Book Review - Strange Affair By Peter Robinson

STRANGE AFFAIR BY PETER ROBINSON


Strange Affair is my second Inspector Banks novel and the 15th overall, I finished it about a month ago so my memory of it is a bit sketchy.
 It’s hard to review a book that you finished over a month ago but I’ll give it a go.
After the fire that destroyed Banks' cottage and almost cost him his life in the previous book (playing with fire), this one begins with Banks still away from work and dealing with some major issues like PTSD and depression. He receives a message from his estranged younger brother Roy, asking for his help. Banks tries to reach Roy, who lives in London and can't get in touch with him. Banks decides to go to London and see for himself what happened to his rather questionable younger brother.
He finds that the door to Roy's flat is unlocked and Roy's mobile is on the kitchen table, but it's been twelve hours since the frantic voice mail and Banks has no idea where Roy could be. He begins to investigate on his own. Back home in Yorkshire, the body of a young woman is found on an abandoned country road. She had been forced off the road and shot to death. DI Annie Cabot is assigned the case.
A note with Alan Banks' old address is found in the back pocket of her jeans, so Annie is tasked with trying to find Banks. They meet up in London, and they find out that their two cases are somehow linked. Both of them are doing their own investigation and they find themselves in the dangerous underworld of prostitution, smuggling and human trafficking.
Things get very dicey for both of them, and Banks suffers another unimaginable loss when his brother Roy winds up floating in the river Thames, this causes  Annie to worry about his well-being and Banks is pulled off the case ,but Annie does keep him informed.

This is a very interesting novel which shows us more about the relationship of Alan Banks and his brother Roy. I feel that this book really excels in all areas, character development, plot, suspense, dialogue, and atmosphere. The story was well-paced and Robinson throws enough curveballs  to keep you guessing  until the very end.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes police procedurals.

 Now I’ve finished the Jack Reacher books I need something to fill the void and from the 2 books I’ve read so far the Inspector Banks novels may well the series for the job.