DCI Banks gets an unexpected call from his brother, which worries him enough that he decides to head down to London next morning. At the same time, his team in Eastvale is investigating the murder of a young woman driving north with Banks's old address in her pocket. Soon enough, the two incidents start to seem interlinked. ( )

How much more can Peter Robinson throw at his hero?

Poor old Banks, still recovering from the injuries, physical and psychological, from the fire that destroyed his house and all his worldly goods, now has a telephone call from his estranged brother asking for help. Bank's parents are showing the depressing signs of aging and his relationship with Annie is at an all time low - oh, and his new girlfriend, Michelle, has moved away. Apart from that, everything is fine and dandy in the world of DCI Banks!

All that being said, this is a cracking story and kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Excellent. ( )

Some day I really should figure out which books of the DI Banks series I have read and fill in the gaps. The last one I read, A Dedicated Man, was one of the early ones and Banks was still married. This one obviously takes place some years later because Banks has been divorced for some time and he had an affair with Annie Cabbot, another detective in the department. But that affair is also over and Annie was involved with someone else who set fire to Banks’ cottage when he was inside. I have also read some of books which take place after this one because there were references to Banks’ brother being dead but at the start of this book the brother is still alive. It is like seeing the end of a movie, then going back to the beginning and then being called out of the theatre and missing some of the action. You sort of know how it’s going to end but you are missing a lot of the plot development.
This book starts off with Banks getting a telephone message from his brother, Roy, which is an unusual occurrence in itself because the two have never been close. Roy says it is important, perhaps a matter of life and death, and that he will call back. That call never comes and Banks gets no answer when he calls his brother’s numbers. So he decides to drive to London where his brother lives and find out what is wrong. When he gets to his brother’s house, the door is unlocked, the alarm is turned off and there is no trace of his brother. Meanwhile, a young woman has been run off the road near Eastvale in Yorkshire and shot in the head. Annie Cabbott is in charge of the case but she really wants to get in touch with Banks because his name and old address are on a slip of paper in the woman’s pocket. Annie goes to London also because the woman, Jennifer Clewes, lived in London and maybe someone there can shed some light on why she was killed. Of course, Roy’s disappearance and Jennifer’s death are connected; thus Banks and Annie will have to work together to solve these crimes. They haven’t really talked since Annie’s boyfriend almost killed Banks so there are some bridges to build.
Banks discovers facets to his brother that he never knew. Roy was a financial guru and Banks thought he skated pretty close to committing fraud or insider trading or some other criminal act. That was one of the reasons they weren’t close. Roy had had a change of heart after 9/11 because he had an appointment in one of the Twin Towers that morning for which he was late because of traffic. He realized that his business dealings could have helped finance terrorism and he couldn’t look the other way. He started attending church regularly but Banks didn’t even know he had been in New York when the planes hit. Other things, such as his passion for opera, were also a surprise and Banks thought he would like to get to know him better. Unfortunately he will never get the chance because Roy was also killed. It’s a lesson to us all to not leave important relationships too late. ( )

Alan Banks' brother disappears and a woman is murdered. ( )

Each time I read a DCI Banks novel I think I will jump right to the next one. I love this guy! But then I realize I will be caught up and have to wait for the next publication so I am slowly savoring each novel, reading something else in between these books. It’s great that Peter Robinson writes these novels in real time. When I started with Gallows View (Book #1) Alan Banks had just moved to Yorkshire, his children were in school, he was in a happy marriage and his career was on the right path.

I just finished Strange Affair (Book #15) and so much has changed. Banks is, naturally, older and has had some boost in rank. His kids are grown and one is in college. It’s been nice reading along watching the progressions.

Strange Affair starts off with a woman driving away from London, obviously frightened for her life as she expresses she will be safe in just a few hours. Before you get too many pages into the book she is found dead, still in her vehicle, with a single gunshot wound to her head. Her purse and cell phone are missing but in her back pocket is a hastily written note with Alan Banks’ name and address.

Banks can’t be located because he has driven off to London in search of his brother Roy. A day earlier Roy called Banks and left a voice message that he was in danger and he needed help. When big brother Alan couldn’t reach Roy he decided to drive to London. He didn’t tell anyone about Roy’s call and he didn’t call in to the police station to let them know he’d be gone. With the discovery of a dead woman who was headed toward Banks’ Yorkshire address and him now missing, the Eastvale police have him as an unofficial suspect.

Most of this storyline takes place in London. We alternate between Banks looking for his brother and DI Annie Cabbot looking into the murder of the young woman. Not too far into the book you see they are connected, both the murder and Roy’s disappearance. You also see a more reflective side of Alan Banks as he’s working though his depression over a house fire (Book # 14) and him getting to know more about his brother.

There are 22 DCI Banks books currently published. I will be on to #16 soon and once I catch up, I will one of the eager fans waiting for the next publication. ( )