Part of Inspector Banks, book 14
First published 2004
Chief Inspector Alan Banks arrives at the Eastvale canal on a frigid January morning. Two barges have burned through the night. Among the wreckage, Banks and Inspector Annie Cabbot find two bodies: a young drug addict and a failed artist. The fire appears deliberately set, but the victims seem unlikely targets for murder. Banks begins piecing together their final hours, searching for connections between the dead strangers. As the investigation deepens, another mysterious fire strikes Eastvale while the ashes from the canal still smolder. The pattern suggests an arsonist with a specific agenda, but the motive remains hidden. Banks must work quickly to prevent more deaths. The case pulls him into Eastvale's underground world of addiction and artistic failure, where desperation drives people to dangerous choices.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, investigation
Setting: Eastvale
Period: January
368 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use