A Trio in the Robinson Winner’s Circle

Last week, I put up for grabs three copies of Peter Robinson’s brand-new, posthumously published novel, Standing in the Shadows. To enter that drawing, all readers needed to do was send in their name, postal address, and the titles of their favorites from among Robinson’s 28 Detective Superintendent Alan Banks books. Out of the many responses, three winners have been chosen at random:

• Bill Hamilton of Honolulu, Hawaii
• Patricia Abbott of Birmingham, Michigan
• Patrick Murphy of York, Maine

Publisher William Morrow has promised to send those three Rap Sheet readers copies of Standing in the Shadows in the near future. Congratulations to all of you!

As I mentioned, I asked that entrants to this contest identify the Banks novels they have particularly enjoyed over the years. The overwhelming choice: In a Dry Season (1999), which was shortlisted for both an Edgar Allan Poe Award and the Hammett Prize, captured the 2000 Anthony Award for Best Novel, and proved to Robinson’s breakout work. Beyond that, there was a three-way tie for second place between Aftermath (2001), Strange Affair (2005), and Friend of the Devil (2007). Piece of My Heart (2006), Sleeping in the Ground (2017), and Not Dark Yet (2021) each received more than one vote. Also recommended were Gallows View (1987), The Hanging Valley (1989), Innocent Graves (1996), Cold Is the Grave (2000), Close to Home (2004), Bad Boy (2010), and When the Music's Over (2016). Oh, and Before the Poison (2011) scored a single thumbs-up, even though it’s a standalone, not a Banks mystery.

If you’ve never read Peter Robinson’s fiction before, consider using this list as a guide to get you started. As one contestant enthused, it’s her “all-time favorite series, for sure.”