Playing with Fire: A Novel of Suspense

Chief Inspector Alan Banks finds himself up against a diabolical arsonist in this electrifying novel of suspense from New York Times bestselling author Peter Robinson.

In the early hours of the morning, a man reports a fire on two old canal boats. One of the firefighters notices the use of accelerant at the scene and calls the police, but by the time Inspector Banks arrives, the fire brigade have put out the flames and only the smoldering wreckage remains. A body has been found on each barge, and all the evidence points towards a deliberate arson attack.

One of the victims is Tina, a young girl with a drug addiction and a terrible past who had been living with her boyfriend Mark. The other is Tom, an artist who had been living alone. Now, with little evidence to go on and a number of possible suspects, including Tina's boyfriend, the local 'lock-keeper' who reported the fire, and Tina's own father, Banks must begin to delve into the lives of the victims, and to discover who could have wanted them out of the way forever...

From the master of psychological suspense, Peter Robinson, comes a mind-bending thriller of secrets and murder.

Fire. It violently destroys futures and pasts in a terrified heartbeat, devouring damning secrets while leaving even greater mysteries in its foul wake of ash and debris.

The night sky is ablaze as fire engulfs two barges moored end to end on a Yorkshire canal. On board are the blackened remains of two human beings. One was a reclusive and eccentric local artist, the other a junkie, a sad and damaged young girl.

To the seasoned eye of Inspector Alan Banks, this horror was no accident, its method so cruel and calculated that only the worst sort of fiend could have committed the dark act. And it isn't long before the fears of Banks and D.I. Annie Cabbot are brutally confirmed, when another suspicious blaze incinerates a remote trailer in the countryside . . . and another solitary life is gruesomely consumed.

But is it the work of a serial arsonist, or an ingeniously conceived plot to obliterate the trail to other heinous crimes? There are shocking secrets to be uncovered in the charred wreckage, grim evidence of lethal greed and twisted hunger, and of nightmare occurrences within the private confines of family. A terrible suspicion that a killer's work is not yet done drives Alan Banks as the hunt intensifies for an elusive, cold-blooded chameleon who could be anyone and anywhere.

In Playing with Fire, award-winning, internationally bestselling author Peter Robinson delivers a modern masterwork of suspense that confirms his standing as one of the brightest literary lights in crime fiction -- a blistering tale of murder and betrayal that is as frightening, devastating, and hypnotic as flame itself.

“Stunningly complex and intricately plotted....Peter Robinson fools and entertains me with every twist.” - Nevada Barr

“An engaging pleasure…like red wine, [Banks] gets better and more interesting with age.” - Publishers Weekly

“The best series now on the market. Try one and tell me I’m wrong.” - Stephen King

“Inspector Banks is a man for all seasons.” - Michael Connelly

“Thrilling-brilliantly plotted, beautifully paced.” - Louise Penny

“So vivid that even those who aren’t usually fans of procedural thrillers will fill their fingers burning.” - People (Critic's Choice)

“The Alan Banks mystery-suspense novels are, simply put, the best series now on the market.” - Stephen King

Praise for Peter Robinson and the Detective Banks series: “Exemplary.” - New York Times Book Review

“Exquisite.” - USA Today

“Crime fiction at its best.” - Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

“Smooth as single malt.” - Washington Post

“A tale that’s both satisfyingly traditional in one regard, and thoroughly up-to-date in its setting and psychological insight.” - Orlando Sentinel

“[PLAYING WITH FIRE] has a loud ring of truth and a good deal of suspense.” - Chicago Tribune

“The equal of legends in the genre such as P.D. James and Ruth Rendell.” - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Robinson is on a winning streak.” - Tampa Tribune

“A taut pleasure.” - Daily News

“Robinson is not just a master storyteller, he’s a literary magician.” - Montreal Gazette

Peter Robinson is: “A gifted creator of fully fleshed and vividly present characters.” - Boston Globe

“A happy discovery.” - Lady Antonia Fraser in the London Sunday Times

“A skillful writer…” - Houston Chronicle

“Absorbing…Robinson continues to stretch the boundaries of the standard procedural.” - Orlando Sentinel

“Robinson actually seems to grow in front of our eyes, delivering books of greater complexity each time.” - Otto Penzler

“Splendid.” - San Diego Union-Tribune

The novels of Peter Robinson are: “Deeply nuanced works of art.” - Dennis Lehane

“Complex and intelligent.” - London Sunday Times

“Exquisitely complex and atmospheric.” - Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Taut, carefully thought out…with plots that are refreshingly cliché-free.” - Time Out London

“Cunning…authentic and atmospheric.” - The Independent (London)

“Different and intriguing.” - Sunday Telegraph

“Robinson has won just about every mystery award there is….His latest shows why.” - Booklist (starred review)

“Kept us up past our bedtime.” - Boston Globe

“[Robinson’s] talents...account for both the quickness of mind that makes Banks such a keen protagonist.” - New York Times Book Review