Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Mar 2009
368 pages
Genre: Thrillers
Publication Information
When the body of a man is discovered hanging from a tree in the woods near
Eastvale, all signs point toward suicide. At least that's what it initially
looks like to Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot.
The man is soon identified as Mark Hardcastle, the set and costume designer for
the local amateur theater company. Mark was successful and well liked in the
community, but enough remains mysterious about his background that suicide isn't
completely out of the question. But when Mark's older and wealthier lover is
discovered bludgeoned to death in his home, Annie begins to think differently.
Could it have been a crime of passion, or did overwhelming grief lead to a man
taking his own life? Increasingly confounded, she calls in the vacationing Chief
Inspector Alan Banks—even if it means prying him away from his new girlfriend.
Once on the investigation, Banks finds himself plunged into a case where nothing
is as it seems. More and more his own words about the victim's latest
production, Othello, are coming back to haunt him, for "jealousy,
betrayal, envy, ambition, greed, lust, revenge—all the colors of darkness" are
quickly becoming his world as well.
"Robinson deftly integrates the requisite espionage elements with his regular cast. The unexpected cliffhanger will assure readers that this chapter in Banks's life is far from over." - Publishers Weekly.
"Starred Review. Even the most loyal fans of the series...will wonder if Banks has finally gotten in over his head. Best-selling author Robinson ... branches out into new territory in what may be his best novel yet. " - Library Journal.
"Robinson shows a deft hand at using forensic science, conflict between characters, and recurring series themes. Another winner from one of Britain’s established A-listers." - Booklist.
This information about All the Colors of Darkness was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Marion Ettlinger
Peter Robinson was a Canadian crime writer born in Britain. He is best known for his crime novels set in Yorkshire featuring Inspector Alan Banks.
He has also published a number of other novels and short stories as well as some poems and two articles on writing. He was the winner of numerous awards in the United States, Britain and Canada. He died in October 2022 aged 72.
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