Laced with gothic undertones in the centrepiece of the decaying Victorian mansion and the horrors hiding within, once home to an eccentric family with a long history of tragedy, this is a tightly plotted police procedural featuring realistic forensic science of the time period, and even a touch of romance for Jane, as well as trips to the coast and as far as Australia, exploring some dark and disturbing themes and complex characters through every navigation of the twisting plot. Throughout the series, discrimination - and specifically misogyny - within the police has been a running theme, once more explored in this novel alongside other abuses of power and the elusiveness of long-buried secrets. Relentless in her pursuit of the truth, Jane finds herself ostracised, but remains determined to solve the mystery of the baby’s death. A compelling, clever plot with a brilliant cast of diverse characters. Utterly riveting' - RACHEL ABBOTT, million-selling author of ONLY THE INNOCENT

She phones the police constantly to give reports of the missing items, but the police are regarding her more as a nuisance because of the frequency of the calls. When they arrive to investigate, they never find anything to substantiate her claims. But all this changes when Avril is found savagely murdered and dismembered, DC Marr realizing that something definitely was happening in her world, and perhaps what she was reporting had some truth to it. DI Jane Tennison is part of the team investigating the crime. On visiting the crime scene, Jane discovers the house has more horrors to reveal - in the form of a mummified baby who was buried alive. Her first book went over extremely well, and other famous novels came to follow. One of her best known stories is The Talisman, published in 1987, closely followed by Bella Mafia in 1990. Soon afterward, she began work on Prime Suspect, which starred Helen Mirren. This opened the door for La Plante to win an Edgar-Award from the Mystery-Writers of America for her impressive work on the show.

When it Comes to Writing, What Books Made Lynda Popular?

Dark Rooms' is the eighth book in the Jane Tennison series, prequel to the 'Prime Suspect' TV series (and the novelisations of the first three seasons). Lynda La Plante presents an intricate case for the recently promoted Jane Tennison, her first investigation as a Detective Inspector following her required time spent in uniform. It is now the mid-80s, and we meet up with Jane as she's moved into her new home and is having it renovated. Jane continues to be somewhat a lone wolf, something that continues to cause her problems amongst the team. Yet her clashes with her DCI set the scene for her determination to resolve this case, even if it means working alone.

During reading I did some googling as I was trying to understand the period it was set, and found this was a tv series starring Helen Mirren years ago! I hope it was better than this book and that played the Jane character in a better way than she was portrayed here. Overall, Dark Rooms was a weaker Tennison novel from Lynda La Plante, and one that does not really stand out when compared to some of the more impressive books in the series. While I am little critical of it, Dark Rooms did have its interesting and powerful moments, and is still worth a read, especially for established fans of the series. I am hoping that the next book in the series, Taste of Blood, has a better story behind it, and I am still intrigued to see how this series continues. The brief storyline with the weed was so so so unneeded and began with ooh whats Eddie hiding and ended abruptly a chapter later, why?I have read none of the previous books in the series, but I enjoyed this book with no problems regarding who the main characters are and what’s their part in the story is. None of it made sense, there were too many characters that appeared out of the blue and then seemingly never existed (where did tim go?) and by the end i’d practically forgotten what had happened at the beginning for them to even end up there. I haven't read anything by Lynda La Plante in a long time but she certainly haven't lost her touch. Eminently readable, fast paced and thrilling ~ what more could you ask for?? Her first TV series as a scriptwriter was the six part robbery series Widows, in 1983, in which the widows of four armed robbers carry out a heist planned by their deceased husbands.

This journey takes a bit of a European tour and encompasses at least two fascinating themes which is compelling reading and keeping you glued. It’s set up very nicely for number four which I look forward to reading. My only negative is that it’s quite long and although I cannot deny it interesting it could have been refined somewhat. The trip to Australia - how utterly utterly unnecessary. In the time period it’s set, surely this was a huge expense, and whilst international phone calls were expensive too, they would have been a damn sight cheaper than sending two coppers over for 36 hours. So so strange. On the upside we got to see loads more entitled and judgemental attitude from Jane, so that was delightful.Believing that there’s much more to the story than the eye can meet, he starts an investigation that will bring a lot of his past secrets to surface. Vanished follows on from Buried and Judas Horse, with the series’ origins in La Plante’s iconic bestselling Widows. Speaking of, since when is it ok to discuss the minutiae of your case with non police, Jane? Extremely unprofessional, and for an obnoxious, overbearing, pompous character like our “heroine”, I would have expected professionalism. How is a main character so awful?? Genuine question because I as the reader should surely be on her side? But she is impatient, irritable, downright rude a lot of the time, pompous, judgemental, and snobby. I don’t think I’ve ever read a character I disliked as much. But, when he finally gets what he’s yearned for all these years, a political scandal erupts around him and he is shunned into the shadows once again with no shred of a positive reputation left. Sir William Benedict is left with no choice but to exact revenge on those who have sabotaged his dreams…and Justin Chalmers and his sister Laura are about to discover just how dark revenge can be when exacted by a man who has nothing left. What Kind of Awards has La Plante Earned? When the investigation uncovers an international drugs operation on the widow's property, the case grows even more complex. And as the hunt for the widow's lodger hits dead end after dead end, it seems that the prime suspect has vanished without a trace.

I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve indulged in my love of crime books. I don’t know if I’ve just been living the easy life or what, but I always forget how much I enjoy them until I start reading them. Am I a violent person? No. Do I enjoy reading about crime and people solving murders and such? Yes. I know this is A Thing, so it’s not like I’m a total weirdo out here. The good news is that there are many of us who enjoy these types of books and so it’s fun to be able to share this one with you! Featuring multiple characters that all have a vital role to play in the unfolding dramas, each is vividly well-developed, their individual stories cohesively driving the plot. With the surprise appearance of a face from the past also in the mix, the novel has everything you could want from an ongoing police procedural series and much more. I absolutely love these books; Lynda La Plante's novels (and TV dramas) are always pure escapism - each new release an event in itself and an indulgent, immersive delight. I cannot wait to be able to dive into the fourth in the series. Lynda has received a huge amount of awards over her time in the field, including becoming an honorary-member of both the Liverpool John Moores University and British Film Institute. She was also awarded with the Dennis-Potter Writers-Award from the British-Academy of Film and Television Arts, and she received the Edgar-Allan Poe Writer’s Award (not to mention an Emmy) for her mini-series Prime Suspect.With a brand new character introduced, an elusive foil to Warr, the cat-and-mouse game begins. Expect an explosive showdown! Blake Brooks, Brand and Marketing Manager at Bonnier Books UK, promised, “Lynda La Plante is writing at the top of her game, and Vanished is a masterclass. Fans are going to be delighted.” Who lies at the heart of this gripping new murder investigation?