Friend of the Devil
by Peter
Robinson
Murders and
Memory, a British detective suspense novel
Publisher:
William Morrow (February 2008)
Best enjoyed in the context of his earlier work Aftermath, Peter
Robinson's Friend of the Devil
is a stunning addition to his British police detective series. Not only
does the reader glimpse more of the unfolding dynamics between the main
characters, but also, the case hearkens back to the past as new murders
challenge both the detectives and the reader to look at the past
through a different perspective.
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks and Detective Inspector Annie
Cabbot investigate a series of chilling murders. Cabbot investigates a
brutal and chilling murder of a parapalegic woman in a wheelchair while
Banks investigates the brutal murder and rape of a woman found in The
Maze. Although these crimes seem unrelated, the murders provoke both
Banks and Cabbot to look into their own histories to past crimes that
have touched their lives. The eerie murder of the mysterious woman in
the wheelchair haunts the imagination as the detectives ponder the
thoughts a woman unable to defend herself or even voice a protest in
her last moments. The first layer of clues unraveled is only one layer
to this finely constructed suspenseful mystery. When Banks'
investigation solves the mystery of one crime detail of the rape and
murder, more mysteries emerge. Will the security cameras around the
Maze aid or complicate this investigation? Each clue, each new
development twists and turns the investigation, keeping the reader in
suspense until the final dramatic scene.
Friend of the Devil
explores the ambiguity in the relationship between Detective Chief
Inspector Alan Banks and Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot. Peter
Robinson's unflinching and realistic look into the conflicts in their
personal lives add a depth to the characterization as their past chafes
and recalls earlier moments and the character's personal weaknesses. In
Friend of the Devil,
relationships aren't easy or simplistic and, to the reader's delight,
neither is the path to catching the perpetrators of these crimes.
Precise, sometimes stark descriptive details heighten the terror of
these crimes all the way to the shocking climatic end.
Chilling, eerie and full of surprises, Peter Robinson's Friend of the Devil gradually
builds up a fascinating look into memory, interweaving it into the very
thematic structure. Memory underpins this mystery, interwoven within
the very core of this mystery as reminiscences from a former case haunt
Banks. Past events present obstacles to personal relationships. Even in
the murders themselves, Banks and Cabbot must delve into the memories
of witnesses. Quite simply, Peter Robinson's kaleidoscope into memory
makes Friend of the Devil a
good choice for readers who might crave a little extra to ponder in
addition to riveting suspense.
This book is best read after Peter Robinson's earlier book Aftermath to
see the real genius of Robinson's imagination. Read together, readers
will more easily see how this author pushes the envelope in his
detective stories.
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