Peter Robinson Books In Order – Complete List
Bestselling author Peter Robinson is popular for his Inspector Banks series, which currently includes 28 books, with the last novel published in 2023 titled Standing in the Shadows.
Peter Robinson passed away in October 2022.
Here are the Peter Robinson Inspector Banks books in order of publication (the reading order is the same as the publication order). The series is set in the fictional English town called Eastvale. Generally, Peter Robinson’s books and short story collections are more or less related to the Inspector Banks.
Latest Peter Robinson Books
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Peter Robinson’s Inspector Banks Books in Publication Order
- Gallows View , 1987
- A Dedicated Man, 1988
- A Necessary End, 1989
- The Hanging Valley, 1989
- Past Reason Hated, 1991
- Wednesday’s Child, 1992
- Dry Bones That Dream, 1994
- Innocent Graves , 1996
- Dead Right aka Blood at the Root, 1997
- In A Dry Season, 1999
- Cold is the Grave, 2000
- Aftermath, 2001
- The Summer That Never Was, 2003
- Playing With Fire, 2004
- Strange Affair, 2005
- Piece of My Heart, 2006
- Friend of the Devil, 2007
- All the Colours of Darkness, 2008
- Bad Boy, 2010
- Watching the Dark, 2012
- Children of the Revolution, 2013
- Abattoir Blues, 2014 (new publication title: In the Dark Places)
- When the Music’s Over, 2016
- Sleeping in the Ground, 2017
- Careless Love, 2019
- Many Rivers to Cross, 2019
- Not Dark Yet, 2021
- Standing in the Shadows, 2023
Short Stories and Novellas in Order of Publication
- Birthday Dance, 2009
- Blue Christmas, 2009
- The Cherub Affair, 2009
- Cornelius Jubb, 2009
- The Eastvale Ladies’ Poker Circle, 2009
- The Ferryman’s Beautiful Daughter, 2009
- Like a Virgin, 2009
- The Magic of Your Touch, 2009
- Shadows on the Water, 2009
- Walking the Dog, 2009
- Fan Mail, 2016 (short story)
- Innocence, 2016 (novella)
- The Good Partner, 2016 (novella)
- Seven Years, 2018 (novella in the Bibliomysteries books series)
Short Story Collections and Anthologies in Order of Publication
- Malice Domestic 6, 1997 (Malice Domestic series)
- First Cases 2: First Appearances of Classic Amateur Sleuths, 1997
- Blue Lightning, 1998 (edited by John Harvey)
- The Best American Mystery Stories 1998, 1998 (edited by Sue Grafton)
- Not Safe After Dark and Other Stories, 1998 (DCI Banks short stories)
- The Best American Mystery Stories 1999, 1999
- Opening Shots: Great Mystery and Crime Writers Share Their First Published Stories, 2000
- A Century of British Mystery and Suspense, 2000 (edited by Anne Perry)
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2001, 2001
- The World’s Finest Mystery and Crime Stories: 2, 2001
- Love and Death, 2001
- The World’s Finest Mystery and Crime Stories: Second Annual Collection, 2001
- The Mighty Johns, 2002 (with David Baldacci)
- Much Ado about Murder, 2002 (edited by Anne Perry)
- The Best British Mysteries IV, 2003
- Men from Boys, 2003 (edited by John Harvey)
- Like a Charm: A Novel in Voices, 2004 (edited by Karin Slaughter)
- The World’s Finest Mystery and Crime Stories: Fifth Annual Collection, 2004
- Murder… and All That Jazz, 2004
- Thou Shalt Not Kill, 2005 (edited by Anne Perry)
- The Best New British Mysteries Volume II, 2005
- A Merry Band of Murderers, 2006
- Blood on the Holly, 2007
- The Penguin Book of Crime Stories, 2007
- Dead Man’s Hand: Crime Fiction At the Poker Table, 2007 (with Otto Penzler)
- The Mammoth Book of Best British Mysteries, 2008
- In the Shadow of the Master, 2008 (edited by Michael Connelly)
- The Blue Religion, 2008 (Mystery Writers of America Presents) (edited by Michael Connelly)
- Toronto Noir, 2007 (Akashik Noir)
- The Price Of Love and Other Stories, 2009 (includes three Inspector Banks short stories and a novella)
- Between the Dark and the Daylight, 2009
- The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime 7, 2010
- Suspense Magazine, April 2010, 2010
- The Penguin Book of Crime Stories, Volume II, 2010
- Deadly Pleasures, 2013 (Crime Writer’s Association Anthology)
- The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries, 2013
- OxCrimes: 27 Killer Stories from the Cream of Crimewriters, 2014 (introduced by Ian Rankin)
- Crime Plus Music: Twenty Stories of Music-Themed Noir, 2016
- Deadly Anniversaries, 2020 (Mystery Writers of America Presents)
- The Wrong Hands, 2020
- Ink and Daggers, 2023 (edited by Maxim Jakubowski)
Standalone Novels in Publication Order
- Caedmon’s Song, 1990 (published as The First Cut in the US)
- No Cure for Love, 1995
- Before The Poison, 2011
Peter Robinson Biography – About the Author
Canadian-British author Peter Robinsons was born in Armley, Leeds, England in 1950. He grew up in Yorkshire, where his Inspector Banks series is also set. After getting his BA in English Literature at the University of Leeds, in 1974 he moved to Canada, where he got his master’s degree in English and Creative writing from the University of Windsor.
Next, he moved back to the UK but couldn’t find a teaching job, so he returned to Canada and got a Ph.D. in English at York University in Toronto. It was much easier to find jobs in Canada, so the author would go back and forth between the two countries until he eventually fully settled in Canada.
Before writing his Banks series, he wrote poems and published his own work. When, one summer, he went back to Yorkshire, he found his father reading a Raymond Chandler book. Next, he picked up many different British crime books by various authors and was hooked. He started writing as well, but the first three books were duds. Then he wrote A Dedicated Man (a book that became book #2 in the Inspector Banks series), and soon Penguin in Canada picked it up, along with the rest of the series.
Inspector Banks was born through Peter Robinson reading many crime novels set in England in the 1980s with detectives working cases at the police station. Thus, he figured that a new crime mystery series set in Yorkshire, where he grew up, would be enjoyable to British crime mystery readers.
When he started the series, the author was already living in Canada. However, he was still nostalgic for the UK of his past. He also knew his home country much better than his new uprooted country.
Several books in the Inspector Banks series take their plots from real-life crimes reported in newspapers but are incomplete in their storylines. The author takes the stories and through his creativity, takes the plots to new interesting directions.
In an interview, Peter Robinson mentioned that in order to write successful crime mystery novels, you need to have a morbid imagination that leaves no space for squeamishness.
The Price of Love, the collection of short stories, includes several about Inspector Banks. In addition, Not Safe After Dark is all about Inspector Alan Banks.
Besides writing his Inspector Banks series, standalone novels, and short stories, he was also occasionally teaching crime writing at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. The author lived in Toronto, Richmond, and North Yorkshire with his wife until October 2022 when he passed away.
Peter Robinson Awards and Nominations
Several of his Inspector Banks novels have been nominated for and won various crime fiction awards, including the Anthony Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, the TORGI Talking Book Award, the Macavity Award for Best Short Story, the Barry Award, the Swedish Martin Beck Award, Spoken Word Bronze Award, CWA (UK) Dagger in The Library Award, and have been nominated for the Agatha Award. The book In a Dry Season has been a New York Times Notable Book. The author was shortlisted for the John Creasey Award, among others. Here is the full list of awards won:
- Innocence – Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story in 1990
- Innocence – Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Short Story in 1991
- Past Reason Hated – Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel in 1991
- Past Reason Hated – Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel in 1992
- Innocent Graves – Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel in 1997
- The Two Ladies of Rose Cottage – Macavity Award for Best Short Story in 1998
- In a Dry Season – Anthony Award for Best Novel in 2000
- In a Dry Season – Barry Award for Best Novel in 2000
- Missing in Action – Edgar Award for Best Short Story in 2000
- Cold is the Grave – Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel in 2001
- Murder in Utopia – Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Short Story in 2001
- Before the Poison – Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel in 2012
- Before the Poison – Martin Beck Award in 2012
- Sleeping in the Ground – Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel in 2018
TV Adaptations vs the Book Series
The ITV DCI Banks TV series includes 5 seasons. While the show follows the general plotlines and characters of the books, there are some differences between the two.
The books take place in the fictional Yorkshire town of Eastvale, while the TV show is set in the real town of Leeds. The show also features more modern technology, such as smartphones and computers, compared to the books.
Currently enjoying the DCI Banks books and have reached number 19.In addition and whilst waiting for number 20 from my local library I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Caedmon’s Song.
Love, love, love the Alan Banks novels. The plots are intriguing, the characterization is brilliant and I literally cannot put one of these books down until I’ve finished it.
Just started reading about DCI Banks. I was never a great mystery novel reader, but I have not been able to put these books down. Guess it’s Covid-19 binge reading.
Also watching “The Wire” a police drama from early 2000’s in Baltimore (HBO).
I have just finished all 26 of the DCI Banks books and I really hope there are going to be more. I have watched some of the TV shows but since they are different from the books it was to confusing so I stopped watching the TV. Now that I have finished the books I will go back and watch the TV series and just consider them different stories. DCI Banks reminds me of Harry Bosch from the Michael Connelly books.
I have read all the Peter Robinson books Banks series and his other books. If you didn’t know he lived in Toronto Canada, you would think he lived in Leeds England. His style of writing reminds me of the many English crime writers who I have enjoyed. He makes his characters real, flawed, unsure, determined, principled and committed to their duty. The hero has a history has personal issues but is someone you could trust. I hope Peter continues his work as he has brought a lot of wonderful reading into my life. For Canadian readers I suggest they they try Linwood Barkley as another excellent Canadian crime writer
I just finished “In a dry season” and thought it was the first. Now I find it wasn’t.
it is where he meets Annie.
I’ve seen many of the TV series and it doesn’t seem to be the Banks in the “dry season”.
Should I go to the beginning ?
Just finished Before the Poison. Loved it. A great mystery. Grace is such an intriguing character and Chris is too. The descriptions of the Yorkshire area make me want to go for a visit and a cup of tea. 🙂
I read one of his DCI Banks novels that starts in Yorkshire but then Banks travels to Toronto On to follow a lead. I can not remember the name of this particular novel. Would anyone advise me of it’s title? I thoroughly enjoy these novels and wish to read this particular one again. deskinner5.
The Hanging Valley
I to love Peter Robinsons books and I am working my way through them.
I quite like the TV series and think some of you are being a bit hard on the TV production.
For those of you living in the USA, a few books are available from your public library service as kindle books and perhaps as physical books too. If you live in Australia, most (about twenty) are available as E-Pub books to read on your tablet.
If you live in England, one of England’s best authors is only available as audio book and then there are only FOUR. Life’s tough if you are English looking for English authors in the English library!
I saw the TV series here in the States before I began to read the books. I can see the actors who play DCI Banks (Stephen Tompkinson) and Annie (Andrea Lowe) perfectly in my mind as I read the books.
Robinson’s talent is just short of awesome….almost in a league with james lee Burke….each have provided many days and and nights of extraordinary pleasure.
Just watched the final episode of series 5. Annie gets stabbed. Does this happen in any of the books?
I am from the states and love the tv series and the characters that portray them. Just started reading the books and am having trouble with the character descriptions. But I do love the books. They are very different from one another. I am hooked on British crime series. Much better than the states.
As a long time reader/observer of Alan Banks, I feel that he has paid his dues. He has repented of all and everything. Now, as retirement rears, could he please find a woman companions/lover? Preferably a woman a bit softer than he has seen before.
Love the series on tv here in the states. Have not read any of the books but they are on my list and I hope to start soon. Is there a “DCI Banks forum? I’d love to find one and discuss books/tv. TKS
Where does Close to Home fit into the order of Banks’ novels?
we are intersted in the books with dc banks we enjoy the mini series on pbs. really loking forward to reading
I have just finished, I thought, The Hanging Valley but it ends at page 316 with the word “working-” and goes no further. I would love to read the last few pages to find out the outcome of the investigation.
Recently discovered Peter Robinson’s books………now obtained them all and on book number four ! Can’t put them down…….Years ago read every Agatha Christie book, but Robinson’s ‘Banks’ leaves them in the shade. A brilliant writer and I can see why so many people rate them so high.
In a nutshell: fantastic mystery writer; every book. The TV series, at least that seen in USA is HORRIBLE. It is totally miscast and disrespects Robinson’s character’s development and plots. Please take the show off the air. Peter Robinson deserves far better to represent his talents.
Really really really – the whole series is spoilt for me by the sad – but somehow predictable- spectacle of a late middle-aged man with a succession of much younger women .Young enough to be his daughter . It just makes me feel hugely uncomfortable – and sadly it makes me classify Banks in the ” loser” category . Get a grip and grow up man You look like a fool !
Would someone explain me why TV adaptation has so different plot than books? I understand some requirements of TV series – plot should be shorter and less complicated, but why so different sometimes? Additionally, TV adaptation is concentrated on criminal part of novels, while all social and cultural background like Banks’s music fascination has been completely ignored.
Absolutely HATED last Peter Robinson book – No Cure for Love – set in America no Inspector Banks
serves me right for just looking at author and not book contents , live and learn lol!
When can we expect the next DCI novel?
I have two books that I cannot place .
SKELETON HILL and THE SECRET HANGMAN.
Can someone tell me where they fit in?
Both books are by Peter Lovesey as part of the Peter Diamond series.
I also am enjoying the DCI Banks books. I was wondering, in the older books there is a map of the area where the stories take place. It would be nice to have a map in the later books to follow along. Is there anyway to get a copy?
I have read all of Peter Robinsons’s books and enjoy them because I live in West Yorkshire and he mentions a lot of places of where I have been and live etc., I don’t watch the episodes on tv as the actor is not right for the part.
When you have a picture in your mind of DCI banks and he is supposed to be not very tall, dark hair and lean features, I saw a photo of Ian Rankin and thought that is how DCI banks should look!!
He has written a novella called Summer Rain this year but I cannot find it anywhere.
I have become an Alan Banks addict. While each novel depicts a different crime, we get from consulting experts insights related to the nature to that crime. Banks tenacity & capacity to assemble minimal information to reveal clues is awesome. The complex and sensitive character of Banks alone is memorable.
Robinson’s literary style is excellent, from depth of emotion, relationships, humor, very quotable, to character development. He respects the reader. Thank you, Mr. Robinson, even though you keep me up all night reading.
Just got “final Account” (audiobook version) and couldn’t find it here, seems it’s the U.S. Title of “Dry Bones That Dream”. I think that here in Australia we should have the British version!
Must say, I think the actor playing DCI Banks is a bad fit, good actor, just not right in this role
Couldn’t wait for Abattoir Blues to come out but finished it so fast….now having withdrawal symptoms. Love Peter Robinson’s writing of DCI Banks but agree with those who think the TV adaptation left much to be desired. Casting mistakes for DCI Banks and Annie…..does the author get any input into these programs I wonder? Who better to decide who should portray a character he has written about for years or at the very least give his opinion on.
am i the only one wondering about DCI Banks’ education? Maybe this is something to do with British educational semantics or of the times. In earlier books (at least in Weds’s Child & Final Account) Banks regrets that he does not have a formal education. In a more recent book, ie Children of the Revolution, he mentions his time in college at London Polytechnic. Would this NOT be considered a formal education? Or in British verbiage, a formal education only means going to Oxford, Cambridge or a similar institution? Also, Polys in the 70s/80s may be different from current ones. It’s clear that the protagonist has evolved over time, so maybe this is one of those evolutions.
Where does Blood at the Root come in the order of things? Why is there no mention of this book I. Your order of books?
Blood at the Root is Dead Right, book #9 in the series. I can’t always keep track of every new title that any given book is renamed at. A newer printing changed the title from Dead Right to Blood at the Root. It is now mentioned in the listing as well.
are you planning to write a new book this year Peter as I am having withdrawal symptoms now that I have read all the books in the series
Are there any plans for another book this year?
I so agree. Banks lives in a rural town in north Yorkshire, not a big city near Leeds. The tv show is far too gritty. Neither actor is right, for banks or Annie
Am re-reading all in correct order this time. Make much more sense! Love the books but can’t get into TV series. He is SO wrong for Alan Banks – character and height!!
Not sure if I am remembering correctly, but our first glimpse of Lucy is when as a small child she is kept in a cage along with other children at a quasi double house somewhere —–what is the name of that book ????
Then we meet Lucy in Aftermath. Ok no problem
Lastly she turns-up murdered herself ——– what is the name of that book anyone ??????
I think I have my facts straight, if not can someone please set me straight by sending me an email.
Thanks
Roy Brown
The book in which Lucy is murdered is called “Friend of the Devil”!
Love the books but struggle to watch the TV series where Banks is portrayed as such a dour man. He is not like that at all!
September 4th 2014
I looked at the books in order because I wanted to read them from the start. I have a listing for a book called Caedmons Song, an Inspector Banks mystery?? I can’t find it in the list above so don’t know where it fits in. can anyone help please.
Caedmon’s Song is not a DCI Banks book. It is a standalone novel, published in 1990. I know Amazon lists it as part of the DCI Banks series, but it is listed as such wrongly. (you can find the book listed here in the Other Works by Peter Robinson section)
last book Banks was getting married and had a baby, Noah. this next book Abattoir Blues he has an Italian girlfriend..
where are the wife and son????? will I know when I finish this book?
You are getting mixed up with Peter James‘ character,Roy Grace.
I also was surprised that Annie and her Daughter Isla did not feature as Bankses new family in this latest story.(which is titled ‘In The Dark places’ in the US. What is the explanation of this? I kept thinking I must have missed a book. My feeling is that this latest story does not have the intrigue and ‘staying power’ of all the others. It is shallow and lacking in the interaction of relationships , both familial and professional, that we are used to in the previous novels. In my opinion the plot is thin and boring – the pothole scene, while producing a spark of inventiveness, has a very predictable outcome.
I love the tv series and wish there were more. I especially appreciate the incredible landscape photography- brilliant! It gives great depth to the tv series. I think Stephen Tompkinson, while not looking at all like the description of Banks as a short dark haired Welsh man, plays the part perfectly.
Annie having a daughter does not happen in the books, the TV writers created that. I think the DCI Banks is portrayed as too miserable in the tv show, I much prefer the books.
I always enjoy Peter’s book, the Yorkshire settings are well and warmly depiceted. Iam very much looking forwards to meeting him in Malton on the 6th of next month and bying his latest book.
Just wish his inspector Banks had been better representated in the t.v series. Well done Peter and many thanks.
Ren Entwistle. Ampleforth