[.ca] Aftermath CD (ISBN 140509091X)

From Amazon.co.uk:
The mystery novels of Peter Robinson (Aftermath is his 12th) have only increased with power and intelligence. It's a dirty little secret of the crime-fiction genre that many of its writers simply spin their wheels, repeating a successful formula and hoping, if not assuming, that their fans won't notice. Writers like Robinson, however, actually seem to grow in front of our eyes, delivering books of greater complexity each time. His previous two books, Cold Is the Grave and In a Dry Season, were equally novels of character and novels of crime and Aftermath is no exception. Like recent books by fellow English writers Reginald Hill, Val McDermid and Stephen Booth, Aftermath centres upon a grim case in which attractive young girls have disappeared, victims of a cunning psychotic killer whose identity is well concealed behind a façade of respectability. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks of the Yorkshire Police is in charge of the case, but he's also got unavoidable personal distractions. His estranged wife is pregnant by her lover and wants the divorce he's been dragging his heels over. There is nothing cosy about the kind of English mysteries written by Peter Robinson, even if they do take place in picturesque rural villages. He's not afraid of gore, deviance, violence or any of the baser emotions and it's a raw old world behind the hedgerows and cottage walls. If Aftermath is your first taste of his tough-tender sensibility, it won't be surprising if you are soon hooked on the work of one of today's most accomplished practitioners of detective fiction. --Otto Penzler

so glad I discovered him:
I have always avoided British mystery writers (my problem!)because of the difficulty with "flow", whatever that means! I am so glad I persevered. This was an excellent book, complex enough, frustrating enough; a good mystery with good character development. I wish there was glossary of terms however as one misses some of the subtle nuances. I will now read the previous books. Look forward to his next one!

Realistic, but entertaining.:
Robinson does a fabulous job of combining some of the realistic details of violent crime, and police work, along with making the story an entertaining read. There is a fine line between the technical details of crime and police work, on the one hand, and the entertaining, readable story-telling on the other, but this author knows exactly how to handle this line, and "Aftermath" is a masterpiece of combining the 2 facets of crime-writing. This book contains a few necessary "dirty" details, but no more than is required for this story. Anyone who complains about too much detail of blood, vicious and depraved motives, and twisted personalities have no concept of what is present in genuine crime and the shocks real police officers encounter. The author touches on, and explores a bit, the very complex questions of the level of responsibility of a woman involved in a bloody crime along with her male partner. The fact that he doesn't present some veneer-thin explanation, that might be easy to understand, shows his understanding of the difficulty of explaining and categorizing some of these relationships. Robinson has said this novel wasn't based on the infamous Bernardo-Homolka case in Ontario, but there are some very parallel facts present, and we should give credit for some inspiration from a very real, and more horrific, case than his work here could convey. Here is a work that is thought-provoking, realistic and quite entertaining. Most highly recommended.

If You Like Banks You Will Love This:
In reviewing the book I will not re-hash or give away the plot. Let me just say that this is a good Peter Robinson Banks mystery that does not disappoint. It has some unusual twists and a suspended fellow police offer. In any case it does what it is supposed to do. You are oblivious to your outer world as you read. Peter is underrated as an author. Good stuff. Jack in Toronto

Better than average British police mystery:
This mystery novel concerns detective work related to identifying a serial killer in the British Midlands. The protagonist is the police detective responsible for solving these crimes. Though he works hard at his job, he makes believable mistakes, particularly because of incomplete information from others and because of his own erroneous assumptions. The complications of his personal life don't help. The book initially succeeds in luring the reader into the same false lead to the killer. As the story develops, the identity of the real killer becomes increasingly obvious. There is a bit too much dialogue about police business. American readers may find the compulsive smoking and drinking somewhat retro.

Atmosphere makes it special:
Responding to a domestic disturbance call, two Yorkshire police officers stumble into a killer's lair. One ends up dead, the other, Janet Taylor, finds herself facing possible murder charges. Detective Superintendent Alan Banks arrives at a scene of bloody carnage to find his serial murder case solved. The horrific, atmospheric opening scenes of Edgar award-winner Peter Robinson's "Aftermath," set up the whole story - the themes of abuse and psychological damage, police accountability and politics and a host of nagging questions. How does a handsome, popular teacher like Terry Payne end up as serial killer of young girls and how did he lure them so easily? What did his beautiful, abused wife, Lucy, know about the atrocities in the basement of her own house? The lines of the murder mystery interweave with the private lives of Banks and his team. Banks struggles with the news that his ex-wife is pregnant while Banks' on-again, off-again girlfriend, the ambitious Annie Cabot, is assigned to investigate Janet Taylor's culpability in the death of the serial killer and troubled psychologist Jenny Fuller profiles Lucy Payne, rekindling her attraction to Banks. Another victim of abuse, a neighbor, desperate to help Lucy, uses and is used by the media, garnering possibly dangerous attention. Meanwhile, one of the missing girls is not found in Payne's macabre basement graveyard. Robinson draws the reader with his superb characterizations and thoughtful pacing. As always, his novel is as much about the world we live in - everyday realities and aberrant fringes - as it is about a particular murder. The tension builds to an explosive climax of split-second timing but the more leisurely twists, turns and missteps of the investigation and the investigators create a human drama that lingers in the mind.