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Friend of the Devil

May 19th, 2008 Mary K. - Central

Peter Robinson consistently produces appealing and well written character driven mysteries.  In the latest book, Friend of the Devil, DCI Alan Banks and Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot ( familar characters from previous books), are both investigating crimes that eventually turn out to have a connection.  Cabbot is on loan to another precinct and is called to investigate a murdered paraplegic, who is found on a cliff with her throat slashed.  In Eastvale, Banks and his team are investigating the rape and murder of a young woman. 

Cabbot discovers that her victim, Lucy Payne was involved in a serial killing case (investigated in Aftermath).  Lucy is the “friend of the devil” because of her role in assisting her husband in abduction, torture and possibly murder.  This brings back a lot of memories from that case to both Banks and Cabbot, which in the end help them solve all of the killings.

This book could be appreciated without reading any other of Robinson’s books, but readers who have read some of the others in the series, now numbering 17 titles, will probably enjoy it most.  Robinson allows us to get to know his characters, flaws and all, and he also writes suspenseful mysteries that are hard to put down.

Entry Filed under: Mystery