Past Reason Hated

It looks like a tranquil Christmas scene in a cozy living room-log fire, brightly lit tree, sheepskin rug, Vivaldi on the record player-but the appearance is deceptive. Caroline Hartley, the woman lying on the couch, has been brutally murdered.
In Past Reason Hated, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks uncovers the unusual and disturbing past of a victim for whom secrecy was a way of life. He finds a multitude of suspects: Caroline's lover, Veronica Shildon; Veronica's ex-husband, a famous composer; a feminist poet; the cast of a play Caroline was rehearsing for; and her reclusive, haunted brother, Gary.
Chief Inspector Banks's fifth case is a suspenseful, shocking and ultimately satisfying tale of family secrets, hidden passions and desperate violence. Peter Robinson is the recipient of numerous awards for his Inspector Banks novels, including the prestigious Grand Prix de Littérature Policière for the French translation of In a Dry Season, the Edgar Award for the short story "Missing in Action," Denmark's Palle Rosenkrantz Award, and several Arthur Ellis Awards for Best Novel. In 2002, he was awarded the Dagger in the Library by the British Crime Writers' Association. Robinson was born in Yorkshire, England, and immigrated to Canada after graduating from the University of Leeds. He now lives in Toronto.