SUSPENSE
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Title page of the first quarto of Othello, published 1622
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MI-5, often called Spooks, a popular UK television program
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The Sandbaggers:
British television drama series about men and women on the front lines
of the Cold War. Set contemporaneously with its original broadcast on
ITV in 1978 and 1980
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Headquarters of
MI-5. Thames House's
Millbank entrance, Westminster, London.
MI-5 is roughly the equivalent in the US to the FBI and MI-6 to the CIA.
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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Merrimon Book Reviews
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All the Colors of Darkness
Hardcover
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Mass Market Paperback
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by Peter Robinson
Are first appearances what they seem?
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks is on
vacation with his new girlfriend Sophia when Detective Inspector Annie
Cabot is dispatched to Hindswell Woods to investigate an apparent
suicide in a remote beautiful landscape. Although no immediate
clues reveal any foul play, further investigation into the life of Mark
G. Hardcastle puts a kink into the case when routine inquiries lead to
the badly beaten body of Laurence Silbert of Castleview Heights, one of
the more posh areas of town. With the case now in need of a more
delicate handling of media coverage, DCI Banks returns from his
vacation, at the very least, to have the appearance of a more senior
officer on the case. Or is there more to this than meets the
eye? At first glance, the murders seem to be a lover's tiff
turned violent into a murder-suicide. When Detective Superintendent Catherine
Gervaise puts on the pressure to close the case, Alan Banks will not be
stopped in his inquiries, especially not when a hint from the victim's
mother and a hint of possible secret service involvement start his mind
rolling. Alan Banks has a reputation for
getting to the truth. A clue from Othello, a play being staged at
the theatre where Mark worked, starts Banks thinking about a possible
third party involvement, but along the way, the interference of the
intelligence services complicates the case in a way that puts Banks and
all those close to him in danger.
Peter Robinson's ALL THE COLORS OF
DARKNESS presents a case that will thrill lovers of British
espionage drama with its echoes of MI-5, The Sandbaggers and John Le
Carre. Not only does he cite these references but fans of MI-5
will notice specific scenes which pay homage to the series, providing a
sense of underlying subtle humor and heightened eerieness. How
wonderful to see the perspective of the local police in these
scenes! Alan Bank's thoughts about the changing face of the
Seceret Intelligence Service as it moves from the days of the Cold War
and gentlemen agents to today's world add a depth to ALL THE COLORS OF
DARKNESS that makes the espionage trail more than just a historical
catalogue of espionage titles. For readers unfamiliar with these
dramas, some of the cleverness of Peter Robinson's new work will not be
immediately available upon first reading but for British fans, this
aspect of the investigtion is a pure delight! Theatre buffs will
also appreciate the more and subtle references to Othello that
undergird this mystery.
ALL THE COLORS OF DARKNESS
looks into the darker sides of human jealousy, not just between
individuals but between organizations. Alan Banks seeks out the
truth, following every possible complication, with a passion that has
him facing down a suspect even when his theory seems a lost cause, even
when his own life may be in danger. ALL THE COLORS OF DARKNESS
will appeal to readers looking for a complex mystery that will
challenge with all its intersecting aspects. Peter Robinson
creates several threads that keep the reader guessing until the
haunting final page and beyond. Are things what they really
seem? ALL THE COLORS OF
DARKNESS will appeal to readers who like not just the solving of
a crime, but a work that provokes with its tantalizing, unanswered
questions.
ALL THE COLORS OF DARKNESS
works as a stand-alone to readers new to his Alan Banks series more
than some of his other works such as FRIEND
OF THE DEVIL. However, as a growing fan of Peter
Robinson's novels, I notice that each additional one I read adds
another layer of enjoyment for an individual book and the series as a
whole. Peter Robinson fans will appreciate the ongoing
development of the relationship between Alan Banks and Annie Cabot as
well as the new difficulties the case brings to the personal
relationships of the officers. The character of Detective
Superintendent Catherine Gervaise provides some very nice
wrinkles indeed to the portrait of the superior clamping down on her
subordinates and attempting to clear the case load. Although this case brings a new facet to
the the cases now brought before the local police and Alan Banks
specifically that might throw readers expecting a work more closely
tied to Bank's typical cases, other fans will appreciate ALL THE COLORS OF DARKNESS as a
wonderful addition to Peter Robinson's ability to create a complex case
that delves into difficult nuances and subcurrents as seemingly
unrelated clues converge. For American fans of Peter Robinson who
also love British espionage television like myself, ALL THE COLORS OF DARKNESS is a
special treat. ALL THE COLORS
OF DARKNESS reaffirms Peter Robinson's clever skill and
originality in his ability to both play and diverge from known
classics, adding a new unsettling perspective in the solving of crime
in today's world.
Publisher: William Morrow (February 2009); Mass
Market Paperback: Harper (February 23, 2010)
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
Review Courtesy of Amazon Vine
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