Past Reason Hated

I feel like this is where Robinson's books really started to shine for me. The characters are well-drawn, and the subplots are nicely tied together. For its time, the themes of homosexuality are explored with nuance. The victim is indeed 'past reason hated' by different characters, and yet also loved beyond reason as well.

Warning: discussion of the title and literature referenced in this book might constitute spoilers

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Christmas colours are red and green, but usually the red does not come in the form of blood. Inspector Banks and the Eastvale police are faced with a holiday-season case involving the stabbing death of Caroline Hartley, a woman with a mysterious past and a somewhat surprising present -- she is in a same-sex relationship. In the early 1990s, when this book was written, same-sex relationships would probably not have been spoken of too openly. The attitude of others involved in the case, and even some of the investigators, is therefore perhaps not quite as open-minded as one might expect these days: they consider the relationship to be not show more "normal", and say as much repeatedly throughout the investigation. A similar plot written today would probably not make a big deal out of her sexual orientation.

Overall this book met my expectations. It was a solid, dependable read. The descriptions of Yorkshire weather in particular were good, as was the contrast between Eastvale and London, and the scenes with Banks's family, as fleeting as they were. There was rather a lot of to-ing and fro-ing to corroborate one suspect's story in particular, but for the most part I was engrossed in the story, to the point that I had to finish the book at home on Friday instead of waiting all weekend to continue reading on the bus.

The title is derived from Shakespeare's Sonnet 129, which comes up throughout the investigation. Also featured is the play Twelfth Night, which is being produced by the local dramatic society and in which Caroline has a role. Shakespeare buffs might therefore like this book. It is also recommended if you have read previous entries in the series and if you like Christmas murders. (Strangely enough, the book got me into the holiday spirit a little!) show less

The more of Peter Robinson's work that I read, the more that I admire the man. Follow almost any series of stories about the same group of characters and one finds that the tales get more and more far fetched. If, as in this case, one is dealing with crime fiction, then one can expect more and more gruesome murders and plots that one could not possibly unravel because they are like nothing that could happen in real life. Robinson is different: a single murder, concern for his dramatis personae that does not verge upon soap opera, and that pleasant feeling of arriving at the solution just before the hero - what more could the reader ask of a whodunnit?

Robinson does also manage to tackle issues but, without proselytising. This book was show more written in 1991 when a lot of us (notice that whilst I do not want to take the rap alone, I cannot deny my culpability!) held decidedly dubious views upon homosexuality. It would have been easy to fill the story with self-righteous characters who spouted anti-gay lines but that is not the author's way. He presents us with a middle-class lesbian set up, which is shattered by a murder; I will not spoil the denouement, but as the reason becomes apparent, the waste of life screams at the reader. Had I found thisbook at the time, I am sure that my acceptance of the rights of homosexual and lesbian couples would have been at least less tardy.

I do not wish to push the morality tale argument too far because, in truth, this is simply a cracking crime thriller which gives the reader a couple of hours of pleasure; and who can wish for more from this type of novel? I enjoy reading the DCI Banks series so much, that I have to ration myself,or I would sit and read one after another until the series were complete and, rather like a naughty child (or me!), after too many sweeties, the result may be to spoil the delight. show less

After a disappointing fourth book in the Alan Banks series, Peter Robinson makes a great comeback with the fifth novel: “Past Reason Hated”.

Just before Christmas, Caroline Hartley is found dead by in her house by her lover, Veronica Sheldon. Lying naked on the sofa, with her throat slashed open by a cake knife, the gruesome scene is accompanied by the sound of a Vivaldi record playing an infinite loop on the stereo. The first policewoman on the scene, Susan Gay, is a new character introduced in this book: a young detective working under our old friend, Chief Inspector Banks.

One of the suspects is Veronica’s ex-husband, a known composer. Betrayed by the discovery that his ex-wife prefers women to men, and known to have visited the show more scene of crime the same evening to deliver the Vivaldi record as a gift to Veronica, police suspect this might have led to a spur-of-the-moment emotional murder. Other suspects are the cast and crew of a local amateur theatre group to which Caroline belonged, complete with their intrapersonal intrigues and dislikes. Finally, Caroline’s estranged brother, abandoned by her to take care on his own of their ageing and ill father, seems to bear a grudge big enough to have driven him to murder.

Banks is at his best in this confusing multi-suspect setting, trying to weed out the obvious, but innocent, suspects and lure out the less obvious, but guilty, ones. Over his customary pints at the local pub and during the short, music-filled drives in his beloved Cortina, Banks gradually figures out who the mystery woman, witnessed by neighbours to have visited Caroline’s place at the estimated time of murder, is. Another masterpiece plot by Peter Robinson. show less

When an actress with a mysterious past is murdered, Inspector Banks and his team must sort out which of the many suspects, most of which feel guilty about her death, actually is the perpetrator. This installment in the series is slightly meandering with a huge amount of suspects, all of which are likely, but which are ruled out one by one through clever interviews, so since it's not an action-packed story, the tension comes from the puzzle which is slowly put together. There are more red herrings than you can shake a stick at, which gets a little frustrating, but it should do the job of keeping you from figuring out who really dunnit. The story takes place at Christmas and the cold weather creates a nice mood, but I did miss the regular show more descriptions of the lovely Yorkshire landscape. show less

I discovered the Inspector Banks mysteries about 2001 when I read #12 in the series, Aftermath. I continued to read the books as they were published but a few years ago I decided I should read the earlier books. This is #5 so I still have quite a bit to go to read the rest. Meanwhile Peter Robinson keeps adding new books. How am I ever going to catch up?

This book is set just prior to Christmas (probably 1990 since it was first published in 1991). A snow storm hit the Yorkshire area on December 22, slowing traffic and making things a little difficult for attending holiday parties. Inspector Banks and most of the Eastvale CID were at a party for DS James Hatchley's wedding. Newly minted DC Susan Gay therefore is the only member of the show more detective squad around to take the call about a murder. She decides to go to the hall where the party is taking place to get some senior members (remember, before cell phones you couldn't just get someone on the telephone when they were needed). DI Banks goes to the house where the suspected murder has taken place with Gay and other members of the team. There is indeed a corpse, quite a grisly one, and it is quite obviously murder. Caroline Hartley had a number of stab wounds to her chest. She was found by her partner, Veronica Shildon, when she came home after doing some holiday shopping. The first think Banks noticed was a record that was playing. It was a recording of a piece by Vivaldi called Laudate pueri, which is a requiem for a dead child. Banks is sure this is a valuable clue. Neighbours saw a few people come to the door including a man whom Caroline admitted to the house, a woman who just stood on the doorstep before leaving and another woman who also entered the home. Banks has to try to track down these people, learn more about the victim, and find out who might have had a motive to kill her. It's a pretty tall order right before the holidays.

In this book Banks is still married to his wife. In fact he has a conversation with Veronica Shildon about her and their marriage. He said "I suppose my wife and I are still together because she has always been determined and independent. She'd hate to be a housewife worrying about meals and three-pence-off coupons in the papers. Some people might see that as a fault but I don't. It's what she is and I wouldn't want to turn her into some sort of chattel or slave. And she wouldn't want to depend on me to entertain her or keep her happy. Oh, we've had some dull patches and a few close shaves on both sides, but I think we do pretty well." So it makes me very curious to read more of these books to see why their marriage fell apart. show less

The scene looks like a typical Christmas in many households, a log fire, sheepskin rug, lights twinkling on the tree, the all is not as it seems. Caroline Hartley, the attractive woman lying on the couch is dead, brutally murdered. Inspector Banks is allocated the case and he soon has more suspects than he can handle. As he looks into Caroline's past, he realises that secrecy was a way of life and her death is no different. Banks has to find Caroline's killer, which is not an easy task, especially due to the number of people that had both opportunity and motive for committing the crime.
The fact that she was living as a life-partner with another woman, who is not yet divorced, complicates matters and allows for some very interesting show more insights into the prejudices of some of the characters involved. When you add a piece of music playing repeatedly at the crime scene, which seems to have a clear symbolism, the elements are set for a compelling mystery.

Robinson also makes great strides in terms of the development of the main characters, giving them even more depth. Not only do we get a glimpse of some of Banks' reasons for leaving London and settling on the countryside; but there is considerably more detail about the personal relationships among the characters than there was in the previous novel, "The Hanging Valley". Another aspect that helps is the inclusion of a new character. Susan, a new constable that has just joined the Eastvale team, possesses a complex personality and a few prejudices that allow for some enlightening contrasts with Banks.

This was a bit dated - 1991 - and social attitudes have thankfully moved on; so a story based around the murder of a lesbian and some social comments around the issue didn't quite ring true. Nonetheless, this novel takes Robinson’s work to the next level. His ability to use everyday situations in his plots, to provide insights regarding the motivations of his characters, and his cleverly-crafted mysteries are complemented with a deeper look at the main characters. show less