When the Music's Over

An Inspector Banks Novel

By: Peter Robinson

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's Summary

A baffling murder on a remote country lane puts Alan Banks and his team to the test in the detective's most intense and gripping case yet - from an author hailed by Louise Penny as "a writer at the top of his game".

With Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot investigating the young woman's death, newly promoted Detective Superintendent Banks finds himself taking on the coldest of cases: a 50-year-old assault allegedly perpetrated by beloved celebrity Danny Caxton. Now Caxton stands accused at the center of a media storm, and it's Banks' job to discover the shocking truth.

As more women step forward with accounts of Caxton's manipulation, Banks must piece together decades-old evidence - as the investigation leads him down the darkest of paths....

Suspenseful, powerful, and surprising, When the Music's Over is the finest novel to date from one of the foremost suspense writers at work today.

©2016 Peter Robinson (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

Contemporary Social Problems and Poetry

Peter Robinson expertly and sensitively wraps this novel around some very contemporary issues: long buried sexual abuse cases revolving around once popular TV or music icons; modern day sex trade issues involving underage girls, and community/police relations in ethnic communities. Robinson writes about two different cases - one a 50 year old cold case of sexual abuse and the other a current day murder of a young girl involved in the sex trade. As he did with "In a Dry Season", Robinson uses a memoir written by the victim, now a grown woman and well-known poet, to tell her version of the abuse by the music icon many years ago. In crafting the story of the murder related to modern day sex trade, Robinson grapples with issues like racism and community/police relations. Of course, as in all the Inspector Banks novels, musical references abound and exploring the literary references to poetry in this story could create a mini-project for the reader once the book is over. Simon Prebble knows these characters and his voice combined with Robinson's poetic writing style make for an excellent listen.

Another plot based on abuse of young women

Would you ever listen to anything by Peter Robinson again?

I like Peter Robinson's writing and I like the character Alan Banks. I'll tune in again when Mr. Robinson comes with a different kind of case for Banks to solve.

Any additional comments?

There are so many novels based on sexual abuse, whether it is heterosexual or homosexual abuse. I'm so tired of them - I can't stomach any more. I always feel like the author couldn't think of another story line.

Probbly accurate, but bleak, story

Peter Robinson's writing is as good as ever. I still enjoy reading about the work of Alan Banks, but the realities of police work are tiring. This may have been an easier 'read' if the 2016 American political world wasn't what it is.

Moves TOO slowly

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I usually enjoy Peter Robinson but I didn't even finish this book. It got SO tedious and moved so slowly. Very disappointing....

Excellent in every aspect

Storyline very timely, characters make you feel their pain and concern. Good to see Banks get a well deserved promotion. Can't wait for the nextBanks story, but will.

Peter Robinson stumbles badly in this one...

I've read many of the Inspector Banks books, have watched the TV series, and enjoyed them all, so a portion of this book left me feeling a bit shocked. This entry addresses the issue of rape and the grooming of young girls for prostitution. A major part of the book, a story within the story, is a "memoir" written by an adult woman about her experience of being raped by a celebrity at the age of 14. This memoir is written in the first person and is very explicit in describing the rape and the emotions of the victim.

Now what word to use here... irony will do. The "irony" of having a man write, and another man read in a verbal imitation of a woman's voice, the experience of a young girl being raped... Let's just say I found it a bit rich, and wish that Mr. Robinson had had the wisdom to understand that not every story is his to tell.

If this might bother you, too, then you might want to skip this book and move on the next in the series.

Terrific plot and characters

My first Banks book, very pleased, will start at the beginning and go all the way through the series.

Crime++ Serial 4 the Intellectual & Plugged In

I've listened to every one of these books, more or less in order. The last 5-6 being in his longer style.

Early on he did a lot of work with a sparsely worded style which in a way doesn't change in the longer books, which I like better. It is the plots and intensity that gets more engaging in these stories.

What one gets as much as a good crime/suspense story is a great deal of geography, social & political issues and introduction to/sort of invite and sharing of the arts- appreciation and the places in life where art, literature, poetry, and esp music can play a role to enhance a life (particularly the truly in depth character development of Banks and others), to stimulate provoke inspire and soothe...in one book even to inspire crime.

At this time in the US I've been interested by the start of and unfolding of the issues of immigration, fears for a country's 'original,' culture. The tensions peak in this book, & I was conscious of great parallels to so much going on in the US even more so on this issue esp in this book. We really are sister countries in so many ways and yet unique.

Still Banks, But Disappointing

Would you try another book from Peter Robinson and/or Simon Prebble?

I have read or listened to all of these books, and will keep doing so.

If you’ve listened to books by Peter Robinson before, how does this one compare?

This one misses the mark. No mention is made of his 2 children and next to nothing about his personal life. Those are things that make these stories especially interesting.

Which character – as performed by Simon Prebble – was your favorite?

Hard to say. Let's just note that Prebble is a master.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Probably not. The two crime threads aren't things I want to see. Listening to what those awful people did was enough.

Any additional comments?

I hope future books are more in line with the way earlier episodes of Banks and his famiily are depicted.

Too long and boring

Couldn't finish it. Discussions and sermons replaced action. I found it boring. Used sex
not plot.