Piece
of My Heart
DCI Alan Banks Mystery #16
by Peter Robinson
Detective Alan Banks is called in to investigate
the death of Nick Barber, a freelance music journalist from London.
Barber was killed in a small town near Banks' police precinct. He
had been headed for Yorkshire in search of a reclusive Greaves,
former member of a rock group called the Mad Hatters, about whom
he was writing an article. Within days of finding Greaves, Barber
turns up dead, all his notes, his mobile phone and his laptop computer
missing.
Banks' new Detective Superintendent, Catherine Gervaise, is a by-the-book supervisor and throws roadblocks at
Banks' methods of investigation. He is teamed again with Detective Inspector Annie Cabot and Winsome Jackman in
their efforts to find the murderer.
Their investigations into the Mad Hatters reach back to the Brimleogh Festival, a local rock festival in 1969
where a young woman was fatally stabbed. The case was never solved. They find these two cases intertwine, and
they must find the relationship between the two.
At the same time Banks is having problems coming to terms with the death of his brother, Roy, and with the
problems of his son, Brian.
The two cases are told in a parallel narrative: in 1969 Detective Inspector Stanley, a straitlaced policeman
investigates the rock scene, hampered by problems with his daughter, Yvonne, who knew the murdered girl, Linda
Loflhouse, and was part of the followers of the Mad Hatters. Barber had found he had a connection to Linda and
was determined to find her killer. Now Banks has to do the same.
There is an interesting comparison between police procedures in the
1960's (Chadwick) and the present (Banks). Robinson has captured
the hippie rock scene successfully with the hippie rock music of
the 60's. There are many references to the numerous rock bands,
many of which Banks has been a fan of. The problems of Banks with
his superior officer and his adjustment to his brother's death are
discussed in detail. The landscape of Yorkshire is as usual with
Robinson's work vividly evoked. The writing style is realistic and
smooth. The plot is complex with many twists and turns to keep the
reader's interest.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Cold
is the Grave #11
Aftermath
#12
Close
to Home #13
Playing
Fire #14
Strange Affair #15 [audio]
[book]
Piece
of My Heart #16
Friend
of the Devil #17
All the Colors of Darkness #18
In The Dark Places #22 [review
1] [review
2]
When The Music's Over #23 [review
1] [review
2]
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