A pair of books

The reviews have some nice pieces this weekend. To wit,

The New York Times reviews the new Peter Robinson and in so doing explains his particular appeal. Much to Robinson's credit, Banks is not particularly gifted. He's cagey and observant, but he's not the brainiest sleuth in crime literature ...... And unlike the more heroic type of fictional cop, he doesn't embody a teenage boy's wishful notion of what a gumshoe could be. Banks is something else altogether, an Everyman with a badge. His virtues are his decency and doggedness, combined with a distrust of the easy answer. That's what helps him bag the villains at the end of "Piece of My Heart" and the 15 previous Inspector Banks novels.

Robinson is probably my favorite series mystery writer, which explains my four unread copies of his books on my bookshelf. When you buy even more knowing you will want to read them later, that's a good sign.

The NYT also has a review of Robert Sullivan's book on driving across country. As this is one of my favorite activities, I am sure to dig this one. If that isn't enough to grab you, this may:

"Cross Country" is delightful as history, but it's the tender portrait of a family driving home together, enjoying their time just the four of them, that resonates on closing the book. America may or may not "be" the road, but for the Sullivans and so many other families, their time there comes to define them.