Playing with Fire

Inspector Banks #14

by Peter Robinson

En kold januarmorgen kaldes chefkriminalinspektør Alan Banks og kriminalinspektør Annie Cabbot ud til kanalen i Eastvale. To pramme er brændt, og en ung stofmisbruger og en falleret kunstner er omkommet. Noget tyder på, at branden er påsat, men hvorfor skulle de to i givet fald dø? Banks og Cabbot får travlt med efterforskningen, for mens asken stadig er lun, bliver Eastvale ramt af endnu en gådefuld brand.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, British Literature, Detective, Thriller

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

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

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this Peter Robinson crimer is fine when it comes to plot and the story definitely improves in the second half of the book. It was first published in 2004, making it 20 years old now. I don’t know if I’ve watched too many crimers on TV, but it seems like the police should catch on to things faster here and that readers really already know everything the cop explains at length.

The biggest drawback for me is that the characters are too ordinary. There is really nothing that makes these people different from 100 other characters in this genre. But again, the plot is good with arson and art crime at its center. That was fun.

[Labijose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Publicada en el 2004, “Playing with fire” es la decimocuarta entrega de la serie del inspector Banks. Sigue sin defraudarme, aunque la encontré un poco inferior a su anterior: “The summer that never was”. Es muy aconsejable leerlas en orden cronológico, pues es una larga serie en la que conviene estar familiarizado con los personajes principales.

El hecho de que sea fácil imaginar quién está detrás de los incendios me ha hecho restarle algo de puntuación. Así mismo, la trama, aún siendo buena, no es tan consistente como en novelas anteriores. Las descripciones, tanto de los personajes como de los paisajes británicos siguen siendo excelentes. Robinson sabe manejarse por el género policíaco como pez en el agua; ergo. ….. ¡a por la siguiente!

[Jill H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always say the same thing when I read a Peter Robinson book featuring Inspector Banks and his crew of fascinating detectives.................loved it!

In this case, Banks is chasing a very clever killer who also is a pyromaniac and there are many suspects, some of whom get murdered. At least that narrows down the field!! Motives eventually get narrowed down to art forgery which adds another layer of mystery to the story.

The ending is rather violent and somewhat surprising (or at least to me). Another of Robinson's fine books which I love to read in between more serious tomes. If you like British mysteries, I would highly recommend this book and the series..

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

What more can you say about a Peter Robinson novel than that the maestro is at the top of his game yet again? He and Ian Rankin have a very similar ability to immerse the reader entirely in the lives of their protagonists to the extent that it can be a struggle for readers to pull themselves back into the real world. Yes, these are crime novels, and, yes, there's a strong element of mystery too, but to say only that would really be to mislead.

This latest installment of the Yorkshire DCI Alan Banks chronicles begins with the destruction by fire of two derelict canal barges and the squatters dwelling within. Forensics soon reveal arson, and that the target was one of the barges, occupied by an unsuccessful artist; the casualty in the other barge, junkie Tina, was either just "collateral damage", as the disgusting euphemism has it, or, perhaps worse, was a deliberate piece of misdirection by the arsonist to obscure his motives. Banks and DI Annie Cabbot and their crew -- notably DC Winsome Jackman, with whom I could all too easily fall in love -- soon unravel an art-forgery conspiracy, especially when there's another arson murder just a few days later; but they also, with the aid of innocent bystander Tina's hotheaded wastrel boyfriend Mark (about whom one begins to care inordinately) uncover a nasty backstory for her involving childhood sexual abuse. Robinson's working through of these two plots in parallel is mesmerizing.

Each time I finish one of Robinson's novels I wonder briefly why I don't read them more often, and then almost immediately the answer hits me: they're far too good to waste on a binge. Rather, I need to spread them out and savour them, waiting for le moment juste before I pick up the next one. But what a moment of happiness that moment usually proves to be!

[Steve Denton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Firstly, let me say that I have overall enjoyed reading the series in order, but these books are starting to annoy me and the annoyance is growing with each book.
1. Mr Robinson's obsession with making a point of mentioning a CD or piece of music that Banks is listening to by naming the track and singer or compsoer or referencing CD's on shelves of people he visits.
2. Constant reference to Banks's drink being Laphroaig - has to be product placement.
3. Dialogue that is pointless, slowing the story down and the general mysogynistic vibe

You know when you notice something that doesn't normally bother you but when it does it becomes the only thing you can think about? Regular readers of this series will know all about Banks's classical music preference. (I notice some contributors have also mentioned this annoying trait in their reviews). Does it really need to be thrust down our throats all the time? At the start and end of each section I am waiting to read about the CD he is listening to and it is becoming an unnecessary distraction.
It only took until the first word of the second paragraph of this book before we saw the word "Beethoven". 58 words in and there it was looming large causing me concern of what was to come. The first reference to classical music. It's not just classical though in this book and it got so crazy that I started making a note of every time a muscian that he was listening to was mentioned. He has even started to list the CDs on their shelves of people he visits .....Classical, Pop or easy listening. Oasis, Coldplay, David Bowie, Beth Orton, Bob Dylan, a suspect collecting vinyl records that are shelved in year of release and Beethoven (again). Jazz, Elgar, Tom Waits, Joy Division, Pet Shop Boys, Elvis Costello, Dire Straits, Tracy Chapman and Fleetwood Mac. Radio 3 playing chamber music. Bach and Mozart. Beethoven (yes again), Mariza, Beatles via Mantivani, Cassandra Wilson, Radio 3 special on Bud Powell. Soile Isokoski singing Richard Strauss. Gundula Janowitz, Van Morrison and Helen Shapiro. With Helen Shapiro we get a lovely anecdote about her releasing a single in the 60's where the middle of the record was missing so you had to buy that separately to be able to listen to it. Aaarrrggh. Cesaria Evora, John Mayall. Jesse Winchester, The Clash. Schubert and Mozart. And then back full circle to Beethoven.

Next its the references to alcohol. Annie doesn't drink wine but "Sainsbury's Montepulciano d'Abruzzo", Banks doesn't have a whisky but Laphroaig (all the flippin' time), except when in the local) where his companion drinks campari and soda ! Really? Campari and soda in the local? Apologies to all of those Campari and soda drinkers. I'm sure you exist.

Peter Robinson's Banks isn't Ian Rankin's Rebus, Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch or Phillip Kerr's Bernie Gunther when it comes to chat is he? The conversations are generally argumentative and I don't think I've laughed once at a line Banks gives. In no way can he deliver a line like the other detectives I mention. Chats are too long with pointless questions dragging the conversation out with dialogue that just doesn't go anywhere. Edit, edit, edit.
The descriptions, particularly of the women and what they are wearing borders on the creepy.
I enjoy the series, but I think Banks himself would look down his nose at this type of detective story if he ever picked one up whilst sipping his Laphroaig and listening to arias on his portable CD player.
I am considering abandoning Banks but I want to stick with him until I see him subscribing to Spotify to listen to his banging tunes. Oh how funny, on his website Mr Robinson now has playlists on Spotify to support his books. I kid you not. Perhaps we will see Banks listen to his own playlist in future books.
Maybe I'm turning into a grumpy old Banks and I feel better for getting this off my chest. I'm logging off now to have a pint of Carlsberg with lime and watch a box set. Just so you know.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Playing With Fire was one of my favourite episodes in the DCI Banks TV series, so I was looking forward to this one. Of course there's a lot more going on in the novel than in an hour & a half of screen time.
This may be Peter Robinson's 14th story for Banks, but it's as fresh as ever. The characters (even the minor ones) are so true to life & Robinson's descriptions, however brief, of the people in this tale are excellent.
All in all it's another well plotted tale in Robinson's excellent DCI Banks series.

[Natalie M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Robinson is a skilled and talented procedural crime writer, with a significant focus on characterisation. However, Playing with Fire was a little lack-lustre for me.

Book #14 in the series is a good read. The clever twists and turns are evident; the procedural aspect is engaging, but the characters don’t seem to progress as they usually do.

Intriguing new plot involving arson and art was well-worth reading but it didn’t quite make the five stars this time.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Playing with Fire (Inspector Banks, #14) by Peter Robinson.

This author won me over with this DCI Banks book. It began with a blaze on 2 barges in a canal. Arson is one of my least favorite situations to read about. As usual P.R. casts his magic spell over his story telling and I was once again captured. The characters emerged with their own set of issues and growing relationships. There is no time to come up for air especially once I've passed the halfway mark. Excitement, brutality along with unrequited romance.

Lose yourself in this DCI Banks and learn what true story telling is all about.

[Carol McKnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read! Inspector Banks is uncanny at sensing what’s “not quite right” and following it up. I have to admit that I knew who the bad guy was probably three quarters of the way through the book. Poor Annie Cabbot loses out again! I do like this series.

[Ruby Barnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Banks takes the biscuit and is reminded of his youthful dunking...

I'm not sure if I've read Peter Robinson before. Probably I have, he's prolific and my wife likes Inspector Banks. I bought Playing with Fire together with Strange Affair and Not Safe After Dark from the Book People for 5 the lot. That should have been warning enough, that they were unsold clearout stock.
Inspector Banks is unable to cross the room without receiving a character building flashback from every biscuit crumb, cup of tea, pint of bitter, shot of Laphroaig cask strength. When not puffing his character to bursting point the author is giving a running commentary on every piece of music that Banks is listening to in the house, car, his head, it goes on and on. I thought the characters were adequately painted after a couple of chapters but it didn't stop. This looks like the work of an author who has sacrificed proliferation for quality. If Robinson did, in fact, write this book himself then it may be an indication of what his early drafts are like before the over-detail edit. 445 pages here is probably 300 if the job had been finished.
Nevertheless, still have the other two to read to ensure fairness. Perhaps it was a hiccup in his output....as he raised the blue French rustic china mug with a chip on the side that would be mouthwards if he was left handed, which he wasn't, and inhaled the heady aroma of Laphroaig cask strength taken straight, no ice, he was reminded of the smell of the burnt bodies in the charred but rusty hulls of the narrowboats that the moneyed semi-aristocratic owner had forgotten, or even didn't care that, he owned. Perhaps the killer had been left handed and left traces of DNA on the chipped surface when he drank from that same mug, thought Banks, reminding him of his left-handed Uncle Freddy who wore vintage yellow Marigold rubber gloves to weddings.... etc.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fire starts late at night on two almost derelict narrow boats on a short stretch of canal which leads nowhere. A body is found on each boat. DCI Alan Banks and DI Annie Cabbot have to find out whether this is murder or an accident and it soon becomes clear that it is murder. There are several suspects but none with a clear forensic connection to the fire. Gradually it becomes clear that there are a web of connections which may or may not lead to the truth. More lives will be lost and even more put in danger before the cases are solved.

I found this gripping reading and it is definitely amongst the best books in this excellent series. The book is well written and well plotted and the relationships and motivations are very well done. I like the way Alan and Annie are adjusting to not being in a relationship and are trying to keep their professional relationship going without letting the personal intrude.

If you like police procedurals with interesting characters and an atmospheric background - the Yorkshire Dales - then give this one a try. The series can be read in any order as all the books can stand alone but it is interesting to see the series characters develop if you read them in the order in which they were published.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books are like coming home...almost like a "comfort" read. This book is one of those...another great Alan Banks book by Peter Robinson. Robinson is able to weave a plot around murders and crime that keep me completely entertained. The recurring characters in each of the books in the series grows more complex and real to me with each book in the series that I read. This is one of the series that I'm reading slowly so that I don't run out!

Jacket notes: "When the bodies of two squatters are found in the burning remains of a couple of derelict barges, Inspector Alan Banks has to wonder whether one of their occupations caused their deaths. One victim was a local artist, with plenty of turpentine and oil paint at hand; the other was a young woman, a junkie, who evidently shot up her final fix just before the fire started. But if the fire was an accident, why did her boyfriend bolt from the scene when the police arrived? And why did the neighbour who discovered the fire not call it in right away?"

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good part into this book, I was convinced that my review would start with something like: "This was one of the lesser Banks". This is not the case. After an unusually uncaptivating and slow first half, "Dirty" Dick Burgess pops up and, even if he's brief and peripheral in this story, he's never dull. The second half is also a pickup of pace. One thing that bothered me is that, by reading the series out of sequence, I had a better than reasonable idea about what the climax would be and I thought it felt far-fetched beforehand. But when the revelation came it was both plausible and chilling and the final confrontation was very intense.

I'm very fond of Robinson's character gallery in the banks series and he does a fine job in describing their interactions, relationships and feelings towards each other in my opinion, which is one ingredient that brings his police novels a notch above most.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Banks and Annie Cabbot investigate a fire which burns two canal boats on the outskirts of Eastvale, killing two people, one a teenage girl and one a 40ish artist. Investigators learn that the fire was set with the artist's turpentine, but the girl's boyfriend suspects that her stepfather had something to do with it, as he had sexually abused her before she ran away from home. The next day, another fire is started just north of town, in a caravan in a field where an unemployed man lived. Alan and Annie work hard to learn connections between the two fires, and begin to suspect the artist was the real target in the first case, and that he was painting copies of the work of painters from the past and passing them off as originals. Annie is dating a man who's business is authenticating art work, and he helps them with some paintings found in the caravan's fire-proof safe.

As is usual with this series, the investigation moves slowly until a crucial discovery, and then ends with a bang - this time it's Alan Banks on the receiving end. Can't wait to read the next one.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the stories of DCI Alan Banks and all that goes on in his world!
Very well written, you're taken on a journey every time.

Can be read as a stand alone.....but no...don't! Go the extra mile and start at the beginning.
It will pay off in so many ways.

[Larraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got really dark and really really good very fast. One of the reasons why I particularly like Robinson as a writer is because he doesn't waste words. Every word counts in the books. His character, Inspector Alan Banks, is one of my favorites. This is one of the earlier ones I had missed. Banks is divorced although it's only been about a year. However, his ex has not only remarried but has had a baby in her mid forties. He's living in a cottage that he has made all his with his music and quality Scotch, but is lonely. He had a fling with Annie Cabot, one of his detectives, but she broke up with him. Now she's seeing another man which bothers him although he can't put his finger on the reason and insists that he is NOT jealous. However, the story is mainly about a series of fires with a side story about a young woman who appears to have suffered sexual abuse. It's difficult at first to find a connection, but little by little patterns emerge. It's proving the connection that is the challenge. This is an exciting book with so many red herrings as well as the subplot. The reader is offered the wrong path more than once. Peter Robinson is definitely at the top of my To Be Read list when his latest Inspector Banks book comes out.

[Shirley Schwartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is top drawer crime fiction, written by a master. I absolutely love the Inspector Banks series, and have been reading my way through the series. This book was good with the characters fully fleshed out and enough suspense to keep me turning pages, but it didn't have the "slam in the gut" plot twists that I've come to expect from Peter Robinson. I had figured out who the perpetrator was about halfway through, and that never usually happens with an Inspector Banks book. That is why I gave the book four stars instead of my usual five. There is an arsonist in and around Eastvale, and people are being burned in their homes. At first there doesn't appear to be a connection between the two fires, but as Banks and his team start digging, they find some old history between two of the victims. The characters in these books are what sets this series apart from other police procedurals. Robinson's characters are so brilliant and so alive that it almost seems like you are reading true-crime narratives. I highly recommend this series, but read it starting at book one so you will get the full effect of Robinson's character development.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourteenth in this wonderful series following DCI Banks and his police partner DI Annie Cabbot as they piece together clues to solve the mystery of arson fires (and deaths) on two derelict longboats in Eastvale, Yorkshire. It's amazing how hard it is to put these books down once they've pulled you into their narratives. Secondary to the policing (but no less interesting) is the current hot-and-cold relationship between the two main characters, who used to be romantically involved. After a discovery shocking to both Banks and Cabbott, the perpetrator of the crimes is revealed but not arrested.

[Helaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 14 in the series so I have a lot of catching up to do. But this book reads well as a stand alone story of Inspector Alan Banks. Unlike some others I have read that necessitated knowing the characters' histories from previous volumes, this one filled in all the necessary details without seeming to spend too much time on background. Another book that was difficult to put down at midnight.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid outing for man, Banks. Two separate fires have left multiple people dead, and it's up to Banks to solve the crimes. As always, I love the Yorkshire setting, which Robinson seems to always write about superbly. But for some reason, I felt my mind wander quite a bit through this one. I think it's probably because the plot twists were pretty easily anticipated, so it took some of the joy out of it. But still a definite read for those who love the series.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another good story. In this story Inspector Banks is investigating the death of a little-known artist and a young female drug addict. They died because of fires that destroyed the barges that they lived on. Banks must discover who started the fire and why these two people were killed.
I won’t go too much into the story behind the investigation process. I just want to ask how far ahead Peter Robinson has thought about the life of Chief Inspector Banks? Does he have a big white board at home in which he has mapped out the entire life of Banks? Reading these books in order does make me wonder about the authors thought process. Does he know where Banks life is going?
I like the investigation process that Banks and his team go through to solve the deaths, but I am also very interested in the personal aspects of Banks life. I think that keeps me reading the series more than the crimes. I like the character Banks and the various team members. I like his story and I want to know more about him and follow his life. How he interacts with his ex wife, his children and a colleague Annie who is now his ex girlfriend.
Peter Robinson also manages to be able to use things that happened in previous books and that some of these things impact him in the current story. Again, is there a giant map with arrows leading every where. The next time I am in the same room as Peter Robinson this will be the question, I ask him.

[Christine Mathieu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely one of the better DCI Alan Banks sequels, # 14 in the series.
I enjoyed it very much, but so far haven't read a Banks sequel which came close to "In a Dry Season", his master piece.

[David Highton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid police procedural featuring DCI Alan Banks based in fictional Eastvale in Yorkshire. Two old narrow boats decimated by fire, each containing the body of a squatter living in each boat illegally.

[Ms Rachel Bolsover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping whodunnit

Love this series of books. Keep you hooked from beginning to end.
Peter Robinson keeps you engrossed in the murders and all the characters are well thought out and interesting.
If you like Detective books thoroughly recommend

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Påskekrim 2020, hittad i den egna bokhyllan coronatider. Välskrivet, lagom mycket och rätt intressant fluff kring de utredande poliserna. Läser inte Peter Robinsons böcker om Banks som en serie, men de fungerar bra ändå.

[Ray O'Hare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, what next?

[Alan Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first DI Banks book I have read. Great story line and characters with a few twists on the way

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: two bodies are found in the aftermath of barges burning in the canal. Banks is worried that this is just the beginning.

[Helen Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

DCI Banks and DI Annie Cabbot investigate a fire that destroys two canal boats and kills two victims. As their investigation continues they find that the situation involves more than just arson and murder. Suspenseful and well crafted, this is one of the best books in the series.