Much of the book concerns that abduction and the subsequent abduction of another important character. The material concerning the rape is almost totally separate. That is much more of a standard police procedural tale. There are some especially fine characterizations in this part of the book. I cannot believe that I have not come across this author before. I loved his writing and the characters were amazing. It’s not often that one of the main characters is called Zelda – of course, I loved that even if it was a little weird reading about someone with my name. Especially when she is very different to me. And as the threat to Zelda escalates, so does the danger for Banks and those who love her.. ( From McClelland & Stewart) Instead of discovering Connor's murderer, however, the grainy and blurred footage reveals another crime: a brutal rape. If they can discover the woman's identity, it could lead to more than justice for the victim; it could change everything the police think they know about Connor and why anyone would want him dead.

Robinson is an author with amazing empathy, a snare-trap ear for dialogue, and a clear eye for the telling detail."--Michael Connelly The twenty-seventh installment of the #1 bestselling Inspector Banks series by "the grand master of the genre" ( Literary Review), Peter Robinson.The various investigations blur into one another as everything comes to a head. The storylines are disjointed, particularly after Banks is forced to take medical leave. Banks is under intense pressure from internal investigators to spill the goods on Zelda. They clearly don’t believe a word of his story hence his superior protecting Banks by forcing him to stand down temporarily. Does that stop his investigations? Hardly. The complicated plot involves the rape of a young girl at a wild party and five weeks later, the murder of two men—one the host of the party and the other his employee. Further acts of mayhem ensue. DS Banks, DI Annie Cabbot, and DC Gerry Masterson chase down leads, interrogate witnesses, and come to believe that their case may have roots in the past. The most unsettling aspect of this novel is the pleasure that the villains take in torturing and demeaning women. Zelda stands out for her desire to define herself not as a victim, but as an avenger. Although she deserves kudos for courage and daring, not all of her exploits ring true. Complicating matters is the unconventional relationship between Zelda and Ray, Annie Cabbot's father. Ray, an accomplished artist in his seventies, adores Zelda, who cares for him deeply, as well. How have I never read a Peter Robinson book before? I have no idea how I have managed to miss out on this series. Not Dark Yet is the 27th Alan Banks book and only the first one I have ever read. Since I loved this character, I have some catching up to do. Both this book and the preceding volume Careless Love leave matters unsettled, evidently hoping that these cliffhanger endings will ensure that readers will want to read subsequent books. I probably will, but, if it matters, I will do so resentfully. Weinberg Symphony No. 21 “Kaddish, VI Lento – City of Birmingham Symphony Orchstra, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla

The gruesome double murder at an Eastvale property developer's luxury home should be an open and shut case for Superintendent Banks and his team of detectives. There's a clear link to the notoriously vicious Albanian mafia, men who left the country suspiciously soon after the death. Then they find a cache of spy-cam videos hidden in the house - and Annie and Gerry's investigation pivots to the rape of a young girl that could cast the murders in an entirely different light. Zelda plays a very prominent role in all of these books. She had been brought up in an orphanage in Moldova following her parents' death. She left the orphanage when she was seventeen; she was immediately kidnapped and kept as a sex slave for the next ten years. She had finally freed herself by killing her captor. She had eventually made her way to England, begun working as an artist, and met Banks' friend Ray Cabbot, also an artist, and the father of Banks' colleague Annie Cabbot. Despite Ray being significantly older, he and Zelda had joined in a relationship. It had been noted that Zelda was a "super-recognizer," a person with a remarkable ability to recognize faces, whether in person or from a reproduction. Because of this, Zelda became a consultant to a British government office. Revenge, along with the grip the past has on the present and future, underlies the events of Not Dark Yet . Someone(s) enacts revenge on Connor Clive Blaydon, a “crooked property developer,” and “his factotum Neville Roberts.” Blaydon, a Yorkshire businessman of dubious morals, crossed swords with Banks in Many Rivers to Cross .

The story is a strong one. Banks is investigating the death of a property developer and his “butler”. During the investigation, Banks discovers that the man was secretly filming the wild parties he held, including cameras in the bedrooms. And what shows on one of the tapes is a brutal rape. There are some things about this book that I did not like. Banks runs afoul of the Police Conduct division (evidently the British equivalent of Internal Affairs departments in the United States), who suspect that he might have been involved in some nefarious activity. There does not seem to be any particular reason for this, and I think - or hope, at least - that this is exaggerated. I may be assuming too much, but NOT DARK YET seems to be the run-up to the conclusion of Peter Robinson’s series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks of the Eastvale, Yorkshire police force. Robinson has depicted Banks’ aging naturally (for the most part), so this latest installment finds the iconic protagonist somewhat faded, if not weary, as the world around him moves ahead with him. As a result, this book --- the 27th entry in the series --- marks a number of personal passages for Banks, as well as the resolution of a couple of professional cases that have formed an extended story arc over several prior novels. Banks and his team have business to attend to as well - there's been a double murder at a luxury home. The Albanian mafia may have been responsible - and a series of covertly filmed videos that add another layer to the case.