Children of the Revolution

By: Peter Robinson

Narrated by: Simon Slater

Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's Summary

A disgraced college lecturer is found murdered with £5,000 in his pocket on a disused railway line near his home. Since being dismissed from his job for sexual misconduct four years previously, he has been living a poverty-stricken and hermit-like existence in this isolated spot.

The suspects range from several individuals at the college where he used to teach to a woman who knew the victim back in the early '70s at Essex University, then a hotbed of political activism. When Banks receives a warning to step away from the case, he realises there is much more to the mystery than meets the eye - for there are plenty more skeletons to come out of the closet….

The 21st novel in number one best-selling author Peter Robinson's critically acclaimed DCI Banks series.

©2013 Peter Robinson (P)2013 Hodder & Stoughton

A slow burner but gets you in the end!

Any additional comments?

I found that there was an unusually slow start to this book - to me it seemed to take some time getting off the ground. However, it was worth persevering as the plot eventually drew me in and made me want to get to the end.

Each of Robinson's books adds a little more dimension to the character of Banks and I like the way he manages to weave in compassion for victim - and sometimes 'villain' - in his narrative.

I'm less keen on the narrator as I find his style a little flat an lugubrious, with some frankly off inflections that I'd have thought would be better edited out.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Another disappointment from Mr Robinson

After his last DCI Banks book, which I found so boring that I did not finish it, I was hoping for something better but alas it was not to be. I ploughed through to the end but I did not enjoy the book.

Perhaps he has run out of plots for Eastvale but after "Bad Boy" and "Friend of the Devil" I had hoped for much better.

It may be time for a rest for DCI Banks until the creative juices begin again and more books like "Before the Poison" (excellent read) could be produced.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Disappointing

This started off pretty well and I was relieved as I have not listened to an Inspector Banks novel since the appalling 'Bad Boy'. I was pleased to hear the return of Banks and his team, and the plot - the murder of a college lecturer- sounded promising. Although, as with all Robinson's work, the quality of the writing is good, the narration is fairly monotonous and the plot moves far too slowly. As I wasn't gripped by it this became a very disjointed, confused listen. I really wanted to enjoy the work of one of my once favourite crime writers but unfortunately this does not live up to expectations or the pre 'Bad Boy' Robinson novels.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

glad it's over

this was a real struggle to finish. the story was very thin and quite boring.

Not His Best

Listened to most Peter Robinson books. This one in my opinion is far to long and drifts off with long passages which have no relevance to the story. Not his best. Better perhaps in abridged form. However the narrator
Is good.

Disappointing

What would have made Children of the Revolution better?

less stodgy description and more action in the storyline

What was most disappointing about Peter Robinson’s story?

I took it on holiday to for holiday listening but it was too boring to continue with. I had to abandon it after one hour. luckily I had another book in reserve

Any additional comments?

I was surprised that I didn't like it as I love the TV programmes of DCI Banks.

Excruciating experience

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

Someone who was learning English as a foreign language and needed to hear a lot of repetition in order to grasp the basic story. Also, being a non-native speaker, they might not mind the inadequacies of the narrator.

What will your next listen be?

Nothing by Peter Robinson, and practically anything that isn't read by Simon Slater.

What didn’t you like about Simon Slater’s performance?

His inability to make any of the dialogue (and there's loads of it) sound as though it might have been spoken by a believable character. Any figures of authority were made to sound cuttingly supercilious, and he often had to give up on an accent half way through a conversation.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

None that I noticed, I tried hard to listen to the bitter end, but decided to get a life instead and abandoned it 2 hours and 47 minutes before the blessed relief of being able to consign it to a well-deserved oblivion.

Any additional comments?

Haven't I said enough? This was a real disappointment, as it seemed okay for about the first chapter. Shall definitely avoid anything I might buy on spec mainly because it has had glowing reviews, in future.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Robinson is a genius

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes, great crime writer giving you hints but keeping suspense until the end

What other book might you compare Children of the Revolution to, and why?

JK Rowling's new novel

What about Simon Slater’s performance did you like?

very good

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes, gripping

Any additional comments?

Peter Robinson is totally underestimated, great writer

Quite good but not brilliant

Fairly good listen but dragged in places and was a little dull. Okay for a long car journey but once was enough.

Disappointed

I have read and enjoyed all of Peter Robinson's Banks stories - but this one was not one of the best. It was complicated and I ended up skipping to the end. I will try the new one when published but hope its better and more like some of the older books.