The twenty-first novel in Number One bestselling author Peter Robinson’s critically acclaimed DCI Banks series.
Ex-college lecturer Gavin Miller is found dead; his distorted body strewn across a disused railway track near his home. There’s no sign of a struggle, and no concrete evidence except for one distinguishing package: £5,000 of cash, tucked inside the man’s pocket.
But when DCI Banks delves into Miller’s past, he uncovers a troubled existence tarnished by accusations of abuse and misconduct which throws up an array of puzzling questions.
What really occurred at the college where the victim used to teach?
How was he embroiled in political activism at Essex University, over forty years ago?
And what links him to an upstanding pillar of the community, who also harbours a dark secret from her past?
One thing is clear: someone will stop at nothing – even murder – to prevent Banks from discovering the truth . . .
Ex-college lecturer Gavin Miller is found dead; his distorted body strewn across a disused railway track near his home. There’s no sign of a struggle, and no concrete evidence except for one distinguishing package: £5,000 of cash, tucked inside the man’s pocket.
But when DCI Banks delves into Miller’s past, he uncovers a troubled existence tarnished by accusations of abuse and misconduct which throws up an array of puzzling questions.
What really occurred at the college where the victim used to teach?
How was he embroiled in political activism at Essex University, over forty years ago?
And what links him to an upstanding pillar of the community, who also harbours a dark secret from her past?
One thing is clear: someone will stop at nothing – even murder – to prevent Banks from discovering the truth . . .
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Reviews
Praise for Peter Robinson
'Peter Robinson has for too long, and unfairly, been in the shadow of Ian Rankin; perhaps PIECE OF MY HEART, the latest in the Chief Inspector Banks series, will give him the status he deserves, near, perhaps even at the top of, the British crime writers' league'
Classic Robinson: a labyrinthine plot merged with deft characterisation
Robinson also has a way of undercutting the genre's familiarity. With a deceptively unspectacular language, he sets about the process of unsettling the reader
As Robinson slowly moves towards a fitting and satisfying climax he manages to increase the tempo with each turn of the page thanks to a well-crafted and multi layered plot.
A wonderful, well-written plot with a great twist and strong characters and there's even romance on the cards for Banks too. A page-turning read for both fans of Robinson and Banks and readers who really enjoy a good crime-thriller
Detective Chief Inspector Banks, the artsy and melancholic Yorkshire detective, and his snarky sidekick, Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot, are consistently fun to watch . . . As usual with a Banks novel, the chief inspector's frictions with higher-ups are nearly as gripping as the unraveling of the case itself. First-rate procedural and character study . . . this is one of the series' highlights.
Robinson's gift for realistic characterisation is matched by an authentically realised sense of place; landscape is a crucial element in his work. The Alan Banks books have won many awards over the years including the Arthur Ellis award for best crime novel for Past Reason Hated and the Anthony Award for In a Dry Season; Children of the Revolution is a solid entry.
The Alan Banks mystery-suspense novels are, simply put, the best series on the market
Robinson's gift for realistic characterisation is matched by an authentically realised sense of place; landscape is a crucial element in his work
A wonderful, well-written plot with a great twist and strong characters . . . a page-turning read
Peter Robinson deserves a place near, perhaps even at the top of, the British crime writers' league
