276°
Posted 20 hours ago

Not Dark Yet: DCI Banks 27

£9.9£99Clearance
ZTS2023's avatar
Shared by
ZTS2023
Joined in 2023
82
63

About this deal

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. 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. 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? The complicated plot involves the rape of a young girl at a wild party and five weeks later, the murder of two men—one the host of the party and the other his employee. Further acts of mayhem ensue. DS Banks, DI Annie Cabbot, and DC Gerry Masterson chase down leads, interrogate witnesses, and come to believe that their case may have roots in the past. The most unsettling aspect of this novel is the pleasure that the villains take in torturing and demeaning women. Zelda stands out for her desire to define herself not as a victim, but as an avenger. Although she deserves kudos for courage and daring, not all of her exploits ring true. Complicating matters is the unconventional relationship between Zelda and Ray, Annie Cabbot's father. Ray, an accomplished artist in his seventies, adores Zelda, who cares for him deeply, as well. 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."

I think that Not Dark Yet is considerably better. I suspect that a reader not familiar with the earlier books might find this one confusing, but for readers who have read the earlier books, there should not be a problem. 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. Meanwhile, Ray Cabbot’s friend Zelda is still hunting for the men who abducted her from a Moldovan children’s home and enslaved her. It soon becomes clear that Zelda’s search and what happened at Blaydon’s could be linked. Zelda is fearful, not only of her former captors, but also the authorities who might discover her French passport isn’t valid.

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. The gruesome double-murder at an Eastvale property developer's luxury home should be an open and shut case for Superintendent Alan Banks and his team of detectives. There's a clear link to the notoriously vicious Albanian mafia, men who left the country suspiciously soon after the murder. When Banks and his team find a cache of spy-cam videos hidden in the house, Annie and Gerry's investigation pivots to another violent crime that could cast the murders in an entirely different light. The story is a strong one. Banks is investigating the death of a property developer and his “butler”. During the investigation, Banks discovers that the man was secretly filming the wild parties he held, including cameras in the bedrooms. And what shows on one of the tapes is a brutal rape. A wealthy Yorkshire property developer and his butler are found murdered on the developer's estate. The developer, Connor Blaydon, had his belly ripped open and had been left to die in his own swimming pool. Subsequent investigation reveals a video recording made in Blaydon's house showing a woman being raped; it is not known whether this has any connection to the murders. The recording is of poor quality, and the police are unable to identify the rapist or his victim. The primary police investigators are Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot and Detective Constable Geraldine Masterson, known as Gerry.

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.The gruesome double murder at an Eastvale property developer's luxury home should be an open and shut case for Superintendent Banks and his team of detectives. There's a clear link to the notoriously vicious Albanian mafia, men who left the country suspiciously soon after the death. Then they find a cache of spy-cam videos hidden in the house - and Annie and Gerry's investigation pivots to the rape of a young girl that could cast the murders in an entirely different light. 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. Not Dark Yet is not for the faint of heart. A search of Blaydon’s mansion uncovers a “cache of spy-cams all around his luxurious home.” Instead of identifying Blaydon’s assailant, the police discover a rape. Banks’s female colleagues take the lead on finding the rapist of the girl seen on the “grainy and blurred footage.”

DCI Alan Banks may have been off the telly for five years, but the books that spawned the police procedural series about the Yorkshire-based detective keep coming. Not Dark Yet is the 27th novel Peter Robinson has written for fans of this stubborn officer. 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. 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.

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. 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. Revenge, along with the grip the past has on the present and future, underlies the events of Not Dark Yet . Someone(s) enacts revenge on Connor Clive Blaydon, a “crooked property developer,” and “his factotum Neville Roberts.” Blaydon, a Yorkshire businessman of dubious morals, crossed swords with Banks in Many Rivers to Cross . The 27th book in the number one best-selling Alan Banks crime series - by the master of the police procedural. 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.

Much of the book concerns that abduction and the subsequent abduction of another important character. The material concerning the rape is almost totally separate. That is much more of a standard police procedural tale. There are some especially fine characterizations in this part of the book.Peter Robinson is a Canadian mystery writer. His books have won awards and have been translated into 20 languages. He's been called the master of the police procedural — and with the latest Inspector Banks novel Not Dark Yet, he's up to book number 27 in the popular series.

Asda Great Deal

Free UK shipping. 15 day free returns.
Community Updates
*So you can easily identify outgoing links on our site, we've marked them with an "*" symbol. Links on our site are monetised, but this never affects which deals get posted. Find more info in our FAQs and About Us page.
New Comment