HomeMysteryPlaying with fire

Cover of Playing with fire

Mystery · 2003 · PG-13

Playing with fire

by Peter Robinson

Two canal boats burned. Two people dead. The fires were set, but the motives point different ways.

For14+GenreMysteryLength384 pagesRead time~9.5 hours

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

Content snapshot

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

Some

Two deaths by fire; some investigation of the drug environment around one victim

Language

Some

Some strong language

Sexual Content

Barely any

Mild content

Substance Use

Some

Drug use in the background of one victim's life; moderate drinking

Emotional Intensity

Some

The specific vulnerability of people whose lives are too chaotic to easily be investigated or missed; the art forgery world as a setting for moral ambiguity

What this book is about

Two separate canal boat fires in the Dales result in two deaths — apparently unrelated — but Banks finds connections between the victims that suggest a common cause. One fire involved a reclusive artist; the other, a troubled young woman with a drug history. Peter Robinson's fourteenth Banks novel is his most focused on the Yorkshire art world and the specific milieu of dealers, collectors, and creative people whose lives intersect in uncomfortable ways. The investigation eventually connects to forgery and the art market's dark corners.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

fourteenth of the Banks series

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