Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Book Review: Friend of the Devil

Friend of the Devil
THE ENTERTAINMENT CRITIC BOOK REVIEW, BY JAMES MYERS
http://www.theentertainmentcritic.com/
http://www.theentertainmentcritic.net/
http://www.theentertainmentcriticmagazine.com/
FRIEND OF THE DEVIL
By Peter Robinson
Published by William Morrow an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers
Publication Date: February 26, 2008
Price: $24.95
ISBN-13: 9781416552512
372 Pages
Five Star Rating ****

WRITER FOR 25 YEARS
WRITTEN 17 BEST SELLING BOOKS
BOOKS HAVE BEEN TRANSLATED INTO 19 LANGUAGES
1990 ARTHUR ELLIS AWARD FOR BEST SHORT STORY – “INNOCENCE”
1991 ARTHUR ELLIS AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL – PAST REASON HATED
1994 TORGI TALKING BOOK AWARD – PAST REASON HATED
1995 AUTHOR’S AWARD, FOUNDATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF CANADIAN LETTERS – FINAL ACCOUNT
1996 ARTHUR ELLIS AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL – INNOCENT GRAVES
1998 MACAVITY AWARD FOR BEST SHORT STORY – “THE TWO LADIES OF ROSE COTTAGE”
1999 ANTHONY AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL – IN A DRY SEASON
1999 BARRY AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL – IN A DRY SEASON
2000 ARTHUR ELLIS AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL – COLD IS THE GRAVE
2000 ARTHUR ELLIS AWARD FOR BEST SHORT STORY – “MURDER IN UTOPIA”
2000 EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST SHORT STORY – “MISSING IN ACTION”
2001 LE GRAND PRIX DE LITTÉRATURE POLICIÈRE (FRANCE) – IN A DRY SEASON
2002 MARTIN BECK AWARD (SWEDEN) – IN A DRY SEASON
2002 CWA (UK) DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY AWARD
2003 SPOKEN WORD BRONZE AWARD – THE HANGING VALLEY
2006 PALLE ROSENKRANTZ AWARD (DENMARK) – COLD IS THE GRAVE
2008 TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY CELEBRATES READING AWARD

FRIEND OF THE DEVIL IS A MARCH 2008 BOOKSENSE SELECTION

“Hagrid lost interest and edged towards some bushes away from the path, where he probably sniffed a rabbit, and Gilbert walked toward the immobile figure to see if he could offer any assistance. It was a woman, he realized. At least something about the way she sat and the hair curling over her collar indicated she was. He called out but got no response. Then he realized that she was sitting in a wheelchair, wrapped in a blanket, her head propped up by something. Perhaps she couldn’t move? There was nothing usual about seeing a woman in a wheelchair around Larborough Head- the care home wasn’t far away, and relatives occasionally came and took parents or grandparents for walks along the coast-but what on earth was she doing there all by herself, especially on Mother’s Day, abandoned in such a precarious position? It wouldn’t take much for the chair to slip over the edge, just a change in the wind. Where in the hell was her nurse or relative?”


Peter Robinson has been writing stunning crime/mysteries novels for nearly 20 years involving Inspector Banks. In Friend of the Devil, his 17th book, Banks and Detective Inspector Annie Cabot are back in yet another great crime chiller. There are 2 separate plot lines that make the writing so intriguing. Banks is trying to solve the brutal murder and rape of a talented college student, Haley Daniels, while Cabot is investigating the slashing death of a young quadriplegic woman, Karen Drew, whose throat was cut and abandoned near a slippery cliff in her wheelchair. As the struggle to resolve the separate cases, they keep running into dark and clandestine clues and devilish characters, 2 of which return from past novels.

Cabot, after an exhaustive search finds that Karen Drew lived a quiet, solitary life for the last 7 years. She can find nothing in Drew’s past that points to someone wanting her dead. Banks on the other hand had suspects galore. Anywhere Haley Daniels went, she attracted attention. Anybody could have followed the 19 year old student on the last night she was out drinking with her friends and saw to it that she never made it home.

Suddenly, there is a breakthrough in Cabot’s case, and the trial of the killer takes a surprising new direction—straight towards Banks. As the separate investigations progress, clues, witnesses, and suspects begin to overlap. I won’t say anything more except that the title, Friend of the Devil, hold the key to solving the mystery.

Peter Robinson spins yet another suspenseful tale of crime and punishment. He consistently delivers engaging thrillers and detective stories. In Devil, he not only weaves a tale, but he gives us a glimpse into the private lives of Banks and Cabot. Like all of his well-crafted and deftly written novels, Robinson gives us a look into the character’s soul and let us see what makes them tick. The insight into Banks and Cabot create a third compelling subplot in this book. Somehow these personal epiphanies are expertly woven into the plot. And what a plot it is. Great prose, tight character development, and a dark, deep mystery are too seductive to resist. Another great book from a legend in the mystery genre. Don’t pass this one up. Don’t be surprised if you start to itch to read a few of its predecessors. Robinson’s page turners are addictive that way.

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR INTERVIEW WITH PETER ROBINSON AT WWW.THEENTERTAINMENTCRITICMAGAZINE.COM

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