Not Dark Yet: DCI Banks 27

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The various investigations blur into one another as everything comes to a head. The storylines are disjointed, particularly after Banks is forced to take medical leave. Banks is under intense pressure from internal investigators to spill the goods on Zelda. They clearly don’t believe a word of his story hence his superior protecting Banks by forcing him to stand down temporarily. Does that stop his investigations? Hardly. Crooked property developer Connor Blaydon and his butler are found murdered at the former’s Eastvale mansion. They are known to have links to the Albanian mafia but the discovery of spy-cam videos depicting a rape indicate the motive needn’t be simply a falling out of thieves. The plotting in Robinson's books is always intricately woven. Seemingly disparate threads are slowly but expertly woven together. The conclusion is always satisfying, but not always what the reader might have imagined. The plots ring true, often taking inspiration from current social issues and headlines. This is the final book of a trilogy involving European gangsters. If you haven’t read the first two, some of the references and the huge cast of characters to get to know throughout may confuse you. There are sometimes several points of view in each chapter too. Banks fans familiar with the characters may find this easier to read. Banks and his team have business to attend to as well - there's been a double murder at a luxury home. The Albanian mafia may have been responsible - and a series of covertly filmed videos that add another layer to the case.

The narrative alternates between Annie Cabbot and Gerry Masterson’s investigation into Blaydon’s murder, Zelda’s search and Banks’s attempts to help Zelda and Ray. The novel ends on a very sad note but also provides some resolution. Both this book and the preceding volume Careless Love leave matters unsettled, evidently hoping that these cliffhanger endings will ensure that readers will want to read subsequent books. I probably will, but, if it matters, I will do so resentfully. Indeed, the characterizations throughout this entire series are quite good; I often find them as enjoyable as the unraveling of the mysteries. Continuing characters grow and change, as they would in life. Robinson’s continued ability to reveal a mystery and a solution where you least expect it should make fans hopeful that this series will carry on for a while." Entries in the Banks series frequently include many passages about music. This is not a subject about which I am especially knowledgeable, and I am generally not interested in these.

Christmas Gifts

Instead of discovering Connor's murderer, however, the grainy and blurred footage reveals another crime: a brutal rape. If they can discover the woman's identity, it could lead to more than justice for the victim; it could change everything the police think they know about Connor and why anyone would want him dead. We reviewed earlier Banks novel When the Music’s Over. For more Yorkshire crime you could try the rather more spooky I am Dustby Louise Beech. Inspector Banks books are meant to be savored. The story moves along well, but at a thoughtful pace that allows the reader to ruminate along with Alan. I enjoy his honest self contemplation and his love of music. (I often search out his playlists) He seems world weary in this latest - I hope it doesn't herald the end of Banks.... There is so much attention given in the earlier books in this arc to Zelda's ability as a super-recognizer that it seems odd and disappointing to me that this plays no part in solving the problems in Not Dark Yet.

There are some things about this book that I did not like. Banks runs afoul of the Police Conduct division (evidently the British equivalent of Internal Affairs departments in the United States), who suspect that he might have been involved in some nefarious activity. There does not seem to be any particular reason for this, and I think - or hope, at least - that this is exaggerated. I may be assuming too much, but NOT DARK YET seems to be the run-up to the conclusion of Peter Robinson’s series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks of the Eastvale, Yorkshire police force. Robinson has depicted Banks’ aging naturally (for the most part), so this latest installment finds the iconic protagonist somewhat faded, if not weary, as the world around him moves ahead with him. As a result, this book --- the 27th entry in the series --- marks a number of personal passages for Banks, as well as the resolution of a couple of professional cases that have formed an extended story arc over several prior novels. As mentioned, this was my first encounter with Peter Robinson and I have already added the other twenty-six books in the series to my TBR. I enjoyed the writing and loved the characters. The regular reference to music had me reaching for my Spotify account to hear what the fuss was about. I cannot wait to spend more time with Alan Banks. Alan Banks is a brilliantly crafted character and I cannot wait to spend time reading more of the book in the series, so keep an eye out, there is sure to be more of Peter Robinson’s books featured on the blog in the future.Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the free ARC.) Not Dark Yet is definitely a dark police procedural that tests the boundaries of what a detective can do when an investigation comes close to harming someone he cares for. Alan Banks, in his 27th appearance, finds himself in the midst of leading simultaneous investigations into murder, rape, and a missing person - with one common thread linking them all together. I don’t want to say too much over the phone, but I think we should meet and compare notes. Are you seriously busy?” Zelda couldn’t stop trembling, and the breath seemed to solidify in her chest. This had been her home between the ages of four and seventeen. This was the place that had made her what she was, or what she could have been. Now, though, it was a ruin, and so was she, and the irony didn’t escape her. What the hell was she doing here, running away from the good life she had found, despite all the odds, and from a good man, who was more than she deserved, seeking God only knew what? Revenge? Atonement? Reconciliation? No. Well, yes, but . . . we’re trying to make a case against Leka Gashi and the Albanians for Blaydon’s murder. Trouble is, we don’t even know where they are.”

The case takes a horrific turn when a review of the video files determines that a rape took place. Banks is tasked with finding Connor’s killer, as well as identifying the rape victim, who might have been motivated to murder him herself. He does not realize that an assailant is much closer to him and his team than they can possibly suspect. There are a number of twists and turns in the investigation, one of which intersects with Banks’ past and a longstanding nemesis of his. The investigation into the gruesome murders of Eastvale property developer Connor Clive Blaydon and his factotum Neville Roberts at Blaydon’s luxury home reveals a cache of hidden SD cards that cast the murders in an entirely different light. Instead of showing Blaydon’s murderer, the grainy and blurred footage reveals a brutal rape. If Annie and Gerry can discover the identity of the rapist and his victim, it could lead them to the whoever wanted Blaydon dead.I initially felt that Banks came across as a rather bland main character. I couldn’t help but wonder if, after 27 books, Robinson was assuming his readers know what Banks is like and he didn’t need to waste time fleshing him out. Because he certainly created a compelling character in Zelda. I loved the moral ambiguity of her ethics. Towards the end of the book, I revised my impression about Banks when he faces his own bit of moral dilemma and I could see the shades of his personality. Sadly, at least to my mind, the trend continues here. As the book opens, a wealthy property developer named Connor Blaydon is found brutally murdered at his mansion, along with one of his associates. The investigation falls to DC Annie Cabbot and DC Gerry Masterson. Technically, they are working under the direction of Banks, but after an initial visit to the crime scene, he basically hands off the investigation to his subordinates and takes little or no part in the further developments.