Peter Robinson Books

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Peter Robinson is a Canadian crime writer born in 1950. Born in Yorkshire, Robinson received his BA Honors Degree in English Literature (University of Leeds) before finally moving to pursue an MA in English and Creative Writing at the University of Windsor in Canada. Eventually acquiring his Ph.D. in English at York University, by the time Peter Robinson served as a Writer-in-Residence at the University of Windsor, he had already written and published his first, second and third novels. This was after teaching at a number of Toronto Community Colleges and Universities.

Robinson is a crime writer. While he has also penned poems, short stories and even articles on writing, Peter Robinson’s name is most synonymous with this work as a crime writer, specifically his series of novels set in Yorkshire and featuring Inspector Alan Banks. The novels are set in the fictional town of Eastvale in the Yorkshire Dales and follow a former member of the London Metropolitan Police who escapes the capital for a quieter life in the Dales

Peter Robinson Awards

While Peter Robinson isn’t exactly a household name, the numerous years he has spent writing novels have garnered him a number of accolades and awards from notable sources in the literary arena.

Robinson’s collection of awards includes the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story (1990), the Anthony Award for Best Novel (1999), the Edgar Award for Best Short Story (2000) and the Spoken Word Bronze Award for The Hanging Valley (2003) to mention but a few.

Robinson’s collection of awards is quite extensive and it is most likely only going to grow with the passing of time.

Peter Robinson Books into Movies

DCI Banks is a British crime drama on the ITV Network. Produced by Left Bank Pictures, the show is based on Inspector Alan Banks from Peter Robinson’s books. Stephen Tompkinson plays the role of Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks.

Peter Robinson signed a deal with Left Bank Pictures and ITV to adapt his novels for a television series in 2010. Filming began that same year in Leeds, with the first episodes finally airing in October of 2010.

The series has adapted stories from books like Wednesday’s child, Bad Boy, and Piece of My Heart.

Best Peter Robinson Books

If you want to understand Peter Robinson as an author, you have to look at his Detective Banks books because they best represent his approach; while he has written quite a few novels in this particular series, the books below are considered among the best:

In a Dry Season: A drought brings intrigue and mystery when it drains a local Thornfield Reservoir. It reveals a long-drowned small village; though, the skeleton of a murder victim from the 1940s proves to be the primary draw.

Detective Alan Banks and Detective Sergeant Annie Cabot put their skills to the test when they try to investigate a decades-old crime; in the process, they uncover an old and evil secret.

In a Dry Season brings readers to Hobb’s End, a village that was dying due to the closure of the flax mill. The residents were already evacuated when the village flooded in 1953; this was how the Thornfield Reservoir was created.

Someone killed a gorgeous blond and buried her under an outbuilding but Gloria wouldn’t be buried forever, and neither could the many secrets of Hobb’s End. Peter Robinson spends a notable portion of this novel shifting back and forth between present day and 1939. The fact that you are never confused as the reader is a testament to Robinson’s abilities.

There is a reason this book won the Macavity, Anthony, and Barry Awards. Robinson has a way of building suspense with each new chapter, keeping you on the very edge of your seat.

AfterMath: The fiend known as the chameleon is finally in custody. It only took a phone call from a concerned neighbor to bring the police to Terence Payne’s doorstep; and with the elusive serial killer seemingly dying, it looks like the nightmare might finally be over.

However, Detective Superintendent Alan Banks is puzzled by quite a few unanswered questions, almost certain that the darkness has yet to lift and casualties will continue to mount.

This is a difficult book to read because it deals with child sexual abuse; however, Robinson handles the subject matter deftly. There are few authors that are as effective at writing procedurals as Peter Robinson, and this book proves as much. The characters are intriguing and each story seems to have much deeper meanings.

When Does The Next Peter Robinson book come out?

Peter Robinson doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Standing in the Shadows and was released on April, 11th 2023. It is the newest book in the Inspector Banks Series.

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