In
this latest paperback edition of the best-selling Inspector
Banks Novel series featuring British Detective Chief Inspector
Alan Banks, we meet a bad boy so seductive he entices a cop’s
daughter to run away with him as he eludes the authorities.
In this case, it’s especially shocking because the young
woman is Tracy Banks, Alan’s daughter, who’s going
through a rebellious phase and calling herself Francesca.
Good looking, smooth with the ladies, and loaded with wads
of cash, Jaff comes across to others as edgy, but Tracy and
her friends have no idea just how bad this bad boy really
is. As with all of Robinson’s novels, this one includes
descriptions so vivid, readers will feel the attraction and
repulsion as we experience Tracy’s ever-evolving relationship
with Jaff.
When Banks returns from a vacation in America, he’s
faced with a dual crisis: his partner (and former lover) Annie
Cabbot has been critically wounded by a shooter and may not
survive; and his daughter is missing and presumed to be in
the company of Jaff, the suspect in Annie’s attack.
That the shooting occurred at Alan’s own home makes
the tragedy even worse. Although readers know Tracy’s
infatuation with Jaff turns into fear and disgust as she changes
from his friend to his lover, and ultimately to his prisoner,
Banks and the staff at headquarters can only surmise what’s
going on with the mismatched pair on the run.
There’s another thread in the story involving a loaded
gun found in the home of former neighbors of the Banks family
– a gun that triggers the rest of the story. This particular
novel deviates from the usual Inspector Banks series because
there’s no mystery for readers to solve. We know immediately
who the bad boy is, and soon learn of what he’s capable.
There are some loose ends to tie and connections to make,
but it’s not quite the same. This book is more about
following police procedures, watching characters develop over
time, and marveling at how Robinson plots the story so intricately
and masterfully.
Though not a typical Inspector Banks installment, Bad
Boy provides a fascinating study of how bad boys operate
and why good girls like them...for a little while anyway.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Cold
is the Grave #11
Aftermath,
#12
Close
to Home #13
Playing
Fire #14
Strange Affair #15 [audio]
[book1
] [book2
]
Piece
of My Heart #16
Friend
of the Devil #17
All the Colors of Darkness #18
Bad Boy
#19
In The Dark Places #22 [review
1] [review
2]
When The Music's Over #23 [review
1] [review
2] |