Durga has selected Piece of My Heart by Peter Robinson, for this month's selection.

From peterrobinsonboks.com
As volunteers clean up after a huge outdoor rock concert in Yorkshire in 1969, they discover the body of a young woman wrapped in a sleeping bag. She has been brutally murdered. The detective assigned to the case, Stanley Chadwick, is a hard-headed, strait-laced veteran of the Second World War. He could not have less in common with—or less regard for—young, disrespectful, long-haired hippies, smoking marijuana and listening to the pulsing sounds of rock and roll. But he has a murder to solve, and it looks as if the victim was somehow associated with the up-and-coming psychedelic pastoral band the Mad Hatters.

In the present, Inspector Alan Banks is investigating the murder of a freelance music journalist who was working on a feature about the Mad Hatters for MOJO magazine. This is not the first time that the Mad Hatters, now aging rock superstars, have been brushed by tragedy. Banks finds he has to delve into the past to find out exactly what hornets' nest the journalist inadvertently stirred up.

The dark month of October is perfect for snuggling up with a good mystery novel. Enjoy!

OK I shall order my copy on Tuesday, so it should be with me Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. Looking forward to reading it!

I've ordered mine... now to wait.

I've took mine from the library and was reading it this weekend. I reached half and i have to say i like it a lot. I think i already guessed some omprotant parts of the whole mystery but still am not absolutely sure!

I am clode to the end now Should finish before the ned of the week

Still waiting.

Me too! fingers crossed for this mornings post!!

I've finished... Will wait for everyone

I'm not far off finished either durga!

I just got my copy in the mail today.

We have time And it's quite a fast read

I'm engrossed already!

When I firt picked up this novel, I really wasn't sure, as it's a genre I find difficult to 'get into' however, this one is different and I would love to read more on his works!

To me, the book just got better and betteer the further I went into it. The non-comformist Inspector Alan Banks and his longing to be taken back to the Led Zeppelin days of heady rock playing in open field concerts and the glory of what became the 60's revolutionary times long since past.
I almost felt sorry for him as he seems stuck in this time warp and uses his detective job and his love of wines and good food as a means of 'doing what he has to do to pass the time until he can somehow get back to where he feels he belongs.

A very well reseacrched book that did indeed grab me from the onset with the discovery of a body brutally murdered and left in a sleeping bag at an outdoor concert. He couldn't have a worse side-kick to deal with the matter than Stanley Chadwick as Alan finds him too cold hearted and hard headed.

The only problem I had with it, and it's more of an annoying niggle I have with many 'Yorkshire dialect books' is that they fail miserably to convey the real way people would and still do say things. For example 'yourself' is most fefinitely NOT said as 'yourself' but mainly 'yoursen' with is not 'with ' it's 'wi' and very often the word 'the' is missed out altogether, like you wouldn't say 'Close the door please' True Yorkies say 'Shut' dower tah'
As I said it's just a niggle of mine,and while this book did indeed go someway to portraying the dialects it didn't quite get it right for me. What I wiull say is if a book is meant to portray Yorkshire with Yorkshire people dialect is important for the reader. It helps enormously in the enjoyment of the books content and the development of the characters.

I will definitely read more of Peter Robinson's works

btw... I may be from East Yorkshire and a real English Rose, I do NOT speak 'Hullite' nor do I speak 'Yorkshire' I have much more of a London accent. Not posh, just normal. That comes from my father having travelled world over picking up all kinds of accents, I kind of picked up my dialect from him That and having lived in London in younger years.

I am so happy to hear it! I was afraid You will not like it


I also loved the book and was impressed especially by all the background research that the writer had to do. Each detail fited properly Which was probably even harder to do if the line "They say that if you remember the sixties, you weren’t there." is true

I keep on wondering what exactly happened before between Annie Cabbot and Alan Banks and what will be the future of superintendent McCullen, who seems to care only about her personal career and not really about solving any crime. I believe because of people like her there is not trust toward police in our society!

When chosing the book i had no idea that it will be again, in a way, about serial killer! My master thesis is following me everywhere! And i had no idea till the very end who the killer was But i knew that Nick is Linda's son, but i guess we all did


The inclusion of real bands, festivals and magazines makes it even more enjoyable!
BTW the title "Piece of My Heart" is also a title of a song by Janis Joplin

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7JVxE2SYxo[/youtube]

Isn't it a great read for a music-literature forum?

Yeah, I kept on wondering that too Durga although I'm sure Superintendent McCullen will be fine. Those kind of people always are. AS my mom would have said "If he fell in a pile of horse muck he'd come up smelling of roses"

What happened before would have been nice to know. I kind of missed the background details of how the murder came to be which I actually think the author would have been better to have added.

LOL....If I remember the sixties I weren't there eh? well I was, kind of, just about and some of it I do actually remember, but bear in mind I was only 7 when it ended

and you are indeed right Durga, it is a great read for this forum THANK YOU!!

that was actually the first book i hose that really satisfied me the previous ones i was chosing we could leave without

I haven't read your comments on the book, Durga and Issi because I'm still reading. Honestly, I haven't had the time or the inclination to pick up a book the past week, my brain was just too tired. Go one discussing, though. I shouldn't take much longer.

Have you finished it yet Liz?

Yes, I am. I'l write my thoughts presently. In the meantime Issi, it's your turn to choose for November. PM me your choice, OK?

OK, I'll get on to that later on tonight