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As Karen digs deeper, she uncovers a spiraling game of betrayal and revenge, where lies are indistinguishable from the truth and with more than one unexpected twist . . .
Both cases are very interesting and both have their twists and turns. I enjoy Karen as a character. She is complex but not morose. Sure there's personal issues in her life but she's still out there trying to solve these mysteries. The result is a book that I find hard to put down. RSE Welcomes 60 New Fellows" (Press release). Royal Society of Edinburgh. 15 February 2017 . Retrieved 28 March 2017. I never spook myself, says top Scots crime writer Val McDermid". Daily Record. 31 August 2016 . Retrieved 25 October 2016.
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I invariably learn something new about police procedures or forensics while reading, as McDermid is so thorough in her research and engaging in her writing. I also appreciate the setting of the scene and the references that remind me where and when the action is taking place. All these bubble along convincingly below the surface as Pirie races to try and solve the twin mysteries of the skeleton in the van and the body pulled from the sea.
MY THOUGHTS: Val McDermid certainly knows how to grab my attention and hold it. She knows how to strike that fine balance between the characters personal and professional lives, providing just the right amount of each. She gives technical information where it's warranted, but never overwhelms. And . . . she keeps us updated on the office gossip.She also attaches great importance to the archaic and bureaucratic echelons in the force in the sense that everyone below her are plods, and those above are there because of political reasons. The only one good and decent detective is Pirie herself. How tiring. Val McDermid ends Raith Rovers support over David Goodwillie deal". BBC News. 1 February 2022 . Retrieved 1 February 2022. The High Heid Yin's New Claes, published in The Itchy Coo Book o Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales in Scots (2020) Since the whole business has political implications, Assistant Chief Constable Ann Markie (aka The Dog Biscuit) is pressing Pirie to resolve the case fast.
Some aspects of the story stretch credulity a bit, but I enjoyed this compelling police procedural.McDermid considers her work to be part of the " Tartan Noir" Scottish crime fiction genre. [10] In addition to writing novels, McDermid contributes to several British newspapers and often broadcasts on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland. [11] Her novels, in particular the Tony Hill series, are known for their graphic depictions of violence and torture. If you want to know what Val has been doing and what she is going to be doing next, sign up to her new Newsletter. As this first case is moving along, Pirie is “commandeered” into another investigation. A new murder has been linked to an historical case, the disappearance of a low level Scottish official several years before. Working both cases reveals modern police methods, working with various legal departments, other police jurisdictions (officially and legally), and the world of forensics. I enjoy this level of detail and the honesty of what can and cannot be done in the real world. Anna Burnside (2 September 2016). "Straight-talking Val McDermid lifts lid on her latest novel and why she's the badass woman of the week". Daily Record . Retrieved 25 October 2016.
Many, many years ago, when I was still a teenager, I read a book by Val McDermid and decided that I absolutely must read another. But, as it happens in life, it hasn't come to that until now. And I was right many years ago to keep this author on my TBR pile because she's worth it. The first case is the apparent accidental death of a French tourist. It turns out that he is actually the Scottish brother of a high ranking government official who committed suicide 10 years ago. His wife has just been able to declare him legally dead. High ranking police officials want to know if there is any connection to the suicide and possible governmental embarrassment. Karen is balancing two cases. A skeleton has been found in a van parked in the garage of a recently deceased woman. She is drawn into the second case, albeit a current one, because one of the suspects in the years old killing of his brother has been found dead. The familiar supporting characters are here, as well as a new female colleague, Sergeant Daisy Mortimer. Still mourning the death of her love, Phil, Karen has established a new relationship with Hamish, who was introduced in the prior novel. This was the last in the series I will read. A turgid start left me amazed that two cases, involving much travel and pastry consumption , were all beautifully solved by Pirie . In twelve days. Including grief management and the even more unlikely Hamish. And Daisy. And Tamasin, who owes so much to Abbey Sciuto and Penelope Garcia from TV crime shows , that she seemed to be a caricature of them and her biscuit fuelled diet almost as irritating as Daisy’s pie eating.Sally Rowena Munt (1994). Murder by the Book: Feminism and the Crime Novel. Routledge. p. 67. ISBN 0415109191.
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