GROUP A BOOKS 2023-2024: 14 Nominated books. Vote for no more than 7.

A10 Type: Police Procedural (Cop-FBI-Sheriff-GameWarden) Past Reason Hated by Peter Robinson, 1991 / MVLC: 11

Basics · Protagonist: Chief Inspector Alan Banks is a former member of the London Metropolitan Police, and has left the capital for a quieter life in the Dales. But even small British towns have murders, and so he investigates the stabbing death of a secretive woman in her own house just three days before Christmas. · Setting: Christmas season, 1991, in the fictional English town of Eastvale in the Yorkshire Dales. Robinson has stated that Eastvale is modelled on Ripon and Richmond and is somewhere north of Ripon, close to the A1 road. · Context: This the 5th book in the Inspector Banks canon, stretching from 1987 to 2023, 28 books in all. Robinson died last year and his final book will be published this year post-portem. · % of Amazon readers giving 5-star ratings: 45% · Combined % of Amazon readers giving either 4 OR 5-star ratings: 84% · Total all Amazon ratings this book: 5,728 Long Form Chief Inspector Alan Banks knows that secrecy can sometimes prove fatal, and secrets were the driving force behind Caroline Hartley's life…and death. She was a beautiful enigma, brutally stabbed in her own home three days prior to Christmas. Leaving her past behind for a forbidden love affair, she mystified more than a few. And now she is dead, clothed only in her unshared mysteries and her blood. In this season of giving and forgiving, Banks is eager to absolve the innocent of their sins. But that must wait until the many facets of a perplexing puzzle are exposed and the dark circle of his investigation finally closes…and when a killer makes the next move. Past Reason Hated is a relentlessly suspenseful novel that shows why Peter Robinson is one of the world’s most acclaimed and popular mystery writers. ------ “After nearly thirty years of reading thousands of mysteries and thrillers, I’ve come up with my three favorites…and the latest [is] from Canadian author Peter Robinson, Past Reason Hated.” –The Times, St Petersburg “Robinson’s got police procedure down pat, and he always manages to come up with an intriguing cast of characters, a skillfully crafted plot, and a climax that’s as surprising as it is satisfying.” –Booklist “Robinson writes the classic mystery, hewing to the time-honored format but managing also to keep the proceedings contemporary and fresh, largely through the creation of convincing and complex characters.” –San Diego Union-Tribune “The author’s characterizations are unfailingly sharp and subtle….Mr. Robinson is always looking for little signs of evil that can give away a town like Eastvale.” –Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review “The latest Inspector Banks mystery, Past Reason Hated, is a sure sign that Peter Robinson is a mature, confident writer–and one who wastes no time in proving it.” –Martin Dowding, Quill and Quire This author was suggested by Ed, and I am glad he mentioned him. #1- I love the DCI Banks ITV show that has 32 episodes over 5 seasons... all based on Robinson's books. For whatever reason, I've never tried one of the books, so this was a good reminder. #2 Robinson wrote 28 books, and the last one was published in June 2023; and by last I mean the very last - Robinson died last year. #3 - I was impressed with all of the praise for the man provided by 3 blockbuster authors: Watch and listen here. – Dick Awards for this Book § 1992 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel