Inspector Alan Banks

For other people named Alan Banks, see Alan Banks (disambiguation).

Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks is the fictional protagonist in a series of crime novels written by acclaimed writer Peter Robinson.

Background

The first novel related to Banks was published in 1987, and carried the blurb: "After once living in London and working as part of the Metropolitan Police Unsolved Crime Squad, Detective Inspector Alan Banks now lives in the English town of Eastvale. He has two children, Tracy and Brian, and a doting wife, Sandra. Since moving to Eastvale, Banks now works as the DCI for Eastvale Police, with his own small office, containing a metal desk and two chairs, with the window looking out onto the town's busy Market Square. Coming from working-class stock, DCI Banks abhors anything to do with money and wealth, a driving force behind his decision to move from London to Eastvale. His big goal was to not get caught up in the materialism of the big city, and by moving away, has managed to raise a respected family in a bucolic setting. DCI Banks also has an unique but good taste in music, and often, his charming demeanor helps him to relate to his suspects, as well as victims of crime. He can come down hard, though, when he needs to get answers quickly. But his main strength - he uses creativity in his interrogations and investigations."

Content

The majority of the first selection of novels focused mostly on crimes investigated by Banks, however, the 1999 novel, In A Dry Season, had a large focus on his divorce from his wife Sandra, after their marriage grew apart, and their children flew the nest. Later novels had a sub-focus on his romance with DS Annie Cabbot, who makes her first appearance in In A Dry Season, investigating a member of Banks' team who is accused of manslaughter. She later becomes a member of Banks' team, and the pair have had an on-off relationship ever since.

Awards

The series of novels have frequently been shortlisted for a number of awards, and have won a number of the most prestigious awards in crime fiction, including the Arthur Ellis Award, the Anthony Award, and the Edgar Award.

Adaptation

In July 2010, ITV commissioned a television adaptation of the novel Aftermath, with Stephen Tompkinson playing the role of Banks. The adaptation was broadcast over the period of two-one hour episodes, airing on September 27 and October 4, 2010.^[1] The viewing figures were successful enough for three more adaptations to be commissioned. Playing With Fire, Friend Of The Devil and Cold Is The Grave have all been adapted for television, and a series of six hour episodes started airing on September 16, 2011.^[2]

Novels

• 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)
• Final Account (1995) - American title for Dry Bones That Dream
• Innocent Graves (1996)
• Dead Right (1997)
• Blood At The Root (1998) - American title for Dead Right
• Not Safe After Dark - Short Novella in a collection of short stories
• In A Dry Season (1999)
• Cold is the Grave (2000)
• Aftermath (2001)
• The Summer that Never Was (2003)
• Close To Home (2004) - American title for The Summer That Never Was
• Playing with Fire (2004)
• Strange Affair (2005)
• A Piece of My Heart (2006)
• Friend of the Devil (2007)
• All The Colours Of Darkness (2008)
• The Price Of Love (2009) - Short Novella in a collection of short stories
• Bad Boy (2010)
• Before The Poison (2011) - Short Novella in a collection of short stories

References

1. ^ DCI Banks, 14 September 2010, www.itv.com. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
2. ^ http://www.inspectorbanks.com/2011/09/06/dci-banks-series-to-air-starting-friday-16-september/