A Dedicated Man

An Inspector Banks Novel

By: Peter Robinson

Narrated by: James Langton

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)

I am enjoying this series more than I thought I would

The main characters have potential and the mysteries hold my interest. I must say having one of the characters in this one be a crime fiction writer didn’t sit well. It pulled me out of the story to think about the author writing the story several times. I’m sure he got a kick out of it but it spoiled my suspension of disbelief.

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.

Starting to grow on me

This reader is better, and has helped the story come alive. I liked the characters and didn’t guess the criminals until shortly after Banks did. Now on to book three!

Description of the Dales

Most of the characters are created in the form of the the Yorkshire Dale love it

Very mediocre

This isn’t terrible, it’s just mediocre. Disappointing for DCI Banks novel. Story drags throughout. Sudden resolution to everything in last chapter. Character development lacking. Narration is good.

Mostly talk and very little action

This installment was mostly talk and very little action. I guessed the killers) early on. Reviewers say the series gets better, so I’ll go ahead and read the next one.

The narrator

The story was good but not robust enough for my taste. I do like the Banks character though and will probably listen to more books with his character.

No

Very well written and plotted. The frequent referral to pop music adds little to the narrative.

narration

Making women's voices nearly inaudible does not make them feminine. It is extremely annoying not to be able to hear the narrative unless being blasted by the other characters.

Okay, maybe.

It wasn’t easy but I managed to get past the awful narration of the first Alan Banks novel and really enjoyed this one. It is a wonderful thing when the author begins to respect the listener. Of course it is possible that the problem is my ears as I passed my ‘use or freeze’ date some time ago.