Somewhat slow paced investigation of Human trafficking, drugs and anti-immigration. ( )

What was Brian’s big news?
Another solid Banks mystery. ( )

It's not often that one reads a mystery with more unsolved murders at the end than at the beginning, but that's what we have with Peter Robinson's “Many Rivers to Cross” (2020).

Despite the fact that murders seem to happen in mostly rural Eastvale faster than Detective Superintendent Alan Banks can solve them, he is an excellent police detective and this novel, like others in the long series, is outstanding.

The main case involves an unidentified boy in his early teens who has been stabbed to death and left in a dumpster. He appears to be of Middle Eastern descent, but such families are still rare in this part of England. So who is he, what was he doing in the area and who could have had a reason to kill him?

Then the body of an aging drug addict is found in an old house. Drug overdose or possibly murder? And might this death have anything to do with the other one?

Meanwhile Robinson develops a subplot that actually becomes more exciting than the main event. Zelda, a recurring character in these novels, had been kidnapped and turned into a sex slave when a teenager. Now free, she uses her uncanny ability to never forget a face to help Banks and others identify those involved in the slave trade. But when she spots one of the men who kidnaped her and abused her terribly, will she report him to the police or seek personal revenge?

Finally there is a wealthy developer who enjoys associating with gangsters and who owns the house in which the old man died. And his car was spotted in the vicinity where the boy's body was found. Is he somehow tied up in the whole mess?

Even after so many books Banks remains a fascinating character whose passion for music and desire for a woman to share his life with bubble up whenever there is the slightest break in his work. Reading this novel just makes one want to read the next one all the more, especially with all those unsolved murders left at the end. ( )

I do enjoy a good DCI Alan Banks novel.
I havent really read them in order.

This is the story of Zelda a friend of Banks she was kidnapped into the Sex trade at a young age.
She managed to escape and make a good life for herself in the UK.
She works for the National Crime Agency and has a really good memory for faces.
She is still out for revenge and wont rest till she catches the gang that held her for so long.

Meanwhile in Eastvale an old Junkie has a fatal overdose and a young Syrian boy is found murdered in a Wheelie bin.
At first there is no connection but DCI Banks and his team keep digging. There is a County lines involvement.

There is an Albanian gang trying to muscle in on Eastvale's patch.

Spoiler alert

Zelda finds one of the dodgy people trafficers called Goran Tadic she poisons him then stabs him to death in a Hotel room.
The old Junkie died of natural causes.
The young Syrian boy Samir was killed by 2 local youths who were a bit racist and thrown in the bin.

(The constant reference about Brexit and the type of music that DCI Banks listens to is rather annoying) ( )

Very easy to read, but perhaps a bit bland, a bit cliched. Not very memorable. ( )