Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Robinson's long-running series starring Alan Banks, now detective chief inspector of the Yorkshire Constabulary, plays off the character of complicated, morose, solitude- and music-loving Banks, a throwback to the depressed detective of classic hard-boiled fiction. This time Banks is not only complicated and depressed, but he's also completely offstage for about half of the action, on holiday in the American West and seen only briefly. Fans will be disappointed, but the absence of Banks picks up the pace quite a bit. Banks' sometime lover and longtime ally, Inspector Annie Cabott, fills the void nicely in a case that begins when a former neighbor of Banks' reports her daughter has a gun in the home. The Armed Response Team arrives and tragically mucks up a tense situation. Part of Robinson's narrative talent is his ability to convert police procedure and politics into gripping reading. The gun at the scene of the botched police operation belonged to an exotic, handsome young man, boyfriend of the girl holding the gun and acquainted with Banks' daughter, Tracy. The bulk of the book is an absolutely stunning examination of how Tracy fell for this bad boy, hiding him from police and coming to the horrific awareness that he is a sociopath more than willing to kill her. We don't really need Banks when he gets back the character study of Tracy and the tension of her situation drive the book. A change of pace for the series, to be sure, but another outstanding crime novel from Robinson.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Robinson tries something different in his excellent 19th novel to feature Det. Chief Insp. Alan Banks (after All the Colors of Darkness) by keeping the Yorkshire policeman offstage for the first half of the book. Banks's daughter, Tracy, knows that her friend, Erin Doyle, is dating a bad boy. But she doesn't know how bad Jaff McCready is until the recovery of a gun at Erin's parents' home results in a fatal accident. Before Tracy knows what's happening, Jaff whisks her on an adventure, eventually hiding out at Banks's house while her father is on holiday in America. As Det. Insp. Annie Cabbot searches for Jaff, Tracy's infatuation turns sour when she finds Jaff's suitcase of drugs, money, and a gun, and becomes his hostage. When Banks returns to Yorkshire, he has to balance his roles as a cop and a father. Robinson deftly integrates Banks's personal life with an acute look at British attitudes about police, guns, and violence in this strong entry in a superb series. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
DCI Alan Banks's daughter, Tracy, has been feeling neglected lately. Her brother's music career has taken off, and she is still working in a bookstore while she tries to decide what she wants to do with her life. When suave and handsome bad boy Jaff McCready enters her life, she is ready for romance and vulnerable to his superficial charm. An illegal firearm found in her roommate's possession is traced to Jaff, and he convinces Tracy to leave the country with him. But she soon becomes his prisoner, as he holds her hostage in order to protect himself from the police. Banks must tread carefully if he is to save his daughter from this volatile and unstable young man. Verdict Branching out into new territory, Robinson's 19th installment in the Inspector Banks series (after All the Colors of Darkness) is more of a suspense story than a "whodunit." Excellent characterization and skillful plotting make this an engrossing read. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 4/1/10.]-Linda Oliver, MLIS, Colorado Springs (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks returns from a reflective U.S. vacation to contend with the abduction of his daughter and the shooting of his female partner.In the 19th novel in British author Robinson's series, the Yorkshire inspector has no sooner gotten over the emotional fallout of the terror attack and romantic betrayal of his last adventure than he is hit with a double dose of upsetting news: His 24-year-old daughter Tracy is being held captive by a drug dealer being sought on a gun charge, and his partner and former lover Annie Cabbot is in critical condition after being shot by the dealer. Complicating matters is the fact that Tracy and the dealer, Jaff, the slick boyfriend of one of her flat mates, were sexually involved before life on the lam turned bad. It's up to Banks and his supporting cast of Eastvale cops to link Jaff to an unsolved killing from several years back and a brutal gang involved in the sex trade. The threat to Tracy is kept at a low boil; even after Jaff ties her up and rapes her, in her father's bed, the two act like any sparring couple. Her acting out with drugs, piercings, an assumed name and an unstable bad boy because her father neglected her in favor of his rock-star son Brian is superficially handled. And Annie's recovery is never in doubt. But the recharging feelings between Banks and Annie raise expectations for the next installment.A lightweight but entertaining outing.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
