First published 2011
Inspector Alan Banks faces two challenging cases in this paired collection. In the first investigation, a drought reveals long-buried secrets when human remains surface in a dried reservoir. Banks must untangle decades-old mysteries while dealing with his own personal struggles. The second case draws him into the murder of a dedicated schoolteacher in a small Yorkshire village. Banks navigates local tensions and hidden motives as he searches for the killer. Both investigations test his detective skills and force him to confront the darkness that lurks beneath seemingly peaceful communities. The cases reveal how past actions echo through time, affecting present lives in unexpected ways.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, cold-case, small-town
Setting: Yorkshire
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
Paperback · Pan Books