Inspector Alan Banks is a fictional character featured in a series of novels as well as short stories by English-Canadian author Peter Robinson. After working in the Unsolved Crime Squad for the Metropolitan Police in London, Banks got sick and tired of the materialism of the big city, packed his bags and left for the (fictional) town of Eastvale near Yorkshire. He works there as Detective Chief Inspector. The series has been adapted into a television series by ITV called DCI Banks, with the title character played by Stephen Tompkinson.

The Inspector Banks series began in 1987 with the novel Gallows View. Ever since then, Robinson has written approximately one new book per year in the series. Below is a list of Peter Robinson’s Inspector Banks books in order of when they were originally published (and in chronological order):

Publication Order of Inspector Banks Books

Gallows View(1987)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
A Dedicated Man(1988)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
A Necessary End(1989)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Hanging Valley(1989)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Past Reason Hated(1992)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Wednesday's Child(1992)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Dry Bones That Dream/ Final Account(1994)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Innocent Graves(1996)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Dead Right / Blood at the Root(1997)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
In a Dry Season(1999)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Cold is the Grave(2000)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Aftermath(2001)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Summer That Never Was / Close to Home(2002)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Playing with Fire(2003)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Strange Affair(2004)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Piece of My Heart(2006)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Friend of the Devil(2007)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
All the Colors of Darkness(2008)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Bad Boy(2010)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Watching the Dark(2012)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Children of the Revolution(2013)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Abattoir Blues / In the Dark Places(2014)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
When the Music's Over(2016)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Sleeping in the Ground(2017)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Careless Love(2018)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Many Rivers to Cross(2019)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Not Dark Yet(2021)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Standing in the Shadows(2023)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Publication Order of Inspector Banks Short Stories/Novellas

Going Back(2009)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Like a Virgin(2009)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
The Price of Love: And Other Stories(2009)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Blue Christmas(2009)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Walking the Dog(2009)Description / Buy at Amazon.com
Summer Rain(2015)Description / Buy at Amazon.com

Notes: Dry Bones That Dream is also known as Final Account. Dead Right was also published as Blood at the Root. The Summer That Never Was is also known as Close To Home. Caedmon’s Song is also known as The First Cut.

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6 Responses to “Order of Inspector Banks Books”

  1. Hanson: 5 years ago

    Over half way through the Peter Robinson’s DCI Banks series and I’m really enjoying the books. Some are better than others. I have also run into the name change on books which make it a little confusing. Not sure why they have to that.

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  2. eten1031: 8 years ago

    Hi Thanks for making the lists. I find so many book series here 🙂 There’s one correction for this one. In Dark Places is the US name of the book Abattoir Blues according to Robinson’s website. http://www.inspectorbanks.com/books/
    And there are two new books
    When the Music’s Over – 2016
    No Cure for Love – 2015
    Abattoir Blues – 2014 (US title, In the Dark Places)

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    • whatjusthappened: 6 years ago

      Ah, thank you for clarifying. I have just discovered the series and couldn’t understand why I kept finding different titles. Much appreciated!

      Reply

  3. SMS: 10 years ago

    I apologize! I am in error (not for the first time). “Before the Poison” is a stand-alone novel by Peter Robinson.

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  4. SMS: 10 years ago

    A novel in the DCI Alan Banks series has been omitted! The novel in the series following “Bad Boy” is “Before the Poison.”

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  5. Salopfarmer: 11 years ago

    couple of errors here – Blood Right was not also published as Dead at the Root, it should be Dead Right was also published as Blood at the Root. Also Caedmon’s Song does not appear in the List though I suppose it is not strictly an Inspector Banks novel, though it is a precursor to Friend of the Devil.

    Reply

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