Jane Tennison herself was an extremely unlikable character and i often found myself frustrated with how she treated practically everyone around her.

In this case, protagonist Jane Tennison – who begins the story as a newly promoted detective – investigates an historic case where a body has been found during a planned redevelopment of a derelict house once owned by the Lanark family. When Tennison discovers another body hidden in the same shelter, a complex case involving a trip to Australia to visit Lanark family members unearths many family secrets in the process. She formed her own television production company, La Plante Productions, in 1994 and as La Plante Productions she wrote and produced the sequel to Widows, the equally gutsy She's Out (ITV, 1995). The name "La Plante" comes from her marriage to writer Richard La Plante, author of the book Mantis and Hog Fever. La Plante divorced Lynda in the early 1990s. Tennison travels to Australia as the investigation and search for answers intensifies, there she discovers the dark secret, that the Lanark family has kept hidden for decades. This secret could bring down the family dynasty as well as putting Tennison’s life in danger. The elderly Helena Lanark now lives in a luxurious care home. She is the heiress of an immense family fortune and holds on to a dark secret of the horror which once occurred within the Lanark family house. Over the last few years, I have had a great time getting throuThe subplot had me wondering too. Why the detailed details? What was a long read made worse by minuscule minutia of renovating.

Buying this book, it was clear it was part of a series starring a detective, but in theory it was a standalone book. In that, I can say it was. 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. Jane Tennison is leading a murder investigation into the recent brutal death of a young girl, her decomposed, starved body discovered in an old air raid shelter in the garden of the Lanark's now derelict house. Initially the focus is on identifying the victim, until another body is found hidden in the walls of the shelter.I've read all the books in this series so far and really enjoyed them but there is something about this particular book that is just 'off' for want of a better word. Then Jane’s partner Eddie was weird. I had no idea what he actually looked like as it was never said so I had to make something up in my head - felt very strange - and he just didn’t seem like a good bloke for someone who’s a good detective - I mean, read the red flags! 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? 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.

Helena Lanark is an elderly woman, living in a luxurious care home. The heiress of an immense family fortune, she keeps the secret to the horror which once occurred within the Lanark family house. 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. All the misogynistic horrors, sexual harassment in the workplace and tropes of the 1970s are there amid a rather bizarre plot of not just dark rooms but dark "family secrets" and dark discoveries. If I was to be completely objective, I would say that this was deeply flawed. What new DI shares details of a delicate case with family and friends? However I wallowed in the retro on every level and enjoyed my wallow as much as Jane Tennison enjoys a bath.

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.

I always devour books by Lynda La Plante and 'Dark Rooms' was no exception. As well as the core investigation per novel, this series is as much about Jane's life and career. Lynda has teased both ninth and tenth books, which may bring the series full circle as we approach 'Prime Suspect'. I love this series and always enjoy the evolution of Jane's character - it was very exciting to see her once again take a step forward in career with her promotion. I cannot wait to see what is next in store for DI Tennison. Lynda La Plante (born Lynda Titchmarsh) is a British author, screenwriter, and erstwhile actress (her performances in Rentaghost and other programmes were under her stage name of Lynda Marchal), best known for writing the Prime Suspect television crime series. Dark Rooms by Lynda LaPlante is the eighth in the series featuring 'young' Jane Tennison, although we've slowing been working our way from naïve constable to the kinda scary Detective Chief Inspector readers (and viewers) meet in Prime Suspect. The decomposed body of a young girl who has been brutally murdered and left in a an old air raid shelter in the garden of the Lanark’s now derelict house. Jane Tennison is leading a murder investigation but first she must identify the victim but then another body is found, hidden in the walls of the shelter. Both sets of parents were awful, Eddies less so, and Jane’s sister didn’t seem to be anyone you’d want to grab a drink with either.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. DI Jane Tennison starts at a new police station and is thrown right in to a new murder investigation. A decomposed body of a young female has been found in an old air raid shelter in the garden of the Lanark's derelict house. She has been brutally murdered. They are focusing on identifying the victim until they find another body hidden in the walls. Jane travels to Australia to get to the bottom of the case. I love mysteries, crime novels, and stories of this sort, but this was really a disappointing read.