First published 2009
Inspector Alan Banks and his colleague Annie Cabbot arrive at a crime scene in the Yorkshire town of Eastvale. Two men are dead: wealthy retired civil servant Laurence Silbert and young set designer Mark Hardcastle. The pair had been lovers, their relationship seemingly happy despite the age gap. Banks begins investigating what drove both men to their deaths. The case takes a sharp turn when Banks discovers that Silbert worked for MI6, Britain's secret intelligence service. Government agents quickly remove Banks from the investigation. They fear he will uncover classified operations that must remain buried. Banks refuses to back down. He finds himself trapped in a dangerous game where trust becomes a luxury he cannot afford. Jealousy and intimidation follow his every move as he navigates the shadowy world of espionage. The deeper Banks digs, the more he realizes that some secrets kill to protect themselves.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, espionage
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, government-conspiracy, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Eastvale, Yorkshire
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
343 pages · Paperback · Bruna
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence, murder