Careless Love

I was faithful for a long time. I more or less enjoyed the TV series. But I'm done with Robinson - and he seems kind of done too. The formula has gone stale, and the irritations have gotten more irritating. I'm tired of the detailed descriptions of the clothes of every single female who appears on the scene, which WAY too often include "snug," "form-fitting," "sleek" jeans. I'm tired of this late middle-aged guy's serial relationships with women decades younger than he is (which never work out - wonder why). Every woman he finds worth talking to is beautiful, of course. I'm really tired the eternal playlist - he gets home and puts on Piece A, he gets in the car and turns on piece B, he comes into his office and turns on Piece C, he gets show more in someone *else's* car and they're playing Piece D... ad nauseam. There is no sense that the music mentioned bears any significance to what might be going on...it's just Robinson showing off how many musicians and songs he can name and how VERY eclectic his taste is. (Yawn.) And Annie Cabbot is just tedious: smug, self-absorbed, superficial and thoroughly annoying.

The plot and pacing can't save this one either. The two teams of detectives, each pursuing their own suspicious death, drive around and interview people - and have exactly the same conversations: "Did she seem worried, anxious, depressed?" "Well, she seemed a little distracted." Same questions, same answers, even the same words. So okay, this is what police process might actually be like. But it's pretty boring to read with very little else to bring characters to life.

When I am really enjoying a crime novel, I often skip to the back to see who dunnit, and then go back to savor the places, the characters, the writing, the skill - all the things that make any book worth reading. I didn't even care who did it in this one, nor did I care about any of the people trying to find out. So I didn't bother. I closed the book and took it back to the library. show less

In Peter Robinson's "Careless Love," DS Alan Banks and his fellow investigators struggle to discover what, if anything, connects three deaths that occurred within a short period of time. Banks, DI Annie Cabbot, DS Winsome Jackman, and DC Geraldine Masterson join forces with DCI Ken Blackstone to find out what happened to two college students and a wealthy banker in his sixties, all of whom died under mysterious circumstances. What is puzzling, among other things, is that the bodies were found in isolated areas with no vehicle nearby, indicating that someone had left them there. The homicide detectives interview the victims' relatives, friends, and acquaintances, while they await results from the crime scene analysis, postmortem show more examinations, and toxicology screens.

One of the novel's strengths is the realistic way in which the author portrays police procedure. There are no sudden breakthroughs here and no grand epiphanies. Instead, the weary but determined members of law enforcement work tirelessly trying to connect the dots. If they are unsuccessful, they try different approaches in their search for the truth. The characters are all well-drawn and the dialogue is unforced and realistic. The aging Banks is more mellow than he used to be. Although he occasionally longs for female companionship, Banks is resigned to living alone. Fortunately, he is still good at his job, and derives pleasure from drinking fine wine, relishing good food, and listening to music from his vast collection. Meanwhile, Annie Cabbot, Alan's former lover, resents the young woman in her father's life. Cabbot's dad Ray, who is in his seventies, is living with thirty-year-old Zelda, an individual with a traumatic past who does important work that may help Alan bring an old nemesis to justice.

As the story unfolds, we are treated to Robinson's scenic descriptions of the glorious Yorkshire countryside. Sadly, we also encounter a darker world of greed and exploitation. One need not be a hardened criminal to become entangled in sordid and dangerous activities. Sometimes, naïve people make foolish decisions for reasons that may seem logical at first; unfortunately, by the time they realize their error, it may be too late to turn back. "Careless Love" is an example of a well-written, engrossing, and satisfying mystery that does not rely on formulaic elements, gimmickry, or absurd twists and turns to generate suspense. Banks and company take little pleasure in wrapping up this inquiry, since the damage left in its wake can never be undone. show less

I enjoyed this, but with reservations. It is number 25 in a series and it shows. I had some trouble keeping track of the members of the investigating teams. If I had been reading the earlier books I'm sure I would not have had the problem. Unfortunately Careless Love gave away a little too much of past episodes making me unsure if I want to start at the beginning and read them all, knowing what I do. One storyline clearly had begun in an earlier book and was not resolved in this one. That felt a bit strange. I guess one needs to read them in order. The main mystery was a good one. It was just the raveled edges that bothered me. I love Simon Prebble as a narrator. He is what tempted me to pick up this audiobook in the first place. His show more reading was well worth it! show less

DS Alan Banks returns in Careless Love - the 25th entry in this long running and much loved series from Peter Robinson. (Yes, I've read every one!)

I never bother reading the synopsis before I turn the first page of the latest Banks book. I already know I'm in for a great read. And so I happily settled in on a rainy Sunday morning.

A young girl's body is found in an abandoned car. Suicide or something else? Banks and DS Winsome Jackman take on this case. DI Annie Cabot and newer addition DC Gerry Masterson are called out to another death. A man has fallen to his death off an embankment - or has he been pushed?

I'm always happy to reconnect with these characters and see where life has taken them. Robinson has moves their lives along in real show more time. Careless Love find Banks pondering love... "Banks wasn't even lonely most of the time - it had been over twenty years since he had split up with Sandra - but there were days when he ached for a companion, a love, someone to share it all with."

So, great characters - but Robinson's plotting is just as wonderful. The mysteries are intelligent and intricately plotted. I appreciate the solving of the crimes - the interviews, the piecing together of clues and the connections. A criminal from both Annie and Alan's past surfaces in an unexpected context. The desire to capture him is high on both their lists. This thread will lead nicely into the next book.

Banks' love of music and his new interest in poetry have often sent me to the web to listen or read what has been mentioned. While I appreciate them, I did find there were perhaps a few too many references in this latest.

For me, Robinson's writing is such a pleasure to read. I enjoyed this latest and can't wait for number twenty six! show less

DCI (Detective Chief Inspector) Alan Banks makes his 25th appearance in Peter Robinson’s police procedural series about solving crimes in cute little villages in the north of England while simultaneously plugging various brands of scotch and automobiles and listening to modern rock and pop music groups I have never heard of.

Despite the snarky introduction, I think the series is actually quite good: Banks and his crew, Annie Cabot, Geraldine Masterson, and Winsome Jackman, are all portrayed distinctively in ways that seem realistic, and the stories are compelling.

This one begins with the discovery of a young girl sitting formally attired but quite dead behind the wheel of an abandoned Ford Focus. On the windshield of the car is a show more paper notice stating “Police Aware.” The owners of the car are discovered shortly, but they have no idea of how this person ended up dead in their abandoned auto.

Before long, a prominent local business man, also dressed up, is found dead at the bottom of nearby embankment. A third possible victim of the same killer, another well-dressed young lady, is discovered by a neighboring police force a few miles away.

Are the three deaths accidents, or murders? Are they connected? We, the readers, watch as Banks and his associates painstakingly work through various clues to come to a relatively satisfying conclusion. Lest anyone think that Robinson’s series is over, he injected an almost unrelated subplot involving a vicious villain from a previous novel into this one. That villain remains at large at the end of the book, and Robinson reminds us of his presence in the last sentence of this one.

The interplay of the characters is almost as interesting as the investigation of the crime. Will Alan and Annie get back together? Will Alan lay off the various craft beers and go back to Laphroaig Single Malt Whisky? Wait for the next installment.

(JAB) show less

Careless Love by Peter Robinson is the 25th installment in the Inspector Banks police procedural series that is set in the Yorkshire Dales. In this outing Banks and his team are investigating two suspicious deaths, a young local university student who they think is a suicide, except she was found in an isolated area and they don’t know how she got there. The other death is of a wealthy banker who is also found in a rural and isolated area at the bottom of a cliff.

At first these deaths are treated as two separate cases but slowly the pieces merge and it becomes obvious that there is a connection between these two corpses. When another student turns up, obviously murdered, the links start to fall in place.

Meanwhile information turns up show more on an old case, the one in which Banks’ house was burned down with him in it. Annie’s father’s partner, Zelda who works with an agency to stop human trafficking came across a picture of this old enemy. I can see this case is going to overlap into the next book.

As always I enjoyed my time spent in Yorkshire with this team of professionals. I have been a fan of this series for years. I did find that there were too many musical references throughout the book, it felt like the author was showing off his superior knowledge on the subject. Banks is getting older and slowing down somewhat. He spent some time ruminating on his advancing years, and perhaps here will be an eventual reconnection with Annie. show less

It's been quiet sometime since I have read anything in this series, but it was always an author and a series that I could count on for a good mystery and a well written story with an interesting plot and "real to life" characters. This one was a bit of a disappointment. It's almost as if Mr. Robinson has run out of ideas and is filling the gaps with thoughts about life and loss. Guess Alan Banks is getting old and maybe not too gracefully. There was also a lot of unnecessary details of Alan Banks musing about his past, the women in his life, and his music. I understand him thinking about the things in his life but really, Peter...what did any of that even have to do with, or advance the story? The ending had more about the next novel show more than it did the conclusion of this one. I know how good this author is and I have loved Alan Banks since the series began so I will give the story 3 stars...but I hope this trend doesn't continue. show less