Bad Boy

The 19th DCI Banks Mystery

By: Peter Robinson

Narrated by: Mark Hadfield

Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's Summary

When Juliet Doyle discovers a gun in her daughter’s bedroom, she turns to old friend DCI Alan Banks for advice. But Banks is taking a much-needed holiday, and it's left to DI Annie Cabbot to deal with the removal of the firearm. No one could have foreseen the operation's disastrous consequences, or that the Doyles would not be the only family affected.

Tracy Banks has fallen for the wrong boy. Her flatmate’s boyfriend is good-looking, ambitious, and surrounded by an intoxicating air of mystery. He's also very dangerous. When Tracy warns him that the police might be on his tail, he persuades her to go on the run with him, and flattered by his attention, she agrees. Before she knows it, a deadly chase across the country is set in motion. And on his return, completely unsuspecting of his daughter's precarious situation, Banks is plunged into his most terrifying and personal case yet.

©2010 Peter Robinson (P)2010 Hodder & Stoughton

One of Robinson's best.

This was a complete departure from Alan Banks' normal cases and this time it's personal!

Far from being formulaic (a word that reviewers seem to throw in with gay abandon) this is an adventure story which has all the elements of a good thriller, a "kidnap", drug pushers, last minute evasion, but all mixed such that you won't guess which character will move next and where.

I am a big fan of Banks (I hope the TV do not wreck his character) and have enjoyed most of the books. This book is fast paced and gritty and you will want to hear it in one sitting!!

Over hill, over dale

This is Peter Robinson at his best to date. A fast-paced tale packed with action, suspense and nail-biting situations with Bates cleverly in the background.

An excellent story and very well-read. If you are sitting by the fire, thinking about action, this is the story to listen to to get the adrenalin pumping.

Out of tune?

Please, no more awkward musical references that spoil the narrative flow. Otherwise this is an excellent story,

Gripping

I’m totally hooked DCI Banks and am going through the whole series one after the other. This one was one of the best. Narration by Mark Hadfield was better than books 17 & 18, but I prefer Simon Slater who’s narrating book 20. Yippee. If you like DCI Banks and his cohorts, you’ll love this.

Average

Not his best what ever happened to the colloquial edge they used to have
This could have been sooooooo much better
Well on to the next one fingers crossed
Q

Badly written, banal, a waste of money

Very disappointing. We think that the writing is bad, at times we cringed at some of the writing, with various parts that seemed to be included to make up the length. The plot, as such, was slight and poorly developed. There was very character building and what characterization there was seemed to be as a result of previous books rather than this one. We have in the past enjoyed some of the Banks series but it does seem that whereas the earlier ones were interesting the later ones seem to be written to a formula. We shall not be listening to any more.