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There are currently 28 member reviews
for Bad Boy
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Cynthia B. (Puyallup, WA)
Bad Boy
This story ramps up the action nicely with clearly defined heroes and villains. Interesting contrast between American gun laws vs. British as well as the criminal investigation process. For new readers to Peter Robinson, "Bad Boy" may not be the best place to start as there are many references to DCI Banks' previous adventures however, this latest installment is a captivating thrill ride and will certainly whet your appetite for more.
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Kristina G. (Aiken, SC)
Bad Boy - detective story
"Bad Boy" is a well-written, fast-paced, fun read. The premise (a virtual SWAT team going to retrieve a gun from the home of people who knew the gun was to be given up, and were expecting the police) which starts the ball rolling, as well as a couple of other things which don't effect the story line (ie. a police officer being punished for shooting a serial murderer), will be difficult for American readers to identify with. Once into the story however, the plot thickens and the twists and turns are enough to keep any reader of detective novels satisfied.
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Becky M. (Crumpler, NC)
Personalities over Plot
How can I get across that this was a good novel, but not great; that I like the direction Robinson is going with his characters, but I'm not invested in them; that I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot, but it wasn't hard to put the book down for several days at a time? Robinson is leading us away from Alan Banks--but maybe that's not so bad. Daughter Tracy and ex-lover/partner Annie are intriguing characters, and in their own way, add texture and dimension to Banks. I DID enjoy the complicated nature of Banks's relationship with Tracy and the emerging revived affection for Annie. Do you get the gist--that what appealed to me most were the personalities, not the story? I won't downplay the drama of the chase, the unique approach of the UK to gun control, and the surprise of the final showdown. But Robinson has written better Banks thrillers, and I'll be waiting for the next one.
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Bonnie B. (Fairbanks, AK)
A Weak Mystery in the Detective Banks Series
This mystery is part of the Detective Banks series. However, it is by far not one of the best. The story is about a 'bad boy' who tries to pull a heist on a conglomerate of 'badder boys'. Tracy Banks, Detective Alan Banks' daughter has been involved with Jaff, the bad boy, and gets herself into a situation where she becomes his hostage. Banks and his team work to find Jaff and free Tracy. The writing, as usual is quite good. However, the plot has a lot of holes in it and the characterizations and motives are weak.
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Dianne S. (Shelton, connecticut)
Lacking Action and Excitment
I was a bit disappointed in this author and this book since I had heard so much about this author and had never read anything by him before.
This story had so much potential to be exciting and spine tingling and fell so far from the mark. Inspector Marks who I gather is the main character throughout the series, doesn't show up until more than half-way through, he has to deal with his daughters "abduction" and a close friend and past lovers shooting, yet he doesn't even crack a sweat. I know the English are stoics but this seems a little much.There is no action, no excitement, no mystery, What there IS a lot of is unnecessary and boring dialog. Unfortunately based on this book, that I will not be reading anything else by this author
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Virginia W. (Cloverdale, CA)
Girl looking for a faster life influenced by "bad boy"
I generally like Alan Banks mysteries. "In a Dry Season" was excellent. "Bad Boy" starts off slow - I think I had read about 100 pages before the book became more interesting. Tracy Banks is involved with a bad boy, Annie Cabot is shot, Tracy does call 999 to help Annie, and Alan, who has been away on vacation in the US, comes home to all this bad news. I can't really recommend this book - nothing to figure out. Just a story of a girl, her father and her no-good boyfriend.
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Marjorie A. (32606, Florida)
Bad Boy Misses the Mark
Bad Boy is the latest in a series of books by English author Peter Robinson featuring Chief Inspector Alan Banks. I specially enjoy mysteries so I was disappointed that the books seemed rather flat and the characters not engaging. Maybe I if I had read other books featuring Alan Banks it would have been like other series - seeing what he is up to now. I would not recommend this book to someone who likes mysteries.
