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| Strange Affair: A Novel of Suspense (Inspector Banks Mysteries) | 
| Author: Peter Robinson
Publisher: William Morrow
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $24.94 (100%)
New (14) Collectible (11) from $3.48
Avg. Customer Rating:  35 reviews
Sales Rank: 413582
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 8 x 6 x 1.5
ISBN: 0060544333
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780060544331
ASIN: 0060544333
Publication Date: February 15, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Turned up missing December 29, 2007
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
As if life hasn't thrown him enough curveballs lately, Banks' holiday is interrupted by a mysterious phone message from his estranged brother Roy, who, as they say "turns up missing." Banks being Banks, he places his depression firmly on the back burner and sets out to discover what's going on in the life of his wheeler-dealer sibling. Chapter by chapter, this investigations becomes more and more complex, as several seemingly unrelated events and crimes prove to be very much related indeed. Along the way, he learns that there's more to Roy than he ever suspected.
Peter Robinson is a gifted writer whose skills include the creation of 3 dimensional characters, the development of intricate and believable plots, and the genuine understanding of human emotions. It is remarkable that in a series with as many entries as this one, the central character continues to change and grow as we follow the twists and turns in his life and career. Robinson's many awards are well-merited.
I won't throw out any spoilers by discussing the outcome of Strange Affair, but readers will find a similar theme, just as well handled, in Donna Leon's Fatal Remedies.
Another Expert Outing August 12, 2007
Robinson again proves himself a modern ace. Banks takes some hard hits in this book. It's bleak, without ever being depressing.
 Excellent read, really quite hard to put down. May 13, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This was the first of Robinson's many books that I've read, I just finished it yesterday. I have to say he's a master at what he does, if his other books are on a par with this one.
Without giving anything away, it's a murder mystery (of course) set in two different time periods. On of them is the late 1960's British rock scene. Those were the salad days of my adolescence, and Robinson took me on quite a stroll down memory lane.
He draws that period with such a fine touch that I wondered if he hadn't played in a band himself then. And his plotting was tighter than the B-string on a cheap guitar.
If you love the type of fiction just described, it doesn't get much better than this one. But save it until you can read it start to finish, as it's really quite hard to put down.
Crime Writing at its Very Best March 22, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Peter Robinson grew up in Yorkshire, and is the author of thirteen previous novels featuring Inspector Banks. He is the winner of numerous awards in the United States, Britain and Canada, and in 2002 he won the CWA Dagger in the Library. As I also come from Leeds the background to his stories is something that I have experienced first hand and because of this I have a special affection for his books. However they would be first class crime fiction wherever they were based.
Inspector Banks receives a phone call from his brother Roy in London, something of a novelty in itself. But the phone call is quite disturbing and has an air of mystery to it. Banks immediately leaves his patch in Yorkshire and heads off down to the big city to seek out Roy. Meanwhile DI Annie Cabbot is called to the scene of a murder on a quiet stretch of road just outside Eastvale. A young woman has been found dead in her car. The strange thing is that the victim has Banks's name and address written on a piece of paper in the pocket of her jeans.
Meanwhile Banks is staying in his brothers luxurious, but empty house, uncovering more and more details about a brother, that he never really knew and didn't particularly like. Up north Annie tracks down the female victim's friends and colleagues. It seems that both trails are looking likely to intersect at some point and the consequences could be terrifying for both Banks and Annie . . .
 Strange Indeed... March 9, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
...that Robinson's latest books have become as pedestrian as this one. I found the plot uninspiring at best, and completely devoid of surprises. All in all, one could skip this entry and not miss a thing. As always, Robinson is a good writer, and he's brought Banks to an interesting -- albeit depressing -- psychological place, but one can't help but feel that he and the series are simply treading water at this point. If only the entire book were as brilliant and incisive as the very last line. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the next one.
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