Another great Inspector Banks myster

I've read all of Robinson's Inspector Banks series. Great books with characters I really care about.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

Too many attempted rape scenes.

What would have made The Hanging Valley better?

This book needs stronger female characters. The main female character was not believable. And she was made out as a complete twit. She was sexually accosted a half dozen times throughout the book. When a supposedly likeable character saves her from an attempted rape, he says to her "forget about it, he was just drunk." ugh.

What could Peter Robinson have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

More character development. More strong female characters.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

Doesn't disappoint!

Sometimes little slow getting started , Peter Robinson's alliterative novels always end with a surprise. Definitely not your usual detective stories!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Did not see that coming

Would you listen to The Hanging Valley again? Why?

Yes, but I enjoyed the slow build up to the truth, and I really enjoyed the twist at the end, I just wished it hadn't ended on such a cliff hanger. The author normally does a little summary at the end, and I was a little disappointed, and felt a little cheated.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, because the truth was revealed slowly, and murderer was not who the author had led you to think it would be.

Did James Langton do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

James Langton did an ok job, it would have been excellent if not for the way he did the Yorkshire accents. It was good, but he kept ending certain sentences with a "th",like a tick. It was most annoying, and he would forget who was talking and add it to characters that did not have a Yorkshire accent.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The inner dialogue of the character Katie, really moved me. It made me very sad, and showed how extremism in any form can be damaging.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Disappointing

Too descriptive which slowed the story up somewhat. The narrator had an annoying whine when some female characters were concerned. Very disappointed and has put me off these Banks' titles. I have bought others that have been better. But narrated by a different person. I'll try again once more. The storylines are good..........

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Misogyny much?

***Update*** I purchased book 5, listened to about an hour and half and returned it. It was even worse than this book. I also have decided I won't be listening to the later books either.

I started reading this series because I really liked the BBC TV show based on the series. The book series is way different which is a good thing because I don't feel as if I'm in a re-run.

I realize that these early books are from the late 80s and things were a bit different back then but this particular edition of this series is highly misogynistic with a lot of violence toward women coupled with a suggestion of past child abuse to boot. There were also a few blatant digs at Americans and how stupid we are. I grew up in Michigan and visited Windsor Canada many times. I can tell you for a fact that no one from Michigan ever crossed over the bridge to Windsor in the middle of summer with winter coats and skis thinking it would be magically cold and snowy because it was Canada. What a ludicrous statement.

In addition to everything else the story is very contrived and there really is no mystery or suspense. The ending of the book was also less than satisfactory. It just stopped abruptly with absolutely no explanation of anything. The previous few books were at least a bit interesting.

I am going to listen to the next book in the series because James Langton is one of my favorite readers but if that one is as bad as this I'll be skipping to the later part of the series which is supposed to be much better.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Simply awful

Misogynistic dreck. What a disappointment. I’ve read four DCI Banks novels each worse than the last.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Loved the ending

I can’t help but imagine how these DCI Banks books would be different if written today (2020). The author doesn't shy from subjects like immigration backlash and how some men and women perceive sexual encounters very differently. For example, in "The Hanging Valley," a woman is raped by a man who thinks of himself as a kind and gentle person and DCI Banks describes the act as her having "surrendered" to him. This word is emphasized and it feels wrong to ears in 2020, and yet you can feel the police struggling to improve their responses to such attacks. The author also seems to disagree with the DCI's assessment -- I wish the victim had been strong enough to respond differently.

It's another interesting character-driven mystery as the faceless body of a hiker is found on a fell in northern England, and the nearby town's local movers and shakers seem to know more than they are telling.

I liked the way this one ended the most of the first four novels in the series -- where all of the explanation of who did it appears earlier and the final page is like a club to the head.

Bechdel test: Pass

Grade: B+

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

I really enjoy Robinson’s descriptive voice

Not only do we get to travel deep into the Yorkshire dales but travel on an archaic air travel to Toronto. The ending, like many of Robinson’s books, was a bit abrupt but sufficient & finally granny helped poor Katie out;-

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Ya for Katie!

Good tail! Happy that Katie was the hero in the end. I'll read more. All my best, Angela Jones

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!