Dry Bones that Dream

Popular culture stereotypes accountants and actuaries as boring folk. But what happens to accountant Keith Rothwell in Final Account, the seventh novel in Peter Robinson’s excellent DCI Alan Banks series proves riveting: Returning home with a night out with his wife for their anniversary, Rothwell is grabbed by two masked men, made to kneel, and has his face shot off with a shotgun. Rothwell’s wife and daughter are tied up inside their posh home all the while.

Not only is Rothwell’s end out of the ordinary, Detective Chief Inspector Banks soon finds out that his life and financial practice were, too. I don’t want to divulge any more than that, but let’s just say that Rothwell’s imperious, lavish-spending wife or his demanding show more children had any idea of who their father really was.

I don’t know how Robinson does it, but each novel has been exciting, more complicated, and more enjoyable than the last. Final Account is no exception. I can hardly wait for No. 8, Innocent Graves. show less

This Inspector Banks story opens, literally, with a bang, as two masked men abduct an accountant, Keith Rothwell. The incident is witnessed by the man's wife and daughter, who are tied up by the criminals. Soon after, shots are heard at the nearby barn on the accountant's Yorkshire property. Eventually, the daughter works her way free, and fins her father in the barn, dead, with his face blasted off.
It was pretty obvious that this was a premeditated killing, the sort that a large wad of cash could buy, no questions asked, but Rothwell did not seem to be the sort of person to make enemies, certainly not ones that wanted to kill him. It soon becomes clear that the abducted man was not all he seemed to be and the deeper Banks digs, the show more more he wonders what lies beneath the surface of the apparently happy and contented Rothwell family. When his old sparring partner, Detective Superintendent Burgess, arrives from Scotland Yard the case takes yet another unexpected turn.
Although there are lots of twists and turns, I can't say I was surprised very much by the ending but the book was so well written, I could hardly put it down.
Inspector Banks is an acquired taste, one that grows on you with familiarity. Much of the pleasure in reading this book lies in knowing Banks and his supporting characters. What kind of music will Banks be listening to? Will Susan Gay develop a life outside of her work? What nasty tricks will Burgess be up to in this episode? What's up with Banks' marriage and can he resist temptation one more time?

I’m looking forward to my next visit to Eastvale, and another outing with Inspector Banks. show less

When a mild-mannered accountant is executed gangster-style, it's up to Inspector Banks to sort out why, and the path to the solution reveals drug-dealers, secret identities, and a virtual onion of mysterious clues, none of which seem to be pointing in the same direction. The mystery in this one has high stakes and is tricky to figure out, but the best part about it is that Banks' character is allowed to develop more than in the other ones and his background enhances the story, even if it's not directly related to the mystery - it's always much easier to be invested in a story when you are allowed to care about its players, even when it's a seemingly standard cozy mystery. Looking forward to continuing the series, not only because the show more mysteries as solid, and they are, but because I'm interested to see how Banks' life develops now that the children have flown the nest and Mrs. Banks is busy with her own life. show less

Accountants have a reputation for being boring. I actually have not found that to be so, at least not the accountants that I know. So, I wasn't surprised that the accountant who is murdered right at the beginning of this book turned out to have quite an interesting life. By the way, Robinson called this book Dry Bones that Dream but the title was changed to Final Account for US audiences. (VERY IRRITATING)

Keith Rothwell came home from an anniversary dinner with his wife to find his daughter had been tied to a chair in the living room and the men who did it were still there, waiting for Rothwell. They took him outside and shot him in the face while he was kneeling on the floor of the barn. The killers were gone when the Yorkshire police show more led by DCI Banks turn up to investigate. The daughter could only give a general description since they were masked. In the barn the evidence included a wadded up piece of paper, used for loading the shotgun shell, that was from a pornographic magazine. With that meagre evidence, Banks doesn't have much to go on. However, when a call comes into the station from a woman who knew the deceased but said he was called Robert Calvert, that puts a whole different twist on the investigation. Banks learns that Rothwell was leading a double life as Calvert. In addition, it turns out he was laundering money for a corrupt Caribbean politician together with solicitor Daniel Clegg. The pair may have been skimming money for themselves because Rothwell lived quite lavishly as Calvert and he also had a large country estate for his real family. Perhaps that was the motive for his killing but the killers must not have found what they were looking for because they have ransacked Calvert's apartment and his girlfriend's house. Interestingly, the girlfriend describes two men who do not fit the description that the daughter gave. Could one of them be lying? And what are the bad guys looking for? Never fear, DCI Banks will figure it all out but he may have to go to Greece to do so.

We perhaps see that there is more trouble in the Banks' marriage as Alan seems to be quite taken with Calvert's girlfriend. However, for now Alan and Sandra are still together. show less

When a mild-mannered accountant is shot in the face with a shotgun, execution style, Banks and his team are trying to find out why an accountant was killed in this way. As they investigate and dig deeper into Keith Rothwell's life they find more secrets and evidence of dirty dealings. It certainly isn't a simple, straight-forward case, and even the Home Office is involved. What I love about Robinson's Banks is that he's such an everyday Joe. This makes him totally believable. The other characters in the books are also well-drawn, and the plotting and mystery are always complex and not easy to figure out. In short, this is a series that is a cut above your ordinary British Police Procedural, and I really am enjoying it. This is the sixth show more book in this lengthy series, and I am looking forward to reading more. show less

A mild-mannered accountant is brutally executed as Peter Robinson’s "Final Account" begins, and Detective Inspector Alan Banks is at a loss to understand why someone felt he deserved such a gruesome death. Before too long, though, he finds that there is much more to the man than meets the eye, and following the clues leads him far afield from Yorkshire, ultimately stretching to the Caribbean and Southern Europe too…. I only just finished the previous novel in the Alan Banks series a few days prior to starting this one, but I’m enjoying them so much, and there are so many titles to catch up with, that it doesn’t feel like I’m “binge-reading” at all. Inspector Banks is as complex a character as one could want, and this novel show more emphasizes his love of classical music in a way that both adds more dimension to his character and some important plot points as well - though now I feel that my classical music education is sorely lacking, particularly in terms of the more modern composers referenced in this story. So, a mystery to solve, and some music to find too, what more could one want? Recommended! show less

Peter Robinson's writing is a step above most mystery authors. However, although it moved along pretty well, I got bored about 3/4 of the way through. The solution to the mystery felt tacked on, as though Robinson had written himself into a corner. There wasn't any of the "discovery of the solution" feeling; rather, it was all 'told' to us in the final chapter. So that was disappointing.

I did enjoy the process of discovering all the layers of the victim's life, and the people he deceived. But I don't have any interest in dictators or organized crime, so those bits fell flat for me.

All in all, not a bad book, but also not one of Robinson's better ones.