Not a dull paragraph

A couple of years ago William Morrow reissued the Inspector Banks novels by British writer Peter Robinson in new paperback editions, giving those of us who missed them the first time around a second chance. I took that chance with Blood at the Root, first published in 1997, and I am delighted I did.

The inspector prefers music, especially opera, to solving crimes, and there are references to his passion for music every few pages. Even so Banks is an excellent detective, so excellent, in fact, that it nearly costs him his job.

The case seems open and shut. Twice in fact. A young man, who it turns out was a racist and would-be Nazi, is found beaten to death in an alley. He had had words with young men with darker skin at a pub earlier that night, so they seem likely suspects. Evidence is lacking, however, and holding them causes political repercussions. So the investigation continues.

Acting on a tip, Banks goes to Amsterdam for a weekend, right after his wife has left him, and he gets information relating to the case from an undercover cop. Upon his return he learns the murder has been solved after a young man has confessed and, what's more, Banks is suspended for dereliction of duty by leaving the country. Not trusting his boss to keep quiet about the undercover man and still not having all the evidence he needs, Banks stays mum and continues investigating on his own.

There's not a dull paragraph in the book, yet it seems incomplete. Questions remain after the final page, such as, will Banks get his job (and his wife) back? Apparently so, for Robinson continues to write Inspector Banks novels.