works nicely alongside it.
Another fine novel in the series.
October 15, 2017
After 24 books I still care about Inspector Banks. I'm glad other characters I have liked in the series are still alive vs the televised version of Banks and his team. I enjoy both for different reasons. This book opens with a shocking mass killing of members of a wedding party post ceremony. The investigation becomes focused on events decades old as Banks in his personal life also visits the past.
November 18, 2017
Although the story was interesting and solving the mystery of who the killer was, I thought it was bogged down with too many extraneous details, especially all the music Banks listens to all the time. A good editor could have cut a lot of this side track to tighten the story and keep the reader from skimming through many of the pages like I did.
October 29, 2017
This is my first book by Peter Robinson so, admittedly, I'm a little late coming to the Inspector Banks party since this is the twenty-fourth book in the popular series. This book starts out with an impressive bang - actually, many bangs as several guests are gunned down at a wedding. Inspector Banks, along with some of his law enforcement cronies, are brought in to figure out the identity of the shooter.
The mystery itself was good, with twists and culprits sprinkled liberally throughout, but the momentum of the mystery was hampered by the constant inclusion of numerous side stories. I realize that these characters have pasts and side stories help to flesh them out to readers but I think it was to the detriment of the mystery. Granted, I didn't have the background of these characters since I haven't read the previous books but with so much time devoted to relationships and mouth-watering descriptions of the food they ate, I felt like the mystery was being interrupted too often and I was unable to invest myself into it as much as I wanted to. As the pages were dwindling, the tension suddenly ramped up to an intense, nail-biting ending but this conclusion felt too swift leaving me feeling a little put out at its abruptness.
Overall, this slow burn suspense read will probably be viewed more favourably with fans of the series. The mystery aspect was wonderfully twisty but with less interruption from side stories the tension would have been higher and I would have given it a higher rating.
Disclaimer: This ARC was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
The mystery itself was good, with twists and culprits sprinkled liberally throughout, but the momentum of the mystery was hampered by the constant inclusion of numerous side stories. I realize that these characters have pasts and side stories help to flesh them out to readers but I think it was to the detriment of the mystery. Granted, I didn't have the background of these characters since I haven't read the previous books but with so much time devoted to relationships and mouth-watering descriptions of the food they ate, I felt like the mystery was being interrupted too often and I was unable to invest myself into it as much as I wanted to. As the pages were dwindling, the tension suddenly ramped up to an intense, nail-biting ending but this conclusion felt too swift leaving me feeling a little put out at its abruptness.
Overall, this slow burn suspense read will probably be viewed more favourably with fans of the series. The mystery aspect was wonderfully twisty but with less interruption from side stories the tension would have been higher and I would have given it a higher rating.
Disclaimer: This ARC was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
September 17, 2017
Sleeping in the Ground by Peter Robinson is a very difficult book for me to rate. This is book number 24 in the series and it is the first time that I have read any of the author's books. Because I haven't read the previous books, I got a little bit lost with the characters. But I found Inspector Banks very interesting. He had attended a funeral of his first love of many years ago and that jarred him. The relationship had been broken off suddenly but he never knew why. Even though he married later on, this was his one true love. So there is sadness hanging over him. He had a great love of music, and I enjoyed reading about his choices. He recognized music as a great healer and comforter in his life.
At the time that Inspector Banks was attending the funeral, a sniper invaded a wedding party and there were vivid scenes of the bride, the groom, bridesmaids being shot plus others at the wedding who were injured.
When the clues were put together, the police were very happy because they thought that they had found the sniper. A retired dentist was found with a fatal bullet through his mouth plus clippings with underlined words in red. I did not buy it. Was the dentist the sniper?
I really loved rich characterizations of the Inspector and the other main characters in this book. I just wish that I had started with the first installment.
I received a finished copy of this book from the publisher as a win from FirstReads but that in no way made a difference in my thoughts or feelings in this review.
At the time that Inspector Banks was attending the funeral, a sniper invaded a wedding party and there were vivid scenes of the bride, the groom, bridesmaids being shot plus others at the wedding who were injured.
When the clues were put together, the police were very happy because they thought that they had found the sniper. A retired dentist was found with a fatal bullet through his mouth plus clippings with underlined words in red. I did not buy it. Was the dentist the sniper?
I really loved rich characterizations of the Inspector and the other main characters in this book. I just wish that I had started with the first installment.
I received a finished copy of this book from the publisher as a win from FirstReads but that in no way made a difference in my thoughts or feelings in this review.
August 20, 2017
Banks is a detective I have been reading for years and installment #24 doesn't disappoint. It opens with a sniper attack on a wedding, a shocking event no matter where it occurs but in rural Yorkshire it is incomprehensible. Banks is faced with a puzzle that has not obvious point of entry to a solution. This novel relies on plodding police work, and noticing the tiniest irregularity. Banks is called in to work on his way home from a funeral. The person who has died was one of Bank's first loves, and her funeral is a reminder to Banks of how quickly life can go by.
As always, Banks is a repository of musical knowledge. Music serves many purposes for Banks - to clear his mind, and to think deeper. Single malts and local beers are mentioned often providing a treat for readers who know them or don't and have something to look forward to. Annie is still part of his team, as well as a new team member, Gerry, a profiler and someone Allan was involved with years earlier.
Banks must be close to mandatory retirement age for the police force, though his age is not mentioned. Based on the clever detective work that leads the police to the guilty party, Banks still has a lot of life in him. This is a must read for fans of Banks and for those who are new to the series, it can be read without having read the earlier books. It's a 4.5 for me because 5 means super awesome.
As always, Banks is a repository of musical knowledge. Music serves many purposes for Banks - to clear his mind, and to think deeper. Single malts and local beers are mentioned often providing a treat for readers who know them or don't and have something to look forward to. Annie is still part of his team, as well as a new team member, Gerry, a profiler and someone Allan was involved with years earlier.
Banks must be close to mandatory retirement age for the police force, though his age is not mentioned. Based on the clever detective work that leads the police to the guilty party, Banks still has a lot of life in him. This is a must read for fans of Banks and for those who are new to the series, it can be read without having read the earlier books. It's a 4.5 for me because 5 means super awesome.
December 8, 2023
Too much padding on a light frame.
Alan Banks may have been promoted to Detective Superintendent, but his creator deserves a demotion after this lame effort.
A major disappointment as I am usually a big fan of Peter Robinson and his detective novels.
This one is awfully slow going, not helped by a very slim and not overly convincing plot.
A major drawback is the excessive padding. Anyone who has read the Banks character knows how Robinson likes to meander off into the detective's music likes, poetry quotes, romance reflections, etc. Sadly, this time it just becomes a bit too much. With so many references to music, I thought the author was using Gramophone magazine as his major source for this novel. And the continual references to food and beer and pubs! All became a bit tedious and at times I was skipping over whole passages because of all these irrelevant mentions.
Pity there wasn't more of Robinson's usual excellent characterizations and thrilling narrative.
Seemed to me that he turned the slim Alan Banks into an unfortunate fat man for this novel.
Alan Banks may have been promoted to Detective Superintendent, but his creator deserves a demotion after this lame effort.
A major disappointment as I am usually a big fan of Peter Robinson and his detective novels.
This one is awfully slow going, not helped by a very slim and not overly convincing plot.
A major drawback is the excessive padding. Anyone who has read the Banks character knows how Robinson likes to meander off into the detective's music likes, poetry quotes, romance reflections, etc. Sadly, this time it just becomes a bit too much. With so many references to music, I thought the author was using Gramophone magazine as his major source for this novel. And the continual references to food and beer and pubs! All became a bit tedious and at times I was skipping over whole passages because of all these irrelevant mentions.
Pity there wasn't more of Robinson's usual excellent characterizations and thrilling narrative.
Seemed to me that he turned the slim Alan Banks into an unfortunate fat man for this novel.
July 31, 2017
I won this free book from Goodreads First Reads.
A wedding was about to begin; gun shots into the wedding party and family changed a wonderful day into a murderous mayhem.
Who had such revenge to kill so many?
After unraveling a mystery they found the killer hiding in plain sight.
A wedding was about to begin; gun shots into the wedding party and family changed a wonderful day into a murderous mayhem.
Who had such revenge to kill so many?
After unraveling a mystery they found the killer hiding in plain sight.
August 28, 2019
Sleeping in the ground
2 (for a lesser author, I might have given 2.5)
I wanted to like this book; I really did. I have read previous mysteries by Peter Robinson and enjoyed them, but this one left me disappointed. I wish that I could get back the time lost reading it.
Let’s start with the positives. The font, Plantin light, is very nice, round and big, with serif, very easy on the eyes. The references to music might open new horizons in my culture. I did like this passage about Banks’s phone: “The infernal thing practically exploded in his hand with urgent messages and texts” (p. 13). The characters are familiar. But is that really a plus or is it the crux of the problem? They are too familiar: same old, same old. How many times can Inspector Banks—oops! Detective Superintendent Banks— be unhappy in love? I’m just not buying all this whining after a deceased ex-girlfriend.
But the story, you might ask, “Tell us about the story”. There is not that much to say. I still don’t understand why it’s called “Sleeping in the Ground”. The plot is based on the new cliché: . I’ve seen it I don’t know how many times recently, especially in the series “Shetland” on Netflix. The opening scene of Sleeping in the Ground is griping enough with its reference to cinema. Then nothing happens for 150 pages, until the police catches on what the reader had know all along. Boring! Does it get more exciting after that? Not really! It’s all very predictable, including the ending.
And poorly written and edited. Some passages are repeated verbatim. On page 357, we read: “The water was rushing down from becks and streams high up in the hills at an alarming rate, all of it joining the Swain and swelling its already bursting banks. There were certain spots where the river narrowed and became shallower for a stretch, and as the water couldn’t soak into the waterlogged swathe of the Leas, it would back up and overflow at those narrow points with some force, creating flash floods…”. And two pages further: “The water that gushed faster and faster down from the mountain streams into the Swain would soon have nowhere left to go. It should back up and swell the river to bursting.” The River is going to overflow; we get it. We’ve been getting it for a long, long time. Robinson is not subtle and has a way of stating the obvious. Maybe he just needed to fill the pages and the weak story line and cardboard characters didn’t provide him with enough material. If the main protagonists are somewhat rounded, the villain is not. And what is a hero without an interesting foe? One of the victims is so laughably weak and annoying that I almost wish for her to die to get her out of her misery.
The only redeeming quality I could find to this novel is that the police force is packed with strong women. Maybe it’s time for Robinson to retire Banks.
2 (for a lesser author, I might have given 2.5)
I wanted to like this book; I really did. I have read previous mysteries by Peter Robinson and enjoyed them, but this one left me disappointed. I wish that I could get back the time lost reading it.
Let’s start with the positives. The font, Plantin light, is very nice, round and big, with serif, very easy on the eyes. The references to music might open new horizons in my culture. I did like this passage about Banks’s phone: “The infernal thing practically exploded in his hand with urgent messages and texts” (p. 13). The characters are familiar. But is that really a plus or is it the crux of the problem? They are too familiar: same old, same old. How many times can Inspector Banks—oops! Detective Superintendent Banks— be unhappy in love? I’m just not buying all this whining after a deceased ex-girlfriend.
But the story, you might ask, “Tell us about the story”. There is not that much to say. I still don’t understand why it’s called “Sleeping in the Ground”. The plot is based on the new cliché: . I’ve seen it I don’t know how many times recently, especially in the series “Shetland” on Netflix. The opening scene of Sleeping in the Ground is griping enough with its reference to cinema. Then nothing happens for 150 pages, until the police catches on what the reader had know all along. Boring! Does it get more exciting after that? Not really! It’s all very predictable, including the ending.
And poorly written and edited. Some passages are repeated verbatim. On page 357, we read: “The water was rushing down from becks and streams high up in the hills at an alarming rate, all of it joining the Swain and swelling its already bursting banks. There were certain spots where the river narrowed and became shallower for a stretch, and as the water couldn’t soak into the waterlogged swathe of the Leas, it would back up and overflow at those narrow points with some force, creating flash floods…”. And two pages further: “The water that gushed faster and faster down from the mountain streams into the Swain would soon have nowhere left to go. It should back up and swell the river to bursting.” The River is going to overflow; we get it. We’ve been getting it for a long, long time. Robinson is not subtle and has a way of stating the obvious. Maybe he just needed to fill the pages and the weak story line and cardboard characters didn’t provide him with enough material. If the main protagonists are somewhat rounded, the villain is not. And what is a hero without an interesting foe? One of the victims is so laughably weak and annoying that I almost wish for her to die to get her out of her misery.
The only redeeming quality I could find to this novel is that the police force is packed with strong women. Maybe it’s time for Robinson to retire Banks.
November 13, 2018
Good entry into the always interesting DCI Banks series. This one starts with a mass murder at a church and ends in a rainstorm/flood. In-between we get a good look into the life of a beginning to age inspector who looks back on his life, sometimes confused, sometimes contented. I would read this series from the beginning because the character is constantly evolving. Highly recommended.
October 14, 2017
My 1st DCI Banks novel and it wasnt what I was expecting. Probably my own fault for starting at book #24. I didnt really find Banks the most likebale character, as in someone you were cheering for. He did just deal with the death of his close friend, but he seemed a bit of arrogant and abrasive. The crime was pretty violent, with shooting at the wedding. Scarily reminiscent of the current world events but on a smaller scale. I did feel like the mystery around the crime was solved very easily. Eavh scene we met a new character who gave some small clue which somehow was missed from the 1st witness etc etc. Solid thriller but didnt blow me away. I guess knowing where he's come from may help with understanding the little social nuances/character traits which fans have come to love. I'd suggest starting on an earlier novel may help with reading this series.
August 20, 2017
Despite numerous digressions to discus various characters musical preferences which I find distracting, Robinson presents an interesting enigma for DCI Alan Banks in this novel. At a wedding, a sniper takes aim at the wedding party and guests managing to kill several people including the bride. A suspect is found who fits the crime but he has committed suicide before he can be located.
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