A Review of Children of the Revolution: An Inspector Banks Novel by Peter Robinson

Children of the Revolution: An Inspector Banks Novel
by Peter Robinson

When I jump into a long running series with the current book, I always have a mixture of excitement and dread. I’m never sure if the lack of familiarity with the series will drag me down, but I really like to explore a popular series, to see what I have been missing. Mr. Robinson welcomed me with open arms. I never felt lost, and the characters came alive in very short order. Children of the Revolution is a great starting point to “The Inspector Banks Novels”, even though it is book 21 in the series. I will be keeping my eyes open for other books in this series.

I connected with Inspector Banks right away. Part of this connection may be that Banks and I have a very similar, eclectic musical taste. That music pops up quite often in the story and always drew me in. But even more than that, Banks feels very real, a well-fleshed out character, and this is just jumping into the middle of a long series. I imagine I would feel even closer to him after reading a few more books in the series. The other people that he works with, also feel quite realistic, though not quite as complete as Banks. I am looking forward to getting to know them better.

This is a Police Procedural, but since it takes place in northern England, near Yorkshire, it has a different feel than an American PP. It is more thoughtful, slower-paced without any intense, thriller-type scenes that many PPs set in the U.S. have. There is a psychological and philosophical component to the story that raises it above most PPs.

I give Children of the Revolution 4 Stars out of 5 and a Thumbs Up. I enjoyed the story very much. I recommend it to anyone that likes a slower-paced, more thoughtful mystery story, along the lines of the novels by Camilla Lackberg or Karin Fossum.

I received this Digital Review Copy for free from edelweiss.com.

Book Description
Release date: March 25, 2014

Multiple award-winning, New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author Peter Robinson returns with Children of the Revolution, a superb tale of mystery and murder that takes acclaimed British Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks back to the early 1970s—a turbulent time of politics, change, and radical student activism.
The body of a disgraced college lecturer is found on an abandoned railway line. In the four years since his dismissal for sexual misconduct, he’d been living like a hermit. So where did he get the 5,000 pounds found in his pocket?
Leading the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks begins to suspect that the victim’s past may be connected to his death. Forty years ago the dead man attended a university that was a hotbed of militant protest and divisive, bitter politics. And as the seasoned detective well knows, some grudges are never forgotten—or forgiven.
Just as he’s about to break the case open, his superior warns him to back off. Yet Banks isn’t about to stop, even if it means risking his career. He’s certain there’s more to the mystery than meets the eye . . . and more skeletons to uncover before the case can finally be closed.

Product Details

Series: Inspector Banks Novels (Book 21)
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (March 25, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062240501
ISBN-13: 978-0062240507
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pound

About the Author

Peter Robinson’s award-winning novels have been named a Best-Book-of-the-Year by Publishers Weekly, a Notable Book by the New York Times, and a Page-Turner-of-the-Week by People magazine. Robinson was born and raised in Yorkshire but has lived in North America for over twenty-five years. He now divides his time between North America and the U.K.

The book description is from Amazon.  Children of the Revolution: An Inspector Banks Novel