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Inspector Karen Pirie #3
The Skeleton Road
Don't miss Past Lying, the twisty new Karen Pirie thriller__________'Gripping, thought-provoking and original - a tour-de-force' Literary ReviewWhen a skeleton is discovered hidden at the top of a crumbling, gothic building in Edinburgh, Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is faced with the unenviable task of identifying the bones. As Karen's investigation gathers momentum, she is drawn deeper into a dark world of intrigue and betrayal. Meanwhile, someone is taking the law into their own hands in the name of justice and revenge -- but when present resentment collides with secrets of the past, the truth is more shocking than anyone could have imagined . . .An atmospheric, chilling mystery from the number one bestseller.__________Praise for Val grabs the reader by the throat and never lets go' Daily Mail'As good a psychological thriller as it is possible to get' Sunday Express'One of today's most accomplished crime writers' Literary Review'McDermid remains unrivalled' Observer'The queen of crime is still at the top of her game' IndependentThis is the third book in the bestselling Karen Pirie series.
417 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2014
1477 people are currently reading
4576 people want to read
About the author
Val McDermid
308 books5,369 followersVal McDermid is a No. 1 bestseller whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have sold over eleven million copies.
She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.
She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.
She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.
She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,052 reviews
August 8, 2025
My first book by Val McDermid and it was a good one. The 3rd offering in the Karen Pirie series, THE SKELETON ROAD, was an interesting choice for a police procedural.
A free climber happens upon a skeleton at the top of the building he’s climbed. Karen Pirie and her partner, Jason, catch the case and they begin the long quest of trying to identify the remains.
While Scotland and Oxford are current locales, the past becomes present as the 90’s war in The Balkans becomes forefront in the police investigation.
The story was captivating and tragic, but the ending was EVERYTHING..oh my!
The fact that I had not read the prior two books in the series did not cause me to feel I had missed out on anything. I think I’ve discovered another author that I wish to follow.🥰
A free climber happens upon a skeleton at the top of the building he’s climbed. Karen Pirie and her partner, Jason, catch the case and they begin the long quest of trying to identify the remains.
While Scotland and Oxford are current locales, the past becomes present as the 90’s war in The Balkans becomes forefront in the police investigation.
The story was captivating and tragic, but the ending was EVERYTHING..oh my!
The fact that I had not read the prior two books in the series did not cause me to feel I had missed out on anything. I think I’ve discovered another author that I wish to follow.🥰
October 2, 2016
McDermid continues to impress with another novel, adding an historic twist to keep readers enthralled. A skeleton is lodged high in a Victorian-era building in the heart of Edinburgh. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTFY) have a number of war criminals from the Balkan wars in their crosshairs and seek one at the top of their list, a ruthless Croatian. Such begins the latest Karen Pirie novel and pulls the reader deep into the narrative. Now a Detective Chief Inspector of the Historic Cases Unit (perhaps more PC than 'Cold Case Squad'), Pirie is called to the scene of the skeleton discovery, but is baffled as to how a body made it so high up. The skeleton cannot easily be identified, even with a bullet hole in the back of the skull and degraded evidence around the remains. Pirie and her team must begin the slow and onerous process of identifying the skeleton, as well as plotting a scenario for getting a body up to such an out of the way location, all while determining a concrete motive. With a rash of free climbing of public buildings, could this be someone who was caught and had justice served without a charge of trespassing levied? While they wait for DNA analysis, Pirie heads the investigation to follow some leads to Oxford, where one General Dimitar Petrovic and Professor Maggie Blake were said to have lived. With Blake admitting that Petrovic has been gone for eight years, she offers up a possibility that he has returned to his homeland, Croatia, to deal with some of the fallout from the Balkan War in which he fought fiercely. Pirie learns the same General Petrovic is being sought by the ICTFY for war crimes, which only ups the ante and adds numerous faceless suspects to the already murky mix. Could a leak within the ICTFY have fed Petrovic's name to an assassin? Might someone from his past be responsible for seeking the ultimate redemption? While Pirie contemplates this, she must also handle an accident that leaves her lover and former colleague, Phil Parhatka, clinging to life. McDermid uses numerous flashbacks through the eyes of Maggie Blake to paint not only the picture of her connection with Petrovic, but the early days of the Balkan War and the horrors that befell the region and its inhabitants. Perhaps one of McDermid's most powerful novels to date, the reader can be pulled into the narrative while discovering much from recent Balkan history. Not to be missed by series fans and general enthusiasts alike.
While the idea of cold case resolution (or, shall I call it historic case finality?) has a certain drama to it, McDermid has upped her skill even more. Having worked through a number of intriguing cases that garnered much curiosity in past novels, McDermid offers readers more recent and controversial regional history to weave into the already exciting narrative. Presenting numerous historical lessons and interpretations on which the reader can further their knowledge later, McDermid places a mysterious murder with strong ties to a post-Communism disintegration of the Baltic region. The characters are not only varied, but offer different angles to the same narrative, which produces a fuller and more thought-provoking novel. McDermid may not hide the direction of the case or its likely perpetrators, but her masterful way of telling a story keeps the reader fully engaged until the very end. As per usual, she releases the poignant information with a portion of the novel to go, then presents its fallout, almost aiding the reader to better understand justifications, or as much as can be offered when a heinous crime takes place. I must a take a moment here to address those who bemoan the predictability in this novel in particular, or that McDermid strayed away from the formula that worked well. To those people I can only shrug and raise an eyebrow as they seek to wring Shakespearean genius from a novel that purports to be fiction in nature. Fiction is meant to entertain and intrigue, while non-fiction should educate or offer gems on which people can spend years debating. I find the pretentious reader is always looking for perfection or a faultless novel with perfect literary traps or characters who do no reveal themselves until the very end. These are the same people who complain if a book is too dense or cannot grab them in the opening forty pages. Alas, it takes all kinds to create a reader base, I suppose.
Kudos, Madam McDermid for an exciting novel. I loved the historical aspects that pull reality into the middle of a wonderfully crafted mystery.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
While the idea of cold case resolution (or, shall I call it historic case finality?) has a certain drama to it, McDermid has upped her skill even more. Having worked through a number of intriguing cases that garnered much curiosity in past novels, McDermid offers readers more recent and controversial regional history to weave into the already exciting narrative. Presenting numerous historical lessons and interpretations on which the reader can further their knowledge later, McDermid places a mysterious murder with strong ties to a post-Communism disintegration of the Baltic region. The characters are not only varied, but offer different angles to the same narrative, which produces a fuller and more thought-provoking novel. McDermid may not hide the direction of the case or its likely perpetrators, but her masterful way of telling a story keeps the reader fully engaged until the very end. As per usual, she releases the poignant information with a portion of the novel to go, then presents its fallout, almost aiding the reader to better understand justifications, or as much as can be offered when a heinous crime takes place. I must a take a moment here to address those who bemoan the predictability in this novel in particular, or that McDermid strayed away from the formula that worked well. To those people I can only shrug and raise an eyebrow as they seek to wring Shakespearean genius from a novel that purports to be fiction in nature. Fiction is meant to entertain and intrigue, while non-fiction should educate or offer gems on which people can spend years debating. I find the pretentious reader is always looking for perfection or a faultless novel with perfect literary traps or characters who do no reveal themselves until the very end. These are the same people who complain if a book is too dense or cannot grab them in the opening forty pages. Alas, it takes all kinds to create a reader base, I suppose.
Kudos, Madam McDermid for an exciting novel. I loved the historical aspects that pull reality into the middle of a wonderfully crafted mystery.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
September 2, 2025
4- 5 stars
A murder in Crete, a surveyor who makes a shocking discovery on the roof of an abandoned Edinburgh building, an Oxford Professor whose partner is missing and both with some terrible stories to tell and the winding down of the War Crimes Tribunals of the Balkans War…. Yes, it’s the usual, very cleverly worked out plot for Karen Pirie number three. As an avid reader over many years of the quineofcrime, I expect nothing less!
I love this series - Karen is fantastic and I love her directness and ability to get stuff done! Also, love her interactions with her boss, ACC Lees, aka The Macaroon. I’d give up now mate, she’ll always best you.
The focus here on the Balkans war is very good and especially that much of the action from the past is set in Dubrovnik. Like many others, I imagine, I have vivid memories of the bombing of this beautiful city, so it strikes a chord. I’ve been since the war and it’s been lovingly restored though it’s still possible to see some damage on the outskirts. One of the characters writes a diary of the approaching war and it’s very good, feeling so authentic.
There’s much here that’s heartbreaking as you’d expect. The plot is very well connected, it’s well paced and at no point do I lose interest.
As for the ending… why Val, why???? 😭 Just to be clear, it’s not a bad ending at all, but it’s one heck of a shocking one!
A highly recommended series
A murder in Crete, a surveyor who makes a shocking discovery on the roof of an abandoned Edinburgh building, an Oxford Professor whose partner is missing and both with some terrible stories to tell and the winding down of the War Crimes Tribunals of the Balkans War…. Yes, it’s the usual, very cleverly worked out plot for Karen Pirie number three. As an avid reader over many years of the quineofcrime, I expect nothing less!
I love this series - Karen is fantastic and I love her directness and ability to get stuff done! Also, love her interactions with her boss, ACC Lees, aka The Macaroon. I’d give up now mate, she’ll always best you.
The focus here on the Balkans war is very good and especially that much of the action from the past is set in Dubrovnik. Like many others, I imagine, I have vivid memories of the bombing of this beautiful city, so it strikes a chord. I’ve been since the war and it’s been lovingly restored though it’s still possible to see some damage on the outskirts. One of the characters writes a diary of the approaching war and it’s very good, feeling so authentic.
There’s much here that’s heartbreaking as you’d expect. The plot is very well connected, it’s well paced and at no point do I lose interest.
As for the ending… why Val, why???? 😭 Just to be clear, it’s not a bad ending at all, but it’s one heck of a shocking one!
A highly recommended series
February 17, 2019
Book #3 in the series, and I’m still enjoying Karen Pirie. This one had a historical slant involving the Balkans. I don’t know much about their history, but I did recognize place names from their being in the news.
A skeleton is found in a weird place up on a roof of a derelict building in Edinburgh, and it’s a very difficult place to do an investigation or gather forensic clues. Handle it they do, and it ties into events during the Balkan Wars in the 1990’s. Professor Maggie Blake, who lived through the war, writes a sort of memoir of her time there.
As always, Val McDermid’s writing style slows me down, but that’s enjoyable as it immerses me in the book. I liked the relationship between Karen and “the Mint,” her detective constable. I also like that Karen has fallen in love with her old partner, Phil Parhatka. McDermid is not shy about putting her characters into tail spins, so now the next book is a “must read.”
A skeleton is found in a weird place up on a roof of a derelict building in Edinburgh, and it’s a very difficult place to do an investigation or gather forensic clues. Handle it they do, and it ties into events during the Balkan Wars in the 1990’s. Professor Maggie Blake, who lived through the war, writes a sort of memoir of her time there.
As always, Val McDermid’s writing style slows me down, but that’s enjoyable as it immerses me in the book. I liked the relationship between Karen and “the Mint,” her detective constable. I also like that Karen has fallen in love with her old partner, Phil Parhatka. McDermid is not shy about putting her characters into tail spins, so now the next book is a “must read.”
October 23, 2014
I've been reading Val McDermid's novels for a long time. Many of them of them I've liked a lot, others not so much. This is one in the not so much category, although a bit more than I liked her last effort, The Vanishing Point.
Set in Edinburgh, Oxford and Croatia, the plot deals with two investigations: one conducted by Scottish police into the murder of a man whose skeletonised remains are found on the roof of a condemned building and the other conducted by two hapless International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) lawyers, who are given the job of who's responsible for a security leak that has led to the execution-style murders of a number of war criminals. The accounts of these two investigations, which are - of course - related, are interspersed with the first person memoir of an Oxford academic who lived through the siege of Dubrovnik during the Croatian War of Independence.
I liked some features of the novel. The Oxford academic character was inspired by Kathy Wilkes, and her real-life involvement in underground universities behind the Iron Curtain makes for interesting fiction. In addition, McDermid's evocation of Dubrovnik during the siege is excellent. However, other features of the novel are less impressive. For example, it's pretty easy to pick the culprit. Another thing that annoyed me was McDermid's portrayal of the war crimes tribunal lawyers. I've know a few lawyers who've done war crimes tribunal work and it's hard to imagine that two such bumbling and ineffectual lawyers as McDermid's characters would be seconded to the ICTY by the British or any other government. Finally, I'm not that big a fan of the structure. While I don't mind interwoven narratives, it made for choppy reading and a dilution rather than a concentration of the suspense.
Val McDermid has written better books than this one. On the other hand, she's also written worse. Hence the three stars. Not a complete waste of time, but not quite thrilling enough for a thriller.
September 30, 2016
4.5★s
The old Victorian John Drummond School in historic Edinburgh had been abandoned for the last twenty years – it had had its share of squatters and the like, but now the building was being checked for stability; the old battlements, turrets and pinnacles needed to be assessed before it could be converted into flats. The unexpected shock of finding skeletal remains in one of the turrets would haunt the young man forever, he just knew it.
Cold case detective Karen Pirie was called in to start the investigation – the forensic people assured her this wasn’t a recent death; the vicinity of six to ten years was what was likely. Karen wasn’t sure where to start as identification would be a problem given the state of the skeleton. But as she dug deeply, she discovered something unsettling – could this death be connected to the terrible wars in the Balkans?
As Karen bounced her thoughts off her detective husband Phil, she realized that as usual using him as a sounding board was effective. But suddenly there were more people involved in this case than she had wanted – a spate of murders across the continent was hovering at the edge of her investigation as well. What was going on? Who had this enigmatic person been? The depth of the deep, dark secrets were soon going to be uncovered – but at what cost?
I thoroughly enjoyed this stand-alone novel by Val McDermid – gripping, suspenseful and full of tension, it was everything I love in a thriller. Though I worked out the killer around half way through the book, it certainly didn’t spoil the enjoyment of the story for me. I have no hesitation in recommending The Skeleton Road highly.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
The old Victorian John Drummond School in historic Edinburgh had been abandoned for the last twenty years – it had had its share of squatters and the like, but now the building was being checked for stability; the old battlements, turrets and pinnacles needed to be assessed before it could be converted into flats. The unexpected shock of finding skeletal remains in one of the turrets would haunt the young man forever, he just knew it.
Cold case detective Karen Pirie was called in to start the investigation – the forensic people assured her this wasn’t a recent death; the vicinity of six to ten years was what was likely. Karen wasn’t sure where to start as identification would be a problem given the state of the skeleton. But as she dug deeply, she discovered something unsettling – could this death be connected to the terrible wars in the Balkans?
As Karen bounced her thoughts off her detective husband Phil, she realized that as usual using him as a sounding board was effective. But suddenly there were more people involved in this case than she had wanted – a spate of murders across the continent was hovering at the edge of her investigation as well. What was going on? Who had this enigmatic person been? The depth of the deep, dark secrets were soon going to be uncovered – but at what cost?
I thoroughly enjoyed this stand-alone novel by Val McDermid – gripping, suspenseful and full of tension, it was everything I love in a thriller. Though I worked out the killer around half way through the book, it certainly didn’t spoil the enjoyment of the story for me. I have no hesitation in recommending The Skeleton Road highly.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
October 22, 2024
Firstly let me say that I am a big fan of previous books by the talented Val McDermid. Sadly, I did not love this book quite as much as some of her others. Don't get me wrong, the book itself is written extremely well but I just couldn't get particularly excited about the plot.
What's the book about?
When a skeleton is discovered hidden at the top of a crumbling, gothic building in Edinburgh, Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is faced with the unenviable task of identifying the bones. As Karen's investigation gathers momentum, she is drawn deeper into a world of intrigue and betrayal, spanning the dark days of the Balkan Wars.
Karen's search for answers brings her to a small village in Croatia, a place scarred by fear, where people have endured unspeakable acts of violence. Meanwhile, someone is taking the law into their own hands in the name of justice and revenge, but when present resentment collides with secrets of the past, the truth is more shocking than anyone could have imagined...
My Review:
This book was a slow burner for me, I felt it did not pick up much pace until past the halfway mark in the book and I am used to being caught up much more quickly than that in a Val McDermid novel, so I was surprised with this one. You know those books where you are not rushing to pick it back up again? This one was like that for me.
After a skeleton with a bullet hole in the head is found in a deserted building on the roof, DCI Karen Pirie of the Cold Case unit needs to try to put a name and a story to the skeleton. Using forensic anthropology an identity is finally given to the body.
With a cast of characters and a flow between points of view the book builds up a slow picture of interesting scenarios all linked to the skeletal body that was found.
The book flits back to recorded memories of times in the Balkans war, documenting the horrific crimes of mass rape, murder and genocide that went on. These parts of the book, written as memories I found a bit boring at times and began to feel like I could skip them and not miss much.
Somebody is murdering war criminals before they are brought to justice and two staff members working for the British Dept of Justice are tasked with finding out who. Through research they connect with DCI Karen Pirie when their paths cross during research and investigation.
Eventually the murder case takes DCI Pirie to Croatia to find out what she needs to know. What secrets have been kept for many years? What is the background to the skeleton they found? Why was the skeleton murdered? There are a lot of questions that need answers.
I did like the parts of the book focusing on DCI Pirie's investigation, interviews, theories, but then the book would change POV and not all of them I connected with. So this was a mixed book for me. In fact I am finding it hard to find the right words.
I could not really love this book as much as I wanted, however the writing is brilliantly done, the characters are all very well written and represented, each and every character having a stand alone presence. BUT I found the plot itself very slow and whilst the latter half of the book held more interest for me I was very disappointed with the ending, I felt it was unfinished and rather abrupt. I was like "what, that's that then? We went through all of that, for THAT?
In my opinion this book veers away from Val's normal style of crime novel. The historical element that is brought in is quite extensive, and if you are interested in the history of the war in the Balkans that happened you may very well love this book. I just didn't. And I wanted to as I really adore her writing.
It was too slow for me and I didn't get that sense of page turning tension that I have had with her other novels. It's fairly slow most of the way through. But top marks for the writing itself and the characters, just a shame the plot did not excite me or hold me much.
It's marketed as a psychological thriller, I did not get that from this book at all. To me it's better described as crime fiction with a historical slant, police procedural but it didn't have the thrill that a psychological thriller does.
Oh, and I knew who the killer was fairly early on in the book and I was right once things were revealed. I didn't want to work it out early on.I can't even get excited about writing this review.
So a bit of a ho-hum read and review from me. I just can't get terribly excited but you read it and see what you think, after all a review is a personal opinion so I am sure many will love this, others may agree with what I feel. Each to their own.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher Little Brown Book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What's the book about?
When a skeleton is discovered hidden at the top of a crumbling, gothic building in Edinburgh, Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is faced with the unenviable task of identifying the bones. As Karen's investigation gathers momentum, she is drawn deeper into a world of intrigue and betrayal, spanning the dark days of the Balkan Wars.
Karen's search for answers brings her to a small village in Croatia, a place scarred by fear, where people have endured unspeakable acts of violence. Meanwhile, someone is taking the law into their own hands in the name of justice and revenge, but when present resentment collides with secrets of the past, the truth is more shocking than anyone could have imagined...
My Review:
This book was a slow burner for me, I felt it did not pick up much pace until past the halfway mark in the book and I am used to being caught up much more quickly than that in a Val McDermid novel, so I was surprised with this one. You know those books where you are not rushing to pick it back up again? This one was like that for me.
After a skeleton with a bullet hole in the head is found in a deserted building on the roof, DCI Karen Pirie of the Cold Case unit needs to try to put a name and a story to the skeleton. Using forensic anthropology an identity is finally given to the body.
With a cast of characters and a flow between points of view the book builds up a slow picture of interesting scenarios all linked to the skeletal body that was found.
The book flits back to recorded memories of times in the Balkans war, documenting the horrific crimes of mass rape, murder and genocide that went on. These parts of the book, written as memories I found a bit boring at times and began to feel like I could skip them and not miss much.
Somebody is murdering war criminals before they are brought to justice and two staff members working for the British Dept of Justice are tasked with finding out who. Through research they connect with DCI Karen Pirie when their paths cross during research and investigation.
Eventually the murder case takes DCI Pirie to Croatia to find out what she needs to know. What secrets have been kept for many years? What is the background to the skeleton they found? Why was the skeleton murdered? There are a lot of questions that need answers.
I did like the parts of the book focusing on DCI Pirie's investigation, interviews, theories, but then the book would change POV and not all of them I connected with. So this was a mixed book for me. In fact I am finding it hard to find the right words.
I could not really love this book as much as I wanted, however the writing is brilliantly done, the characters are all very well written and represented, each and every character having a stand alone presence. BUT I found the plot itself very slow and whilst the latter half of the book held more interest for me I was very disappointed with the ending, I felt it was unfinished and rather abrupt. I was like "what, that's that then? We went through all of that, for THAT?
In my opinion this book veers away from Val's normal style of crime novel. The historical element that is brought in is quite extensive, and if you are interested in the history of the war in the Balkans that happened you may very well love this book. I just didn't. And I wanted to as I really adore her writing.
It was too slow for me and I didn't get that sense of page turning tension that I have had with her other novels. It's fairly slow most of the way through. But top marks for the writing itself and the characters, just a shame the plot did not excite me or hold me much.
It's marketed as a psychological thriller, I did not get that from this book at all. To me it's better described as crime fiction with a historical slant, police procedural but it didn't have the thrill that a psychological thriller does.
Oh, and I knew who the killer was fairly early on in the book and I was right once things were revealed. I didn't want to work it out early on.I can't even get excited about writing this review.
So a bit of a ho-hum read and review from me. I just can't get terribly excited but you read it and see what you think, after all a review is a personal opinion so I am sure many will love this, others may agree with what I feel. Each to their own.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher Little Brown Book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 22, 2015
I’ve read a lot of Val McDermid’s books, and I am usually a fan. In The Skeleton Road, I realised who the killer was on page 40 of the 400-page book. Given that the book is about the mystery of who did it, I thought McDermid was introducing a red herring. Sadly, she was not.
A skeleton is found on the roof of an abandoned building in Scotland. It is estimated to have been there for more than five years. Cold Case detective, Karen Pirie has to discover who it is and how he ended up there with a bullet in his head. Dental records show the body may be Eastern European. If this were the only major plot line, I may have still enjoyed the book.
However, we are forced to follow two useless lawyers from the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia who must discover a security leak that has led to execution-style murders of a number of war criminals.
Then we are taken into Oxford University professor, Maggie Blake’s world. Maggie was trying to bring 'underground universities' to Croatia before the war began. She fell in love with Croatian army officer, Mitja and stayed on once the war began. Maggie and Mitja settled in Oxford after the war, until he disappears. Is it Mitja’s corpse that was found on the roof?
Then we are taken into another story – frequent flashbacks of Maggie’s life in Croatia – that is supposed to teach us about the war. This belonged in another book.
Sub-plots should support the main plot. These did not do that job. I felt as if I were reading four books crammed into one. I didn’t like it and ended up skimming the boring bits.
A skeleton is found on the roof of an abandoned building in Scotland. It is estimated to have been there for more than five years. Cold Case detective, Karen Pirie has to discover who it is and how he ended up there with a bullet in his head. Dental records show the body may be Eastern European. If this were the only major plot line, I may have still enjoyed the book.
However, we are forced to follow two useless lawyers from the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia who must discover a security leak that has led to execution-style murders of a number of war criminals.
Then we are taken into Oxford University professor, Maggie Blake’s world. Maggie was trying to bring 'underground universities' to Croatia before the war began. She fell in love with Croatian army officer, Mitja and stayed on once the war began. Maggie and Mitja settled in Oxford after the war, until he disappears. Is it Mitja’s corpse that was found on the roof?
Then we are taken into another story – frequent flashbacks of Maggie’s life in Croatia – that is supposed to teach us about the war. This belonged in another book.
Sub-plots should support the main plot. These did not do that job. I felt as if I were reading four books crammed into one. I didn’t like it and ended up skimming the boring bits.
August 29, 2017
I have read quite a few of McDermid's books, and though I often felt the ending was a bit dissatisfying, her writing is such that you feel instantly engaged.'A Place of Execution' is probably her best, so if you want to start with a McDermid book, I would recommend you start there. Now to 'The Skeleton Road'.
I was very intrigued by the premise of this mystery, as it focuses on the Balkan conflict, about which I knew, certainly, but had never read any novel about. Apparently this is part of a series with Inspector Karen Pirie, but to be honest, I had totally forgotten that I read the previous book, so you can easily read this as a standalone.
I liked Karen, and the shift between past and present was really smoothly done. The multiple POVs, too, gave the story greater dimension.
That said, this was not an easy book to read. What happened in the Balkans was horrific, and it is astounding how quickly the world has moved on, even though this only happened not so long ago. If nothing else, the book did make me interested in learning more about the Third Balkan War, which makes it a worthy read.
In terms of plot, I was not entirely satisfied, the story was very engaging for about two-thirds of the way, and then sort of petered out in a rather formulaic ending.
Nonetheless, I will always keep a lookout for whatever new McDermid has to offer, as her novels, despite some issues I may have with the endings, are always quite gripping.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
I was very intrigued by the premise of this mystery, as it focuses on the Balkan conflict, about which I knew, certainly, but had never read any novel about. Apparently this is part of a series with Inspector Karen Pirie, but to be honest, I had totally forgotten that I read the previous book, so you can easily read this as a standalone.
I liked Karen, and the shift between past and present was really smoothly done. The multiple POVs, too, gave the story greater dimension.
That said, this was not an easy book to read. What happened in the Balkans was horrific, and it is astounding how quickly the world has moved on, even though this only happened not so long ago. If nothing else, the book did make me interested in learning more about the Third Balkan War, which makes it a worthy read.
In terms of plot, I was not entirely satisfied, the story was very engaging for about two-thirds of the way, and then sort of petered out in a rather formulaic ending.
Nonetheless, I will always keep a lookout for whatever new McDermid has to offer, as her novels, despite some issues I may have with the endings, are always quite gripping.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
September 19, 2014
This is probably going to turn out to be one of my favourite reads of the year – it is one of those reads that makes me wish I was good at gushing. I loved it. DCI Karen Pirie is called in to investigate when a skeleton is discovered on the rooftop of an abandoned building – a skeleton with a bullet hole in the head. The investigation takes the reader from Scotland to Oxford, to Greece and Croatia as a story unfolds that literally took my breath away. I loved reading about each setting and the descriptions really brought each one to life.
What I did like about the book are the strong female characters. As well as Karen herself, we meet Maggie Blake, an Oxford academic, a feminist whose life was turned upside down when she fell in love with Mitja, a Croatian general. Maggie’s retelling of the time she spent with Mitja in Croatia and particularly in Dubrovnic during the siege of 1991 and of the atrocities that took place during the Balkan conflict are shocking, chilling and horrific.
I never for one moment lost interest in this book, it was so well paced as it moved to a conclusion that was satisfying, but which left me gasping for more. I just want to know what is going to happen in Karen’s life next. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
What I did like about the book are the strong female characters. As well as Karen herself, we meet Maggie Blake, an Oxford academic, a feminist whose life was turned upside down when she fell in love with Mitja, a Croatian general. Maggie’s retelling of the time she spent with Mitja in Croatia and particularly in Dubrovnic during the siege of 1991 and of the atrocities that took place during the Balkan conflict are shocking, chilling and horrific.
I never for one moment lost interest in this book, it was so well paced as it moved to a conclusion that was satisfying, but which left me gasping for more. I just want to know what is going to happen in Karen’s life next. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
May 13, 2017
I forgot to add this book, which I finished last week. I am reading this series out of order as I started with the fourth. In this novel Karen Pirie is called in after a skeleton is found on the roof of an abandoned building. Pirie works in the "historic cases" unit, or what is more commonly called the cold case unit. Her inquiries lead her to the former Yugoslavia after she links a missing persons case from several years back to this case.
The Balkan Wars of the recent century are mostly forgotten here in the U.S. America was involved to a limited extent, and in this country, many dismissed the wars as impossibly complex and brutal. There were other segments who claimed the Balkans got more attention that other conflicts because they were in Europe. Nonetheless, this was a period that saw entire villages annihilated, widespread savagery, and countless atrocities. While some readers may be "disappointed" that a Scottish noir crime novel swerves into this territory, it added greatly to the story in my opinion.
The Balkan Wars of the recent century are mostly forgotten here in the U.S. America was involved to a limited extent, and in this country, many dismissed the wars as impossibly complex and brutal. There were other segments who claimed the Balkans got more attention that other conflicts because they were in Europe. Nonetheless, this was a period that saw entire villages annihilated, widespread savagery, and countless atrocities. While some readers may be "disappointed" that a Scottish noir crime novel swerves into this territory, it added greatly to the story in my opinion.
September 21, 2014
When you pick up any novel by Val McDermid you know you are in the hands of a true pro, who can craft characters and stories that will transport you and make you care. This one is a very fine stand-alone. It didn't matter to me that I picked certain elements - I was enthralled by the journey.
August 22, 2016
SWEDISH REVIEW
Jag hade helt glömt bort att jag hade läst en tidigare bok i denna serie. Och, jag är tacksam över det då det inte var en bok som jag fann speciellt intressant. Jag är en stor fan av Val McDermids Tony Hill och Carol Jordan serie men jag har inte direkt utforskat hennes andra böcker så det var intressant att läsa denna bok och till viss del tyckte jag det var riktigt bra, dock så var det rätt så lätt att lista ut vem som låg bakom mordet på mannen som hittades skjuten upp på taket till en byggnad. Jag kände på mig vem det var och sedan släppte inte min misstanke om personen i fråga och det visade sig att jag hade rätt.
Men, trots det så fann jag berättelsen intressant, speciellt att det var olika synviklar. Vi har Karen Pirie som försöker lösa mordet, sedan har vi professor Maggie Blake som har kopplingar till fallet och vars förflutna vi får ta del av då hon för första gången skriver ner hennes minnes från Balkankriget. Slutligen har vi två advokater som får i uppdrag att finna en person som dödar krigsförbrytare innan de ställs inför rätta.
Personligen hade jag gärna sluppit sidospåret med de två advokaterna från Internationella krigsförbrytartribunalen. De var allt bra löjliga och deras kapitel var de minst intressanta att läsa. Om de hade varit mer seriösa och inte så fjantiga kanske de hade varit mycket mer intressant att läsa om.
Fallet i sig själv var intressant, jag gillade kopplingen till det forna Jugoslavien och jag tyckte allra bäst om Maggies berättelse och det är tack vare hennes berättelse som jag i slutändan tyckte att boken trots allt var riktigt bra.
Tack till Alfabeta Bokförlag för recensionexemplaret!
ENGLISH REVIEW
I had completely forgotten that I had read a previous book in this series. And, I'm actually pretty grateful for it when it was not a book that I found particularly interesting. I'm a big fan of Val McDermids Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series, but I have not really found time to explore her other books so I found it interesting to read this book and to some extent did I think it was really good. However, was quite easy to figure out who was behind the murder of the man, who was found shot, on the roof of a building. I just felt quickly that I knew who was the killer and it turned out I was right.
But, I found the story interesting, despite that, I especially liked the story's different point of views. First, we have Karen Pirie trying to solve the murder, then we have Professor Maggie Blake who is linked to the case, in some way. We also get Maggie's past as she writes down her memory from the Balkan War and how she met a man there that she came to love and loose. Finally, we have two lawyers who are assigned to find a person who kills the criminals before they are brought to justice.
Personally, I could have lived without the two lawyers from the International Criminal Tribunal. They were very ridiculous and their chapters were the least interesting to read. If they had been more serious and not so silly they might have been much more interesting to read about.
The case itself was interesting, I liked the connection to the former Yugoslavia and I personally liked Maggie's story the best, both her past in Yugoslavia and her present life in England. And I can honestly say that thanks to her story did this book turn out to be quite good!
Thanks to Alfabeta Bokförlag for the review copy!
Read this review and others on A Bookaholic Swede
Jag hade helt glömt bort att jag hade läst en tidigare bok i denna serie. Och, jag är tacksam över det då det inte var en bok som jag fann speciellt intressant. Jag är en stor fan av Val McDermids Tony Hill och Carol Jordan serie men jag har inte direkt utforskat hennes andra böcker så det var intressant att läsa denna bok och till viss del tyckte jag det var riktigt bra, dock så var det rätt så lätt att lista ut vem som låg bakom mordet på mannen som hittades skjuten upp på taket till en byggnad. Jag kände på mig vem det var och sedan släppte inte min misstanke om personen i fråga och det visade sig att jag hade rätt.
Men, trots det så fann jag berättelsen intressant, speciellt att det var olika synviklar. Vi har Karen Pirie som försöker lösa mordet, sedan har vi professor Maggie Blake som har kopplingar till fallet och vars förflutna vi får ta del av då hon för första gången skriver ner hennes minnes från Balkankriget. Slutligen har vi två advokater som får i uppdrag att finna en person som dödar krigsförbrytare innan de ställs inför rätta.
Personligen hade jag gärna sluppit sidospåret med de två advokaterna från Internationella krigsförbrytartribunalen. De var allt bra löjliga och deras kapitel var de minst intressanta att läsa. Om de hade varit mer seriösa och inte så fjantiga kanske de hade varit mycket mer intressant att läsa om.
Fallet i sig själv var intressant, jag gillade kopplingen till det forna Jugoslavien och jag tyckte allra bäst om Maggies berättelse och det är tack vare hennes berättelse som jag i slutändan tyckte att boken trots allt var riktigt bra.
Tack till Alfabeta Bokförlag för recensionexemplaret!
ENGLISH REVIEW
I had completely forgotten that I had read a previous book in this series. And, I'm actually pretty grateful for it when it was not a book that I found particularly interesting. I'm a big fan of Val McDermids Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series, but I have not really found time to explore her other books so I found it interesting to read this book and to some extent did I think it was really good. However, was quite easy to figure out who was behind the murder of the man, who was found shot, on the roof of a building. I just felt quickly that I knew who was the killer and it turned out I was right.
But, I found the story interesting, despite that, I especially liked the story's different point of views. First, we have Karen Pirie trying to solve the murder, then we have Professor Maggie Blake who is linked to the case, in some way. We also get Maggie's past as she writes down her memory from the Balkan War and how she met a man there that she came to love and loose. Finally, we have two lawyers who are assigned to find a person who kills the criminals before they are brought to justice.
Personally, I could have lived without the two lawyers from the International Criminal Tribunal. They were very ridiculous and their chapters were the least interesting to read. If they had been more serious and not so silly they might have been much more interesting to read about.
The case itself was interesting, I liked the connection to the former Yugoslavia and I personally liked Maggie's story the best, both her past in Yugoslavia and her present life in England. And I can honestly say that thanks to her story did this book turn out to be quite good!
Thanks to Alfabeta Bokförlag for the review copy!
Read this review and others on A Bookaholic Swede
March 14, 2015
What did I think of this book? Well, first off, it's written by Val McDermid and yes, I am terribly biased. I love her writing. Second, I love her writing because she can write for adults who want to read an adult mystery/thriller story and she writes at an educated level that shows respect to her readers. And third, author McDermid can bring together the storylines of a skeleton found on the roof of a building, involving Police Scotland and DCI Karen Pirie; an Oxford professor of geopolitical science; a murder in Greece; and two agents of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Brillant!!!
A reader does not have to have read the other DCI Karen Pirie books to be able to follow this novel but I hope Val McDermid will quickly return with a sequel to Skeleton Road since I want to know more about her characters and that great ending.
A reader does not have to have read the other DCI Karen Pirie books to be able to follow this novel but I hope Val McDermid will quickly return with a sequel to Skeleton Road since I want to know more about her characters and that great ending.
December 19, 2018
Style and Language
In this crime novel comes a war into the game, which left many scars and even more dead. Val McDermid uses a clear but powerful language, her writing is simple but effective and she has a brilliant way to get the reader into the pages. This crime novel is very haunting, full of great dialogues and scenes and shows a psychological finesse which is extraordinary. There is no word wrong placed, no line too much or something missing at all.
From the first till the last line your captivated and every page brings something new, something that makes it even more captivating and thrilling.
The Balkan Wars brought, like every war, a lot of pain, loss, cruelty and other crimes to the people. But when a man gets to know, that he is the reason innocent people had to die and he does what he has to do, it becomes even worse. All those feelings, the hate, the absurdity and the incredible rage and wrath when a country has to learn that those, who were responsible for that war weren’t to be punished or lived a life with special treatment in prison after all that horrible things they´ve done I only know from the perspective of a few people I know for real in life. And from what I could hear in the news. But to read about it, to see some real historical facts brought into a crime novel that is part fiction and part real – that was incredibly amazing to read. Yes, I have the distance a reader has who had never to experience the cruelty of war (and hopefully never will!) but that doesn´t change the fact that Val McDermid has used it as a great plot.
She writes with style, grace and shows the horror of that war as well as the horror it still brings to the people even after all those years. And what it looks like when someone uses that war as an excuse to do revenge for something that had actually nothing to do with that war at all.
Characters
No matter what kind of character the author brings into her story, they all have one in common: they convince without question. There is a depth in some of them, a dark side and don´t dare to hurt them – it won´t become you.
Prof. Maggie Blake was left by the love of her life without a warning from one second to the other. But she never gave up the hope that he´ll come back one day. When she has to learn the truth, she´s devastated and as well relieved. But when she gets to know that the person who was responsible for his death, and that she trusted that person with her life, something makes click inside her. Believe me; you will feel the chill running down your spine the moment she gets the important fact about the murderer.
Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is very good at what she does. Even when her boss thinks otherwise about that, but he´s got no proof to get her out of his office. She knows how to fight him, how to handle him and she knows exactly what to do and when to do. But when some men start to interfere and ask her a lot of questions she gets pissed. She agrees with gritted teeth to work with them, but under her conditions and they´re not at all what those two men thought they´d have to deal with. Yes, she plays with them and is always one step ahead of their work.
Result
This crime novel is phenomenal good! The art of crime at its best and in a perfect performance presented to the reader - no doubt about that. For me a fantastic read! I am absolutely thrilled, shocked and fascinated at the same time. That was one heck of a brilliant novel.
September 23, 2015
A welcome return to form...
When a long-dead body is found on the roof of a derelict Edinburgh school, the case is handed to Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie of the Historic Cases Unit. Calling on her friend and colleague, forensic anthropologist Dr River Wilde, for help in identifying the body, Karen soon finds that the victim is of Eastern European origin. So begins a case that is as much about the history of the Serbo-Croatian war of the 1990s as it is about a murder investigation.
When Val McDermid is on form she's one of the best of the current crime writers, and I'm pleased to say that she's on form in this one. Personally I'm glad to see her getting away from the Tony Hill series, which in my opinion has gone on too long and has lost its way over the last few books. (In fact, I haven't even been able to bring myself to read the last couple.) And, unlike her last foray into standalone thriller territory with the truly bad The Vanishing Point, this one is a return to her strengths as a police procedural with an intriguing and believable plot. Although much of the action takes place in Oxford and Croatia, Karen Pirie is based in Scotland and I enjoyed seeing McDermid return to her roots (which she also did very successfully recently in her take on Austen's Northanger Abbey.) Karen is a likeable detective – neither drunken nor angst-ridden, she is in a stable supportive relationship with a man she loves, and seems to get on well with her colleagues, all of which is nicely refreshing.
As the investigation advances, Karen contacts an Oxford University professor, Maggie Blake, who was involved in a scheme to bring 'underground universities' to Croatia just before the war began. While there, Maggie had fallen in love with a Croatian army officer, so stayed on once the war began. Karen hopes she will be able to shed some light on the country at that time, and perhaps more specifically on why the Edinburgh victim may have been murdered. The book is told mainly in the third-person past-tense from Karen's viewpoint, but there are sections between the chapters where Maggie tells the story of her time in Croatia and her return to Oxford after the war. There is another strand which links through the book of two detectives from the International War Crimes Tribunal, who are investigating a string of murders of suspected war criminals. Oddly, it's these characters who provide a bit of much-needed humour to lift the book, despite their task - they are an ill-matched couple, fighting to keep their jobs, and their rather bumbling interactions with each other and Karen stop the book from becoming too oppressively dark.
But the main story is very dark indeed, as we are told of some of the atrocities that happened during that period. McDermid has clearly done her research thoroughly and, although obviously the events in the book are mainly fictional, they have a horrific ring of truth about them. While we're mainly seeing the story from the Croatian viewpoint, McDermid briefly gives the Serbian side of the story too and, while she doesn't attempt to justify, she makes sure the reader is aware of how complex the situation was – not quite as black and white as it is sometimes portrayed. Living through this period as I did, I must say I'm much clearer about what went on after reading this book than I ever was at the time.
The book isn't without its flaws, the main one being that there is too small a cast of suspects and it's therefore pretty easy to spot the solution fairly early on. This seems to be becoming a frequent problem in current crime-writing – the authors seem to be so concerned with cramming in a great deal of research sometimes at the expense of creating a complex mystery. However, taking the book as a whole, the quality of the writing and the depth of the story more than compensate for the weaknesses, and overall I found this an absorbing and satisfying read.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Little, Brown Book Group UK.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When a long-dead body is found on the roof of a derelict Edinburgh school, the case is handed to Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie of the Historic Cases Unit. Calling on her friend and colleague, forensic anthropologist Dr River Wilde, for help in identifying the body, Karen soon finds that the victim is of Eastern European origin. So begins a case that is as much about the history of the Serbo-Croatian war of the 1990s as it is about a murder investigation.
When Val McDermid is on form she's one of the best of the current crime writers, and I'm pleased to say that she's on form in this one. Personally I'm glad to see her getting away from the Tony Hill series, which in my opinion has gone on too long and has lost its way over the last few books. (In fact, I haven't even been able to bring myself to read the last couple.) And, unlike her last foray into standalone thriller territory with the truly bad The Vanishing Point, this one is a return to her strengths as a police procedural with an intriguing and believable plot. Although much of the action takes place in Oxford and Croatia, Karen Pirie is based in Scotland and I enjoyed seeing McDermid return to her roots (which she also did very successfully recently in her take on Austen's Northanger Abbey.) Karen is a likeable detective – neither drunken nor angst-ridden, she is in a stable supportive relationship with a man she loves, and seems to get on well with her colleagues, all of which is nicely refreshing.
As the investigation advances, Karen contacts an Oxford University professor, Maggie Blake, who was involved in a scheme to bring 'underground universities' to Croatia just before the war began. While there, Maggie had fallen in love with a Croatian army officer, so stayed on once the war began. Karen hopes she will be able to shed some light on the country at that time, and perhaps more specifically on why the Edinburgh victim may have been murdered. The book is told mainly in the third-person past-tense from Karen's viewpoint, but there are sections between the chapters where Maggie tells the story of her time in Croatia and her return to Oxford after the war. There is another strand which links through the book of two detectives from the International War Crimes Tribunal, who are investigating a string of murders of suspected war criminals. Oddly, it's these characters who provide a bit of much-needed humour to lift the book, despite their task - they are an ill-matched couple, fighting to keep their jobs, and their rather bumbling interactions with each other and Karen stop the book from becoming too oppressively dark.
But the main story is very dark indeed, as we are told of some of the atrocities that happened during that period. McDermid has clearly done her research thoroughly and, although obviously the events in the book are mainly fictional, they have a horrific ring of truth about them. While we're mainly seeing the story from the Croatian viewpoint, McDermid briefly gives the Serbian side of the story too and, while she doesn't attempt to justify, she makes sure the reader is aware of how complex the situation was – not quite as black and white as it is sometimes portrayed. Living through this period as I did, I must say I'm much clearer about what went on after reading this book than I ever was at the time.
The book isn't without its flaws, the main one being that there is too small a cast of suspects and it's therefore pretty easy to spot the solution fairly early on. This seems to be becoming a frequent problem in current crime-writing – the authors seem to be so concerned with cramming in a great deal of research sometimes at the expense of creating a complex mystery. However, taking the book as a whole, the quality of the writing and the depth of the story more than compensate for the weaknesses, and overall I found this an absorbing and satisfying read.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Little, Brown Book Group UK.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
December 10, 2016
Great characters and great plot timing. The Skeleton Road is smartly written with historical tie-ins, multiple love interests, and a hard-edged unsentimental finish. A great book that I couldn't put down until I was done.
September 19, 2016
This book works best when the focus is on Maggie. While I enjoy the fact that Karen is not the sterotypical good looking women as well as the fact that she has friends. I even liked the Mint, her less than sharp sidekick. But the book truly sings when the focus is on Maggie because Karen's plot points are slightly been there, done that.
The book is good and riveting, however. It is a good read and ride.
The book is good and riveting, however. It is a good read and ride.
September 9, 2018
4 stars. RTC.
January 10, 2018
Brilliant novel as a skeleton is found atop an abandoned school in Edinburgh, and leads Pirie back into the Balkans conflicts. Several strands moving along in parallel allow a complex plot to maintain good momentum. And Pirie has a major shock in her personal life just as she closes in on the answer to the puzzling plot.
October 28, 2014
Books can transport us to some wonderful places. Books can transport us to some terrible places. Often, the place is the same with the perspective different. The place can be a vast geographical landscape, or it can be the confines of a mind. Reading allows us to see the beauty and the ugliness of that same place so that making a black and white judgment becomes obstructed by the full disclosure of knowledge. We are forced to be less judgmental and more understanding. Val McDermid is the master of showing us what we think we know is but a fragment of a whole. The world and the mind are never black and white, and reading a Val McDermid novel quickly reminds you of that. The Skeleton Road is a journey through war, love, retribution, and the aftermath thereof. The Bosnian War after the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 90s plays an integral part in McDermid's story, and I'm embarrassed to admit that it took reading this book to bring the bones of this war to my full attention, not that readers should expect an in-depth account of that complicated conflict. The author skillfully uses the war as a backdrop to the present day action of the story.
The Skeleton Road opens with the discovery of a skeleton with a bullet hole in its skull on the rooftop of an old abandoned historic Edinburgh building being assessed for development. As the skeletal remains are conclusive proof that the crime took place some time ago, DCI Karen Pirie of the cold case unit of Police Scotland is called in to investigate. First to be addressed is identification of the remains. But identification of the victim as of Yugoslavian roots only deepens the mystery, leading Pirie from the academic world of Oxford to the complex world of Croatia. To further complicate matters, the victim, who has been dead for eight years, has been a recent interest of two lawyers of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) investigating a series of murders of war criminals. Unable to attribute the murders to the deceased, these rather bumbling lawyers must scramble to determine who else could be responsible, as their new boss puts them under increasing pressure. DCI Pirie, who is calm under her boss' pressure to solve her case, finds the investigative road leads to an Oxford University professor, Maggie Blake, who was in residence in Dubrovnik during its 1991 siege in the war between the Serbs and the Croats and who fell in love with a Croatian general. Both of these women will uncover long buried secrets in the course of the investigation.
The novel is told from three perspectives, predominantly by DCI Karen Pirie following her investigation into the murder of her cold case victim. Pirie is a very steady character, as she is likeable, dedicated to her job, gifted with a sense of humor, and is in a stable relationship. So, her point of view is an ongoing source of reliable narrative. But, as Pirie's case is deeply rooted in the bloody, tragic past of Croatia, the other two points of view are a natural connection to her narrative. Maggie Blake's flashback chapters deal with the intensity of being in the war zone of the Bosnian War, the human toll and emotions of it, and provide important points of time and place. The two ICTY lawyers, though rather inept at first glance, bring needed background and information with their POV chapters. Together, McDermid uses these three perspectives to create the intense drama of crime built upon crime.
War is hell, and its nightmares don't end with its end. The atrocities by both sides in war reach beyond the graves of the original victims. McDermid has given us a dark, gripping tale that terrifies and educates. The characters are deftly drawn with their strengths and flaws that cautions the reader to pause before drawing any conclusions. I did have a couple of issues with the ending, but it did nothing to disturb my opinion that Val McDermid has given readers a magnificent story. Although the book is described as a stand-alone and can absolutely be read as such, for those of us who are taken with DCI Karen Pirie, the first book featuring her is A Darker Domain.
I was fortunate to receive this book from the publisher Grove Atlantic as a promotional giveaway on Goodreads for my honest opinion of it.
The Skeleton Road opens with the discovery of a skeleton with a bullet hole in its skull on the rooftop of an old abandoned historic Edinburgh building being assessed for development. As the skeletal remains are conclusive proof that the crime took place some time ago, DCI Karen Pirie of the cold case unit of Police Scotland is called in to investigate. First to be addressed is identification of the remains. But identification of the victim as of Yugoslavian roots only deepens the mystery, leading Pirie from the academic world of Oxford to the complex world of Croatia. To further complicate matters, the victim, who has been dead for eight years, has been a recent interest of two lawyers of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) investigating a series of murders of war criminals. Unable to attribute the murders to the deceased, these rather bumbling lawyers must scramble to determine who else could be responsible, as their new boss puts them under increasing pressure. DCI Pirie, who is calm under her boss' pressure to solve her case, finds the investigative road leads to an Oxford University professor, Maggie Blake, who was in residence in Dubrovnik during its 1991 siege in the war between the Serbs and the Croats and who fell in love with a Croatian general. Both of these women will uncover long buried secrets in the course of the investigation.
The novel is told from three perspectives, predominantly by DCI Karen Pirie following her investigation into the murder of her cold case victim. Pirie is a very steady character, as she is likeable, dedicated to her job, gifted with a sense of humor, and is in a stable relationship. So, her point of view is an ongoing source of reliable narrative. But, as Pirie's case is deeply rooted in the bloody, tragic past of Croatia, the other two points of view are a natural connection to her narrative. Maggie Blake's flashback chapters deal with the intensity of being in the war zone of the Bosnian War, the human toll and emotions of it, and provide important points of time and place. The two ICTY lawyers, though rather inept at first glance, bring needed background and information with their POV chapters. Together, McDermid uses these three perspectives to create the intense drama of crime built upon crime.
War is hell, and its nightmares don't end with its end. The atrocities by both sides in war reach beyond the graves of the original victims. McDermid has given us a dark, gripping tale that terrifies and educates. The characters are deftly drawn with their strengths and flaws that cautions the reader to pause before drawing any conclusions. I did have a couple of issues with the ending, but it did nothing to disturb my opinion that Val McDermid has given readers a magnificent story. Although the book is described as a stand-alone and can absolutely be read as such, for those of us who are taken with DCI Karen Pirie, the first book featuring her is A Darker Domain.
I was fortunate to receive this book from the publisher Grove Atlantic as a promotional giveaway on Goodreads for my honest opinion of it.
August 9, 2017
When a skeleton with a bullet hole in its skull is found at the top of a long-abandoned building in Edinburgh, Karen Pirie of Police Scotland's Historic Cases Unit doesn't realize that she's about to be drawn into a case that will see her enmeshed in the complexities of the bloody civil war over a decade earlier in the countries of what was once Yugoslavia, joined as they were in a common bond of mutual hatred . . .
That's a fair (albeit overly brief) description of this novel, but it's really quite misleading. This isn't the police procedural you'd expect from the above paragraph, nor is it really a mystery novel -- even though there's a murder to be solved. (The solution is reasonably obvious well before the end, but by then it has become almost incidental to the enjoyment of the book.) Instead what we have is a very absorbing morality tale, a study of our attitudes towards good and evil and our need for nuances in those attitudes. Leaving aside Pirie herself, whose investigation is the center of attention a good deal less than you might anticipate, none of the central characters can be viewed as entirely in the Good or the Bad column: even the one we assume to be entirely blameless turns out to have a strong streak of manipulative ruthlessness.
In light of this -- and in light of the fact that it's a McDermid novel -- it seems odd to have to point out that characterization is not one of The Skeleton Road's strong points. Although the central female characters are all quite distinct in attributes like background and appearance, I had difficulty sometimes telling their presences apart. They seemed all three to be in effect the same character, just in different packages. And some of the secondary characters -- notably a pair of ghastly jobsworth human rights lawyers -- seemed barely more than stereotypes.
Where the book scores really highly, though, is in its rage of ideas . . . and in the rage of some of its ideas. We tend most of us to forget, I think, how truly horrific the Balkans war was, how its atrocities weren't just brutal but brutalities overlain by layers of an enthusiastic sadism that made even some of the worse Nazi war crimes pale by comparison. That luxury of amnesia isn't permitted us here. McDermid doesn't rub our faces in interminable pages of grue, but what she does reveal to us in a very well researched text is tough to face, and we know it's merely indicative of far more and far worse that's being left unsaid.
I didn't find this a comfortable book, although it kept me engrossed more or less without cease from beginning to end. But I think it's a book that's very well worth reading.
That's a fair (albeit overly brief) description of this novel, but it's really quite misleading. This isn't the police procedural you'd expect from the above paragraph, nor is it really a mystery novel -- even though there's a murder to be solved. (The solution is reasonably obvious well before the end, but by then it has become almost incidental to the enjoyment of the book.) Instead what we have is a very absorbing morality tale, a study of our attitudes towards good and evil and our need for nuances in those attitudes. Leaving aside Pirie herself, whose investigation is the center of attention a good deal less than you might anticipate, none of the central characters can be viewed as entirely in the Good or the Bad column: even the one we assume to be entirely blameless turns out to have a strong streak of manipulative ruthlessness.
In light of this -- and in light of the fact that it's a McDermid novel -- it seems odd to have to point out that characterization is not one of The Skeleton Road's strong points. Although the central female characters are all quite distinct in attributes like background and appearance, I had difficulty sometimes telling their presences apart. They seemed all three to be in effect the same character, just in different packages. And some of the secondary characters -- notably a pair of ghastly jobsworth human rights lawyers -- seemed barely more than stereotypes.
Where the book scores really highly, though, is in its rage of ideas . . . and in the rage of some of its ideas. We tend most of us to forget, I think, how truly horrific the Balkans war was, how its atrocities weren't just brutal but brutalities overlain by layers of an enthusiastic sadism that made even some of the worse Nazi war crimes pale by comparison. That luxury of amnesia isn't permitted us here. McDermid doesn't rub our faces in interminable pages of grue, but what she does reveal to us in a very well researched text is tough to face, and we know it's merely indicative of far more and far worse that's being left unsaid.
I didn't find this a comfortable book, although it kept me engrossed more or less without cease from beginning to end. But I think it's a book that's very well worth reading.
September 17, 2014
Publication Date: Available Now.
Source: Publisher Review Copy
When a skeleton is discovered hidden at the top of a crumbling, gothic building in Edinburgh, Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is faced with the unenviable task of identifying the bones. As Karen’s investigation gathers momentum, she is drawn deeper into a world of intrigue and betrayal, spanning the dark days of the Balkan Wars.
So a standalone book this time, (Not Tony Hill) an excellent and very involving read showing once again that Val McDermid is pretty much in a class of her own when it comes to Crime Fiction.
Here we find Karen Pirie (A Darker Domain), on the cold case squad and tasked with discovering the identity of some remains discovered on the roof of a long abandoned building – as the case progresses she becomes embroiled in a vendetta with its roots in the Balkan Conflict.
Extremely gripping throughout, with a multi stranded story and some very haunting and evocative details about the atrocities in the Balkans, this was really part murder mystery and part history lesson, whilst still being highly entertaining. Some great characters (lets hope Karen returns one day) and a truly compelling tale of violence and judgement that was at times truly chilling, I found myself more interested in the past than the present, our victim being rather enigmatic I was really keen to find out the truth.
The mystery element is extremely well constructed as always, even though the murderer was fairly obvious I think that this added to the tale rather than took away from it – because the heart of the story was not “whodunnit” but a real opportunity to explore themes of loss and revenge. Ms McDermid as always does not pull any punches in her descriptive prose and this brings to horrific life the details of war and the atrocities that can occur, often unnoticed. I particularly liked how the focus was not on the “Headline” making events but rather on the smaller, violent occurrences that were going on daily and not always talked about.
Overall another brilliant read, some of the best crime fiction out there.
Happy Reading Folks!
Source: Publisher Review Copy
When a skeleton is discovered hidden at the top of a crumbling, gothic building in Edinburgh, Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is faced with the unenviable task of identifying the bones. As Karen’s investigation gathers momentum, she is drawn deeper into a world of intrigue and betrayal, spanning the dark days of the Balkan Wars.
So a standalone book this time, (Not Tony Hill) an excellent and very involving read showing once again that Val McDermid is pretty much in a class of her own when it comes to Crime Fiction.
Here we find Karen Pirie (A Darker Domain), on the cold case squad and tasked with discovering the identity of some remains discovered on the roof of a long abandoned building – as the case progresses she becomes embroiled in a vendetta with its roots in the Balkan Conflict.
Extremely gripping throughout, with a multi stranded story and some very haunting and evocative details about the atrocities in the Balkans, this was really part murder mystery and part history lesson, whilst still being highly entertaining. Some great characters (lets hope Karen returns one day) and a truly compelling tale of violence and judgement that was at times truly chilling, I found myself more interested in the past than the present, our victim being rather enigmatic I was really keen to find out the truth.
The mystery element is extremely well constructed as always, even though the murderer was fairly obvious I think that this added to the tale rather than took away from it – because the heart of the story was not “whodunnit” but a real opportunity to explore themes of loss and revenge. Ms McDermid as always does not pull any punches in her descriptive prose and this brings to horrific life the details of war and the atrocities that can occur, often unnoticed. I particularly liked how the focus was not on the “Headline” making events but rather on the smaller, violent occurrences that were going on daily and not always talked about.
Overall another brilliant read, some of the best crime fiction out there.
Happy Reading Folks!
November 19, 2014
A stonking story interwoven with a lesson in modern European history that pulls no punches.
"When a skeleton is discovered hidden at the top of a crumbling, gothic building in Edinburgh, Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is faced with the unenviable task of identifying the bones. As Karen's investigation gathers momentum, she is drawn deeper into a world of intrigue and betrayal, spanning the dark days of the Balkan Wars."
My overriding feeling on finishing was guilt. The events described took place in Croatia well into my adulthood but at that time I chose not to be aware of the scale of the horror. This novel explains the human suffering in a moving and deeply affecting way with descriptions that will stay with me for a long time.
There's a lot going on in this book. As well as the flashbacks to the 90s there are investigations into the murder in Edinburgh as well as some civil service types chasing up connections between a series of assassinations internationally. As if that weren't enough there are some fascinatingly entwined relationships between characters and some almost farcical journeys between Scotland, England and Eastern Europe.
All in all this was an interesting, though occasionally harrowing, read and I'd be happy to recommend it to all crime fiction lovers.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the advance review copy e-book via Netgalley.
"When a skeleton is discovered hidden at the top of a crumbling, gothic building in Edinburgh, Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is faced with the unenviable task of identifying the bones. As Karen's investigation gathers momentum, she is drawn deeper into a world of intrigue and betrayal, spanning the dark days of the Balkan Wars."
My overriding feeling on finishing was guilt. The events described took place in Croatia well into my adulthood but at that time I chose not to be aware of the scale of the horror. This novel explains the human suffering in a moving and deeply affecting way with descriptions that will stay with me for a long time.
There's a lot going on in this book. As well as the flashbacks to the 90s there are investigations into the murder in Edinburgh as well as some civil service types chasing up connections between a series of assassinations internationally. As if that weren't enough there are some fascinatingly entwined relationships between characters and some almost farcical journeys between Scotland, England and Eastern Europe.
All in all this was an interesting, though occasionally harrowing, read and I'd be happy to recommend it to all crime fiction lovers.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the advance review copy e-book via Netgalley.
July 8, 2018
A solid book but it fails to transcend it's genre. But then so do most of us, don't we?
June 24, 2019
Unusually for this author this book is very dull. Abandoned on pg 170.
July 4, 2020
This is the best of the Karen Pirie books I have read to date. I am delighted with my choice to read this book on a holiday after slogging through a dozen books I had to abandon. Hard work finding good books! This one qualifies.
The tone of this particular book was higher, more intelligent as well as educational with regard to Croatia's troubled history.
Pivotal events in Karen's life transpire in this one.
Construction of this book was a bit like spinning multiple plates as there were numerous complex story lines.
I'm sorry friend John Grant is no longer with us as I see he also liked this one. I would have enjoyed trading opinions with him. (miss you, John)
This was good deal on amazon for 2.99, my holiday gift to self.
The tone of this particular book was higher, more intelligent as well as educational with regard to Croatia's troubled history.
Pivotal events in Karen's life transpire in this one.
Construction of this book was a bit like spinning multiple plates as there were numerous complex story lines.
I'm sorry friend John Grant is no longer with us as I see he also liked this one. I would have enjoyed trading opinions with him. (miss you, John)
This was good deal on amazon for 2.99, my holiday gift to self.
June 9, 2021
”Everything speaks, if you only know how to listen”
Here is to hoping that this means the end of my reading slum!
I'm a loyal McDermid fan, ever since I read The Mermaids Singing and auto buy her on resales.
But I've fallen way behind on with reading all my auto buys.
This one was way different than the usual DCI Pirie reads I've done, and I can't say I'm the biggest fan.
The plot was too predictable, and the climax was not all that.
Nevertheless I read the entire book and that in itself is major for me in a reading slump.
I've already started the next book and is glad to see it's back on the normal track that I know and love!
Here is to hoping that this means the end of my reading slum!
I'm a loyal McDermid fan, ever since I read The Mermaids Singing and auto buy her on resales.
But I've fallen way behind on with reading all my auto buys.
This one was way different than the usual DCI Pirie reads I've done, and I can't say I'm the biggest fan.
The plot was too predictable, and the climax was not all that.
Nevertheless I read the entire book and that in itself is major for me in a reading slump.
I've already started the next book and is glad to see it's back on the normal track that I know and love!
November 3, 2022
Ok.....slight spoiler coming up....so look away :)....yes now :)) For those of you who have read The Skeleton Road we all know that Karen's boyfriend Phil is no more but in true McDermid style we do not dwell over the issue simply mention at the close of the book. The writing as always is excellent, well researched, and excellent characterization expecially in the descritpions and of our 2 main heroes Karen and the ever tasteful mint :) The new itv crime series Karen Pirie has been recently on prime time tv and yet the character playing Karen Pirie is somewhat slim and a little more organised than the Karen we know and love....."a stocky woman of middle height with a shrewd gaze, a messy haircut and a slightly crumpled business suit"....."As usual, her thick mop of dark hair looked as if she'd shared a stylist with Dennis the Menace".........:) Jason the "mint" Murray young and eager, if a little geeky is her constant companion but often receiving putdowns form and exasperated DCI...."Karen sighed. Education Jason was an uphill struggle. How come I know? Because I read books, Jason. Because I watch things on the telly that aren't boy comics doing panel games"......." Now do your maths homework or play Candy Crush or something useful while I check my email"........lovely :)
A skeleton is discovered atop a crumbling gothic building in Edinburgh and on close inspection the skull has a neat hole at the front...enter our intrepid duo...always ready for battle which will take Karen and the Mint from the hallowed grounds of Oxford university to the killing fields of Croatia for a killer still active and at large. It would not be a Val McDermid thriller if we did not have a pompous boss and Assistant Chief Constable Simon Lees is perfect for this role. He views Karen with disdain in her slightly crumpled suit...."the trousers a shade too tight over the generous hips"...Karen is equal to his arrogance as..."she perched on the edge of an elegant sideboard he'd bought from his grandmother's house. His secretary kept it buffed to within an inch of its life...Lees felt sure Pirie knew that"......
The dept of justice is also trying to solve a number of murders over the past 7 years and 2 somwhat bumbling individuals, Macanespie and Proctor are cannon fodder to KP. At 450+ pages the novel is the perfect size for McDermid to introduce a number of possible suspects but the brilliance in her writing is left until the last few pages when the person of most interest to me the reader turned out to be a read herring.....so well disguised by the author. This is a wonderful read, writing of the finest order, that ends on a sad note, however knowing the strength of Karen Pirie I know she will soon return for another exciting adventure. Highly highly recommended!
A skeleton is discovered atop a crumbling gothic building in Edinburgh and on close inspection the skull has a neat hole at the front...enter our intrepid duo...always ready for battle which will take Karen and the Mint from the hallowed grounds of Oxford university to the killing fields of Croatia for a killer still active and at large. It would not be a Val McDermid thriller if we did not have a pompous boss and Assistant Chief Constable Simon Lees is perfect for this role. He views Karen with disdain in her slightly crumpled suit...."the trousers a shade too tight over the generous hips"...Karen is equal to his arrogance as..."she perched on the edge of an elegant sideboard he'd bought from his grandmother's house. His secretary kept it buffed to within an inch of its life...Lees felt sure Pirie knew that"......
The dept of justice is also trying to solve a number of murders over the past 7 years and 2 somwhat bumbling individuals, Macanespie and Proctor are cannon fodder to KP. At 450+ pages the novel is the perfect size for McDermid to introduce a number of possible suspects but the brilliance in her writing is left until the last few pages when the person of most interest to me the reader turned out to be a read herring.....so well disguised by the author. This is a wonderful read, writing of the finest order, that ends on a sad note, however knowing the strength of Karen Pirie I know she will soon return for another exciting adventure. Highly highly recommended!
July 7, 2021
The Skeleton Road (Inspector Karen Pirie, #3) by Val McDermid.
I was captivated by this author's writing. Her knowledge of the Balkans Wars during the 1990's. The characters caught up in that horrific period and its effect on their lives. The characters around the story including Inspector Pirie captivated me with their relentless pursuit of justice.
An abandoned building in historic Edinburgh is to be demolished. In a top pinnacle a human skeleton is found with a bullet hole thru its head. Karen Pirie is assigned this case possible years old making it her cold case. One of the first people she contacts is Dr. River Wilde (I love that name) forensic anthropologist and a good friend of Karen's. They've worked together before on other cold case at the HCU.
Who was this victim and why was he murdered? And there's so much more to this story which brings Inspector Pirie to the other side of the world...to a little village that bore the brunt of the battles and massacres between the Croats and the Serbs. What ties that side of the world to a skeleton in an abandoned building in Edinburgh?
Love this series and highly recommend this book and series.
I was captivated by this author's writing. Her knowledge of the Balkans Wars during the 1990's. The characters caught up in that horrific period and its effect on their lives. The characters around the story including Inspector Pirie captivated me with their relentless pursuit of justice.
An abandoned building in historic Edinburgh is to be demolished. In a top pinnacle a human skeleton is found with a bullet hole thru its head. Karen Pirie is assigned this case possible years old making it her cold case. One of the first people she contacts is Dr. River Wilde (I love that name) forensic anthropologist and a good friend of Karen's. They've worked together before on other cold case at the HCU.
Who was this victim and why was he murdered? And there's so much more to this story which brings Inspector Pirie to the other side of the world...to a little village that bore the brunt of the battles and massacres between the Croats and the Serbs. What ties that side of the world to a skeleton in an abandoned building in Edinburgh?
Love this series and highly recommend this book and series.
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