What do readers think of Before the Poison by Peter Robinson? Write your own review.

I am a big fan of Peter Robinson and his detective, Alan Banks, and look forward to his mysteries. I found this novel a little disappointing. It is a stand-alone novel about a man who moves to England and is pulled into a mystery involving a former resident of the house he purchases, who was hanged for murder. Unlike his other books, this had a very slow pace. It was also difficult to understand why finding out what happened was so compelling to the main character. While there were a few surprises in the end, they weren't enough to explain his obsessive interest. I did enjoy the character's interest and knowledge of music and movies. That is an enjoyable theme in his other mysteries, which was more developed here. All in all, good but not great.

This is a departure from the Inspector Banks series and not nearly as gritty and intense. A touch of the supernatural and a somewhat gentle, drifty approach makes this an unusual book, especially with a male narrator who seems to be obsessed with the quest to find the truth about a woman who was hanged for the murder of her husband 60 years before. Good story; well-written - the descriptions of the various locales, particularly the house in Yorkshire, are wonderful.

This book was very pleasurable reading. The plot was interesting, and I enjoyed the historical plot being interwoven with the contemporary story. The weakest part of the story was Heather's character and her relationship with the protagonist, which was silly and poorly done. However, that did little to dampen what was otherwise a fun read. Not as good as the Inspector Banks series, but not a waste of time by any stretch.

I read the book in two days and would recommend it to others. The story definitely draws you in and you want to know how it ends and the ending is definitely unexpected. I have never read this author before and in same ways liked his attention to detail but sometimes felt he got a little bogged down in location names. I did however like the historical detail from World War II and the way the book flowed from the past to the present.

Chris Lowndes builds suspense and curiosity which makes you read with passion as he digs in the past to reveal the truth behind a murder committed fifty years ago in his present home "Kilnsgate", in Yorkshire, England. Peter Robinson's award-winning writing talents keep you glued to the story with each piece of the puzzle he uncovers about Grace Elizabeth Fox's murder of her husband. During the research, we learn of the work done during WWII by military nurses. The horrors of war, the compassion and skill needed to survive your surroundings. It is not until the end that you fully understand what happened and why.

I have read the Inspector Banks series written by Peter Robinson, so I already have a healthy respect for his writing. This book was a slight departure from his usual mysteries. It takes place in the Yorkshire area as do his other stories, but it is a gentler tale- part ghost story, part love story, and part mystery on several levels. The story moves slowly at first, and I couldn't really tell where it was headed. For that reason, I began to wonder how long it was going to take to gain some momentum.
The plot unfolds in several voices. The narrator is Chris Lowndes, returning to England after the death of his wife in California, where they had lived for many years. Chris buys a house, sight unseen, and once he moves in, he discovers that the wife of the original owner was hanged for the murder of her husband. Partly because of his need to distract himself from the grief he still feels for the death of his wife, and partly because he feels and sees something in the house, he starts investigating the circumstances of the murder and subsequent trial. At this point , the narration is interspersed with accounts of the trial. At another point, Grace's journal becomes another voice heard. Grace was the woman hanged for the murder of her husband, Dr. Ernest Fox. This is when I became hooked and couldn't stop reading.
The author has done an excellent job of carrying the story back and forth from England during WWII to the present time as he weaves the different threads necessary to the solving of the mystery of who Grace Fox was and if she truly murdered her husband. The various characters are believable and interesting, and I think many readers will find this to be a first rate read.

First let me say I am a huge Peter Robinson fan. His Inspector Banks series is one of my favorites so I started this stand alone novel with high hopes and was not completely disappointed. Robinson's talent for transporting his readers to the scene of his novels is in high gear in Beore the Poison, as is his love of music and knack for adding a soundtrack to the pages. With one exception, the characters feel fully thought out and the protagonist, Chris Lowndes, is charming. The exception, Heather, comes across as shallow and one dimensional compared to others even less important than she is to the plot.

The mystery at the heart of the novel kept me engaged until the last page- well researched, full of historical detail about the experiences of nurses during WWII, Robinson delivers a novel that I will recommend to others.

This is not a book in the Inspector Banks series by Robinson, so those expecting one will be disappointed. That said, this book was very thoughtfully written and kept me up at night wanting to read "just one more" chapter. It's atmospheric narrative brings Yorkshire and its villages to life. It is a very visually written story that put me readily into the plot. A good read for a cold winter night.