Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Strange Affair
    Strange Affair
    Strange Affair
    Audiobook (abridged)5 hours

    Strange Affair

    Written by Peter Robinson

    Narrated by Simon Prebble

    4/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    Chief Inspector Alan Banks faces his most personal case from New York Times bestselling author Peter Robinson.

    A bullet to the brain abruptly halted a terrified young woman's desperate flight. In her pocket is the name of a policeman whose own life was brutally invaded, mercilessly shaken, and very nearly erased—a policeman who has since gone missing.

    The dead woman in the car had been running from something—but she didn't run far or fast enough. Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot would like to question the man the victim was apparently racing to meet: Annie's superior—and former lover—Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks. But Banks has vanished into the anonymous chaos of the city, drawn into a mad whirl of greed, inhumanity, and death, by a frantic phone call from the brother he no longer knows. Banks is unaware that the threads connecting a sinister kidnapping with a savage slaying are as thick as rope . . . and long enough for a haunted and broken rogue cop to hang himself.

    One of his most, clever, twisting thrillers, Strange Affair attests once again why readers love and can’t get enough of Peter Robinson’s novels of suspense.

     

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateMar 29, 2005
    ISBN9780060839284
    Author

    Peter Robinson

    Peter Robinson's DCI Banks became a major ITV1 drama starring Stephen Tompkinson as Inspector Banks and Andrea Lowe as DI Annie Cabbot. Peter's standalone novel Before the Poison won the IMBA's 2013 Dilys Award as well as the 2012 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel by the Crime Writers of Canada. This was Peter's sixth Arthur Ellis award. His critically acclaimed DCI Banks novels have won numerous awards in Britain, the United States, Canada and Europe, and are published in translation all over the world. In 2020 Peter was made a Grand Master by the Crime Writers of Canada. Peter grew up in Yorkshire, and divided his time between Richmond, UK, and Canada until his death in 2022.

    More audiobooks from Peter Robinson

    Related to Strange Affair

    Titles in the series (10)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Mystery For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Too BAD

      Aug 30, 2022

      Too BAD
      6 min read

    • Article

      Bucksaw

      Jun 3, 2019

      From the back seat of the car, Benjamin read the gold-lettered sign at the edge of the rolling green lawn and said, “Why do they call it a correctional facility?” He’d meant only to think the question, rather than speak it, but lately, more and more,

      23 min read

    • Article

      Royal Hotel, Mt Hope

      Nov 14, 2018

      Royal Hotel, Mt Hope
      6 min read

    • Article

      Cherubs

      Jul 5, 2023

      Cherubs
      10 min read

    • Article

      The punk PRINCESS

      Aug 3, 2022

      The punk PRINCESS
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Other Side Of THE FENCE

      Mar 1, 2023

      The Other Side Of THE FENCE
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Other Side Of THE FENCE

      Mar 1, 2023

      The Other Side Of THE FENCE
      6 min read

    • Article

      Tumblong Tavern

      Oct 20, 2023

      Tumblong Tavern
      8 min read

    • Article

      Blackjack

      Jan 15, 2024

      Blackjack
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Way Things TURN OUT

      Jun 3, 2020

      The Way Things TURN OUT
      7 min read

    • Article

      ‘A Wonderful Stroke of Luck’: Featured Fiction from Ann Beattie

      Apr 2, 2019

      Why did Ben feel like these people, this place, might be the last things he’d ever see? The post ‘A Wonderful Stroke of Luck’: Featured Fiction from Ann Beattie appeared first on The Millions.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Righteous

      Jan 22, 2019

      Righteous
      8 min read

    • Article

      Let’s Say

      Oct 7, 2022

      I magine a sticky, early August morning, around three o’clock. It is dark, the moon blocked by clouds, no streetlights, a siren in the distance, medics running to a heart attack. Imagine a man out on a bike or walking a sick dog, or maybe a woman who

      10 min read

    • Article

      The Puzzle Of PETER

      Jul 21, 2021

      The Puzzle Of PETER
      5 min read

    • Article

      Nugrybauti

      Apr 24, 2019

      Nugrybauti
      8 min read

    • Article

      Three Poems

      Mar 1, 2019

      War is coming but my neighbors can’t believe it. I ring their doorbells and tell them: maybe not this May, but next June at the latest. They stare straight past me, at the maze of lawns, the sprinklers, a kid on a bike hurling the Globe onto porches.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Epithalamium

      Jun 1, 2023

      Epithalamium
      16 min read

    • Article

      It Happened to Me…

      May 18, 2023

      It Happened to Me…
      4 min read

    • Article

      They Got Their Show

      Aug 10, 2021

      It is midnight in Ponderosa and Nick Velasquez can’t sleep. The public doesn’t want him to sleep. It’s been like this ever since it hit all the big streaming platforms. The viewers stay up bingeing and he… well, he has been bingeing in his own way. W

      14 min read

    • Article

      Life In The past Lane

      Aug 27, 2021

      Life In The past Lane
      5 min read

    • Article

      Blighty HOTEL

      Jun 12, 2019

      Blighty HOTEL
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Crown JEWELS

      Jun 8, 2022

      The Crown JEWELS
      6 min read

    • Article

      Vandenberg Hotel Forbes

      Apr 17, 2019

      Vandenberg Hotel Forbes
      6 min read

    • Article

      THE God father

      Jan 23, 2020

      THE God father
      6 min read

    • Article

      Ghost Girl, Banana

      Aug 21, 2023

      By the time I was 25, there were only two things I remembered about Mumma. The first was that she smelled of watermelons, the second was that we were happy. We’d taken our father’s name of course, but a name is only half a story. The other half exist

      6 min read

    • Article

      The Best Little Bar in Manhattan: An experiment in belief versus bourbon.

      Apr 9, 2015

      Let me take you, dear boy,” said McHintry, “to the best little bar in Manhattan.” I could have told him Donna was expecting me home in good time to find out how my first day in the new job had gone. I could have told him that anyway I never drank muc

      13 min read

    • Article

      Nothing to Declare

      Jun 15, 2019

      All the senior partners were having a laugh about a movie they’d seen. Forty-Five Years. Something, something about the movie taking forty-five years to sit through. The woman McGuinness thought he recognized was in it with them at the far end of the

      24 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Strange Affair

    4/5

    305 ratings18 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      This is a very interesting novel which shows us more about the relationship of Alan Banks and his brother Roy. I feel that this book really excels in all areas such as; character development, plot, suspense, dialogue, and atmosphere. The story was well-paced and keeps you reading until the very end. The relationship of Annie Cabot and Banks continues to evolve also. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes police procedurals but I suggest starting at the beginning of the series.
    • 5/5
      How much more can Peter Robinson throw at his hero?Poor old Banks, still recovering from the injuries, physical and psychological, from the fire that destroyed his house and all his worldly goods, now has a telephone call from his estranged brother asking for help. Bank's parents are showing the depressing signs of aging and his relationship with Annie is at an all time low - oh, and his new girlfriend, Michelle, has moved away. Apart from that, everything is fine and dandy in the world of DCI Banks!All that being said, this is a cracking story and kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Excellent.
    • 4/5
      Some day I really should figure out which books of the DI Banks series I have read and fill in the gaps. The last one I read, A Dedicated Man, was one of the early ones and Banks was still married. This one obviously takes place some years later because Banks has been divorced for some time and he had an affair with Annie Cabbot, another detective in the department. But that affair is also over and Annie was involved with someone else who set fire to Banks’ cottage when he was inside. I have also read some of books which take place after this one because there were references to Banks’ brother being dead but at the start of this book the brother is still alive. It is like seeing the end of a movie, then going back to the beginning and then being called out of the theatre and missing some of the action. You sort of know how it’s going to end but you are missing a lot of the plot development.This book starts off with Banks getting a telephone message from his brother, Roy, which is an unusual occurrence in itself because the two have never been close. Roy says it is important, perhaps a matter of life and death, and that he will call back. That call never comes and Banks gets no answer when he calls his brother’s numbers. So he decides to drive to London where his brother lives and find out what is wrong. When he gets to his brother’s house, the door is unlocked, the alarm is turned off and there is no trace of his brother. Meanwhile, a young woman has been run off the road near Eastvale in Yorkshire and shot in the head. Annie Cabbott is in charge of the case but she really wants to get in touch with Banks because his name and old address are on a slip of paper in the woman’s pocket. Annie goes to London also because the woman, Jennifer Clewes, lived in London and maybe someone there can shed some light on why she was killed. Of course, Roy’s disappearance and Jennifer’s death are connected; thus Banks and Annie will have to work together to solve these crimes. They haven’t really talked since Annie’s boyfriend almost killed Banks so there are some bridges to build. Banks discovers facets to his brother that he never knew. Roy was a financial guru and Banks thought he skated pretty close to committing fraud or insider trading or some other criminal act. That was one of the reasons they weren’t close. Roy had had a change of heart after 9/11 because he had an appointment in one of the Twin Towers that morning for which he was late because of traffic. He realized that his business dealings could have helped finance terrorism and he couldn’t look the other way. He started attending church regularly but Banks didn’t even know he had been in New York when the planes hit. Other things, such as his passion for opera, were also a surprise and Banks thought he would like to get to know him better. Unfortunately he will never get the chance because Roy was also killed. It’s a lesson to us all to not leave important relationships too late.
    • 4/5
      Alan Banks' brother disappears and a woman is murdered.
    • 4/5
      Each time I read a DCI Banks novel I think I will jump right to the next one. I love this guy! But then I realize I will be caught up and have to wait for the next publication so I am slowly savoring each novel, reading something else in between these books. It’s great that Peter Robinson writes these novels in real time. When I started with Gallows View (Book #1) Alan Banks had just moved to Yorkshire, his children were in school, he was in a happy marriage and his career was on the right path. I just finished Strange Affair (Book #15) and so much has changed. Banks is, naturally, older and has had some boost in rank. His kids are grown and one is in college. It’s been nice reading along watching the progressions. Strange Affair starts off with a woman driving away from London, obviously frightened for her life as she expresses she will be safe in just a few hours. Before you get too many pages into the book she is found dead, still in her vehicle, with a single gunshot wound to her head. Her purse and cell phone are missing but in her back pocket is a hastily written note with Alan Banks’ name and address. Banks can’t be located because he has driven off to London in search of his brother Roy. A day earlier Roy called Banks and left a voice message that he was in danger and he needed help. When big brother Alan couldn’t reach Roy he decided to drive to London. He didn’t tell anyone about Roy’s call and he didn’t call in to the police station to let them know he’d be gone. With the discovery of a dead woman who was headed toward Banks’ Yorkshire address and him now missing, the Eastvale police have him as an unofficial suspect.Most of this storyline takes place in London. We alternate between Banks looking for his brother and DI Annie Cabbot looking into the murder of the young woman. Not too far into the book you see they are connected, both the murder and Roy’s disappearance. You also see a more reflective side of Alan Banks as he’s working though his depression over a house fire (Book # 14) and him getting to know more about his brother. There are 22 DCI Banks books currently published. I will be on to #16 soon and once I catch up, I will one of the eager fans waiting for the next publication.
    • 5/5
      Another very good read by Peter Robinson in the Inspector Banks Series. This time the story revolves around a mysterious message Banks receives from his brother, who he has little contact with. Banks then heads to London to investigate. Another story in which Banks investigates a case 'unofficially' at a low time in his life. If you enjoy Inspector Banks books you will definitely enjoy this one. 4.5 Stars.
    • 4/5
      Up to Robinson's usual high standards. Alan Banks investigates the disappearance of his shady brother, uncovering a brutal world of trafficking.
    • 5/5
      After the fire that destroyed Banks' cottage and almost cost him his life in the previous book, this one begins with Banks still away from work and dealing with some major issues like PTSD and depression. He receives a message from his estranged younger brother Roy, asking for his help. Banks tries to reach Roy, who lives in London and can't get in touch with him. Banks decides to go to London and see for himself what happened to his rather questionable younger brother. He finds that the door to Roy's flat is unlocked and Roy's mobile is on the kitchen table, but it's been twelve hours since the frantic voice mail and Banks has no idea where Roy could be. He begins to investigate on his own. Back home in Yorkshire, the body of a young woman is found on an abandoned country road. She had been forced off the road and shot to death. DI Annie Cabot is assigned the case. A note with Alan Banks' old address is found in the back pocket of her jeans, so Annie is tasked with trying to find Banks. They meet up in London, and they find out that their two cases are somehow linked. Both of them are doing their own investigation and they find themselves in the dangerous underworld of prostitution, smuggling and human trafficking. Things get very dicey for both of them, and Banks suffers another unimaginable loss, so Annie worries about his well-being. This is an excellent book and this is a truly excellent series. I normally like to read five or six mystery series -one book at a time in each series, but this is one series where I am very tempted to binge read the remaining books. I love DCI Alan Banks. He's a remarkable force in the fictional detective world. I highly recommend this excellent series by Peter Robinson.
    • 4/5
      Another enjoyable Inspector Banks novel. This is the 15th book in the series and is more set in London than Yorkshire and the change is good. Plus this story also brings in his family more than others, which really enhances the character, making it easier to understand the motivation behind his methods.

      I'm looking forward to the next.
    • 4/5
      A good page turner,an engrossing mystery.
    • 4/5
      pretty good. pretty ugly
    • 3/5
      British mysteries are my favorite read. Likable characters such as Inspector Banks. Good plot to keep the reader guessing
    • 4/5
      Inspector Banks is still recovering from the fire that almost killed him when he gets a strange call from his brother. He goes to London to find him but doesn't, just his cell phone. Also, there is a young woman found dead on a road with Bank's address in her pocket so that the police, Anne Cabbot want to contact him about her murder. As usual, I enjoyed this mystery by Robinson
    • 5/5
      What a book! Chief Inspector Banks receives a phone call from his brother just before he disappears. The brother is later found dead so Banks hares of to London while the brothers' girlfriend is desperately trying to get to Banks' cottage. She is murdered on the way and so begins an incredible journey into the murky lives of those who peddle flesh in the form of young girls taken against their will from eastern bloc countries. This is a gripping story which unearths a plot for one of the most heinous crimes I have ever heard of and reveals a side of Inspector Banks which is usually kept hidden. It seems he still has a long way to go before he really knows himself.
    • 5/5
      On a warm summer night, an attractive woman hurtles north in a blue Peugeot with a hastily scrawled address in her pocket, while, back in London, a desperate man leaves an urgent late-night phone message on his brother's answering machine. By sunrise the next morning, the woman is found inside her car along an otherwise peaceful country lane, shot, execution-style, through the head. Welcome to the idyllic Yorkshire Dales, where Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot arrives on the scene and discovers, to her surprise, a slip of paper in the dead woman's pocket that bears the name of her colleague and erstwhile lover, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks. Banks, meanwhile -- already haunted and withdrawn after nearly dying in the fire that destroyed his home -- has gone missing just when he's needed most, and has left plenty of questions behind. As Annie struggles to determine whether or not Banks is safe -- and what role he may have played in the woman's murder -- Banks himself investigates the mysterious disappearance of his estranged brother, Roy, whose late-night call for help brings Banks back to London. Working from Roy's swank apartment, Banks makes the rounds to Roy's old haunts and slowly inhabits the life of his younger brother -- the black sheep of the family, who always seemed to sail a little too close to the wind. As the trail of clues about Roy's life and associations draws Banks into a dark circle of conspiracy and corruption, mobsters and murder, Banks suddenly realizes he's running out of time to save Roy, and by digging too deep, he may be exposing himself and his family to the same -- possibly deadly -- danger.
    • 5/5
      Unbelievably the 15th Alan Banks novel - how does Peter Robinson keep up such a high standard? In this one he investigates a case close to home, in one sense - his missing brother - but in London primarily rather than Yorkshire.
    • 3/5
      Inspector Banks investigates Russian mafia while searching for his brother's killer. Interesting beginning but ending was anti-climatic
    • 5/5
      This one is awesome. I followed the series of Inspector Banks books from In A Dry Season onward and this one is probably the best so far. Part of the reason is that the protagonist, Alan Banks got fixed pretty good in the previous book -Playing With Fire. This story starts with him still recovering from all the psychological and physical wounds that he had incurred previously. You follow along with his struggles through his attempt at coming back to a place where he can be normal again, as well as the rebuilding of his home as well as his relationships with his co-workers, especially with Annie Cabbot. The story then forces him to re-establish or re-evaluate his relationsip with his younger brother, the evidence of the their relationship had been hinted at throughout the previous books, but this book places the relationship front and center. Robinson once again uses his signature plot device: the dual story and the intertwining of the twin narratives. Whereas previously Robinson used this device to tell two stories which are related in a philosophical sense, this time the two murders are intimately related and inextricably become the same investigation. Robinson builds the plot line and the tempo of the narrative brilliantly. This time, he is a little more guarded with his storyline so that he doesn't telegraph the ending as much as he did with Playing With Fire, which makes for a much more satisfying ending. This particular will be my personal favorite out of the series so far just because it involves so many emotional changes with the characters and the story line is so personal for Banks. Robinson has also started to flesh out the other detectives at Eastvale, giving them points of views, foiles, strengths and weaknesses. It makes me care a lot more about the story and it also makes the story much more complicated and real.