Product Description

As volunteers clean up after a huge outdoor rock concert in Yorkshire in 1969, they discover the body of a young woman wrapped in a sleeping bag. She has been brutally murdered. The detective assigned to the case, Stanley Chadwick, is a hard-headed, strait-laced veteran of the Second World War. He could not have less in common with – or less regard for – young, disrespectful, long-haired hippies, smoking marijuana and listening to the pulsing sounds of rock and roll. But he has a murder to solve, and it looks as if the victim was somehow associated with the up-and-coming psychedelic pastoral band the Mad Hatters.

In the present, Inspector Alan Banks is investigating the murder of a freelance music journalist who was working on a feature about the Mad Hatters for MOJO magazine. This is not the first time that the Mad Hatters, now aging rock superstars, have been brushed by tragedy. Banks finds he has to delve into the past to find out exactly what hornets’ nest the journalist inadvertently stirred up.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18952 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 544 pages

Stephen King
'The Alan Banks mystery-suspense novels are, simply put, the best series now on the market.'

Review

'Peter Robinson has for too long, and unfairly, been in the shadow of Ian Rankin; perhaps Piece of My Heart, the latest in the Chief Inspector Banks series, will give him the status he deserves, near, perhaps even at the top of, the British crime writers' league . . . Piece of My Heart brilliantly interweaves past and present, providing two strands of tension for the price of one, and further enhancing Alan Banks's reputation as one of crime fiction's most appealing cops.'

(Marcel Berlins, The Times )

'PIECE OF MY HEART brilliantly evokes the time of British psychedelia (which I remember as standing in a muddy field sucking on a weak joint), as well as being a terrific contemporary crime novel.'

(Independent on Sunday )

'This is Banks' 16th outing and the best yet'

(Mirror )

'This book must be the bargain of the year, for it is two riveting, equally interesting crime novels in one. What takes it into the premier league, however, is Robinson's utterly convincing and moving portrayal of Chadwick and Banks'

(Telegraph )

'A fascinating and atmospheric exploration of the way the past intrudes on the present'

(Mo Hayder )

'Robinson has to use all his ingenuity to find the solution to both killings. This book benefits hugely from Robinson's sympathetic leading man and the richly recorded Dales settings.'

(Scotsman )

From the Publisher
Neal Pearson turns out another cracking Inspector Banks performance in this taut thriller spanning the 60s to the present, this time with Hugh Ross providing an extra dimension as Banks' determined 1960s counterpart. If you enjoyed the previous Inspector Banks mysteries you'll love this, Robinson's best thriller yet - and a tense, gripping audiobook that's perfect for crime fans everywhere.

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Customer Reviews

Excellent
In the crowded world of fictional detectives/investigators, Peter Robinsons Inspector Banks series stands out - a new Banks novel is always worth reading. Banks himself is a satisfyingly complex creation, and if you have read any of the series, you will know that his love of music features heavily.

So it is no surprise to see this novel use a '70's music festival as the centrepiece of the tale. Robinson has 2 separate threads woven brilliantly together, linking the past with the present, and the efforts to solve both cases running side by side. It is a tribute to his style that this never becomes tiresome, each unwinding to a satisfying and credible conclusion.

If you have not yet discovered Peter Robinson as an author, then be warned - if you buy this you will have to get hold of the rest of the series - this is highly recommended for all lovers of Detective fiction

A clever and original 16th Alan Banks novel.
Peter Robinson is able to keep coming up with clever and original stories in his Inspector Alan Banks series and this (though rather drawn out) is one of his best.

This is a split time novel with two investigations, one in the autumn of 1969 and the present day. The novel switches cleverly between the two periods and provides an intriguing insight into how a murder investigation was conducted in the 6o's compared to present day.
The investigating officer in 1969 is Stanley Chadwick a WWII veteran, a hard nosed policeman of the 'old school'. He is investigating the murder of a teenage girl at an open air rock concert in Yorkshire where a local band called "The Mad Hatters' were playing.
37 years later Banks is investigating the death of a rock music jounalist who was writing an article on the band.

Robinson has developed very strong characters as well as a real sense of atmosphere added with some clever observations. The character Vic Greaves, a rock star who took too many drugs and escaped into his own reclusive world is very obviously based on Pink Floyd's original musical genius Syd Barrett.

Banks has to contend with a new boss, Detective Superintendent Gervaise, a high flying ex Cheltenham Ladies College student who is tough and single minded but knows that Banks, although unconventional gets results.

This is the most original Banks story since 'In a Dry Season' (also a split time novel,in this case WWII).

Peter Robinson is a very accomplished writer but it would be good to see him stretch out and write another non Banks book in the future.

Perfectly constructed tale
Peter Robinson has succeeded where many fail: he has put together a highly complex plot which carries the reader to and from a different era without losing pace. For me this book restores Robinson's position as the (much underrated) master of this genre.