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Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #10
Náhradní řešení
Na svatbě je láska všude ve vzduchu. Osamělí lidé víc myslí na to, že s někým chtějí být. A žena, která už dlouho nikoho neměla nebo se právě s někým rozešla, se ochotněji než jindy dá do řeči s neznámým příjemným mužem, nechá se pozvat na večeři a posléze i na víkend. Proč se znepokojovat, že o sympatickém vdovci skoro nic neví, možná je to konečně pan Pravý…
Pak se na odlehlé venkovské silnici objeví hořící auto a v něm uškrcená a spálená mladá žena. Vrah po sobě nezanechává téměř žádné stopy, a tak se vrchní inspektorka Carol Jordanová, šéfka nově ustaveného regionálního týmu pro závažné zločiny, spolu s tvůrcem psychologických profilů Tonym Hillem skoro modlí, aby se dočkali další precizně promyšlené vraždy, která jim snad o pachateli napoví víc. Za pár týdnů na jiném odlehlém místě se scéna opakuje. A za nějaký čas znovu.
O vlastní genialitě přesvědčený pachatel je stále o spoustu kroků před policií – a Carol jde zatím o všechno. Když selže ona, Tony, Paula, Stacey, Alvin, Kevin a Karim, její nepřátelé jí s radostí vezmou to poslední, co jí ještě zbývá, a zničí ji. Beznadějná situace si žádá beznadějné řešení.
Pak se na odlehlé venkovské silnici objeví hořící auto a v něm uškrcená a spálená mladá žena. Vrah po sobě nezanechává téměř žádné stopy, a tak se vrchní inspektorka Carol Jordanová, šéfka nově ustaveného regionálního týmu pro závažné zločiny, spolu s tvůrcem psychologických profilů Tonym Hillem skoro modlí, aby se dočkali další precizně promyšlené vraždy, která jim snad o pachateli napoví víc. Za pár týdnů na jiném odlehlém místě se scéna opakuje. A za nějaký čas znovu.
O vlastní genialitě přesvědčený pachatel je stále o spoustu kroků před policií – a Carol jde zatím o všechno. Když selže ona, Tony, Paula, Stacey, Alvin, Kevin a Karim, její nepřátelé jí s radostí vezmou to poslední, co jí ještě zbývá, a zničí ji. Beznadějná situace si žádá beznadějné řešení.
358 pages, Hardcover
First published August 24, 2017
861 people are currently reading
3394 people want to read
About the author
Val McDermid
342 books5,321 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 831 reviews
August 31, 2017
I'll write a proper review at some point, but man, I'm baffled by the 5* reviews this book is getting. It rolls along well for the most part - a regular installment in the ongoing adventures of Carol and Tony, with a decently meaty side part for Paula. And then the whole thing swerves off track at breakneck speed, becomes entirely ludicrous, and kills the series entirely. If you consider yourself a fan of the Carol and Tony series, you'll probably be a happier person if you don't read this book.
November 8, 2017
Returning with another high-intensity novel in the Hill and Jordan series, Val McDermid shows why she has been given so much praise for her mystery writing. When a vehicle is found engulfed in flames along the side of the road, questions mount. It is only when fire crews extinguish the blaze that they discover a charred body, later identified as Kathryn McCormick. Forensic examination discovers that Kathryn was likely strangled before being placed in the vehicle and the fire was used to destroy anything that might help. A call to REMIT (the Regional Major Investigation Team) means that the locals are taking no chances. REMIT is a group that has been pulled together by DCI Carol Jordan, a small and very select group that is sure to leave those peering in from outside highly jealous. However, Jordan is also trying to get her life back together after some less than legal maneuvers kept her out of jail, but also allowed some other offenders to slip through the cracks. When Jordan and the team seek to tease out some information about the killer, they discover all forensics at the scene have been destroyed by water and there are very few leads. However, refusing to lay down and give up, Jordan pushes to use CCTV footage and the like to find this killer. When another body is discovered in a vehicle, the team is thankful that the blaze was left to burn itself out, turning the scene into a forensic jackpot. The more REMIT can find, the better the killer’s profile, which is where Tony Hill finds his expertise useful. Hill is able to extrapolate and soon discovers that there may be a wedding crasher killer, preying on vulnerable women. Away from the action, DS Paula McIntyre has come to see that her ‘adopted’ son, Torin, is beginning to exhibit highly confusing behaviour. Not sure if this is tied to his mother’s recent death, DS McIntyre uses Tony Hill’s expertise to crack things open, only to discover another disturbing set of circumstances. With a killer on the loose and scores of weddings all over the place, REMIT cannot be sure of where to turn next, or what might be fuelling these murders. DCI Jordan had best regain her focus, or step aside, as all eyes are watching, some ready to pounce on REMIT failure. A wonderfully plotted piece that seeks to stir up emotion in the reader throughout the experience. McDermid and series fans will bask in the strength of this piece, which is sure to garner new fans, though I recommend they start at the beginning of this impactful collection.
McDermid never falters when she sits down and dedicates herself to a series. The Hill-Jordan collection is full of great aspects of crime, character growth, and personal struggles, which leaves the reader fully committed, but always wanting a little more. Carol Jordan receives a great deal of the focus in this novel, tackling some of her guilt related to having her drunk driving charge swept under the rug, but also having to come to terms with the pressure of REMIT and that many want it to die a painful death. McDermid allows this thread to float around through the narrative, including an angle of journalistic integrity when someone gets ahold of the previously buried information. While she and Hill remain committed to not committing, Tony is able to remain on the periphery and do what he does best, climb into the minds of killers and those who need a psychological analysis. The banter between these two and the other strong, secondary characters permits McDermid to forge ahead with a strong crime thriller. The story itself has some interesting aspects, as the reader is given full view of the killer and their attempts to lure vulnerable women at weddings. Building up their confidence and preparing the foundation for a wonderful relationship before killing them, symbolic of a larger issue at hand. McDermid weaves the story around the killer and REMIT, creating a wonderful cat and mouse game, but not turning it into anything too laborious. Peppering the narrative with that secondary criminal situation, involving Torin, keeps the reader on their toes and sharp-minded throughout. The delivery is strong and, as I have always come to find with McDermid, leaves little time to rest. There is always something going on and the reader cannot tune out for a chapter or three, for fear of missing essential information. Without getting specific, the ending leaves fans begging for another instalment, as loose threads dangle. This series has it all, without dragging things out for 500+ pages, just to get to the end.
Kudos, Madam McDermid, for all your hard work. I find that a few of your series with which I have familiarised myself remain strong and full of forensic spark. Keep it up and your fan base will grow exponentially.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
McDermid never falters when she sits down and dedicates herself to a series. The Hill-Jordan collection is full of great aspects of crime, character growth, and personal struggles, which leaves the reader fully committed, but always wanting a little more. Carol Jordan receives a great deal of the focus in this novel, tackling some of her guilt related to having her drunk driving charge swept under the rug, but also having to come to terms with the pressure of REMIT and that many want it to die a painful death. McDermid allows this thread to float around through the narrative, including an angle of journalistic integrity when someone gets ahold of the previously buried information. While she and Hill remain committed to not committing, Tony is able to remain on the periphery and do what he does best, climb into the minds of killers and those who need a psychological analysis. The banter between these two and the other strong, secondary characters permits McDermid to forge ahead with a strong crime thriller. The story itself has some interesting aspects, as the reader is given full view of the killer and their attempts to lure vulnerable women at weddings. Building up their confidence and preparing the foundation for a wonderful relationship before killing them, symbolic of a larger issue at hand. McDermid weaves the story around the killer and REMIT, creating a wonderful cat and mouse game, but not turning it into anything too laborious. Peppering the narrative with that secondary criminal situation, involving Torin, keeps the reader on their toes and sharp-minded throughout. The delivery is strong and, as I have always come to find with McDermid, leaves little time to rest. There is always something going on and the reader cannot tune out for a chapter or three, for fear of missing essential information. Without getting specific, the ending leaves fans begging for another instalment, as loose threads dangle. This series has it all, without dragging things out for 500+ pages, just to get to the end.
Kudos, Madam McDermid, for all your hard work. I find that a few of your series with which I have familiarised myself remain strong and full of forensic spark. Keep it up and your fan base will grow exponentially.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
November 20, 2017
20Nov 2017
I fell in love with Tony and Carol form the very first book. I loved the dynamic McDermid build into these characters.
McDermid writes all her books so it can be read as stand-alone novels, but I honestly feel that if you weren't with Carol and Tony form the start, you wouldn't appreciate this turn of events as much.
There isn't much more I can say that might not spoil previous books. Because this book kind of ties everything together.
I can't wait for a new edition to this series!
15Nov 2017
I'm thinking how to say what needs to be said about this one!
I fell in love with Tony and Carol form the very first book. I loved the dynamic McDermid build into these characters.
McDermid writes all her books so it can be read as stand-alone novels, but I honestly feel that if you weren't with Carol and Tony form the start, you wouldn't appreciate this turn of events as much.
There isn't much more I can say that might not spoil previous books. Because this book kind of ties everything together.
I can't wait for a new edition to this series!
15Nov 2017
I'm thinking how to say what needs to be said about this one!
September 10, 2017
3.5 stars
After the storming return of DCI Carol Jordan and clinical psychologist, Dr Tony Hill, in the sensational Splinter the Silence which set about establishing a Regional Murder Investigation Team, despite a successful apprehension, Val McDermid left readers floundering with a heck of a lot of balls up in the air. The long awaited result is Insidious Intent and McDermid has nailed the title for another slick and satisfying instalment which craftily gets under readers skins. Before you know it you’ve surreptitiously careened through the lion’s share of the novel and are into a very tense home stretch. Quality is never an issue with McDermid, an author who is equally adept at understanding a characters motivations as making complex forensic angles accessible to a layman. Her prose delivers more snap, crackle and decidedly more pop than average authors, even on a bad day, and her returning characters have earned a place in readers hearts. But Val McDermid can turn out a decent police procedural in her sleep and readers tend to expect something more from her novels. My disappointment with Insidious Intent is that McDermid doesn’t give her readers anymore than is required and in many ways, this tenth instalment does not make any significant progress from the territory covered in the ninth.
In Splinter the Silence the route to establishing a Regional Murder Investigation Team (ReMIT) was fraught with tensions, from the detractors taking potshots at DCI Carol Jordan and her handpicked team of the “best of the best”. Those passed over for selection and the regional forces losing out on the cases that define careers are none too keen to make things any easier for the crack team, in fact the vast majority would love to see DCI Jordan fall flat on her face. Opponents, mud slingers and the gutter press all stand in the way in Insidious Intent and it irks somewhat as this was McDermid’s very angle in Splinter the Silence and it gets tiresome seeing the team continually failing to convince each other that they can withstand the heat, and Dr Tony Hill engaged in a concerted effort to buoy Carol’s failing spirits without the crutch of alcohol.
ReMIT do not do things by the book; they are unorthodox and hence open to criticism, but pitted against the cream of the villainous crop of predators it never seemed likely that their job would be plain sailing. The discovery of a burning car reported in a lay-by at a remote location complete with a female passenger in the front seat might not be expected to fall under the auspices of ReMIT, but when it is discovered that the victim was already dead prior to the fire starting it becomes a very different matter. What remains of an incinerated corpse is eventually identified as Kathryn McCormick, a dull as they come office manager who is fondly remembered even by those she has sacked. Eventual inroads are made when the team realise she has fallen prey to a man who appears to be a wedding crasher, not an invited guest, and swiftly fallen for his patter and easy charm. With a fake first name and burner phone number, the basic checks fail to uncover anything of significance and with forensics a non-starter due to the water and foam of the fire brigade, the team can do little more than watch and wait.. A similar incident happens just three weeks later, again with the victim having met an unidentified wedding crasher, but it becomes clear that the team are up against a perpetrator who has trawled the internet and done a fine job in covering his tracks. As the team feel powerless and DCI Carol Jordan allows the guilt of more deaths to eat away at her conscience, the tension and angst within the office is palpable. However, with more murders and repeat incidents, Dr Tony Hill is joining the dots and pinning down the motivation behind a shrewd predator out for evil revenge.
McDermid ticks all the boxes, her narrative is punchy with a clever line in dark humour, her longstanding characters feel like friends, but Insidious Intent never gets above first gear. A few moments of great forensic details whet the appetite (burning corpses in cars with sunroofs) and some clever (albeit, appearing randomly plucked) insights from the brilliant and newly resplendent purple anorak wearer, Dr Tony Hill, offer possibilities. Eventually the team close in on the theory of the victims as a representation (surrogate or cipher) of the real person that the killer wants to wreak his revenge on, the team starts to spot patterns. Despite my affection for the ‘human computer’ that is DC Stacey Chen, I think McDermid relies too heavily on her dark arts and back door entry to others systems, especially when at one point she professes to loathe those who abuse online systems. Likewise, for all their commitments to delivering justice, it cannot be ignored that this is a team who break more rules than they obey! New boy, DC Karim Hussain, is ludicrously green and brings nothing to the party, except for asking irritating questions which allow McDermid to give her new readers a swift rejoinder in police procedural basics. Sadly, DCI Carol Jordan also seemed below par and much of the leg work seemed to pass over her head. Without a doubt, apart from Tony, the female personalities within ReMIT are eminently more interesting and well explored than their male counterparts, from DS Paula McIntyre attempting to head off a sexting scandal of her and partner, Elinor’s, fourteen-year-old ward, Torin McAndrew and DC Stacey Chen playing fast and loose with her ex boyfriends digital footprint. McDermid’s humour is never lacking and Stacey’s improvisation and star turn as DC Xing Ming of the Anti Terrorism Unit proves inspired.
As the clock ticks down on Carol Jordan’s career and with the bulk of the evidence largely circumstantial, well, hold onto your hats for the finale!
The ending, which I did start to anticipate inside the last fifty-pages at the very least mixes things up and gives McDermid a fresh challenge, but sadly it left me unconvinced. However, if there is anyone who can deliver such a sensational shock and pull it off, it is definitely Val McDermid. A different direction, a new challenge, and as much as I love Paula, Stacey and Tony, Carol needs to man up and prove her skills beyond doubt in the next instalment. Prepare for battle as DCI Carol Jordan and her ReMIT bandwagon rolls on.
In summary, Insidious Intent, is another assured police procedural and it is hard to pick holes in a case that sees the team engaged in a first major inquiry and pitted against such a forensically aware and well prepared perpetrator, but this novel doesn’t bring anything new to the arena. DCI Carol Jordan wallows and her team largely plough on devoid of her inspiration and impetus, but I was disappointed with the extraordinary denouement. Having said all that I will still be at the door queuing for a follow-up! Val McDermid is never less than gloriously readable, inventive and remarkably witty, and Insidious Intent is a highly satisfying read.
After the storming return of DCI Carol Jordan and clinical psychologist, Dr Tony Hill, in the sensational Splinter the Silence which set about establishing a Regional Murder Investigation Team, despite a successful apprehension, Val McDermid left readers floundering with a heck of a lot of balls up in the air. The long awaited result is Insidious Intent and McDermid has nailed the title for another slick and satisfying instalment which craftily gets under readers skins. Before you know it you’ve surreptitiously careened through the lion’s share of the novel and are into a very tense home stretch. Quality is never an issue with McDermid, an author who is equally adept at understanding a characters motivations as making complex forensic angles accessible to a layman. Her prose delivers more snap, crackle and decidedly more pop than average authors, even on a bad day, and her returning characters have earned a place in readers hearts. But Val McDermid can turn out a decent police procedural in her sleep and readers tend to expect something more from her novels. My disappointment with Insidious Intent is that McDermid doesn’t give her readers anymore than is required and in many ways, this tenth instalment does not make any significant progress from the territory covered in the ninth.
In Splinter the Silence the route to establishing a Regional Murder Investigation Team (ReMIT) was fraught with tensions, from the detractors taking potshots at DCI Carol Jordan and her handpicked team of the “best of the best”. Those passed over for selection and the regional forces losing out on the cases that define careers are none too keen to make things any easier for the crack team, in fact the vast majority would love to see DCI Jordan fall flat on her face. Opponents, mud slingers and the gutter press all stand in the way in Insidious Intent and it irks somewhat as this was McDermid’s very angle in Splinter the Silence and it gets tiresome seeing the team continually failing to convince each other that they can withstand the heat, and Dr Tony Hill engaged in a concerted effort to buoy Carol’s failing spirits without the crutch of alcohol.
ReMIT do not do things by the book; they are unorthodox and hence open to criticism, but pitted against the cream of the villainous crop of predators it never seemed likely that their job would be plain sailing. The discovery of a burning car reported in a lay-by at a remote location complete with a female passenger in the front seat might not be expected to fall under the auspices of ReMIT, but when it is discovered that the victim was already dead prior to the fire starting it becomes a very different matter. What remains of an incinerated corpse is eventually identified as Kathryn McCormick, a dull as they come office manager who is fondly remembered even by those she has sacked. Eventual inroads are made when the team realise she has fallen prey to a man who appears to be a wedding crasher, not an invited guest, and swiftly fallen for his patter and easy charm. With a fake first name and burner phone number, the basic checks fail to uncover anything of significance and with forensics a non-starter due to the water and foam of the fire brigade, the team can do little more than watch and wait.. A similar incident happens just three weeks later, again with the victim having met an unidentified wedding crasher, but it becomes clear that the team are up against a perpetrator who has trawled the internet and done a fine job in covering his tracks. As the team feel powerless and DCI Carol Jordan allows the guilt of more deaths to eat away at her conscience, the tension and angst within the office is palpable. However, with more murders and repeat incidents, Dr Tony Hill is joining the dots and pinning down the motivation behind a shrewd predator out for evil revenge.
McDermid ticks all the boxes, her narrative is punchy with a clever line in dark humour, her longstanding characters feel like friends, but Insidious Intent never gets above first gear. A few moments of great forensic details whet the appetite (burning corpses in cars with sunroofs) and some clever (albeit, appearing randomly plucked) insights from the brilliant and newly resplendent purple anorak wearer, Dr Tony Hill, offer possibilities. Eventually the team close in on the theory of the victims as a representation (surrogate or cipher) of the real person that the killer wants to wreak his revenge on, the team starts to spot patterns. Despite my affection for the ‘human computer’ that is DC Stacey Chen, I think McDermid relies too heavily on her dark arts and back door entry to others systems, especially when at one point she professes to loathe those who abuse online systems. Likewise, for all their commitments to delivering justice, it cannot be ignored that this is a team who break more rules than they obey! New boy, DC Karim Hussain, is ludicrously green and brings nothing to the party, except for asking irritating questions which allow McDermid to give her new readers a swift rejoinder in police procedural basics. Sadly, DCI Carol Jordan also seemed below par and much of the leg work seemed to pass over her head. Without a doubt, apart from Tony, the female personalities within ReMIT are eminently more interesting and well explored than their male counterparts, from DS Paula McIntyre attempting to head off a sexting scandal of her and partner, Elinor’s, fourteen-year-old ward, Torin McAndrew and DC Stacey Chen playing fast and loose with her ex boyfriends digital footprint. McDermid’s humour is never lacking and Stacey’s improvisation and star turn as DC Xing Ming of the Anti Terrorism Unit proves inspired.
As the clock ticks down on Carol Jordan’s career and with the bulk of the evidence largely circumstantial, well, hold onto your hats for the finale!
The ending, which I did start to anticipate inside the last fifty-pages at the very least mixes things up and gives McDermid a fresh challenge, but sadly it left me unconvinced. However, if there is anyone who can deliver such a sensational shock and pull it off, it is definitely Val McDermid. A different direction, a new challenge, and as much as I love Paula, Stacey and Tony, Carol needs to man up and prove her skills beyond doubt in the next instalment. Prepare for battle as DCI Carol Jordan and her ReMIT bandwagon rolls on.
In summary, Insidious Intent, is another assured police procedural and it is hard to pick holes in a case that sees the team engaged in a first major inquiry and pitted against such a forensically aware and well prepared perpetrator, but this novel doesn’t bring anything new to the arena. DCI Carol Jordan wallows and her team largely plough on devoid of her inspiration and impetus, but I was disappointed with the extraordinary denouement. Having said all that I will still be at the door queuing for a follow-up! Val McDermid is never less than gloriously readable, inventive and remarkably witty, and Insidious Intent is a highly satisfying read.
July 6, 2018
Carol Jordan, what the fuck is wrong with you?! You make me want to scream! (Calm down, Brenda, you know this is totally typical of her. Yeah, but still, what the fuck is wrong with her?!)
Tony Hill, what the fuck is wrong with you?! You make me want to scream! (Calm down, Brenda, you know this is totally typical of him. Yeah, but still, what the fuck is wrong with him?!)
Val McDermid, I’m honoring your request, but what the fuck have you done?!
The criminal investigation into the Wedding Killer is stalled, and that made for some slightly boring reading. ReMIT and its members are on the brink of disaster thanks to pesky journalist, Penny Burgess. It was Paula and Kevin who kept the book interesting. Val McDermid’s “insidious intent” in this book will have far-reaching repercussions, and I cannot wait to read the next installment.
Tony Hill, what the fuck is wrong with you?! You make me want to scream! (Calm down, Brenda, you know this is totally typical of him. Yeah, but still, what the fuck is wrong with him?!)
Val McDermid, I’m honoring your request, but what the fuck have you done?!
The criminal investigation into the Wedding Killer is stalled, and that made for some slightly boring reading. ReMIT and its members are on the brink of disaster thanks to pesky journalist, Penny Burgess. It was Paula and Kevin who kept the book interesting. Val McDermid’s “insidious intent” in this book will have far-reaching repercussions, and I cannot wait to read the next installment.
November 28, 2019
DCI Carol Jordan is heading up an elite murder squad, ReMIT, consisting of highly capable investigators. This is a compulsive, intense page-turner. It’s pace, forensic details, and investigative procedures should keep readers intrigued.
The plot revolves around a shrewdly capable serial killer, who uses his knowledge of forensics and the internet to hide any trace of his identity. I found his motive rather far fetched. He crashes wedding receptions and selects a single woman as his victim. He dates and romances her for a couple of weeks. Once she has fallen in love with him, he strangles her, leaving her body to be incinerated in a burning car in a remote location. Tony Hill, a criminal psychologist gives his expertise in an attempt to explain the killer’s motivations.
Carol’s elite ReMIT team is slow in closing this difficult, frustrating case. Carol is a recovering alcoholic still craving a drink. Tony is being supportive during her withdrawal. I fear that the character of Carol has become unlikeable. She is being presented as guilt-ridden, self-pitying, and self-indulgent. The gutter press is aiming to expose something in her past where she was protected from within her former police force. Her superiors are threatening to close down this police squad due to lack of a conviction in their first main murder case. There is jealousy from detectives not chosen for ReMIT.
There is a subplot involving detective Paula McIntyre, and her sullen, withdrawn teenaged adopted son, Torin. Tony Hill is called in to find out what is bothering him. Once it is discovered that Torin’s fears are internet related, DC Stacey Chen is drawn into the case. She is a brilliant computer hacker and has used her skills for revenge on an ex-lover. She breaks into sites that would not be approved under police ethics, but her team overlooks these activities as a means to an end.
I have always enjoyed the dynamic of the Carol/Tony relationship. This has been a supportive, platonic love story, but they have developed an unhealthy codependency. As for this shocking, disappointing ending, I found it believable knowing their past, I have no idea where the author can go from here with some of her shattered characters. To find out, I have preordered the next book, to be published next Tuesday. Looking forward to it with some dread.
The plot revolves around a shrewdly capable serial killer, who uses his knowledge of forensics and the internet to hide any trace of his identity. I found his motive rather far fetched. He crashes wedding receptions and selects a single woman as his victim. He dates and romances her for a couple of weeks. Once she has fallen in love with him, he strangles her, leaving her body to be incinerated in a burning car in a remote location. Tony Hill, a criminal psychologist gives his expertise in an attempt to explain the killer’s motivations.
Carol’s elite ReMIT team is slow in closing this difficult, frustrating case. Carol is a recovering alcoholic still craving a drink. Tony is being supportive during her withdrawal. I fear that the character of Carol has become unlikeable. She is being presented as guilt-ridden, self-pitying, and self-indulgent. The gutter press is aiming to expose something in her past where she was protected from within her former police force. Her superiors are threatening to close down this police squad due to lack of a conviction in their first main murder case. There is jealousy from detectives not chosen for ReMIT.
There is a subplot involving detective Paula McIntyre, and her sullen, withdrawn teenaged adopted son, Torin. Tony Hill is called in to find out what is bothering him. Once it is discovered that Torin’s fears are internet related, DC Stacey Chen is drawn into the case. She is a brilliant computer hacker and has used her skills for revenge on an ex-lover. She breaks into sites that would not be approved under police ethics, but her team overlooks these activities as a means to an end.
I have always enjoyed the dynamic of the Carol/Tony relationship. This has been a supportive, platonic love story, but they have developed an unhealthy codependency. As for this shocking, disappointing ending, I found it believable knowing their past, I have no idea where the author can go from here with some of her shattered characters. To find out, I have preordered the next book, to be published next Tuesday. Looking forward to it with some dread.
December 30, 2017
Can't believe all the 5 star reviews for this latest instalment in the Hill/Jordan series. It plods along for the most part and when it does get going near the end is totally unbelievable. I've found Ms McDermid's work very variable in quality but this series has always delivered until now. Ms McDermid actually adds a postscript at the end begging readers not to give away the shock ending but what is supposedly an OMG moment was, for me, more of a WTF.
August 29, 2017
It’s that time of year again when there’s a new Val McDermid book out in the world and last Thursday saw me actually rousing myself from my book cave and heading down to my local independent bookshop, where I waited impatiently for them to open so I could lay my hands on a copy. Which I did. Then I read it almost immediately because well, its Val McDermid. Even more than that it features Carol Jordan and Tony Hill – two characters that are so real to me now that I wouldn’t be at all surprised to turn on BBC News one day and actually see Carol Jordan giving an interview about her latest collar.
Before I talk Insidious Intent, I’m fairly sure there can’t be THAT many lovers of crime fiction out there that have not at least dipped into this series – but just in case I catch one of you reading this may I highly recommend that you read in order and take a few weeks off work. For me, absolutely one of the best series out there, even though we are now on book 10 each one offers something new, be it in the horrifying realities of the dark depths of human nature, a particular personal crisis for one of our beloved characters, a freshly observed moral dilemma or twist on a mystery that is inordinately difficult to predict.
So Insidious Intent then finds Carol, Tony and the rest with their first case for the newly formed Remit – a major incident team headed by Carol and featuring her hand picked people. New characters and old friends form the unit, but they soon realise that having the spotlight on them, especially when faced with a difficult case and an intelligent killer, can bring its own pitfalls. Not everyone wants them to succeed – indeed in the aftermath of events from previous novels a fair few would like to see them fall flat on their asses – with Carol still facing down her demons and Tony struggling to continue to prop her up, the scene is set for a right page turner. And a right page turner it was.
Mixing things up with her indomitably twisted (in a creative way obviously) spirit, Val McDermid gives us less of a “whodunnit” and more of a “How the hell are they going to catch him” – we get snippets of the killer’s planning and motivation and from there see how our team are doing.We also have Paula and a parenting problem, my very favourite character outside of Carol and Tony (that would be Stacy Chen) doing lots of fascinating technical stuff and a sharp learning curve for the relationship between our main pair.
One thing I love about this series is the truly authentic sense that is brought to the procedural elements. It is never one thing that solves the case but more a myriad of things and often pure chance – in Insidious Intent it is going to take the talent of every single investigator to get them even within miles. So the story plays out, whilst at the heart of it a moral dilemma for our dynamic duo, in conjunction with a killer of a character (literally and figuratively), builds and builds to a crescendo of a resolution, one that had me genuinely with several paper cuts as I flung page after page over to find out if they would get him. Will they? Well you know what you have to do….
It is the personal touch that makes these books work so well – you feel like you are reading about real people, over the years Val McDermid has created a family. They are the readers family as much as they are hers and each others – therefore now, and for a few books before it at least, you feel every jolt, you devour every heart stopping moment, you live and die with what is happening now in the chapter you are reading. It is clever, involving, brilliantly emotional writing that also encompasses a lot of thought provoking real life issues – in Insidious Intent yes, but also in every novel written, even those not featuring Carol and Tony – so you are entertained, challenged in your thinking and ultimately hugely satisfied if not a little wrung out. Definitely a little wrung out.
Insidious Intent well, it is just all the brilliant. All the brilliant. I don’t think there’s anything else I can say.
Well, except I’m never eating a sourdough loaf again without taking huge precautionary measures…
What? Well you know what you need to do…
Pure Class.
Highly Recommended.
Before I talk Insidious Intent, I’m fairly sure there can’t be THAT many lovers of crime fiction out there that have not at least dipped into this series – but just in case I catch one of you reading this may I highly recommend that you read in order and take a few weeks off work. For me, absolutely one of the best series out there, even though we are now on book 10 each one offers something new, be it in the horrifying realities of the dark depths of human nature, a particular personal crisis for one of our beloved characters, a freshly observed moral dilemma or twist on a mystery that is inordinately difficult to predict.
So Insidious Intent then finds Carol, Tony and the rest with their first case for the newly formed Remit – a major incident team headed by Carol and featuring her hand picked people. New characters and old friends form the unit, but they soon realise that having the spotlight on them, especially when faced with a difficult case and an intelligent killer, can bring its own pitfalls. Not everyone wants them to succeed – indeed in the aftermath of events from previous novels a fair few would like to see them fall flat on their asses – with Carol still facing down her demons and Tony struggling to continue to prop her up, the scene is set for a right page turner. And a right page turner it was.
Mixing things up with her indomitably twisted (in a creative way obviously) spirit, Val McDermid gives us less of a “whodunnit” and more of a “How the hell are they going to catch him” – we get snippets of the killer’s planning and motivation and from there see how our team are doing.We also have Paula and a parenting problem, my very favourite character outside of Carol and Tony (that would be Stacy Chen) doing lots of fascinating technical stuff and a sharp learning curve for the relationship between our main pair.
One thing I love about this series is the truly authentic sense that is brought to the procedural elements. It is never one thing that solves the case but more a myriad of things and often pure chance – in Insidious Intent it is going to take the talent of every single investigator to get them even within miles. So the story plays out, whilst at the heart of it a moral dilemma for our dynamic duo, in conjunction with a killer of a character (literally and figuratively), builds and builds to a crescendo of a resolution, one that had me genuinely with several paper cuts as I flung page after page over to find out if they would get him. Will they? Well you know what you have to do….
It is the personal touch that makes these books work so well – you feel like you are reading about real people, over the years Val McDermid has created a family. They are the readers family as much as they are hers and each others – therefore now, and for a few books before it at least, you feel every jolt, you devour every heart stopping moment, you live and die with what is happening now in the chapter you are reading. It is clever, involving, brilliantly emotional writing that also encompasses a lot of thought provoking real life issues – in Insidious Intent yes, but also in every novel written, even those not featuring Carol and Tony – so you are entertained, challenged in your thinking and ultimately hugely satisfied if not a little wrung out. Definitely a little wrung out.
Insidious Intent well, it is just all the brilliant. All the brilliant. I don’t think there’s anything else I can say.
Well, except I’m never eating a sourdough loaf again without taking huge precautionary measures…
What? Well you know what you need to do…
Pure Class.
Highly Recommended.
September 5, 2017
Spoiler alert!
This book is a huge disappointment to me. Mind you, I used to be Val McDermid's fan, fascinated by profiling.
What bothers me most – what was the purpose of this book? Is an author compelled to finish off a series with yet another book? Can she/he just stop with the latest book to date?
Unlike previous nine books – this is a boring melodrama with a very boring serial killer and even more boring investigation.
I made myself read it to the very end and what an end it is. I can think of two authors who mastered similar endings, where I felt emotional, thrilled and moved – Agatha Christie’s The Curtain, Poirot’s Last Case and the third season of Forbrydelsen. Here – I only had an enormous sense of incredulity for this unjustified act.
Total waste of money and time for me.
This book is a huge disappointment to me. Mind you, I used to be Val McDermid's fan, fascinated by profiling.
What bothers me most – what was the purpose of this book? Is an author compelled to finish off a series with yet another book? Can she/he just stop with the latest book to date?
Unlike previous nine books – this is a boring melodrama with a very boring serial killer and even more boring investigation.
I made myself read it to the very end and what an end it is. I can think of two authors who mastered similar endings, where I felt emotional, thrilled and moved – Agatha Christie’s The Curtain, Poirot’s Last Case and the third season of Forbrydelsen. Here – I only had an enormous sense of incredulity for this unjustified act.
Total waste of money and time for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2017
I think this is what is called 'Jumping the Shark' in America (after the famous Happy Days episode where they went one idea too far). I suspect the author has become bored with her characters, & given Carol's regression over the last 2 or 3 books, I'm not surprised. It is however, particularly disappointing that a female writer would turn a good strong female character into such a bore.
April 8, 2022
Book 10 in the Hill/Jordan series published 2017
Book 10 and still riding high with another 4 stars.
Carol may be back in charge with all her favourite investigators back on the team but things are spiralling out of her control.
The latest psycho might be be sick in the head but he is one smart sicko. So smart indeed that Carols team has been given an ultimatum by the man at the top, find this psycho or find a new line of work.
On top of all that, a drink driving charge that was dropped because Carol is who she is has come back to haunt her. Guilt on top of even more guilt is making Carol question her roll on this team.
So be prepared for a fair bit of introspection, which I have to admit got a bit tiresome after a while.
It got to the point that it seemed that people were only happy when they were miserable.
But there’s a maniac on the loose that needs to be stopped and Carol and her team are the only real alternative to finding him before there are any more corpses that Carol can feel guilty about.
So with dogged persistence the team chip away until there is the inevitable breakthrough. They have a name and a photo but everything is circumstantial and the public prosecutor is not happy taking the case to court without some real hard evidence.
So with her back, well and truly, to the wall Carol feels that she is left with no alternative than to commit an act of total madness.
The end is a to be continued cliffhanger.
This has all the thrills and spills that I have come to expect with this series.
A bit too much navel gazing at times for my liking though.
But for all that another great read from Val McDermid.
October 1, 2017
Great shame. Another example that it is not a good idea to restart a once great detective team. Hill and Jordan's believable story was told probably 2 books ago and in this last one the story line of hill and Jordan was totally unbelievable. Great shame as the crime could have been explored much better with some of the string "minor" detectives if the team. No need to resurrect especially jordan in my humble opinion.
Can't believe that the main reason was simple higher sales through world known names.
Can't believe that the main reason was simple higher sales through world known names.
November 29, 2017
3.5 stars
DCI Carol Jordan is back as head of newly formed Regional Major Incident Team (ReMIT) stationed in Bradford. Her hand picked crew is composed of familiar returning characters & they’re about to be tested by a clever killer bent on revenge.
Dubbed ‘the Wedding Killer”, his meticulous planning leaves few scraps for the team & as the investigation drags on the fate of ReMIT hangs in the balance. But that’s not all Carol has to worry about. In the last book, she was caught drunk driving & lets just say a few strings were pulled to make it go away. Now a fatal car crash has put the incident back in the spotlight & if a local reporter gets her way, the resulting scandal will mean the end of Carol’s career.
Carol’s already a little testy from going cold turkey & her mood doesn’t improve as the killer continues to prey on single women. In alternate chapters we follow him as he sets his traps while the members of ReMIT stumble down one dead end after another.
With the investigation stalled, the story switches gears & becomes more personal as several of the characters deal with problems in their private lives.
I’ve read these book since the beginning & it’s my favourite series from this author. But I have to confess I found this one lacking the usual crackling tension. It’s difficult to explain without blurting out spoilers. The investigative/criminal aspect is well plotted & stars a suitably twisted bad guy. But it almost takes a back seat to the main characters’ personal struggles & is used as a plot device to further Carol & Tony’s storyline. Also, the team seems to have no problem side stepping rules & legalities as they investigate. I know this is fiction but it’s hard to believe they’d get away with some of their actions.
That being said, this is a pivotal book in the series. It’s no exaggeration to say the lives of the ReMIT crew are permanently altered by the surprise ending & those changes will bring a fresh look to the next instalment. So perhaps that was the author’s intent. Two things I know for sure: I’ll be in line for book #11 to see what happens next & I’ll never look at a bag of chips in the same way.
DCI Carol Jordan is back as head of newly formed Regional Major Incident Team (ReMIT) stationed in Bradford. Her hand picked crew is composed of familiar returning characters & they’re about to be tested by a clever killer bent on revenge.
Dubbed ‘the Wedding Killer”, his meticulous planning leaves few scraps for the team & as the investigation drags on the fate of ReMIT hangs in the balance. But that’s not all Carol has to worry about. In the last book, she was caught drunk driving & lets just say a few strings were pulled to make it go away. Now a fatal car crash has put the incident back in the spotlight & if a local reporter gets her way, the resulting scandal will mean the end of Carol’s career.
Carol’s already a little testy from going cold turkey & her mood doesn’t improve as the killer continues to prey on single women. In alternate chapters we follow him as he sets his traps while the members of ReMIT stumble down one dead end after another.
With the investigation stalled, the story switches gears & becomes more personal as several of the characters deal with problems in their private lives.
I’ve read these book since the beginning & it’s my favourite series from this author. But I have to confess I found this one lacking the usual crackling tension. It’s difficult to explain without blurting out spoilers. The investigative/criminal aspect is well plotted & stars a suitably twisted bad guy. But it almost takes a back seat to the main characters’ personal struggles & is used as a plot device to further Carol & Tony’s storyline. Also, the team seems to have no problem side stepping rules & legalities as they investigate. I know this is fiction but it’s hard to believe they’d get away with some of their actions.
That being said, this is a pivotal book in the series. It’s no exaggeration to say the lives of the ReMIT crew are permanently altered by the surprise ending & those changes will bring a fresh look to the next instalment. So perhaps that was the author’s intent. Two things I know for sure: I’ll be in line for book #11 to see what happens next & I’ll never look at a bag of chips in the same way.
November 22, 2017
Tony Hill, Psychologist, and Carol Jordan, DCI of the newly formed Major Incident Team, return in this British crime series.
The duo is hunting the Wedding Killer, a man who crashes a wedding, picks out a single woman, wines her, dines her, and then murders her. He's up to 3 victims and the team still have no clues, no motive, no identity of this killer. Jordan's job is on the line and she's worried.
While an excellent addition to the series, this one is more character driven. Still suspenseful, it doesn't have the OOMPH that her earlier books in this series has. On the plus side, the relationship between Tony and Carol reaches new heights. Learning more about the personal lives of the team members is very rewarding.
There are some twists and turns along the way, and a hugely surprising ending. Here's hoping we see more of them soon.
Many thanks to the author / Atlantic Monthly Press / Edelweiss for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
The duo is hunting the Wedding Killer, a man who crashes a wedding, picks out a single woman, wines her, dines her, and then murders her. He's up to 3 victims and the team still have no clues, no motive, no identity of this killer. Jordan's job is on the line and she's worried.
While an excellent addition to the series, this one is more character driven. Still suspenseful, it doesn't have the OOMPH that her earlier books in this series has. On the plus side, the relationship between Tony and Carol reaches new heights. Learning more about the personal lives of the team members is very rewarding.
There are some twists and turns along the way, and a hugely surprising ending. Here's hoping we see more of them soon.
Many thanks to the author / Atlantic Monthly Press / Edelweiss for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
October 24, 2025
I was a little disappointed with this latest book, the tenth in the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series. As always the characterisation is well done but I think this time it may have been at the expense of the plot. That's not to say that it was not a good read, and I powered through it, as it is still a compulsive page turner. But I felt, overall, Insidious Intent was a little contrived.
January 19, 2018
Dark, meticulous, and menacing!
Insidious Intent is a riveting tale that immerses you into the evidence collection and investigation into the kidnapping and violent homicide of several lonely, vulnerable women and the hunt for a serial killer with a penchant for fire.
The prose is sophisticated and crisp. The characterization is spot on with all the usual gang back including the resilient, determined Carol Jordan whose greatest struggles involve her own guilt, secrets, demons, and addictions. And the plot is a skillfully crafted mix of twists, turns, murder, police corruption, manipulation, obsession, and deception.
Overall, Insidious Intent is nicely paced and has exceptional depth in both the storyline and character development. And even though this is the tenth book in the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series, McDermid has written such an intriguing, entertaining tale that new fans will be quickly adding the previous novels in the series to their TBR and long-standing fans will be satisfied, surprised, and eager for book #11.
Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at https://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
Insidious Intent is a riveting tale that immerses you into the evidence collection and investigation into the kidnapping and violent homicide of several lonely, vulnerable women and the hunt for a serial killer with a penchant for fire.
The prose is sophisticated and crisp. The characterization is spot on with all the usual gang back including the resilient, determined Carol Jordan whose greatest struggles involve her own guilt, secrets, demons, and addictions. And the plot is a skillfully crafted mix of twists, turns, murder, police corruption, manipulation, obsession, and deception.
Overall, Insidious Intent is nicely paced and has exceptional depth in both the storyline and character development. And even though this is the tenth book in the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series, McDermid has written such an intriguing, entertaining tale that new fans will be quickly adding the previous novels in the series to their TBR and long-standing fans will be satisfied, surprised, and eager for book #11.
Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at https://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
November 30, 2019
One of the unintended consequences of my joining NetGalley and becoming addicted to reviewing, is that I have fallen behind on some of my favourite series. Sometimes this is good: I’ve saved a fortune by not buying new books, and in this case, it means not having the torture of having to wait another two years to find what happens next. I finally bought this last week, as I have a ARC of the next one due on Tuesday, and this is not a series you can read out of order - and after That Ending, I am very glad it worked out this way.
Set immediately after the events of Splinter the Silence, this has Carol guilt-ridden over the deaths caused by a drunk-driver who escaped conviction because her seniors got her off the hook so that she could lead ReMit, the new Major Incident Team. Tony has moved into her converted barn to help her cling on to her sobriety, but their relationship is as awkward and complicated as ever. When a woman’s body is found in a burning car, the ReMIT team are tasked with finding the stranger who picked her up at a wedding, but with limited evidence and a meticulous killer who is always one step ahead, they are powerless to stop him doing it again...
There’s a good reason Ms McDermid is known as the Queen of British Crime Fiction - she has created a varied cast of characters that we end up caring deeply about in spite of how damaged they are - and not just the leads. Her plots continue to surprise - this one upsets the conventions of the genre by revealing who, how and why at an early stage, relying on “what’s going to happen?” to maintain the suspense - and trust me, you won’t predict this one.
I enjoyed the parallel plot line featuring Paula (the real heroine of this series) and her teenage ward Torin - and how they go about solving his predicament.
I do not recommend reading this if you are new to the series: while she’s better at avoiding spoilers for her previous books than many authors, and enough relevant backstory is provided, to understand it all properly you need to have read at least the three preceding books, and given that the whole series is brilliant, why would you deprive yourself? For those who are up to date, watch out for spoilers, but be assured this is another cracker.
4.5 rounded up for writerly bravery.
Set immediately after the events of Splinter the Silence, this has Carol guilt-ridden over the deaths caused by a drunk-driver who escaped conviction because her seniors got her off the hook so that she could lead ReMit, the new Major Incident Team. Tony has moved into her converted barn to help her cling on to her sobriety, but their relationship is as awkward and complicated as ever. When a woman’s body is found in a burning car, the ReMIT team are tasked with finding the stranger who picked her up at a wedding, but with limited evidence and a meticulous killer who is always one step ahead, they are powerless to stop him doing it again...
There’s a good reason Ms McDermid is known as the Queen of British Crime Fiction - she has created a varied cast of characters that we end up caring deeply about in spite of how damaged they are - and not just the leads. Her plots continue to surprise - this one upsets the conventions of the genre by revealing who, how and why at an early stage, relying on “what’s going to happen?” to maintain the suspense - and trust me, you won’t predict this one.
I enjoyed the parallel plot line featuring Paula (the real heroine of this series) and her teenage ward Torin - and how they go about solving his predicament.
I do not recommend reading this if you are new to the series: while she’s better at avoiding spoilers for her previous books than many authors, and enough relevant backstory is provided, to understand it all properly you need to have read at least the three preceding books, and given that the whole series is brilliant, why would you deprive yourself? For those who are up to date, watch out for spoilers, but be assured this is another cracker.
4.5 rounded up for writerly bravery.
July 17, 2018
Val McDermid is a fabulous writer, one of ‘Scotland’s national treasures’ and has even appeared on one of my favourite TV shows (Pointless).
For the most part, I was gripped by this police procedural. McDermid excels at the minutiae of life – the interiors of the victims’ flats, the hairstyles of the witnesses, the details of social media. Her cast of characters reflect the diversity of British society and I applaud this enough to ignore the occasional slight quotaishness. Her crimefighters are a team of unprofessional professionals who break rules for no apparent reason and can’t separate the personal from the professional. And it was these crimefighters who brought the book down in my estimation.
I rarely read series of crime books. I can’t be bothered to keep up with the detectives’ lives, which are generally much less interesting than the crime plot. I don’t like the harking back to the characters’ past glories and sorrows and this, for me , slowed down the beginning of the book. I have read books about Carol and Tony before, but I don’t remember much about them and , in Insidious Intent, I found Carol quite bland and rather irritating.
So, the ending may be a stunner to those who love Carol and Tony. But unfortunately it had me exclaiming ‘what a load of rubbish!’ Which is a shame, as I do like Val McDermid. I think I’ll stick to her stand-alones.
For the most part, I was gripped by this police procedural. McDermid excels at the minutiae of life – the interiors of the victims’ flats, the hairstyles of the witnesses, the details of social media. Her cast of characters reflect the diversity of British society and I applaud this enough to ignore the occasional slight quotaishness. Her crimefighters are a team of unprofessional professionals who break rules for no apparent reason and can’t separate the personal from the professional. And it was these crimefighters who brought the book down in my estimation.
I rarely read series of crime books. I can’t be bothered to keep up with the detectives’ lives, which are generally much less interesting than the crime plot. I don’t like the harking back to the characters’ past glories and sorrows and this, for me , slowed down the beginning of the book. I have read books about Carol and Tony before, but I don’t remember much about them and , in Insidious Intent, I found Carol quite bland and rather irritating.
So, the ending may be a stunner to those who love Carol and Tony. But unfortunately it had me exclaiming ‘what a load of rubbish!’ Which is a shame, as I do like Val McDermid. I think I’ll stick to her stand-alones.
May 23, 2018
Ревю => http://justonebooklover.blogspot.bg/2...
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От доста време не бях чела психологически трилър. И то добър такъв. А "Потайни замисли" от Вал Макдърмид се оказа истинско попадение! Тази заплетена криминална история, в която убиецът бе известен за читателя от самото начало, но не и за разследващите го, бе написана по дотолкова завладяващ начин, че успя да ме задържи будна до късните часове на нощта.
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От доста време не бях чела психологически трилър. И то добър такъв. А "Потайни замисли" от Вал Макдърмид се оказа истинско попадение! Тази заплетена криминална история, в която убиецът бе известен за читателя от самото начало, но не и за разследващите го, бе написана по дотолкова завладяващ начин, че успя да ме задържи будна до късните часове на нощта.
August 27, 2017
Unfortunately, I didn't read this to the very end. Not once did I feel interested enough to proceed to the next chapter but, being a free advanced reading copy, I thought I should continue reading to give it a fair review.
To be fair to the author, this is the first novel I've read of Val McDermid's, and the tenth in the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series. This means that I've come in very late and have skipped all possible backstory.
I found it to be overly-commercial, reflective of every cliche detective tv series out there, and hard to believe in parts (i.e. When the victim's parents are told of their daughter's death). Because of this, I made it just short of the halfway mark.
I can see the appeal, and it is an easy-read in a way, if the initial interest is there. And as I said, my review has an element of unfair judgement due to coming in at a late stage of the series and not reading the entire book.
To be fair to the author, this is the first novel I've read of Val McDermid's, and the tenth in the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series. This means that I've come in very late and have skipped all possible backstory.
I found it to be overly-commercial, reflective of every cliche detective tv series out there, and hard to believe in parts (i.e. When the victim's parents are told of their daughter's death). Because of this, I made it just short of the halfway mark.
I can see the appeal, and it is an easy-read in a way, if the initial interest is there. And as I said, my review has an element of unfair judgement due to coming in at a late stage of the series and not reading the entire book.
September 16, 2018
I signed up to Goodreads specifically to leave a review of this book; that's how utterly disappointed I am. It's been 23 years since The Mermaids Singing, and we've had a lot of ups and downs in this series. Unfortunately, more downs than ups, particularly in the last 3 books. Where did it all go wrong?
I think first and foremost, after all these years, the author doesn't quite know what to do with Carol and Tony. The 'will they/won't they' tease of earlier books has become an endless cycle of tortured psyches and emotional (and in Tony's case, sexual) impotency. It's hard to remember that these characters, according to the timelines set up in the books, have known each other for over 15 years, because there never seems to be any progress between them. This has created unrealistic moments and plot developments that have dragged this series down. Carol has become a brittle, bitter character, and Tony has become nothing more than a glorified therapist that Carol pushes away time and time again. It's hard to continue cheering for them.
As for the plot itself, I'll have to go back and check older entries in the series, but I don't recall VM using brand names to the degree she does in this book. Do I need to know Carol uses an iPhone? Do I need to know Paula's meeting Elinor at the Starbucks on the corner? How many times did she reference IKEA (right down to naming the Billy bookcase)? It feels like unnecessary filler, but there was a lot of that in this book. Narrative that had little to do with the plot or a character of any importance. (For those who have read the book, I'm referring to her 2 paragraph internal meandering thoughts of a spa by the man who discovered the 2nd fire and was never heard from again.) Someone in a previous review said it felt like the writer was spinning wheels, and I have to agree. It was often long-winded for no other reason than to fill a page quota. It was remarkably flat for a writer who has done so much better in the past.
I don't even know what to say about the ending. In a short plea at the end of the book, VM asks readers to not spoil it, but she also claims "I like to think that although it may seem shocking, it makes a terrible kind of sense, given what we know of their character traits and the experiences both have endured at my hands." I have no idea how the ending makes sense, and in fact, I have no idea how getting to that ending made sense. Without spoiling it, how in the world would a woman of Carol's character come to the conclusion she did? And the reveal of the information that would have put the killer away, AFTER the ending, was a needless and quite frankly, lazy 'if only'. It was meant to pull on our emotions, but because the ending was so sudden and out of character, I didn't care.
If she wanted to end this series, surely there were better ways to do it. The characters deserved more, and quite frankly, after 23 years and 10 books, so did the readers.
I think first and foremost, after all these years, the author doesn't quite know what to do with Carol and Tony. The 'will they/won't they' tease of earlier books has become an endless cycle of tortured psyches and emotional (and in Tony's case, sexual) impotency. It's hard to remember that these characters, according to the timelines set up in the books, have known each other for over 15 years, because there never seems to be any progress between them. This has created unrealistic moments and plot developments that have dragged this series down. Carol has become a brittle, bitter character, and Tony has become nothing more than a glorified therapist that Carol pushes away time and time again. It's hard to continue cheering for them.
As for the plot itself, I'll have to go back and check older entries in the series, but I don't recall VM using brand names to the degree she does in this book. Do I need to know Carol uses an iPhone? Do I need to know Paula's meeting Elinor at the Starbucks on the corner? How many times did she reference IKEA (right down to naming the Billy bookcase)? It feels like unnecessary filler, but there was a lot of that in this book. Narrative that had little to do with the plot or a character of any importance. (For those who have read the book, I'm referring to her 2 paragraph internal meandering thoughts of a spa by the man who discovered the 2nd fire and was never heard from again.) Someone in a previous review said it felt like the writer was spinning wheels, and I have to agree. It was often long-winded for no other reason than to fill a page quota. It was remarkably flat for a writer who has done so much better in the past.
I don't even know what to say about the ending. In a short plea at the end of the book, VM asks readers to not spoil it, but she also claims "I like to think that although it may seem shocking, it makes a terrible kind of sense, given what we know of their character traits and the experiences both have endured at my hands." I have no idea how the ending makes sense, and in fact, I have no idea how getting to that ending made sense. Without spoiling it, how in the world would a woman of Carol's character come to the conclusion she did? And the reveal of the information that would have put the killer away, AFTER the ending, was a needless and quite frankly, lazy 'if only'. It was meant to pull on our emotions, but because the ending was so sudden and out of character, I didn't care.
If she wanted to end this series, surely there were better ways to do it. The characters deserved more, and quite frankly, after 23 years and 10 books, so did the readers.
October 7, 2017
The first I've ever read in the series, which is probably a bad place to start. Very enjoyable characters, intriguing plot, and great flowing writing style. You can see why people have fallen in love with the duo of Hill and Jordan. I think the only thing keeping it from 5 is purely some of the back story not making much sense. The main story itself was easy to follow, but the side plots as well the character relationships and past plotlines seemed to make the novel an entire set piece. Would definitely recommend this book, but prior reading of earlier novels would probably make it more enjoyable.
September 13, 2017
With this latest instalment of Tony & Carol, I have put aside all my previous reservations about bringing detectives out of retirement. Clever, pacey, riveting...was unconvinced by the ending, which knocked a star off
November 6, 2017
Val McDermid has asked her readers not to review this book in detail, so as not to spoil the ending for the many Tony Hill/Carol Jordan fans out there, so I'll keep this short. Since I have read all nine of the previous novels in this series, I think that it would be safe to say that I am invested in these characters; however, I was a bit disappointed with this addition. It's not that it's a tedious read - I did enjoy it; but it lacked the narrative drive of the previous novels, and if this had been the first McDermid I read, I'm not sure that I would have been rushing to read another. If you have not read any of the Tony Hill/ Carol Jordan novels, my advice would be not to start with this one, but to go back to the first novel, 'The Mermaids Singing' and read forwards.
June 30, 2025
This was 4.5 but dragged a bit at different points. Tony and Carol are in pursuit of a serial killer who picks up women at weddings. He is very careful not to leave a trace of anything. Carol is still struggling after her last case, and drinking. Tony sticks close to save her from herself. Carol also has a border collie named Flash who is devoted as only a dog can be, and protective as this breed is known to be. Carol has come back after resigning to head up a new unit, and is under more scrutiny than ever. And at the request of the author, absolutely no spoilers from this reviewer.
I read this book in June 2025. I'd up my rating to 5 stars.
I read this book in June 2025. I'd up my rating to 5 stars.
August 13, 2025
I picked this up, not realizing that it's the 10th in a series, but I do want to know more of the back story of Tony Hill and Carol Jordan. Val McDermid does a good job of filling in the blanks for a reader like me, so I didn't feel that I was in the dark, but I'm interested to know more about them and their team.
8/25: This was a more satistfying read after going back to the beginning and binge reading the entire series. The main thing to know about this book is the shocking ending.
8/25: This was a more satistfying read after going back to the beginning and binge reading the entire series. The main thing to know about this book is the shocking ending.
March 30, 2018
The latest Hill and Jordan story finds Jordan's unit under pressure for success in their first big case while Hill supports her in her fight against alcoholism. A murder of a woman whose body is found in a burnt out car in a layby in the Yorkshire Dales sets off a complex case with very few clues, ending with a major twist at the end.
November 15, 2017
Like the other novels in this near-iconic series, this is a fast-paced police procedural written in Val McDermid's distinctive no-nonsense style.
Tony, Carol and the rest of the Regional Murder Enquiry Team are charged with catching a serial killer who finds his female victims at wedding receptions and, a week or so later, disposes of their dead bodies in burning cars at remote lay-bys in the Yorkshire Dales.
This is no conventional whodunnit, as we discover the identity of the killer about two-thirds way through the book. However, if anything, the pace hots up even more from this point and there is a truly shocking and totally unexpected ending.
Tony, Carol and the rest of the Regional Murder Enquiry Team are charged with catching a serial killer who finds his female victims at wedding receptions and, a week or so later, disposes of their dead bodies in burning cars at remote lay-bys in the Yorkshire Dales.
This is no conventional whodunnit, as we discover the identity of the killer about two-thirds way through the book. However, if anything, the pace hots up even more from this point and there is a truly shocking and totally unexpected ending.
August 29, 2017
I rejoined Tony Hill and Carol Jordan two years ago, when a no-longer-working Carol became embroiled in a drink driving conviction and was manipulated into returning to work as a result. Strings were pulled to get the charges dismissed and that action (not Carol’s doing) comes back to bite her and her colleagues on the butt this time around.
We quickly learn the cases in question in this outing are the result of a man intent on punishing someone though he seemingly decides to take a few practice runs before getting to his actual target. Sadly, though his kills aren’t as fulfilling as he’d hoped, they’re enough to whet his appetite and become the first case of the new Regional Major Incident Team (ReMIT) headed up by Carol.
Obviously she’s joined by Tony who continues to provide his quirky though insightful psychological expertise, as well as stalwart Paula (whose private life is given a bit of added texture though her new foster / adopted teenager Torin), a mix of old and new faces and IT guru Stacey, who I enjoyed meeting in the last outing when she joined the police.
This is one of those books in which we know who the killer is from the get-go. We understand his motivation, so in cases like this there’s usually a cat and mouse scenario on the agenda, culminating in the team swanning in and saving the final victim or one of the team being threatened and saving themselves.
But not here.
And I loved that McDermid doesn’t pfaff around with the predictable plot structure. The team is seriously stumped and they’re facing the threat of losing the case and perhaps losing face in their first case, when they get their unexpected break. I was taken-aback…. there was something different about the way this case was playing out.
Then things get even more surprising…. and regular readers will be shocked at the direction McDermid takes the team. And us.
I mentioned in my review of Splinter the Silence that this series felt as if it had been given a new lease on life. It certainly remains the case here and the ending…. well the ending sets us up for something completely different.
Read the full review on my site: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
We quickly learn the cases in question in this outing are the result of a man intent on punishing someone though he seemingly decides to take a few practice runs before getting to his actual target. Sadly, though his kills aren’t as fulfilling as he’d hoped, they’re enough to whet his appetite and become the first case of the new Regional Major Incident Team (ReMIT) headed up by Carol.
Obviously she’s joined by Tony who continues to provide his quirky though insightful psychological expertise, as well as stalwart Paula (whose private life is given a bit of added texture though her new foster / adopted teenager Torin), a mix of old and new faces and IT guru Stacey, who I enjoyed meeting in the last outing when she joined the police.
This is one of those books in which we know who the killer is from the get-go. We understand his motivation, so in cases like this there’s usually a cat and mouse scenario on the agenda, culminating in the team swanning in and saving the final victim or one of the team being threatened and saving themselves.
But not here.
And I loved that McDermid doesn’t pfaff around with the predictable plot structure. The team is seriously stumped and they’re facing the threat of losing the case and perhaps losing face in their first case, when they get their unexpected break. I was taken-aback…. there was something different about the way this case was playing out.
Then things get even more surprising…. and regular readers will be shocked at the direction McDermid takes the team. And us.
I mentioned in my review of Splinter the Silence that this series felt as if it had been given a new lease on life. It certainly remains the case here and the ending…. well the ending sets us up for something completely different.
Read the full review on my site: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
November 8, 2017
Let me get this off my chest. Firstly, I usually love everything that Val McDermid writes. She has a way of writing character's motivations that are psychologically sound and accessible to all. However, in this novel I felt she came up short. It was a delight to read but that is all. Until the bitter end, I ho hummed along, happy with my read but not enthralled. I wanted the tense situations to throw me for a loop, to conquer my inner angst and propel me to turn the pages. Unfortunately this was not the case. However, she has produced a very solid read and fans of hers will enjoy this. Two narratives are intertwined ; DCI Carol Jordan 's drinking issues and a newly developed plot concerning a man who preys on susceptible women at weddings only to kill them and set their cars on fire. Dr.Tony Hill, "resident psychologist" has his usual field day trying to determine who is the mastermind behind this devious plot while also helping Carol with the demons that have been plaguing her mental state. So, a satisfying read but with minor hiccups.
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