Before the Poison

'Brilliant! . . . Gut-wrenching plotting, alongside heart-wrenching portraits of the characters who populate his world, not to mention the top-notch police procedure.' * Jeffery Deaver * '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' * Marcel Berlins, <i>The Times</i> * 'A gripping tale of guilt and self-sacrifice, it will haunt you to the final page - and beyond.' * <i>Bella</i> * With adept professionalism, Robinson brings to the reader a story that is tantalisingly unravelled like a poisoned present . . . a haunting, moving tale that will get you thinking days after the last word has been read. * <i>crimesquad.com</i> * 'Together with a stunning landscape, vibrant characters and an evocative story, Robinson has created a highly intelligent and well-crafted standalone novel . . . Gripping stuff and highly recommended.' * <i>www.milorambles.com</i> * Robinson outdoes Daphne du Maurier in creating the proper atmosphere for the imaginative fancies of a grief-stricken man * <i>New York Times</i> * Most admirers of Robinson will find themselves utterly involved in this haunting, textured mystery . . . If Robinson is to turn out one-off novels as assured as this perhaps we wouldn't mind too much if Alan Banks was to retire and take up beekeeping in Sussex * Barry Forshaw, <i>Daily Express</i> * A gripping tale of guilt and self-sacrifice, it will haunt you to the final page - and beyond * Bella * With adept professionalism, Robinson brings to the reader a story that is tantalisingly unravelled like a poisoned present . . . a haunting, moving tale that will get you thinking days after the last word has been read * crimesquad.com * With this stand-alone novel, Mr. Robinson - best-known for his award-winning Inspector Banks mystery series - has fashioned a gripping tale that brings to mind not only old-time Hollywood but also British "golden age" storytelling in the Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier tradition * <i>Wall Street Journal</i> * If Robinson is to turn out one-off novels as assured as this perhaps we wouldn't mind too much if Alan Banks was to retire and take up beekeeping in Sussex. * Barry Forshaw, <i>Daily Express</i> *

Peter Robinson's DCI Banks is a major ITV1 drama starring Stephen Tompkinson (Wild at Heart, Ballykissangel) as Inspector Banks, and Andrea Lowe (The Bill, Murphy's Law) as DI Annie Cabbot. Peter's standalone novel BEFORE THE POISON won the IMBA's 2013 Dilys Award as well as the 2012 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel by the Crime Writers of Canada. This was Peter's sixth Arthur Ellis award. His critically acclaimed DCI Banks novels have won numerous awards in Britain, the United States, Canada and Europe, and are published in translation all over the world. In 2020 Peter was made a Grand Master by the Crime Writers of Canada. Peter grew up in Yorkshire, and now divides his time between Richmond and Canada. Peter keeps a website at www.inspectorbanks.com.