This is the 19th Inspector Banks novel. They are one of my favorite British mystery series. The last book in the series was pretty heavy handed, with lots of international spy stuff. Banks went through quite the emotional ringer in that one. This book starts with him on vacation in the American southwest trying to recover. Back home, his 24-year-old daughter had gotten her self mixed up with a charming young man who turns out to be the "bad boy" of the story. Banks himself doesn't join the action until nearly halfway through the story and never really catches up to the action. A nice change of pace for the series. ( )

Engelsk deckare när det är som bäst. Robinson gör mig aldrig riktigt besviken. ( )

How much more can Banks, and the people who surround him take?

In recent books, he has had his house burned down, with him inside, had girlfriends lost to criminal pressure, lost a colleague and now, his daughter and himself placed in severe danger and Annie shot.

The story builds quickly and holds one's attention to the final pages. What more can a reader ask? Peter Robinson seems to suspend reality. The world of Banks becomes a new reality. Cracking! ( )

I have been thoroughly enjoying the Inspector Alan Banks series. Robinson's hero is just a guy that you'd love to know, but one that you know is intense and one that won't let anyone or anything interfere in his search for justice. In this book, DCI Banks is more personally involved than usual. He is in the States for a soul-reviving holiday when the story begins, but before too long the crimes and the people involved are directly in Banks' orbit. When he comes home to England he finds out that his daughter has been taken, and his partner and one-time lover Annie Cabbot has been badly injured in the line of duty. That's enough to send the loose cannon who is Alan Banks on his own as he tries to save his daughter. One thing about Alan Banks books, they never proceed in the way that you think they will, and there is always an ending that sets things up for the next book in the series. I find that the hook that Robinson uses to accomplish this is very effective, because I'm always tempted to just move on to the next book right away. Normally, I prefer to let the series proceed at a slower pace because riding with Alan Banks is somewhat like being on a roller coaster. Having said that I can't wait to read number 20. I highly recommend this series for those who love to read police procedurals with human characters and very intense mysteries. ( )

DCI Alan Banks of Eastvale CID is on holiday in America,
He returns to find an old friend killed by the Police, his on off lover Annie in a coma and his daughter Tracy is on the run with an evil drug dealer.
Banks quickly gets involved nearly gets shot but eventually saves the day with the help of an off duty Police sniper.
Good easy to read book ( )