A Dedicated Man

Publisher's Summary

A dedicated man is dead in the Yorkshire dales - a former university professor, wealthy historian, and archaeologist who loved his adopted village. It is a particularly heinous slaying, considering the esteem in which the victim, Harry Steadman, was held by his neighbors and colleagues---by everyone, it seems, except the one person who bludgeoned the life out of the respected scholar and left him half-buried in a farmer's field.

Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks left the violence of London behind for what he hoped would be the peaceful life of a country policeman. But the brutality of Steadman's murder only reinforces one ugly, indisputable truth: that evil can flourish in even the most bucolic of settings. There are dangerous secrets hidden in the history of this remote Yorkshire community that have already led to one death. And Banks will have to plumb a dark and shocking local past to find his way to a killer...before yesterday's sins cause more blood to be shed.

Investigate another case with Inspector Banks.

©1992 Peter Robinson (P)2010 Tantor

Critic Reviews

“Robinson's profound sense of place and reflective study of human nature give fine depth to his mystery.” ( The New York Times Book Review)

not like the BBC version a great story

enjoyed this story very much. i was a hugh fan of the BBC series so i was not expecting the same character. i usually can't tolerate reading the book a TV series is based on but this was and unexpected surprise. i really enjoyed the audio book and then end was a surprise. will be listening to more in the series

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Liked the book but the not the narrator

I like the Inspector Banks stories and the characters in the novels. He's simply relentless in getting to the solution. Thus I really liked the book. James Langton, the narrator, does a terrific job of capturing the variety of characters to the point that I can practically see them in my mind. What bothered me was the way he handled the narration segments. His voice drones and I felt as if I was listening to a meditation audio. My mind would go blank and I would have to back it up to get the full understanding of the narrative. Considering Mr. Langton's talent he could easily fix this issue.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Poor narrator

My first DCI Banks book and I was a bit disappointed. The story was good enough but I found it difficult to stay engaged. I think it may have been the narrator. He was too bland for me; rather monotonous.

The main characters are interesting and I think the books must be good since there are so many of them. I will definitely give the next one in the series a listen hoping things improve.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

As good as the first

If you could sum up A Dedicated Man in three words, what would they be?

The past matters.

What did you like best about this story?

I like the build up, the way the author layered the story, slowly exposing you the characters surrounding the murder was very nice. I like this author work, because it takes the time to paint a local picture.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene at the bar, when Banks and his wife went to hear Penny sing. I could really relate to Banks annoyance with Barkette (might be the wrong name).

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Shadows from the past

Any additional comments?

I really liked the first narrator, Mark Honan, and I did not hate the new author, but I felt like he struggled with the gruff voices he tried to portray. He sounded hoarse and strained, which tended to distract me from the story.

6 of 9 people found this review helpful

A better read

Peter’s writing and my imagination gives a better visual of the English country side than having it read to me. I got a better enjoyment in dwelling on the complete story at my pace then on the speed of the narration. Mr Langton’s performance was outstanding throughout the book. I will look for his name on other books.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful