DCI BANKS: Playing With Fire (The Inspector Banks Series) Paperback – 19 Aug. 2011

Robinson has built a back story for his main character and this has been a backdrop to many books up to this episode. The ongoing current private life encroaches into the investigation as he works with an ex-lover and finds an excuse to contact his ex-wife.Again we share his thoughts and distractions.This format has been attached to the secondary protagonist DI Cabbott since she first appeared and she struggles to make her professional relationship more dominant than residual feelings for Banks.Robinson allows us into the mind of a third character who may be a villain or a red herring. He links what becomes two investigations from the initial criminal act.And again we have the longstanding problem for Banks of his job squeezing out the personal which we have seen in past stories slowly undermined his marriage. His new partner is distant geographically and equally incapable of making time to meet until the book's last pages. And then poignantly in the company of Cabbott.A great idea well developed of a single act spawning a second investigation that was not relevant to the original crime but pursued on a gut feeling only. Two simultaneous stories which Robinson has attempted so successfully in the past and hopefully continues to do in the next 11 books I have in my Kindle library.

An Inspector Banks book, and another good one. I like Peter robinson’s writing. He doesn’t dwell on the characters’ weaknesss, just gets on with the story and keeps it moving. The story’s entirely believable and you believe in the characters, too.

A fire starts late at night on two almost derelict narrow boats on a short stretch of canal which leads nowhere. A body is found on each boat. DCI Alan Banks and DI Annie Cabbot have to find out whether this is murder or an accident and it soon becomes clear that it is murder. There are several suspects but none with a clear forensic connection to the fire. Gradually it becomes clear that there are a web of connections which may or may not lead to the truth. More lives will be lost and even more put in danger before the cases are solved.I found this gripping reading and it is definitely amongst the best books in this excellent series. The book is well written and well plotted and the relationships and motivations are very well done. I like the way Alan and Annie are adjusting to not being in a relationship and are trying to keep their professional relationship going without letting the personal intrude.If you like police procedurals with interesting characters and an atmospheric background - the Yorkshire Dales - then give this one a try. The series can be read in any order as all the books can stand alone but it is interesting to see the series characters develop if you read them in the order in which they were published.

A long time ago I used to read a lot from this author but then I stopped, and I could'nt remember why . Then I got this kindle edition on a daily bargain and now I remember why. Story quite interesting plot rather devious, characterisations very good but dear o dear the music. I don't know if the author is trying to impress us withe range of his musical repertoire but the constant references got on my nerves to such an extent that I shall not be revisiting any of his other works.

Its difficult to review one volume in a series such as this. It is an unfolding story. The first books were a bit rough around the edges and the characters almost comical but as the series progresses the characters have developed and are deeply interwoven. I cant put the stories down once started. This book is nonexception. Poweful storyline and believable deep characters.I am gradually getting that actor Stephen Tompkinson out of my head when reading. But it is difficult. To me he is not Banks.

I chose this rating because although the book was fairly enjoyable it was not as good as other Inspector Banks books in the series. It seemed to drag on and it was only when it reached 80% did it get really interesting. It is readable though.

A good story line set over two different time periods. I've read most of the DCI Banks (and promotee successor) titles and enjoyed them all. But after about 10 or 11, the plot or characters sometimes lose their way and are less strong. Not so with this one. Ive got about 50 pages to the end and I'm really enjoying it, keen to find out how it ends.

I'm late catching up with DI Banks but I am already a huge fan. Each book gets better and this one is a cracker. Robinson handles the ills of modern society without climbing on a moral high horse as some crime novelists do. Banks is improving with both age and experience. - as I, also found with Rankin's Inspectors Rebus books which I also came to late. Here I particularly enjoy the 'familiar' (to me) setting of Yorkshire. I'm only sorry the author has left us long ago for Canada. Perfect Kindle reading, too.

I'm developing a real passion for the DCI Banks series. The characters are very well developed, very real, and in every book you get to know the main ones a little more deeply. The stories are very strong, dark, psychological. I am definitely going to read all the other books in the series, and I am very happy thinking there are quite a lot of them waiting for me

Nach seinem bisher besten Roman "Aftermath" hat Peter Robinson zum Glück darauf verzichtet, bei den Folgeromanen auf das selbe Erzählschema zurückzugreifen, und auch der neueste Inspector-Banks-Roman "Playing with fire" ist keine Imitation von "Aftermath". Vielmehr kehrt Robinson hier zum klassischen "Whodunnit" zurück: Auf einem Stichkanal bei Eastvale gehen zwei Hausboote in Flammen auf. Auf beiden Booten kommen Menschen zu Tode. Schnell ist klar, dass es sich bei der Brandstiftung um gezielten Mord handelt. Doch wer war das beabsichtigte Opfer? Die junge, drogensüchtige Tina oder der nur mäßig erfolgreiche Künstler Tom? Bei beiden Opfern finden Inspector Banks und seine Kollegin Annie Cabbot genügend Verdächtige für die Tat. Und dann schlägt der Brandstifter ein zweites Mal zu...Wie immer besticht Peter Robinson durch detaillierte, bewundernswert kenntnisreiche Beschreibungen von Tatortuntersuchungen, Autopsien und Routinebefragungen von Zeugen, wodurch Robinson dem wahren Polizeialltag wahrscheinlich wesentlich näherrückt als manch anderer Kriminalautor. Leider geraten diese Beschreibungen diesmal etwas zu lang, wodurch die Geschichte im ersten Teil etwas aufgehalten wird. Doch nach etwa hundert Seiten kommt die Sache doch noch in Gang, gewinnt an Fahrt und endet mit einem spannenden Finale.Ein weiterer Pluspunkt ist, dass sich die Stammprotagonisten stetig weiterentwickeln, was bei vielen anderen Krimireihen oft nicht der Fall ist. Außerdem setzt Robinson seine in den Nebenrollen wiederkehrenden Charaktere äußerst behutsam ein. Die Psychologin Jenny Fuller beispielsweise spielte in "Aftermath" fast eine wichtigere Rolle als Annie Cabbot; in "Playing with Fire" ist sie überhaupt nicht vertreten. Solche Kunstgriffe schaffen Abwechslung und sorgen dafür, dass man sich an gewissen Charakteren nicht satt liest.Fazit: "Playing with Fire" mag nicht der beste Roman von Peter Robinson sein, ist aber ganz sicher den Top 5 zuzuordnen.

First, I love Peter Robinson's books overall, especially his Alan Banks series, which includes Playing with Fire. I cannot say this book is a favourite because I found Robinson's writing a little uneven and transparent at times, which was disappointing. That said, the strong crisis points, and the relationship strains were well written, strongly evocative, and ultimately made it 4-star for me instead of a 3-star book.

Novel after Novel shows the genius of Peter Robinson. His DCI Banks is a brilliant concoction of great intellect and an emotional mess. The characters are all excellently drawn and totally believable. Can't wait to read the next one.

As always, a very enjoyable story, although I thought it ended rather weakly. Interesting how involved the reader gets with the characters!