Part of Inspector Banks, book 13
First published 2003
Detective Chief Inspector Banks carries a burden that has weighed on him for over three decades. His best friend Graham vanished years ago, and Banks believes he may have caused the disappearance that likely ended in death. The guilt never left him. Now working in Yorkshire, Banks finds himself drowning in police work that pushes him toward his breaking point. The job demands everything from him while exposing him constantly to brutal violence and the darkest aspects of human nature. Each case brings him closer to people at their worst moments, and the accumulated weight of witnessing so much cruelty threatens his sanity. The detective who once lost his closest friend now risks losing himself to a profession that consumes those who care too much. Banks must navigate the treacherous waters between his professional duties and his personal demons, all while the memory of Graham haunts his every decision.
Genres: mystery, crime, detective, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: dark-protagonist, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Yorkshire
Period: over three decades
586 pages · Hardcover · Thorndike Press
Content warnings: mental-illness, violence