Friend of the Devil (Inspector Banks #17) by Peter Robinson

Friend of the Devil (Inspector Banks #17) Reviews

• 
  Monica

  The 17th book in Peter Robinson’s series...and just as good as all the other books before it. Robinson’s methodical and precise style of writing is always a delight to read. Alan Banks and DI Annie Cabbot are each involved in a case of murder. The book moves between both murder stories, sometimes separately and sometimes overlapping them. Robinson brings in the story line from one of his standalone books, “Caedmon’s Song”. Although Banks didn’t appear in this book at all it plays a big role in “Friend of the Devil”.
  
  Robinson continues to build on both the professional and personal lives of both Banks and Cabbot. While some people may find it cumbersome to read about all the little details of Alan’s and Annie’s lives, this is what builds strong and believable characters who I come to time and time again when I want to get lost in a good mystery. The ending of the book is strong and believable.
• 
  Χρύσα Βασιλείου

  Με το βιβλίο «Παρέα με τον διάβολο» οι εκδόσεις Διόπτρα συστήνουν στο αναγνωστικό κοινό τον επιθεωρητή Άλαν Μπανκς και την ομάδα του.
  
  Οι υποθέσεις που καλούνται να εξιχνιάσουν οι έμπειροι αστυνομικοί είναι δύο και εξελίσσονται παράλληλα. Η μία αφορά το πτώμα μιας νεαρής κοπέλας, που ανακαλύπτεται μέσα σε μια αποθήκη σε μια κακόφημη συνοικία της πόλης. Μετά από ένα άγριο μεθύσι με την παρέα της, η κοπέλα βρέθηκε στο έλεος του άγνωστου δολοφόνου, που τη βίασε και τη δολοφόνησε με βάναυσο τρόπο. Το άλλο θύμα είναι μια ανάπηρη γυναίκα που βρέθηκε μαχαιρωμένη στο χείλος ενός παραθαλάσσιου γκρεμού, ενώ βρισκόταν καθισμένη στο αναπηρικό της καροτσάκι.
  Τα δύο εγκλήματα δεν μοιάζουν να έχουν κανένα κοινό μεταξύ τους. Η ομάδα με επικεφαλής τον Άλαν Μπανκς αναλαμβάνει να εξιχνιάσει την υπόθεση της νεαρής κοπέλας και η συνάδελφός του, επιθεωρήτρια Άννι Κάμποτ, που είναι προσωρινά αποσπασμένη στον Ανατολικό τομέα, εκείνη της ανάπηρης γυναίκας. Ενώ ο πρώτος έχει μια ολόκληρη λίστα με πιθανούς υπόπτους, τους οποίους ξεκινά αμέσως να ερευνά, η δεύτερη βρίσκεται σε αδιέξοδο. Ποιον άραγε θα μπορούσε να βλάψει μια γυναίκα που αδυνατεί να αυτοεξυπηρετηθεί, τόσο πολύ ώστε να φτάσει εκείνος στο σημείο να τη σκοτώσει; Όλα αυτά, όμως, μέχρι να αποκαλυφθεί ένα μυστικό που αφορά τη γυναίκα και αλλάζει εντελώς τα δεδομένα της υπόθεσης. Κι όχι μόνο αυτό, αλλά όσο προχωρούν οι έρευνες, τόσο δείχνουν οι δύο υποθέσεις πως μπορούν τελικά να συνδέονται κατά κάποιον τρόπο.
  Ταυτόχρονα με τις εξελίξεις που αφορούν τις τρέχουσες έρευνες, οι ήρωες έχουν να αντιμετωπίσουν επίσης τα προσωπικά τους προβλήματα. Ο Μπανκς και η Κάμποτ υπήρξαν ζευγάρι στο παρελθόν και τώρα πρέπει να επαναπροσδιορίσουν τη σχέση τους σε νέες βάσεις, μιας και φαίνεται πως δεν μπορούν να αφήσουν πίσω τους όλες τις αναμνήσεις. Επιπλέον, τα προσωπικά βάρη που κουβαλά ο καθένας και οι εμπειρίες που τους στιγμάτισαν από περασμένες υποθέσεις εμφανίζονται ώρες ώρες σαν φαντάσματα από το παρελθόν που θέλουν να σπείρουν αμφιβολίες στο παρόν τους. Όμως κι οι υπόλοιποι συνάδελφοί τους προσπαθούν να ισορροπήσουν ανάμεσα στην επαγγελματική και την προσωπική τους ζωή, και κυρίως να μην αφήσουν τη μία να επηρεάζει την άλλη – κάτι που μπορεί να έχει απρόβλεπτες, ακόμα και μοιραίες συνέπειες, τη στιγμή που ένας ή περισσότεροι δολοφόνοι κυκλοφορούν ελεύθεροι…
  
  Μιας και το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο είναι το 17ο (!) της σειράς, είναι λογικό να υπάρχουν πολλές αναφορές στο παρελθόν των ηρώων ή σε γεγονότα που συνέβησαν σε παλαιότερα βιβλία. Η συγκεκριμένη υπόθεση, ειδικά, συνδέεται με το 12ο κατά σειρά, το «Aftermath». Δυστυχώς δεν κυκλοφορεί στα ελληνικά, αν και ο συγγραφέας δίνει αρκετά στοιχεία σε ετούτο, προκειμένου να φρεσκάρει όσο μπορεί τη μνήμη των αναγνωστών του.
  Μία πλοκή που συνδυάζει περισσότερα από ένα αστυνομικά εγκλήματα, των οποίων η εξιχνίαση διαδραματίζεται παράλληλα, διατρέχει τον κίνδυνο να γίνει βαρετή, επαναλήψιμη ή να «καπελώσει» η μία υπόθεση την άλλη. Εδώ δεν υπάρχει τέτοιος κίνδυνος. Το στόρυ είναι τόσο καλοστημένο και η αφήγηση τόσο πλούσια, που επιτυγχάνεται πλήρης ισορροπία. Οι δύο υποθέσεις είναι το ίδιο δυνατές, το ίδιο σοβαρές, κι όλοι οι εμπλεκόμενοι αστυνομικοί πασχίζουν να τις εξιχνιάσουν. Μπορεί η περίπτωση της νεκρής γυναίκας να αποδεικνύεται πιο ιντριγκαδόρικη, όμως η δολοφονία της κοπέλας στηλιτεύει μια μεγάλη μερίδα της κοινωνίας: από τη μία τις νεαρές κοπέλες που περιμένουν τα Σαββατόβραδα για να ξεσαλώσουν και να βγουν εκτός ελέγχου, χωρίς ποτέ να υπολογίζουν τις συ��έπειες, και από την άλλη εκείνους τους ανεκδιήγητους ανθρώπους που θεωρούν πως τέτοιες κοπέλες «τα θέλουν και τα παθαίνουν», λόγω του ντυσίματος ή της συμπεριφοράς τους.
  Ένα μεγάλο ατού του βιβλίου είναι η προσοχή που δίνει ο Robinson και στην προσωπική ζωή των ηρώων του, αφιερώνοντας ένα σεβαστό μέρος της αφήγησης σε αυτήν. Το είδος της αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας επιβάλλει θα λέγαμε να έχει ο ήρωας-αστυνομικός, εκτός από ισχυρό ένστικτο, επαγγελματισμό και ικανότητα να λύνει ανεξιχνίαστες υποθέσεις, και μια ζωή έξω από το αστυνομικό τμήμα. Εκεί παίζεται το έτερο μεγάλο ‘στοίχημα’ του συγγραφέα: να πλάσει, εκτός από το τέλειο έγκλημα, και μια ολοκληρωμένη προσωπικότητα του ήρωά του. Με τα καλά της, τα κακά της και τα προβλήματά της. Οι ήρωες του Robinson, οι επιθεωρητές Μπανκς και Κάμποτ, αλλά και οι συνάδελφοί τους, είναι άνθρωποι που έχουν διανύσει πολλά χιλιόμετρα στον στίβο της ζωής, επαγγελματικό και προσωπικό· δεν βρίσκονται όλοι στην πρώτη τους νιότη, μετρούν απώλειες, λάθη και εμπειρίες, έχουν κουραστεί από κάποια πράγματα και επιθυμούν διακαώς κάποια άλλα. Είναι ανθρώπινοι, έχουν ελαττώματα, παλεύουν με τους δαίμονές τους και κατά καιρούς καταφέρνουν να τους νικήσουν. Ενδεικτική είναι η περίπτωση της Άννι Κάμποτ, που περνάει από όλο το φάσμα των συναισθημάτων στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο, μέχρις ότου καταφέρει να σταθεί στα πόδια της – ενώ συγχρόνως προσπαθεί να παραμένει προσηλωμένη (και) στη δουλειά της. Ο αναγνώστης παραμένει επικεντρωμένος σε όλα τα δράματα που εξελίσσονται παράλληλα και σε κάθε επίπεδο και δείχνει ενδιαφέρον τόσο για την εξιχνίαση της υπόθεσης όσο και για την τύχη των πρωταγωνιστών της.
  
  Το «Παρέα με το διάβολο» είναι αναμφίβολα ένα βιβλίο που χορταίνει την πείνα του αναγνώστη για καλό αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα και καλούς χαρακτήρες. Και οπωσδήποτε αποτελεί μια πρώτης τάξεως γνωριμία με τον επιθεωρητή Άλαν Μπανκς και την παρέα του.
• 
  Natalie M

  Another solid instalment of the DCI Banks series!
  
  A slighter longer read than the usual but thoroughly enjoyable. Inspector Banks is firmly set in his career and takes the lead again. There is nothing to fault in the telling of the plot and it continues to remain true to the characters, their location and the expected details of the investigation.
  
  There was far less on the lives of Banks and his family, and it tinkers on the edges of his romantic interests. I will continue to work my way through this very solid, well-written series.
• 
  Scribblegirl

  I can tell you without having to look it up that Peter Robinson is in his 50's. And probably going thru male menopause.
  
  I can tell you this because his main character, Inspector Alan Banks, is in *his* 50's and seems to be going through male menopause, and because Robinson is obsessed with making sure I know every single excruciating detail of Banks' fictional life, from what he has at mealtimes to the hipness level of the music Banks is listening to, including song title, band/artist name, and which album said song can be found on in the real world. It's unbefrigginglievably, relentlessly, tedious.
  
  In addition to Robinson's obsession with the mundane details of his main character's life - the one with which he so painfully obviously identifies - there are the unrelated leaps in plot "logic" to contend with, and two stories which must be related, but which, halfway thru this excruciating read, are not yet connected to each other. Add in female characters who are unbelievably uptight and unrealistic, and you have a book I'm only reading because I've nothing else in the house to occupy my scant free moments with.
  
  I find it mind-boggling that Robinson has actually written something like 18 of these horrendous Banks yarns and that at least one of them was a bestseller. He is, without a doubt, one of the WORST writers I have ever had the misfortune to read. It makes me angry legions of trees were sacrificed for the publication of a single one of his stories, let alone all the ones that have been published, in all their various formats. If I could give this travesty a negative star count, I would. Don't waste your time.
  
  update: finished this book and promptly ripped it to shreds to save anyone else who might chance it. dreck.
• 
  Bill

  Peter Robinson's 17th DCI Banks novel is yet another strong entry in this great series. Robinson once again shows tremendous skill, as he weaves two separate plots into one seamlessly entertaining police procedural story.
  The author continues to build on the lives of the regulars, while making new characters & even the minor ones completely believable. I'm very much looking forward to reading the 18th DCI Banks novel, & the 19th & the......well, you get the idea!
  
• 
  Paradoxe

  - Ξέρατε όμως ότι ήταν νεκρή;
  - Ναι. Το κατάλαβα. Κάτι… κάτι λείπει, έτσι δεν είναι; Μια απόλυτη απουσία.
  
  Ακόμα και σε ιστορίες που έχουν λίγα να πουν, είναι ευχάριστο να συναντάς συγγραφείς που ντύνονται επιτυχώς μέσα στους χαρακτήρες που έχουν καλλιεργήσει. Αυτό κάνει και ετούτο το βιβλίο καλό, στο είδος του. Είναι καθαρό αστυνομικό με ικανοποιητικούς διαλόγους που ρέουν α��ίαστα και χαρακτήρες με ρεαλιστική δυναμική. Μεγάλο αβαντάζ αποτελεί η ανάπτυξη και η χρήση του χαρακτήρα της Γουίνσομ. Συντηρητική, χωρίς γκρίζες ζώνες με μια μονοκόμματη αντίληψη της γλώσσας. Η αποτύπωση και η μεταμόρφωση του συγγραφέα, σε Γουίνσομ, είναι εξαιρετική.
  
  Οι χειρισμοί στις λεπτομέρειες του ψηφιδωτού των διαπροσωπικών σχέσεων είναι ακριβέστατη και το βιβλίο παραμένει αυτάρκες μέσα στους κανόνες του αστυνομικού και μου δημιούργησε την επιθυμία να θέλω να διαβάσω κάτι πέρα απ’ το αστυνομικό, αλλά ακόμη κι έτσι η ανελαστικότητα με την οποία μένει προσηλωμένο στο είδος, είναι πικάντικη και δεν αφήνει ανασφάλειες ότι δε θα περάσεις καλά.
  
  Η ανακρίβεια στην περίληψη σχετικά με την εκρηκτική έλξη των πρωταγωνιστών ντετέκτιβ δεν είναι καθόλου ακριβής, διότι δε μπορεί καν να αποτυπώσει τη σταθερή και βαθύτερη διάσταση, με ένα τρόπο που ευχαριστεί διότι αφορά πολυεπίπεδες σχέσεις πραγματικών ανθρώπων και όχι χάρτινες φιγούρες για τα άρλεκιν.
  
  Τέλος, το κίνητρο του δολοφόνου παρουσιάζει ενδιαφέρον κι ιδίως επειδή χάρη σε μια μικρή παραλλαγή ξεφεύγει απ’ τα κλισέ του είδους. Με ευχαρίστησε η ιστορία και πέρασα πολύ διασκεδαστικά. Δεν έψαχνα κάτι περισσότερο απ’ το αστυνομικό σε εκείνη τη φάση, όμως επειδή μου δημιούργησε την προσδοκία να θέλω και να περιμένω κάτι περισσότερο σε επίπεδο διαπροσωπικών σχέσεων, γι’ αυτό τελικά κάτι έμεινε εν μέρει, ανικανοποίητο.
  
• 
  Tina Culbertson

  Once again we have two separate murder investigations going on here. In my opinion, his writing gets better with each book. So far there are currently 23 DCI Banks books out and I’m on a mission to catch up with the series. Then I can eagerly await publication of the newest book in the future.
  
  This book, Friend of the Devil, is number 17 in the series.
  
  DI Annie Cabbot has been loaned out to neighboring police force but she is in touch with Eastvale Police as the two investigations appear to relate to one another.
  
  Alan Banks is paired with obnoxious DS Kevin Templeton and one of my new favorite characters, Winsome Jackman. Winsome is a 6 foot black female detective hailing from Jamaica. You can imagine the stir she causes in the quiet Yorkshire dales since they’ve never had any ethnicity in the police force before.
  
  In Banks’ investigation we have a collage-aged drunken female who was found raped and murdered in The Maze. There are many suspects but the murderer wasn’t who I thought it would be. Great job of keeping that a mystery up until the end. I wish he had written about the murdered girl’s family again though, see them have closure.
  
  Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot’s investigation involves a wheel-chair bound woman who had her throat slit. Why would anyone want to harm a paraplegic? That is revealed, as well as a blast-from-the-past from a previous book, when they discover the murderer in this case.
  
  At the 60% mark there was a huge twist and surprise! As always what I love about Alan Banks is the dedication to the job as well as his personal life interests of literature, music and food. Reading some reviews there are folks who only want the murder investigation and have zero interest in the personal life and loves of our detectives. I like the balance of knowing who these people are when they aren’t working. It makes them more rounded characters for me.
  
  There was quite a bit of food mentioned in this book as many discussions take place in a pub. At one point Banks meet someone in a wine bar and enjoyed a good wine and baked brie with toasted baguette. Yorkshire puddings, sausages, vegetarian meals, Black Sheep ales and more.
• 
  Eadie Burke

  This novel was about 2 separate murders that in the end came together and were linked to murders from 18 years ago. The plot had lots of twists and turns and kept the pages turning right up to the very surprising ending. I would recommend reading Aftermath and Caedmon's Song before reading this one as some of the characters were connected to the characters in those two books. I now look forward to reading the next installment in the Inspector Banks series and I highly recommend this series to those who like mystery suspense thrillers and suggest that you read them in order.
  4.5 stars
• 
  [ J o ]

  Just another one of those nondescript crime fiction books with a protagonist that is neither particularly smart or great at relationships, and a plot that relies on things just happening as opposed to anyone working things out, science-related or otherwise. The same kind of crime, the same kind of characters, the same kind of decent enough writing but not great enough to be anything except escapism. He can't write women, though. They're either victims or Victorian prudes.
• 
  Nancy

  I really enjoyed every part of this book. Started reading toward the end of the Inspector Banks series and am now going back to book one to try to put the history with the main character. From other reviews, it appears Robinson's book get better as they progress so I feel lucky to have started where I did.
• 
  Allie

  Robinson's latest thriller in paperback, it seems rushed and ill-conceived. There are too many coincidences, too many pat answers, too simple a conclusion. I was not satisfied and I hope for better from Robinson's next novel.
• 
  Clare O'Beara

  I have enjoyed earlier books in this series more, but this is still a well crafted set of cases.
  
  I was surprised by Annie Cabot's going off the rails and as much by the younger lad she picks up almost stalking her after she makes it clear she's not interested. Couldn't he find a girl his own age?
  Banks comes across as purposeless outside his job and starts an unlikely relationship with a much younger lady.
  
  The crimes are serious but it's odd how this Eastvale station doesn't tackle tractor theft, cannabis growhouses or other major crimes. Just bizarre deaths. I did feel too many crimes were being shoehorned into the tale, past and present. And if a girl is killed in a maze of dark lanes in town, why is no council official involved, when you would expect them to be under pressure to put up serious lighting for public safety.
  
  This is a complex and maybe over-clever tale with a lot of names to keep straight and case files expanding like concertinas, so not the best place to start the series.
• 
  Baba

  DCI Alan Banks' 17th case opens with the brutal rape and murder of a young women on a Saturday night / early Sunday morning, less than 5 minutes from Banks' police station. Meanwhile DI Anne Cabbot working in another region is investigating the murder of a quadriplegic, former prime suspect from an earlier book. The two cases overlap at points in this, yet another fine, and grim piece of work from Robinson. 7 out of 12
  
• 
  Rudy Rallis

  Γιατί άραγε δεν έχουν μεταφραστεί και τα υπόλοιπα της σειράς στα ελληνικα; Γιατί έχουμε τα άπαντα του Nesbο, και όχι και του Robinson; Κατά την ταπεινή μου άποψη, και έχοντας διαβάσει μόνο ένα από τη σειρά με τον επιθεωρητή Banks , είναι ανώτερη από τη σειρά με τον Hole...
• 
  Cybercrone

  This one got a little too convoluted for my taste and all the characters are navel-gazing and angsty. Otherwise standard Robinson.
• 
  Kathy

  So that is my fill of Peter Robinson for a time. I did enjoy the production of the Banks series a bit more than the reading if I can count on my memory. This book had some gruesome and rather inappropriate sexual content, e.g. comments about heightened sexual fulfillment reported by young women of the time who favored Brazilians...made by the female pathologist to Banks...Really?!
  How far have I fallen? Bad enough reading of raped and murdered young women, violated in every possible way, but then having this kind of discussion while dissecting a body...No more, thanks.
  
  Now I MUST message my daughter not to read this review as it coud sicken her dear sensitive soul.
• 
  Mara Pemberton

  I know I should have listened to this series in order, but when you download books from Overdrive or one of the other library download programs, you don't always have a choice in which books the library has that you can download because of archaic laws or copyright laws, and the whim of publishers.
• 
  Karen Brooks

  Number 17 in the Inspector Banks canon, Friend of the Devil, was the first of Robinson’s books that I’d seen as a TV show (terrific) before reading. As a consequence, I read the novel with a sense of knowing the outcome but not being one hundred per cent sure – and that’s the beauty of book to TV translations, they are never quite the same. The book, of course, has far more detail, takes time to unpack scenes and explore characters inner thoughts in a way the TV cannot. So, even though I “knew” the story, there was a sense in which I didn’t and that made reading a double pleasure.
  The novel commences with DI Annie Cabbot being called to the vicious death of a wheelchair bound woman by the sea. When she discovers the identity of the woman who is linked to an old and horrific case that first introduced Annie into Bank’s life, the stakes change. This is a high profile case where, it’s felt, justice has at last been served. But that doesn’t change the fact that a murderer has struck and must be brought to justice. At the same time, Banks is called to investigate the murder of a beautiful, clever and popular young woman who is found in an area known as The Maze in Eastvale.
  At first, there seems to be nothing in common with the two cases but, as the investigations proceed and both Banks and Annie are forced to think outside the square, commonalities begin to emerge – commonalities that lead them to discover the lies that have kept dark secrets hidden, and that the killer or killers are closer than they thought.
  What I love about Robinson’s books, apart from the cases themselves, is that he also delves into and as a consequence develops, the personal lives and friendships between the central characters. Banks and Cabbot have had a rather tumultuous personal relationship and, in this book, it’s no exception with Annie making mistakes, feeling judged (something which she is perfectly capable of doing to herself and far more harshly than those close to her, despite what she thinks) and failing to trust those who only have her best interests at heart. Likewise, Banks doesn’t know how to recapture the friendship he’s enjoyed with Annie nor reconcile the loss he feels now that their intimate relationship has ended.
  Nonetheless, this doesn’t directly affect their ability to work together as a team nor acknowledge each other’s strengths just as they accept each other’s weaknesses. Something all the officers do to a greater and lesser degree.
  Another fine addition to such a consistently strong and utterly readable series.
  
• 
  Damaskcat

  If you are reading this series out of order make sure you read number 12 - 'Aftermath' before you read this one as it gives away the ending of that book and is a continuation of it in many ways. DI Annie Cabbot is on loan to Eastern Area and is working in the murder of a woman in a wheelchair on a cliff at Whitby. She couldn't have got there by herself and it wasn't suicide so who would have had a motive to do the deed? Meanwhile, back in Eastvale, DCI Banks is involved in the brutal rape and murder of a young woman in an alley which is part of an area of the town known as The Maze.
  
  Annie and Alan are not getting on well but neither is quite sure why. But two investigations which look as though they could be linked in ways which are far from clear mean they really do need to talk to each other and compare notes. This is a gripping and well written novel with plenty of nail biting moments and a very tense conclusion. No one will be the same when the murderer or murderers are discovered.
  
  If you enjoy crime stories with believable and likeable characters, excellent plots which are very well written with plenty of psychological depth to them then this could be the series you are looking for. I have been reading them back to back now for the last couple of months and I am still enjoying them - which is always the test of a good series.
• 
  Thomas Stroemquist

  Another solid entry in the Banks series. A seemingly inexplicable murder of a severely disabled woman in a wheelchair is investigated by Annie Cabbott, while Banks is on the grisly and violent rape and killing of a young girl. The developments unexpectedly ties the two together. Some real mystery solving and a lot of complications in the professional and private lives of the main cast makes this one a great addition to the series.
• 
  Virginie

  Clever and full of surprises ! I loved it... DCI Banks never fails to entertain me !!
• 
  Christine

  Perhaps I shouldn't start a series with #17. But honestly, it really does feel a bit like punish the women for not dating Banks.
• 
  T. Fowler

  It held my interest well throughout but there seemed to be too many characters and too many things going on at once. Still, I enjoyed it.
• 
  David Lowther

  A Banks book I hadn’t previously read.
  Pretty good thriller but on this occasion the two linked cases didn’t quite work, one on Banks’ turf and the other on Annie’s where she was on temporary placement.
  Still the detail was interesting and the baggage (Banks and Annie) promising (eventually).
  
  David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at WaR and The Summer of ‘39, all published by Sacristy Press.
• 
  Alexa ❤️

  4 Stars
  
  "Jesus Christ," whispered Annie. "Lucy Payne. The Friend of the Devil. That changes everything." (Annie Cabbot page 130).
  
  Whilst DCI Banks is investigating the rape and murder of 19 year old student Hayley Daniels which has no end of suspects who were all enamoured by her beauty.
  
  DI Annie Cabbot investigates the murder of quadriplegic Karen Drew. Who would want to murder a wheel chair bound woman who couldn't talk?!
  
  Two seemingly different murders miles apart and yet Banks and Annie can't help but see there's a connection between them.
• 
  Amy

  Intriguing plot ruined by poor storytelling. We don’t need to know every item in every course of every meal. We don’t need to know every track of every album that plays, and whether it’s on CD or mp3. It makes no sense for a strong, independent, free-spirited female DI to inexplicably metamorphose into a tantrum-throwing alcoholic. This novel feels like Robinson took several terrific plot points and interesting characters, tossed them into a blender, and published the result without regard for clarity.
  
  My two cents, make of them what you will.