Watching the Dark

November 5, 2012
The crossbow murder of Det. Insp. Bill Quinn on the grounds of St. Peter's Police Convalescence and Treatment Center outside Leeds propels Robinson's highly satisfying 20th novel featuring Det. Chief Insp. Alan Banks (after 2010's Bad Boy). Compromising photos of Quinn with a possibly underage female and rumors that he was a "bent copper" cast doubts on his integrity, and lead to Insp. Joanna Passero from Professional Standards joining the investigation. Possible links to a case that haunted Quinn, the unsolved disappearance of a young West Yorkshire woman in Tallinn, Estonia, six years earlier, and a second murder related to the first prompt Banks and Passero to travel to Tallinn in search of clues. Meanwhile, Det. Insp. Annie Cabbot, now recovered from injuries suffered in a previous book, provides solid help on the home front. Though not up to Robinson's best, this entry smoothly blends careful police work and astute psychological observations. Agent: Dominick Abel, Dominick Abel Literary.