- Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: Penguin Canada (APB); reissue edition (Feb 14 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0143012789
- ISBN-13: 978-0143012788
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,174,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
After the body of a well-to-do archeologist is found buried near a stone wall outside the English village of Helmthorpe, detective chief inspector Alan Banks, last encountered in Gallows View , has trouble finding anyone with motive and opportunity for murder. The main beneficiary of Harry Steadman's substantial fortune, his frowsy widow, Emma, has a solid alibi and seems to grieve genuinely for her husband. Further probing takes Banks back many years, when the Steadmans summered in the village and the archeologist formed a friendship with teenager Penny Cartwright--later a famous folksinger and object of scandal--whose boyfriend of the time, Michael Ramsden, became Steadman's publisher and good friend. When a local girl who may have learned too much about the murder disappears and is found dead, Banks must move swiftly to untangle the skein of old emotions and avert further tragedy. Robinson vividly evokes English village life and the passions animating both its residents and the police who protect them.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
After an old Yorkshire farmer discovers a half-buried body in his pasture, excitement interrupts routine in the small community of Swainsdale. Series detective Alan Banks ( Gallows View , 1990) begins investigating the habits and background of the victim, a dedicated professor who left his job upon receiving a sizeable inheritance. Suspicion falls on his charmless wife, his long-time publisher, his local drinking buddies, a younger woman, and others. Before Banks can narrow the list, the murderer strikes again. Readers of English village mysteries should enjoy Robinson's promising second step.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent mystery and a fascinating character study.,
By
This review is from: A Dedicated Man (Inspector Banks Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)
Peter Robinson is that most rare of mystery writers. He is not satisfied with a corpse, a detective and some clues. Robinson creates a complete world with three-dimensional characters who come alive for the reader. In "A Dedicated Man," the shrewd and dogged Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks investigates the death of Harry Steadman. Harry was a former university professor, a man with no enemies who studied local history for fun. Yet someone hated Harry enough to brutally murder him and dump his body in the Yorkshire dales. For quite a while, Banks is completely stymied. He questions Harry's widow and his small circle of friends, but Banks makes little progress. Only after relentless digging and after the death of a second victim does Banks come up with the solution to the crime. It turns out that Harry's life and those of his friends are not as straightforward and uncomplicated as they had at first seemed. What is wonderful about Robinson is that he makes police work look as tedious and difficult as it really is. It is clear that without relentless and time-consuming detective work on the part of Banks and his colleagues, they would solve few crimes. Robinson, along with Rendell and James, is a superb writer of novels that also happen to be first-rate mysteries.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Robinson Does It Again!,
This review is from: A Dedicated Man (Inspector Banks Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)
Fans of Peter Robinson's "Inspector Banks" mysteries will not be disappointed in "A Dedicated Man." The author presents us with another host of interesting characters, any of which could be the evil-doer. The most complex of all is Banks, and we are given more insights into his psyche and his home life. Robinson's wonderful descriptions of Yorkshire and its people make me feel as though I were there, having a pint in the local. This is a very good story that keeps you guessing to the very end why anyone would want to kill "The Dedicated Man." I highly recommend this to new readers of the Banks mysteries as well as to the already addicted reader.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A dedicated policeman,
By Carol Peterson Hennekens (Colorado Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Dedicated Man (Inspector Banks Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)
Second books are often a bit like second musical albums after big debuts. Good, but somehow lacking the magic of the first effort. That's how I feel about "A Dedicated Man". I really debated between giving it three or four stars. It easily earns three stars as an least average British police procedural. The writing is competent. The clues (or lack thereof) all make sense in in the end. It gets another half star for its many thoughtful observations of the Yorkshire environment - both the landscape and the mentality of the people. I'm pretty much rounding up the score after that. I like Banks and plan to keep reading the series which has received considerable praise in recent years. Still, I haven't found anything so fascinating that I'm going to recommending the book or series to friends---yet.
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