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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
Another solid installment. This one has a lot of detail about World War II and brings interesting developments in Banks' personal life. I was sad that the audio books changed narrators--Ron Keith is also a good narrator, but I didn't like his voice for Banks--he makes Banks sound like Hatchley. He was great at doing some of the other voices.
The 10th book in a series featuring Detective Inspector Alan Banks; I haven’t read any of the previous books. The title references a drought which has plagued the Yorkshire countryside, as well as a dry spell in the personal life of Inspector Banks; his wife has left him and his career is in shambles.
This was almost two books really. One is Bank’s investigation of a cold case: A reservoir, which was created in the 1950’s by flooding a valley right over an abandoned village (like some sort of underwater Brigadoon), has now dried up due to the drought, revealing a long buried skeleton of a young woman. The second story line is the recollections from the war years in the village by a former inhabitant.
If this book is supposed to the best in the series, it didn’t knock my socks off. The story did keep my interest however, despite its length and digressions into the personal lives of the detectives.
This was almost two books really. One is Bank’s investigation of a cold case: A reservoir, which was created in the 1950’s by flooding a valley right over an abandoned village (like some sort of underwater Brigadoon), has now dried up due to the drought, revealing a long buried skeleton of a young woman. The second story line is the recollections from the war years in the village by a former inhabitant.
If this book is supposed to the best in the series, it didn’t knock my socks off. The story did keep my interest however, despite its length and digressions into the personal lives of the detectives.
A great read really interesting story even choked me up a few times. When I got mad at Banks at one point it just made me realise how much I care about the character. Sure hope Stephen Tompkinson does him justice.
In the late 1990s we owned a bookstore and got a free "advance reading copy" of this book. After sitting on the shelf for 11 years I finally read it and found it quite compelling. It's a British, literary, mystery/police procedural. A boy discovers the body of a woman murdered 50 years ago and the book moves between WWII (learning about the victim and her friends) and present day Britain (investigators trying to discover her murderer). I learned a lot about the hardships the British civilians had during the war. I wonder why almost all police procedurals, whether in novels or on TV, always seem to have an ass for the officer in charge.
Excellent plot, great writing and a good series to be explored.
4* In a Dry Season (Inspector Banks, #10)
TR Gallows View (Inspector Banks, #1)
TR A Dedicated Man (Inspector Banks, #2)
TR A Necessary End (Inspector Banks, #3)
TR The Hanging Valley (Inspector Banks, #4)
TR Past Reason Hated (Inspector Banks, #5)
TR Wednesday's Child (Inspector Banks, #6)
TR Dry Bones that Dream (Inspector Banks, #7)
TR Innocent Graves (Inspector Banks, #8)
TR Blood at the Root (Inspector Banks, #9)
TR Cold is the Grave (Inspector Banks, #11)
TR Aftermath (Inspector Banks, #12)
TR Close to Home (Inspector Banks, #13)
TR Playing With Fire (Inspector Banks, #14)
TR Strange Affair (Inspector Banks, #15)
TR Piece of My Heart (Inspector Banks, #16)
TR Friend of the Devil (Inspector Banks, #17)
TR All the Colours of Darkness (Inspector Banks, #18)
TR Bad Boy (Inspector Banks, #19)
TR Watching the Dark (Inspector Banks, #20)
TR Children of the Revolution (Inspector Banks, #21)
TR Abattoir Blues (Inspector Banks, #22)
TR When the Music's Over (Inspector Banks, #23)
TR Sleeping in the Ground (Inspector Banks, #24)
TR Careless Love (Inspector Banks, #25)
4* In a Dry Season (Inspector Banks, #10)
TR Gallows View (Inspector Banks, #1)
TR A Dedicated Man (Inspector Banks, #2)
TR A Necessary End (Inspector Banks, #3)
TR The Hanging Valley (Inspector Banks, #4)
TR Past Reason Hated (Inspector Banks, #5)
TR Wednesday's Child (Inspector Banks, #6)
TR Dry Bones that Dream (Inspector Banks, #7)
TR Innocent Graves (Inspector Banks, #8)
TR Blood at the Root (Inspector Banks, #9)
TR Cold is the Grave (Inspector Banks, #11)
TR Aftermath (Inspector Banks, #12)
TR Close to Home (Inspector Banks, #13)
TR Playing With Fire (Inspector Banks, #14)
TR Strange Affair (Inspector Banks, #15)
TR Piece of My Heart (Inspector Banks, #16)
TR Friend of the Devil (Inspector Banks, #17)
TR All the Colours of Darkness (Inspector Banks, #18)
TR Bad Boy (Inspector Banks, #19)
TR Watching the Dark (Inspector Banks, #20)
TR Children of the Revolution (Inspector Banks, #21)
TR Abattoir Blues (Inspector Banks, #22)
TR When the Music's Over (Inspector Banks, #23)
TR Sleeping in the Ground (Inspector Banks, #24)
TR Careless Love (Inspector Banks, #25)