Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks has recently moved to the Yorkshire Dales from London to escape the stress of the metropolis. But he soon finds that life in the country is not quite as idyllic as he had imagined. A peeping Tom is frightening the women of Eastvale. Two glue-sniffing thugs are breaking into homes. An old woman may or may not have been murdered. In addition, Banks has to deal with his attraction to a young psychologist Jenny Fuller....

A shocking mass murder occurs at a wedding in a small Dales church and a huge manhunt follows. Eventually, the shooter is run to ground and things take their inevitable course. But Banks is plagued with doubts as to exactly what happened outside the church that day, and why. Struggling with the death of his first serious girlfriend and the return of profiler Jenny Fuller into his life, Banks feels the need to dig deeper into the murders, and as he...

Late November, 1980. Student Nick Hartley returns from a lecture to find his house full of police officers. As he discovers that his ex-girlfriend has been found murdered in a nearby park, and her new boyfriend is missing, he realises two things in quick succession: he is undoubtedly a suspect as he has no convincing alibi, and he has his own suspicions as to what might have happened... Late November, 2019. A dig near Scotch Corner unearths a skeleton...

In the early hours of the morning a man reports a fire on two old canal boats. A firefighter notices accelerant has been used but by the time Banks arrives only the wreckage remains. A body has been found on each vessel and all the evidence points to a deliberate arson attack.

A faceless corpse is discovered in a tranquil, hidden valley below the village of Swainshead. Inspector Banks is sent to investigate but he finds that no-one is willing to talk.

Ex-college lecturer Gavin Miller is found dead; his distorted body strewn across a disused railway track near his home. There's no sign of a struggle, and no concrete evidence except for one distinguishing package: 5,000 of cash, tucked inside the man's pocket. But when DCI Banks delves into Miller's past, he uncovers a troubled existence tarnished by accusations of abuse and misconduct which throws up an array of puzzling questions. What really occurred...

The 23rd mystery to feature DCI Banks, a series which has been adapted into the ITV series }DCI Banks{. Set in the Yorkshire Dales, it explores the topical crimes of a historical case of child abuse. 'The Alan Banks mystery-suspense novels are the best series on the market.' Stephen King

When Juliet Doyle discovers a gun in her daughter's bedroom, she turns to old friend DCI Alan Banks for advice. But Banks is taking a much-needed holiday, and it's left to DI Annie Cabbot to deal with the removal of the firearm. No one can foresee the operation's disastrous consequences, or that the Doyles will not be the only family affected.

When he receives a disturbing call from his brother Roy, Inspector Banks heads off to London to search him out. Meanwhile, DI Annie Cabbot is called to a murder scene on a quiet road. A young woman has been found dead in her car - with Banks' name and address written on a slip of paper in the back pocket of her jeans.

No one could believe that a man like Keith Rothwell would be murdered. Except Keith Rothwell was leading a double life - as Inspector Alan Banks is about to find out.