SLEEPING IN THE GROUND - Peter Robinson

 

The great British crime/thriller author Peter Robinson is back with a series that Stephen King referred to as "the best series now on the market".

King may very well be right as the Inspector Banks series has never had a disappointing story in its history and has also been turned into a top-notch BBC series. In SLEEPING IN THE GROUND, DCI Banks comes across a murder scene so brutal it might have come out a Quentin Tarantino film. A wedding celebration is in full swing in a quiet and charming country church when they are victimized by an unknown sniper who proceeds to shoot dead several members of the bridal party including bride and groom.

The party was in immediate chaos and one of Banks' team was in attendance, escaping with a mere flesh wound. With so many victims involved, it becomes difficult for Banks and his colleagues to pinpoint who may have been the intended victim and why. The fact that it may have been the unprovoked act of a madman is too chilling to consider --- but as the clues fail to lead anywhere immediately it becomes a consideration they must all quickly face up to.

The challenge is to locate the shooter before he takes any more innocent lives. Are we talking retribution or terrorism becomes the question at the forefront of DCI Alan Banks' mind. As Banks teams once again with Criminal Profiler Jenny Fuller, the two begin to unearth secrets buried so deep that tying only one killer to this brutal act seems more and more unlikely. The two of them make quite a team and their interactions are simply priceless.

This novel goes to some dark places and there is no better person to have by your side than DCI Banks and his investigative prowess. SLEEPING IN THE GROUND is a winner all around. I also enjoy the constant references to pop culture, usually in the form of music, that fill each Banks novel. He has a keen ear for an eclectic range of music that I always look forward. In this area, as well as crime writing, I equivalate Peter Robinson to American author George Pelecanos who always delivers hard-hitting stories filled with essential musical references. I eagerly anticipate the next novel in this terrific series --- as well as finding out about additional singers/records to add to my musical play-list!