Close to Home

By: Peter Robinson

Narrated by: Ron Keith

Length: 16 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Peter Robinson is the critically acclaimed New York Times, LA Times, and London Sunday Times best-selling author of the Inspector Alan Banks series, as well as a winner of the 2001 Anthony and 2001 Ellis Awards, and Le Grand Prix de Littirature Policiire. Close to Home traverses the difficult landscapes of a painful past, and an uncertain future for Inspector Banks. Two 15-year-old boys are lost, and the circumstances of their disappearances seem oddly parallel save one detail. The first boy disappeared and was presumed dead 35 years ago.

Follow Inspector Alan Banks as he investigates Yorkshire's toughest crimes.

©2004 Peter Robinson (P)2004 Recorded Books, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Suspenseful and engrossing." (Orlando Sentinel)
"This one is entertaining and sophisticated, crime writing of a high order." (Washington Post)
"Lots of suspense...richly complex...satisfying and subtle." (Publishers Weekly)

better with earplugs

I have this book in hardcover and tried to read it but had trouble getting into it. I thought listening to it might be easier. It wasn't. I might have given it three stars even though the story is rather boring (and Robinson's writing seems like he is getting bored with the series as well) but I had to drop my rating to two stars because of the reader. I can't quite put my finger on what I found annoying overall about his reading, but can say that the over-the-top phoney voice he uses for Banks was jarring and irritating.

Horrible Narrator

The various accents attempted by the narrator was distracting and took away what is a good story. I finished the book but it was share torture because the narrator. I will never listen to another book read by this person.
The story line was intriguing, but could have been told in far less time.

needs an editor

Too much unnecessary detail. The reader's speech may be typical of the area of England but I found it harsh and women not very well done.
The story itself has potential. Maybe a better read where you don't have the voice and you can skim.

Not bad, but slow going

This is an OK story with an OK reader, but it has a meandering pace and is slow going.

Not great, so far

At the four hour mark, I have to agree with the other reviewer(s) - the narrator?s nasal Scottish brogue and stilted, halting delivery are both annoying and distracting. And maybe I've been spoiled with faster-paced American mysteries by Jonathan Kellerman, John Sandford and Patricia Cornwell. By comparison, Close To Home creeps along at an arthritic snail's pace. Perhaps it will get better, but so far . . . pretty underwhelming.

Horrible Reader

I looked forward to reading another Peter Robinson book after Friend of the Devil. Couldn't even give it a chance because the reader was so AWFUL. Weird intonations, nasal, bizarre.

The narrator makes it a brutal experience!

I've been enjoying the Inspector Banks series, for the most part. The narrator of the first several books was pleasant to listen to; however, this one is brutal. I had opted to endure the 5 (6?) book progression with this guy until the original narrator returns, but I may just skip to that one. If you like annoying voices and having trouble discerning who is speaking in audio books, this is the one for you! Regarding the written work, there is a specific theme I have trouble supporting (or at least seems the author may be advocating for as far as societal views), but I'll leave that unsaid so as not to spoil the story for those who haven't read it yet.