Banks is Always Good But this is Not the BestDecember 31, 2008 N. Manning(Ontario, Canada) Two men are found dead, one brutally beaten in his apartment and the other hanging from a tree in a local park. It appears to have been a lover's spat turned into a murder/suicide but once it is found out that one of the dead men was a secret agent with MI6 things start to seem more complicated than at first presumed.
I enjoyed this book but can't say that it is up to par with the other Inspector Banks novels I've read to date. I enjoyed the whodunit and the author digs deep into Banks' psyche making him one of my favourite detectives. What I found (shall I say) boring was all the secret agent/spy stuff. MI5 this, MI6 that, just doesn't do it for me. I like my mysteries to be crimes and thrillers not spy novels. While I enjoy an Ian Fleming as much as the next fellow, I didn't expect this book to be so dependent on the spy aspects for the plot.
The ending was a surprise, rather bleak, certainly not a happy ending. Inspector Banks' private life is a main feature of this novel and I enjoyed that aspect very much and once again it also was left with a bleak uncertainty, leaving one curious as to where his personal life will go in the next novel. Fans of the series will find enjoyment meeting up with favourite characters again but if you are new to the series do not start with this one as it is not representational of the series as a whole.
Banks is BackOctober 6, 2008 Luanne Ollivier 14 out of 16 found this review helpful
Ohh, it was with great happiness and anticipation that I settled in on the couch with the newly released 'All the Colours of Darkness'!
This is the 18th book in the Inspector Banks series from Peter Robinson. Every last one has been a great read and this one was no exception.
The series takes place in England and has followed the career of Alan Banks and his co workers. Just as interesting is Banks' personal life. Over 18 novels, it has been fascinating to follow the progressions of the character's lives. It gives such a realistic note to the books and makes the characters even more believable. Banks' fondness for listening to all types of music has more than once sent me on a search for a CD, just to hear what he has described.
Annie Cabot's (Banks' partner and ex-lover) latest case appears to be a suicide by hanging on a school property. However, when she finds the man's lover bludgeoned to death, Banks is called back to work from a weekend away. The case takes an even more curious turn when one of the victims is discovered to have worked for M16 - Britain's Security and Secret Intelligence Services. Even more curious is the speed at which the case is declared closed. Murder suicide - the end. Bank's supervisor, Inspector Gervaise, insists on him taking some time off and to accept that the case is closed. While agreeing, Banks decides to investigate further on the sly and enlists the help of Annie Cabot and Winsome Jackman. And they do discover more....
"Oh, jealousy, betrayal, envy, ambition, greed, lust, revenge. The usual stuff of Shakespearean tragedies. All the colours of darkness."
This case borrows from current headlines and as always is an intelligent mystery.
There is just something comforting about settling down with a Peter Robinson. I never bother reading the cover notes anymore - I just know that I'm in for a really good read. If you haven't yet discovered this award winning series, I encourage you to. They don't need to be read in order - each book is a great tale on it's own.
