The Price of Love and Other Stories

This collection contains two short stories and two novellas featuring Robinson's well-known Yorkshire policeman, Inspector Alan Banks. An additional seven short stories show the breadth of Robinson's talent for suspense, with a wide range of settings and characters. John Lee handles the Inspector Banks stories with a straight narration, using his pacing to create anticipation. The remaining stories are delivered by a narrator whose voicing captures the mood of each story. Gideon Emery provides a deeper, more gravelly performance, while Rosalyn Landor delivers hers in a smooth British accent. In a surprising contrast, Angela Goethals reads with a childlike innocence that is both strikingly at odds with the more serious tones of the others and yet perfectly suited to the themes of the stories she relates. E.N. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2010 Audies Finalist (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Starred review from August 3, 2009
Bestseller Robinson (All the Colors of Darkness
) proves that Yorkshire coppers aren't his only worthwhile subjects in this outstanding story collection. Crime in its myriad forms runs throughout, from an American GI falsely accused of rape during WWII in “Cornelius Jubb” to a detective remembering his childhood role in bringing down a gang of robbers in “The Price of Love.” The settings range from the familiar Eastvale of the Inspector Banks series to Robinson's current home in Toronto. He even tries his hand at noir in “The Cherub Affair,” complete with a down-on-his-luck PI and a beautiful woman in need of help. Banks fans will be delighted with the inclusion of two short stories and two novellas starring the Yorkshire detective chief inspector, one of which, “Like a Virgin,” is original to this book. For those unfamiliar with Robinson's work, this serves as an excellent introduction to one of the best voices in contemporary crime fiction.