The Summer that Never Was

In Peter Robinson's "The Summer that Never Was," Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks is forced to confront the specter of his own past when the skeletal remains of fourteen-year-old Graham Marshall are discovered. Graham vanished without a trace during his paper round in 1965, a mystery that shattered his family and left Banks, then his best friend, consumed by guilt. Now, as the DCI on the case, Banks is determined to uncover the truth behind the decades-old disappearance. The investigation quickly reveals a complex web of secrets, unearthing uncomfortable realities and challenging Banks's perceptions. As he delves deeper, the boundaries between victim and perpetrator, law-guardian and law-breaker, become increasingly blurred, forcing Banks to reconcile with the deepest fears of his childhood. This powerful novel explores the lingering echoes of unresolved trauma and the profound impact of cold cases, delivering a gripping and emotionally resonant police procedural.