A Karen Pirie Novel
One of the peak experiences in my life was attending the Edinburgh Arts Festival. As a result of my days in Edinburgh, a train ride to London, and my family's ancestry I have become very interested in Scotland. Val McDermid's novels continue to tease me into commitment to a much longer sojourn to the country. I had to pull out my Lonely Planet guide to locate the spots that narrative include. As I have some free time I'm going to get busy Googling images from the area.
McDermid is one of the best crime writers working today. If you haven't read her various series and are a fan of crime fiction you have a very joyous year (or more) ahead of you. I am not going to spoil anything about the Karen Pirie series here. I will tell you how much I love the character and supporting cast. One of McDermid's writing tools is to create well-rounded characters with plenty of personal flaws. Karen is particularly compelling to me. She has many of the same character defects that plagued me throughout my working life. (If you're interested---a commitment to finding the truth, impatience with bureaucracy, and disrespect of superiors who do the politically expedient thing or are flat out dishonest.)
Back to my travel plans. It looks like I'll need to travel most of Scotland to cover the territory of this book. Honestly, I'm a bit hesitant. The roads sound horrible to drive and in other books (not this one) the weather sounds quite unpleasant. I'll let you know when I go there.
Showing posts with label United Kingdom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United Kingdom. Show all posts
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
The Last Temptation, by Val McDermid
McDermid is definitely an adult market author. This series, the Tony Hill/Carol Jordon, are detective/psychological thriller novels. Hill is a clinical psychologist/serial murderer profiler who has a close friendship with UK police detective Carol Jordon.
The Last Temptation is set primarily in the Netherlands and Germany. In this novel Carol Jordon goes undercover in the attempt to acquire incriminating evidence about an arms/dealer and human labor smuggler. To add to the complexity of her situation, she and her European colleagues also come across a serial killer working from a boat working the Rhine river. It is compelling--the action, as always in McDermid's books, is intense. I recommend against picking up these books when you have work or family pressures. You'll end up reading too long.
McDermid's books are not for the faint of heart. They typically include violence and sexual themes--often linked. Although she does not include salacious details, the settings and events are powerful enough to leave an imprint. She has been a journalist but became a full time novelist in 1991. She was born in Scotland and continues to live there. (See her website: http://www.valmcdermid.com/) She has won many awards, her Tony Hill/Carol Jordon books were also made into a TV series Wire in the Blood.
Her writing feels sophisticated to me. I end up researching parts of Scotland, England (and in this book Germany and The Netherlands) as well as reading with my smartphone close at hand so that I can look up words on The Free Dictionary.
I'm finishing the series. I've just completed The Torment of Others and am back-tracking to read Wire in the Blood . I am visiting the Netherlands and Scotland this summer. I've been trying to do some of my reading in books set in those areas (recommendations would be welcome!).
The Last Temptation is set primarily in the Netherlands and Germany. In this novel Carol Jordon goes undercover in the attempt to acquire incriminating evidence about an arms/dealer and human labor smuggler. To add to the complexity of her situation, she and her European colleagues also come across a serial killer working from a boat working the Rhine river. It is compelling--the action, as always in McDermid's books, is intense. I recommend against picking up these books when you have work or family pressures. You'll end up reading too long.
McDermid's books are not for the faint of heart. They typically include violence and sexual themes--often linked. Although she does not include salacious details, the settings and events are powerful enough to leave an imprint. She has been a journalist but became a full time novelist in 1991. She was born in Scotland and continues to live there. (See her website: http://www.valmcdermid.com/) She has won many awards, her Tony Hill/Carol Jordon books were also made into a TV series Wire in the Blood.
Her writing feels sophisticated to me. I end up researching parts of Scotland, England (and in this book Germany and The Netherlands) as well as reading with my smartphone close at hand so that I can look up words on The Free Dictionary.
I'm finishing the series. I've just completed The Torment of Others and am back-tracking to read Wire in the Blood . I am visiting the Netherlands and Scotland this summer. I've been trying to do some of my reading in books set in those areas (recommendations would be welcome!).
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