A Dedicated Man

May 31, 2010
This second book in the Alan Banks series finds the detective chief investigator getting used to his new locale, the Yorkshire village of Swainsdale. When a wealthy archeologist and historian is fatally bludgeoned and Banks begins his investigation, James Langton, who has chosen a thoughtful, middle-class London accent for the hero, is allowed the opportunity of displaying a variety of local dialects. Robinson's plot, as well crafted as always, is rife with suspects, including a melancholy village beauty whose success as a singer did not keep her from returning home, a smarmy writer of popular thrillers, a curious young teenager, and the victim's weary widow. Robinson clearly takes great pains to present them all in full and Langton's vocal interpretation makes them even more multidimensional. An Avon paperback.

The body of a well-liked academic is unearthed in a farmer's field. Enter Detective Alan Banks, who is dedicated to solving the puzzle surrounding Harry Steadman's death. Banks meticulously interviews the Swainsdale locals, including the dead man's wife, his pub pals, an aspiring actress, an author, and a folk singer newly returned to the tiny, taciturn community. Slowly but surely, Banks separates fact from fabrication until the killer is identified--although not before another murder occurs. Narrator James Langton makes listeners feel right at home in the village's country cottages, lovers' lanes, and manor houses. Langton delivers interior monologues and red herrings with equal finesse. The second in the Inspector Banks series is a pleasantly methodical police procedural. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine