Inspector Alan Banks is promoted and assigned to solve cold case mysteries, specifically, previously, 50-years ago, a past celebrity Danny Caxton, is now in his 80's. Previously he was quite the popular tv host. With an ego as high as the sky, he believed his popularity allowed him to rape and assult young girls that he sets sights on.

Inspector Banks assistant Annie Cabot is working with him, but also trying to solve a different case. Her case entails a young 14 year old girl who was violently picked up, raped by multiple men and then thrown out of the vehicle. But, her terrible night did not end there. She was picked up by another man who beat her to death.

Both cases are gritty and the writing is very detailed. This is my first book in this series. Because I liked the writing, I will seek other books in the series. The book has twists and turns that kept me interested.

I liked the way the two characters worked together to help each other. ( )

When the Music’s Over by Peter Robinson is the 23rd book in the Inspector Alan Banks series, and for me, these books continue to deliver in both story and writing.

In this outing Robinson turns to the headlines and creates a case that has Banks investigating the 50 year old sex crimes of a celebrity. Ex-pop singer and well known television host, Danny Caxton is in his eighties now, but when young and famous apparently thought he had the right to assault and rape young girls. Meanwhile DI Annie Cabot, Bank’s right hand when it comes to Homicide and Serious Crimes, is working a murder case where a 14 year old girl was tossed out of a van after being raped by multiple men. She was then apparently picked up by another driver who proceeded to beat and kick her to death. Each case comes with it’s own conundrums and has Banks and Annie working long hours developing their cases and interrogating witnesses and suspects.

I have been a fan of this series since the first book was published in 2000. Although the author recently passed away, I am thankful that I still have a few more books from the series to read as I find they just keep getting better. In When the Music’s Over, the author deals with sensitive issues that include racism and the treatment of minors. The story is dark and gritty and the two cases which at first seem very different are actually similar in that both are about exploiting people and preying on their weaknesses. ( )

SWEDISH REVIEW

När musiken tystnar är den tredje boken jag har läst i Alan Banks serien. Jag var lite oroad att jag inte skulle gilla denna bok så mycket då jag läste föregående bok förra året (och jag hade helt glömt bort att jag hade läst en bok tidigare i serien) och för att vara ärligt så fann jag inte berättelsen i den boken speciellt engagerande. Så, det var med en viss mån oro som jag tog itu med denna bok. Jag hoppades att När musiken tystnar skulle funka bättre för mig. Jag hade tur, båda fallen i denna bok var intressanta och jag finner att Alan Banks och Annie Cabbot är båda intressanta karaktärer att läsa om.

Nyligen befordrade Alan Banks tar sig ann ett fall där en känd person anklagas för våldtäkt, men då det skedde för över 40 år sedan så är det svårt att bevisa det, om nu inte Banks kan finna bevis eller vittna till saken. Annie Cabbot i sin tur jobbar med mordet på en tonårsflicka. Båda fallen var intressanta att följa, även om jag tycker att Cabbots fall var en aning mer intressant. Jag tror det hela lista ut vem som är mördaren är helt enkelt något som jag finner mer intressant än ett 40 gammalt våldtäktsfall. Men jag måste erkänna att det fallet tog sig vändningar som jag inte hade räknat med.

När musiken tystnar är helt klart en läsvärd bok och det är alltid angenämt att finna en ny bra serie att läsa där ett flertal böcker har publicerats!

Tack till Forum bokförlag för recensionsexemplaret!

ENGLISH REVIEW

When the Music's Over is the third book I have read in the Alan Banks series. I was a bit worried that I wouldn't enjoy this book so much since I read the previous book in the series last year and to be honest didn't I like the story especially much (And I had forgotten that I had read a book before that). I really hoped that When the Music's Over would work better and I was lucky. Both cases in this book worked great for me and I find myself liking both Alan Banks and Annie Cabbot.

Alan Banks has recently been promoted and he starts his new job with taking on a rape case. The problem is that the women in question were raped over 40 years ago and the man who she is accusing is a well-known man. Banks must find evidence or a witness, which isn't easy because it was so long ago. Annie Cabbot, in turn, works with the murder of a teenage girl. I think that both cases were interesting to follow, but I must admit that the murder case was a bit more interesting. I'm guessing that the whole finding out who the killer is probably something that interests me more than trying to solve a 40 plus-year-old rape case. However, I have to admit that the rape case took some turns that I hadn't expected.

When the Music's Over is definitely a book that I can recommend to anyone liking a good crime novel. I especially like the fact that there are so many books in this series that I haven't read yet!

Thanks to Forum bokförlag for the review copy! ( )

No more inspector Banks mysteries. Too much about cops and less suspense. ( )

As this is number 23 in the series, it shows that I have made an effort to read my way through this series. I think I have about 3 or 4 books left to go. I really enjoy this series. A lot of the books are stellar, especially later in the series. This one, though good, didn't grab me as much as a lot of others have. In it we see Banks with his new title - Detective Superintendent. His first duty as a DS is to investigate what is known as an historical sexual assault case. Someone has come forward accusing an aging popular singer and entertainer of rape which happened when the woman was 14 years of age. It's fifty years later, and she has decided to come forward with this accusation that she has buried deep inside her for decades. At the same time, DI Annie Cabbot is investigating the rape and murder of a fifteen year old girl. The girl has been found lying in a roadside ditch naked and beaten to death. Both cases are not connected other than being similar crimes committed fifty years apart. Really not much has changed in all that time both Annie and Banks determine. Banks' investigation runs into many roadblocks as all of the evidence from the decades old rape has been expunged or it has simply disappeared. Police corruption is the culprit in this one, and most of the key police officers have died by the time Banks gets onto their crimes. But the complainant and the accused are still both very much alive, and Banks and Winsome Jackson troll through historical records and old witnesses that have come forward in order to build their case. In Annie's case, the crime they're investigating, though much more recent, could start a racial altercation in one of Eastvale's notorious tenements. Both Annie and Banks are walking political minefields that could end up derailing their careers. Where this book fell down for me a bit was that I figured out the perpetrator in Annie's case early on, and Banks' case really could have only ended in only one way, and that is how it did indeed end. Except, Banks' case didn't really have a satisfactory ending, and a lot was left up in the air. Regardless, I am looking forward to reading the next in this series. I love Alan Banks and his entire crime-fighting crew. ( )