Past Reason Hated

Inspector Banks #5

by Peter Robinson

DCI Alan Banks is more than a little surprised when his boss, Chief Superintendent Riddle, asks for his help–for it is well known that Riddle detests Banks. But Riddle's 16-year-old daughter has run away and he wants Banks to use his unorthodox methods to bring her home without fuss.

Banks tracks Emily to London, where she is living in luxury with a South London gangster, and at first she refuses to return with him. But when the young girl turns up at Banks' hotel that night, beaten and scared, he is pulled even deeper into events, especially when three months later–supposedly back safely in the bosom of her family–Emily suffers a gruesome and decidedly suspicious death...

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Audiobook, British Literature, Procedural, Thriller

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Peter Robinson was born in Yorkshire. After getting his BA Honours Degree in English Literature at the University of Leeds, he came to Canada and took his MA in English and Creative Writing at the University of Windsor, with Joyce Carol Oates as his tutor, then a PhD in English at York University. He has taught at a number of Toronto community colleges and universities and served as Writer-in-Residence at the University of Windsor, 1992-93.

Series:
* Inspector Banks

Awards:
* Winner of the 1992 Ellis Award for Best Novel.
* Winner of the 1997 Ellis Award for Best Novel.
* Winner of the 2000 Anthony Award for Best Novel.
* Winner of the 2000 Barry Award for Best Novel.
* Winner of the 2001 Ellis Award for Best Novel.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

DCI Alan Banks' fifth case sees an idyllic Yorkshire town become a crime scene after the multiple stabbed corpse of a beautiful women is found in her home. Susan Gay, recently promoted to CID assists Banks on the case, as Banks in his typical fashion looks deeply into the victim's background and family to try and solve the murder, only to start thinking that the issue maybe closer to home than he realises. Although a great conclusion a lot of the book seemed like page filler albeit well written. A week Two Star, 4 out 12.

2011 read

[Sandysbookaday (on indefinite hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caroline Hartley was a beautiful enigma, brutally stabbed in her own home three days prior to Christmas. Leaving her past behind for a forbidden love affair, she mystified more than a few. And now she is dead.

Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks series just keeps getting better and better.

I love his attention to detail, particularly to the little things in his characters' lives that makes them more human or real to us, allowing letting minutiae to overtake the storyline.

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another totally absorbing read in this excellent series.

Chief Inspector Banks is overwhelmed by this case of a young woman murdered in her home just prior to Christmas. There are many possible suspects and Banks can see things from many different angles. He constantly feels he is missing something and eventually near disaster occurs because he is so absorbed in the murder he fails to stay on top of day to day procedures at the police station. Luckily he is able to move swiftly at the end and solves the case in the nick of time.

This series is so nicely written it is a pleasure to read. I enjoy all the descriptions and details of Yorkshire, and find his characters realistic and relatable. It was nice to watch his wife, Sandra, take more of a role than she usually does. Five books into the series I find myself looking forward to each one. Lots more to read yet which makes me happy.

[Paul Weiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

A purely character driven police procedural

Caroline Hartley, manager of a local café and enthusiastic, talented thespian in the local amateur theater group has been stabbed to death. Her lesbian relationship with the estranged wife of a well-known classical composer seems to provide a host of motives to a “motley crüe” of possible suspects. Nor are clues hard to come by but they simply don’t seem to hang together or point unequivocally in any particular direction. Newly promoted, very much wet around the ears, Detective Constable Susan Gay has been assigned to work with Banks on the case and she’s determined to prove she’s up to the task.

Just as Michael Connelly has done with the Harry Bosch persona introduced in THE BLACK ECHO, Banks continues to grow and evolve as a person and skilled investigator. Alan Banks is a real man with real characteristics – he loves his music, opera, choral, jazz and blues; he enjoys a jar or two of his favourite beer; he’ll even indulge in a scotch if the problem he’s considering is a little deeper or a little more pressing; he’s happy to be in a small town away from the dank, depressing, and jarring crowds of London but, as far as the Yorkshire men and women are concerned, he’s still a ‘Johnny Come Lately’ and his acceptance is minimal and reserved. He seems to have settled into a comfortable level of happiness with his wife and his relationship with his children although he’s constantly aware of the difficulty of their lives in terms of living with a policeman.

PAST REASON HATED is definitely a modern mystery in its approach to modern themes – adultery, lesbianism and same sex relationships, violence, forensics and pathology, divorce, domestic abuse, misogyny, police politics and administration, the indoctrination of organized religion, and problem drinking, for example. In short, it’s a modern police procedural but it’s very much character and personality driven and is not in any sense a suspense thriller. The calm pastoral ending will remind readers that, aside from a well-crafted mystery, they’ve been reading a story about the life of the man who solves those mysteries!

Enough said! If you enjoy police procedurals, then pick up your copy of PAST REASON HATED. It’s a sure-fire winner!

Paul Weiss

[Marwan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this book as much as the previous one. Usually the killer (least one expected) is revealed in the final chapters after obtaining multiple clues through the investigation. In this one, however you get a hunch about his/her identity after finishing 60% of the story. And I hate it when my hunch is right. Other than that it was a fine book.

Chief Inspector Alan Banks is called to investigate the murder of Caroline Hartley who's found stabbed to death at her home. Just like her death, Caroline's life was mysterious even among the people who knew her, so Banks starts digging into her past. However, more suspects emerge as he keep digging and everyone is hiding something.

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Neil Pearson does a fine job of reading Peter Robinson's fifth story featuring Chief Inspector Alan Banks. Unfortunately the story does not live up to the quality of the narration, & the suspects are never fully developed beyond shallow stereotypes.
Hopefully this is just a weak entry in what is proving to be a highly entertaining series.

[Karen Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

For all that I adore Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks books, this one frustrated me. In all fairness, it still had wonderful characters, Banks himself demonstrating compassion and empathy towards suspects and guiding, through example, a new and eager DC, Susan, as she embarks on her first case. Peripheral characters are roundly drawn and you get a marvellous sense of them with merely a few words or some dialogue - something Robinson does so well. Place and the season are also evoked with flair. What irritated me was the fact that usually the criminal and the motive behind the crime are buried beneath a mountain of clues and the reader joins Banks as he digs and sieves through the layers, each chapter bringing us closer, each page leading towards a revelation that can leave you on the edge of your seat. In this way, we delight in various discoveries; the links formed and enjoy the 'light bulb' moment where everything becomes clear. With this book, the murderer and the rationale for the crime are apparent within pages. It is quite obvious and while ordinarily this doesn't detract (too much) from the pleasure of embarking on the investigation, in this instance it was annoying and spoiled the reading and investigative experience. This is because 'knowing' Banks as a regular reader does, there is no reason that he too wouldn't be aware, so you become bothered by his overlooking of the apparent. Instead, a red herring is planted at the beginning and in a burst of irksome perseverance, Banks cannot let it go and it preoccupies him (and thus the reader) at the expense of clues staring him in the face.

Throughout the book, Banks expresses his exasperation with this case and the fact that he feels something is eluding him. Yes, it was and it didn't ring true to his character and his ability to laterally think, to understand the criminal mind and, most obviously, the blatant clues strewn before him. That the new DC Susan also fails (conveniently for the author) to pass on information that would lead to identifying the killer is just hair-tearingly stupid. I won't spoil it by revealing what was evident, but I wonder if other readers felt the same? I kept reading hoping, believing I was wrong in my assumptions... Disappointingly, I wasn't and so ended up pissed off with Banks for being so thick-headed! But, perhaps this is also a sign of how invested I am in the books and the principal character - I know he is better than this (as is Robinson). I still adore the books, but this one wasn't as clever or satisfying as the others.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Chief Detective Inspector Alan Banks! You would think Christmastime in the Yorkshire Dales, where he works, would be a slow time, giving him time to spend with his wife Sandra and his children, Tracy and Brian. No such luck!

It is only after Caroline Hartley, the manager of an Eastvale café and an enthusiastic newcomer to the Eastvale Amateur Theatrical Society, is found stabbed to death that so many secrets come to light: her lesbian relationship with the wife of a renowned classical composer, her wild years in London, her childhood. Where in this 26-year-old woman’s life lies the key to why she was brutally killed? With her lover, Veronica Sheldon? With Veronica’s estranged husband, Claude Ivers, who believes that Caroline enticed his wife away from him? With Gary Hartley, Caroline’s much-younger brother, who resents her fleeing the family home and leaving him to cope with their invalid father? With one of Caroline’s castmates from the Eastvale Amateur Theatrical Society? With someone from Caroline’s six years in London, about which no one seems to know much? Or does the key lie elsewhere?

Past Reason Hated, although a bit dated when it comes to same-sex relationships (the novel was first released in 1992), doesn’t quite measure up to the suspense of A Dedicated Man or The Hanging Valley, but I enjoyed this novel just the same. It was nice to get to know Susan Gay, newly minted as a detective constable, a little better and to see Banks back in his London milieu.

[Deb Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Peter Robinson can be counted upon to give readers a great whodunit police procedural in his Inspector Banks series, of which Past Reason Hated is the fifth book. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks, formerly of the London police, has moved himself and his family to small town England in this series. In past Reason Hated, readers are given insight into why that move was so vital for Banks and family.

A young woman is found stabbed to death in the flat she shared with another woman. When the police come to investigate, one of Vivaldi's compositions is playing over and over on the phonograph. The music figures into Banks' investigation, although he isn't sure exactly how the pieces fit -- yet.

Plot development, story line and the complex police investigation are consistent with Robinson's character-driven Inspector Banks series. Soft crime drama. Can be read as a standalone.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lesbian woman who was in an amateur production of Twelfth Night is murdered. Does the motive lie in the present or in the past? Chief Inspector Banks and his team, which now includes Inspector Susan Gay, must puzzle it out. Everyone seems to be hiding something. Sergeant Hatchley married and received a promotion, moving to a coastal town, but still serving under Banks. The murder takes place just before Christmas. Most seasoned mystery readers will determine the perpetrator early, but the pacing of the investigation keeps readers interested regardless. I listened to the audio version read by James Langton who does a good job as usual.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Past Reason Hated (Inspector Banks, #5) by Peter Robinson.

I found this title quite perplexing. It just didn't make sense to me at the time. Then I opened the book and began to read. It was the ending that patched the ends together to make sense of this title.
This book win the Crime Writer's of Canada Best Novel Award.
The story was dense in character involvement as well as being interwoven with numerous red herrings. Banks was out on a limb until the last scraps were finally pieced together and just in time I might add.
Please do treat yourself to this talented author's award winning novel. I love Inspector Banks.

[Natalie M · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slight hiccup in the series for me. Chief Inspector Alan Banks faces a crime that appears to be motivated by the victims sexuality. The plot limps along a little, Banks is static in what readers discover of him and the characters take on a stereotypical tone, with little depth.
Readable, but a little one dimensional. I am looking forward to the next instalment picking up the pace, the subtle nuances and good old-fashioned detective work.

[Eadie Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A picturesque Yorkshire village is dressed in its finest for the upcoming Noel. But one of its residents will not be celebrating this holiday.

Chief Inspector Alan Banks knows that secrecy can sometimes prove fatal'and secrets were the driving force behind Caroline Hartley's life 26and death. She was a beautiful enigma, brutally stabbed in her own home three days prior to Christmas. Leaving her past behind for a forbidden love affair, she mystified more than a few. And now she is dead, clothed only in her unshared mysteries and her blood. In this season of giving and forgiving, Banks is eager to absolve the innocent of their sins. But that must wait until the many facets of a perplexing puzzle are exposed and the dark circle of his investigation finally closes ..... and when a killer makes the next move.

My Review:
This was a very interesting mystery with different characters and plot and I enjoyed it very much but not as much as some of the others I have read. I know this series keeps getting better and better so I do look forward to reading more from Peter Robinson.

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. It's a good one all right, but perplexing. What starts as a murder which appears simple, soon becomes a puzzle with many extraneous leads for Detective Inspector Alan Banks to get lost in. A young woman, Caroline Hartley, is found brutally murdered just before Christmas in her Eastvale, Yorkshire home - the one she shares with Veronica Shildon. This entry is about past secrets; the things everyone would like to remain quiet, and Banks is forced to take the long road as he investigates them all. The husband / wife / partner, whatever, is often the first suspect and Veronica is no exception. Then we learn that Veronica's former husband, Claude Ivers, is a famous composer; did their relationship end badly? Is he the one who left a Vivaldi record playing at the scene? Banks discovers that, as a teenager, Caroline had a baby. Could that be the lead Banks needs? There are other secrets to untangle: her relationship with her brother Gary, her budding acting career with the local amateur theatre group, and her poetry. You'll find Banks and the recently-promoted Detective Constable Susan Gay, who is dealing with a vandalism case, an enjoyable team. (De2024)

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm hovering between 2 and 3 stars. This is my second novel by this author, Peter Robinson. I like the MC, Inspector Banks. He sounds like an all around good guy. I liked the dialog the most, even when it was feeling overused. It helped to lend credibility to the characters. I also liked the other characters, but they seemed quite distant. I never felt like I got to know any of them. I wasn't pulled in and I think it is because this was a different sort of Crime/Mystery book than what I'm used to. The MC methodically spends his time sifting through the clues and going from interview to interview. That didn't make for an interesting read especially since it was easy to conclude who did it.

Also, some of the ideas perpetuated about gay/lesbian living were antiquated and seem to date this book. Overall, I still liked the characters and the methodical approach in its investigation. So, 3 stars.

[Charlotte (Buried in Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another relatively quick read (once I got going with it). I've found it's virtually impossible for me to read books set at Christmas at other times of the year. I originally started this in June, but just lost interest, so as we're now in the holiday season I picked it back up.

The body of a young woman is found brutally stabbed by the woman she shares a house with on the 22nd December. Caroline Hartley was a teenage runaway, who ended up on the game in London. Years later she returned to the north and had eventually settled down with an older woman - Veronica (who had left her husband to be with her). No-one seemed to be aware that the two women were in a relationship.

Caroline was in rehearsals for the local amateur dramatics production of Twelfth Night.

The are a lot of red herrings in this book, from Caroline's troubled childhood, to her time in London. Even Veronica's husband (who clearly wanted his wife back).

Written in 1991 there are aspects of the story that are horribly dated (peoples reactions to same-sex relationships for one). But it was a very clever story, having said that I did figure out who did it about 3/4's of the way through. Too much was made of the mystery woman who was having trouble walking in the snow in high heels - that's when it clicked for me. The fact that they were putting on Twelfth Night as well. The fact that Susan's old teacher (director of the play) had taken such an interest in her.

Good story, but it ended far too abruptly.

[Blair · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some friends handed this to me when I was over at their place and said it was one of their favorite series. I have to say, I don't understand the appeal. Standard mystery, check. Mediocre writing, check. Strongly held views about the "wrongness" of homosexuality, check. And there's part of the yikes. I wish I kept count of the number of times he used the word "perversion." It was a lot. I just couldn't get behind this. It is everything that is wrong with our world. It was almost sneering at times and really hard to read. His justification and seeming defense of the murderer, for these same antiquated anti-feminist reasons (she turned him down, so his wounded pride made him kill her), was also distasteful. The attitudes portrayed in this book, and what I am taking to be the author's own, are what feminists have railed against for years. This is why we had #metoo, this is why so many men in the upper echelons of business and politics are being held accountable for years of bad behavior, this is what we fight against day in and day out. I just can't support it in writing, when I don't support it in my daily life. No thank you, Mr. Robinson, and maybe you've learned some acceptance and better behavior in your later books, but I will not be reading them.

[Will Byrnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the 7th Robinson Banks mystery I have read over the last two months, and I have reached the point of diminishing interest. The book is perfectly fine, if uninspired. It has become apparent however, that Robinson does fall into certain ruts. This is not the only one of the 7 in which the female investigator, in this case, Susan Grey, dates the ultimate baddie. It is yet another in which one of the main characters was sexually abused by an evil parent. It is yet another in which several of the female characters express an interest in Banks, whether expressed or internal. Peter must be projecting his wishes a bit here, I expect. The parallel investigation technique is not fully developed in this one. There is only a bit of it, as Susan investigates what appears to be a case of vandalism. He does this much better in his later books. I suppose I would be interested in reading new material from him. In a Dry Season was exceptional. But I will not soon be delving into others of his earlier works. There are simply too many other sirens calling.

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Inspector Banks story, a classical whodunit quite mellowly paced. Actually reminiscent of Sjöwall/Wahlöö, such as: Roseanna & The Locked Room. Most interesting for the developing and continuing story of Inspector Banks and the people around him perhaps, but the mystery is good too and the ending quite suspenseful.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite Inspector Banks mystery. I'm still not sure how I felt about the detective Susan. And the murderer was a tad odd to me. All that background work on the victim, all that time spent on the play. I guess I prefer his later novels.

[AndrewP · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a young woman is murdered DCI Alan Banks and his team investigate and find a confusing series of clues, suspects and motives. Despite most of the goings on in the book I did manage to figure out who the perpetrator was before the reveal at the end. More than anything else this was a case of figuring who had opportunity.

Some changes in the lineup at the station, Sgt Hatchley got married and took a position at a nearby coastal town. He still features in this book however and I hope he makes guest appearances in later novels. His replacement is Detective Constable Susan Gay. The new crew are of similar disposition, and most interviews with suspects still occur in the pub rather than the police station.

I really enjoyed this one and will be continuing on with the series. James Langton once again does a great job with the audible narration, plenty of voices and accents.

[M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

(Audio book )
Deadly dull.

[Carol McKnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is #5 in the Inspector Banks series, published 1991, and is a very good read! I am having difficulty finding these early books, but if this one is any indicator, they are quite different from Robinson’s later stories.
Banks and his wife Sandra are now settled in Eastvale but some memories of Banks’ earlier policing in London are included. Poetry and music are very much Banks’ muses. He and Sandra seem quite a couple, whereas by #10, Sandra has hooked up with a younger man and left him. Bank’s thinking about this case is quite clearly set out, whereas in later books his reasoning is not so visible. Banks’ team is Susan Gay. Peter? Richmond and Jim Hatchley

A great mystery and I didn’t pick the murderer until the last few pages.

[David Highton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A murder by multiple stabbing of a beautiful young woman in a lesbian relationship just before Christmas kicks off an elongated police procedural as Banks and his team chase down all the leads - Robinson's usual strong character development makes this an absorbing read.

[Ayny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This line in a review caught my attention -
''Does the motive lie in the present or in the past?''
fifth in the series. I am catching up on a few back issues -
Holiday Time plus local Theatre and the murder of a young lesbian woman.
written in 1991, the same sex couple would still be seen as scandalous by some.
If Banks didn't stop to have a drink or pop over to the local every few hrs. he might get the culprit sooner.
The smoking thing was tedious and droning on about certain classical music pcs was almost elitist sounding. I suppose it is part of the story not just the Detective's character. 3 stars.

[Mark Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent addition to a great series as a beautiful girl is stabbed to death and a plethora of suspects face DCI Banks. Fairly straightforward to work it out but a good fast paced read with a few nice twists and turns. A very good read.

[Gloria Feit · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the publisher: Chief Inspector Alan Banks knows that secrets can prove fatal, and secrets were the driving force behind Caroline Hartley’s life . . . and death. She was brutally stabbed in her own home three days prior to Christmas. Leaving her past behind for a forbidden love affair, she mystified more than a few. And now she is dead. In this season of giving and forgiving, Banks is eager to absolve the innocent of their sins. But that must wait until the dark circle of his investigation finally closes . . . and when a killer makes the next move.

Since she was the only member of the CID on duty that night, newly promoted Detective Constable Susan Gay, on only her second day on the job at the CID at Eastvale Regional Headquarters, finds the challenge quite exciting. A call had come in from a neighbor of the dead woman, who had gone rushing into the street screaming. As the tale proceeds, there are references to the current public image of the force, tarnished by race riots, sex scandals and accusations of high-level corruption. As the investigation unfolds, there are quite a number of suspects among the various friends, family and colleagues of the dead woman, which after a while made it a little difficult to differentiate among them. Banks’ erudition in matters of classical music comes in very handy, as a piece of music, playing on an old-fashioned phonograph at the murder scene, becomes a disturbing clue that he feels is very significant as his investigation continues. And then they realize that the dead woman was in a lesbian relationship
Banks, now 39 years old, had only been promoted to Detective Superintendent only a few weeks ago, is still “learning the ropes,” and is always a fascinating protagonist who has come to trust his instincts, as has the reader.

Susan has also been tasked with looking into a series of vandalisms that have taken place in the area, and the author switches p.o.v. from Banks to that of Susan from time to time, making for some very interesting reading. But that’s something we have come to expect from Mr. Robinson; this book is as beautifully written as his numerous prior novels. This is the fifth of what is now 22 entries in the series. Although I must admit that I found it a slow read in the early going as the case plods along, the pace soon picks up. I must add that the many wonderfully descriptive sections of the wintry weather that prevails and its effects on driving and walking had me going to my closet for a warm sweater!

The book concludes with an excerpt from the next book in the series to follow this one, “When the Music’s Over,” and I have no doubt that that entry, as is this one, will be highly recommended.

[Larraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the body of Carolyn Hartley is found brutally murdered, it soon becomes apparent that there could be a great many motives. Hartley was gay and living with her lover, but had left home at young age and worked as an exotic dancer and prostitute. Her lover is a slightly older woman who fell in love with Carolyn and left a marriage that had been sterile and unhappy for a long time. So there are no end of possible suspects.

I've been reading the Alan Banks books for years although I didn't start at the beginning. So now I'm catching up to the earlier Alan Banks books. This is one that I found a little unsatisfying. At the end when Banks says he is running out of suspects, you know "who done it" as the saying goes. There is an incident at the beginning of the book that you KNEW was connected with the murder. However, the investigation is being handled by an inexperienced officer. You know Banks would have put two and two together. Or maybe not.

This wasn't as good as the previous book of his I read, "In A Dry Season" or even more recent or older ones. Still, I'm not going to complain. It was still very interesting and readable.

[Marian Kendricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Past Reason Hated #5 in the DCI Banks series is my favorite so far. I started reading Peter Robinson’s final DCI Banks #28 Standing in the Shadows which enticed me to begin reading the books in order which so far isn’t a requirement to enjoy his books.
I earn knowledge in every book so far in different spheres; be it music, literature, philosophy, politics and his views of the land & the people of the Yorkshire dales.
Robinson’s writing is so descriptive and his characters traits are so believable I’m get frustrated when they make boneheaded conclusions which abound in Past Reason Hated. Written in 1991 I find it fascinating how much the worlds attitudes and habits have changed in the mere 30+ years sometimes I felt as if I was reading a history book but with pleasure.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a re-read of the fifth Inspector Alan Banks novel. It's almost Christmas in Eastvale, and Banks and Susan Gay are called to a murder in a nice area of town. Christina Hartley, an attractive woman in her 20s, is found stabbed to death in her living room while a classical recording is playing on the turntable. Banks believes the music is a clue to the murderer, a gift from Christina's partner's ex-husband. But Susan believes the killer is the girlfriend. This book, written twenty years ago, is full of words like "disgusting, perverted" regarding the relationship between these characters, and is unsettling to read today. We've come a long way. But despite that, I enjoyed this tale of investigation in the cold Yorkshire villages, and with a trip down to the seedy part of London.