All the Colors of Darkness
by Peter
Robinson
Detective
Chief Inspector Alan Banks is on vacation with his new girlfriend
Sophia when Detective Inspector Annie Cabot is dispatched to Hindswell
Woods to investigate an apparent suicide in a remote beautiful
landscape. Although no immediate clues reveal any foul play,
further
investigation into the life of Mark G. Hardcastle puts a kink into the
case when routine inquiries lead to the badly beaten body of Laurence
Silbert of Castleview Heights, one of the more posh areas of
town.
With the case now in need of a more delicate handling of media
coverage, DCI Banks returns from his vacation, at the very least, to
have the appearance of a more senior officer on the case. Or is
there
more to this than meets the eye? At first glance, the murders
seem to
be a lover's tiff turned violent into a murder-suicide. When Detective
Superintendent Catherine Gervaise puts on the pressure to close the
case, Alan Banks will not be stopped in his inquiries, especially not
when a hint from the victim's mother and a hint of possible secret
service involvement start his mind rolling.
Alan Banks has a reputation for getting to the truth. A clue from
Othello, a play being staged at the theatre where Mark worked, starts
Banks thinking about a possible third party involvement, but along the
way, the interference of the intelligence services complicates the case
in a way that puts Banks and all those close to him in danger.
Peter Robinson's ALL THE COLORS OF
DARKNESS
presents a case that will thrill lovers of British espionage drama with
its echoes of MI-5, The Sandbaggers and John Le Carre. Not only
does
he cite these references but fans of MI-5 will notice specific scenes
which pay homage to the series, providing a sense of underlying subtle
humor and heightened eerieness. How wonderful to see the
perspective
of the local police in these scenes! Alan Bank's thoughts
about the
changing face of the Seceret Intelligence Service as it moves from the
days of the Cold War and gentlemen agents to today's world add a depth
to ALL THE COLORS OF DARKNESS that makes the espionage trail more than
just a historical catalogue of espionage titles. For readers
unfamiliar with these dramas, some of the cleverness of Peter
Robinson's new work will not be immediately available upon first
reading but for British fans, this aspect of the investigtion is a pure
delight! Theatre buffs will also appreciate the more and subtle
references to Othello that undergird this mystery.
ALL THE COLORS OF
DARKNESS
looks into the darker sides of human jealousy, not just between
individuals but between organizations. Alan Banks seeks out the
truth,
following every possible complication, with a passion that has him
facing down a suspect even when his theory seems a lost cause, even
when his own life may be in danger. ALL THE COLORS OF DARKNESS
will
appeal to readers looking for a complex mystery that will challenge
with all its intersecting aspects. Peter Robinson creates several
threads that keep the reader guessing until the haunting final page and
beyond. Are things what they really seem? ALL THE COLORS OF DARKNESS
will appeal to readers who like not just the solving of a crime, but a
work that provokes with its tantalizing, unanswered questions.
ALL THE COLORS OF
DARKNESS works as a stand-alone to readers new to his Alan Banks
series more than some of his other works such as FRIEND OF THE DEVIL.
However, as a growing fan of Peter Robinson's novels, I notice that
each additional one I read adds another layer of enjoyment for an
individual book and the series as a whole. Peter Robinson fans
will
appreciate the ongoing development of the relationship between Alan
Banks and Annie Cabot as well as the new difficulties the case brings
to the personal relationships of the officers. The character of Detective
Superintendent Catherine Gervaise provides
some very nice wrinkles indeed to the portrait of the superior clamping
down on her subordinates and attempting to clear the case load.
Although
this case brings a new facet to the the cases now brought before the
local police and Alan Banks specifically that might throw readers
expecting a work more closely tied to Bank's typical cases, other fans
will appreciate ALL THE COLORS OF
DARKNESS
as a wonderful addition to Peter Robinson's ability to create a complex
case that delves into difficult nuances and subcurrents as seemingly
unrelated clues converge. For American fans of Peter Robinson who
also
love British espionage television like myself, ALL THE COLORS OF DARKNESS is a
special treat. ALL THE COLORS
OF DARKNESS
reaffirms Peter Robinson's clever skill and originality in his ability
to both play and diverge from known classics, adding a new unsettling
perspective in the solving of crime in today's world.
Publisher:
William Morrow (February 2009)
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