Piece of My Heart by
Peter Robinson
hbk out June 06
Published by Hodder
at £12.99
Yorkshire at the end of the sixties, volunteers cleaning up after the Brimleigh rock festival come
across the body of a young woman still in her sleeping bag, stabbed.
Fast forward to the present and a freelance music journalist is found murdered whilst working on
a story about rock band The Mad Hatters , one of the headlining acts at the Brimleigh festival all
those years ago. Two bodies and one mystery?
Robinson tells the story of the two investigations in tandem through brief, alternating sections,
skipping between the past and present. Detective Stanley Chadwick, straight talking northerner,
with not much time for hippy ways, is called in to investigate on the Brimleigh site and Inspector
Banks is assigned the present case.
The time gap in the narrative is used to explore differing policing and social attitudes and
Robinson makes good use of it at times having some fun at both Banks' and Chadwick's
expense, both having their own particular problems with the younger generation. But, as with all
Robinson's Banks titles it's the plotting together with accurate sense of place and well – drawn
character that make the novel. Often compared to Reginald Hill and Ian Rankin, Robinson has
never quite taken off in the same way, maybe this book will change that. The signs are good and
for anyone who comes fresh to Peter Robinson with this title there is a treat to be had in
catching up on the backlist.
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Piece of My Heart by
Peter Robinson
