What do you think?
Rate this book
Killing The Shadows
The Number One bestselling, award-winning Queen of crime fiction Val McDermid delivers a searing psychological suspense thriller. A serial killer is on the loose. His victims? Crime writers…
A murderer is at large, hunting with a bloodlust that shatters all the conventional wisdom on how serial killers operate.
Professor Fiona Cameron is a psychologist who uses computer technology to track serial offenders. She vowed never to work for the Met again after they went against her advice and screwed up an investigation as a result. But when her lover, thriller writer Kit Martin, tells her a fellow crime novelist has been murdered, Fiona can’t help taking an interest.
With the killer striking again, Fiona is caught in a race against time, not only to save a life, but to bring herself redemption, both personal and professional.
A murderer is at large, hunting with a bloodlust that shatters all the conventional wisdom on how serial killers operate.
Professor Fiona Cameron is a psychologist who uses computer technology to track serial offenders. She vowed never to work for the Met again after they went against her advice and screwed up an investigation as a result. But when her lover, thriller writer Kit Martin, tells her a fellow crime novelist has been murdered, Fiona can’t help taking an interest.
With the killer striking again, Fiona is caught in a race against time, not only to save a life, but to bring herself redemption, both personal and professional.
561 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
528 people are currently reading
2249 people want to read
About the author
Val McDermid
342 books5,317 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 434 reviews
November 10, 2014
I considered 2 stars for this book, but then I thought...why kid myself or anyone else? I didn't like this book. I got about half way through...then started jumping forward just to finish it up and see how she tied it up...no big surprises.
The biggest problem however for me was...the book would have been a lot better if she'd spent more time on the story and less impressing us with her moral and intellectual superiority. She leaves us in no doubt that if we disagree with her "take" on "whatever" we're probably...well just not very bright. Meanwhile there are great swaths of the book that have little or nothing to do with, you know, the book.
Interesting idea, abysmal execution. (In my opinion of course.) I didn't enjoy it, I don't plan to read any more by this author. If you like it, good, enjoy...it may mean you just agree with her I suppose. That's fine, it's a free country and I'm totally in favor of freedom of thought and speech (though I'm not sure Val McDermid is) I just don't care to be force fed the writers views on things in lieu of a novel.
1 star.
The biggest problem however for me was...the book would have been a lot better if she'd spent more time on the story and less impressing us with her moral and intellectual superiority. She leaves us in no doubt that if we disagree with her "take" on "whatever" we're probably...well just not very bright. Meanwhile there are great swaths of the book that have little or nothing to do with, you know, the book.
Interesting idea, abysmal execution. (In my opinion of course.) I didn't enjoy it, I don't plan to read any more by this author. If you like it, good, enjoy...it may mean you just agree with her I suppose. That's fine, it's a free country and I'm totally in favor of freedom of thought and speech (though I'm not sure Val McDermid is) I just don't care to be force fed the writers views on things in lieu of a novel.
1 star.
December 27, 2023
I’ve enjoyed a lot of Val McDermid’s crime fiction - but definitely not all of it. Her standalones, most especially A Place of Execution, are generally good, as are some of her series, but the Tony Hill/Carol Jacobs serial killer series is far too gory for my tastes.
This book falls somewhere in between. The principal characters are engaging, and the overall plot is quite clever, if convoluted. Within the master plot, there are three subplots. One involves a serial killer in Toledo, Spain; one involves a man who killed a woman in Hampstead Heath, London; and the main plot involves a serial killer targeting the authors of thrillers featuring serial killers. The common element is Fiona Cameron, a psychological profiler who uses data to identify the locations where serial killers may live, among other things, based on common elements of crimes. She’s not a clinician, she isn’t concerned about things like what happened in a killer’s childhood. She only cares about what the data reveals. All of this grabbed my attention (I’ve spent plenty of time over the years working with databases ...)
I have to admit that the vivid depictions of the serial murders committed by the killer who is re-enacting the inventions of the authors, with them as the victims, really took the edge off my enjoyment. I just don’t need all those details. My own imagination when it comes to the specifics of murder is limited - and I’m OK with that.
But McDermid is incredibly good at structure and pacing, and those qualities had me on tenterhooks until the very end. And I thoroughly enjoyed the great descriptions of the city of Toledo and the Scottish highlands. If you enjoy a complex plot and aren’t squeamish, I can definitely recommend this.
This book falls somewhere in between. The principal characters are engaging, and the overall plot is quite clever, if convoluted. Within the master plot, there are three subplots. One involves a serial killer in Toledo, Spain; one involves a man who killed a woman in Hampstead Heath, London; and the main plot involves a serial killer targeting the authors of thrillers featuring serial killers. The common element is Fiona Cameron, a psychological profiler who uses data to identify the locations where serial killers may live, among other things, based on common elements of crimes. She’s not a clinician, she isn’t concerned about things like what happened in a killer’s childhood. She only cares about what the data reveals. All of this grabbed my attention (I’ve spent plenty of time over the years working with databases ...)
I have to admit that the vivid depictions of the serial murders committed by the killer who is re-enacting the inventions of the authors, with them as the victims, really took the edge off my enjoyment. I just don’t need all those details. My own imagination when it comes to the specifics of murder is limited - and I’m OK with that.
But McDermid is incredibly good at structure and pacing, and those qualities had me on tenterhooks until the very end. And I thoroughly enjoyed the great descriptions of the city of Toledo and the Scottish highlands. If you enjoy a complex plot and aren’t squeamish, I can definitely recommend this.
December 4, 2013
Fiona Cameron is a psychologist and criminal case profiler who until recently consulted with Scotland Yard’s Metropolitan Police. A high-profile case that eventually went bust caused the rift though she still maintains a friendship with the man in charge of the investigation. Now she’s working from the sidelines on a case that hits close to home when famous crime writers are murdered. Her live-in lover, Kit Martin, happens to be one of the most famous thriller writers and this case has her attention.
This is actually a story with three separate cases and the accompanying police procedurals. One would have been a challenge to follow, let alone three, no matter if they eventually intersect or not. The first half of the story was incredibly dense with details of not only the murder investigations but of setting, character descriptions and history. It wasn’t until the second half of the book that the pace picked up (or I just started skimming unnecessary information).
If you can bear out until the second half, this becomes a very interesting story and the climax was pretty exciting. I’ve read later books by McDermid and she certainly gets skilled in trimming the fat. It’s still worth sticking with this one out but don’t get bogged down by the endless information that doesn’t add to the mystery or really lead anywhere. I'm rating this 3.5 stars and rounding to 4 because the second half tips the scales.
This is actually a story with three separate cases and the accompanying police procedurals. One would have been a challenge to follow, let alone three, no matter if they eventually intersect or not. The first half of the story was incredibly dense with details of not only the murder investigations but of setting, character descriptions and history. It wasn’t until the second half of the book that the pace picked up (or I just started skimming unnecessary information).
If you can bear out until the second half, this becomes a very interesting story and the climax was pretty exciting. I’ve read later books by McDermid and she certainly gets skilled in trimming the fat. It’s still worth sticking with this one out but don’t get bogged down by the endless information that doesn’t add to the mystery or really lead anywhere. I'm rating this 3.5 stars and rounding to 4 because the second half tips the scales.
August 10, 2010
I had never heard of Val McDermid before reading one of the Stieg Larsson books, and a scene where Mikael Blomqvist sits down and cracks one open. I took that as an endorsement. So this is the first of her I've read, and it has many flaws. The story itself isn't terrible, though quite farfetched (someone furious at the media attention given psychological profilers is killing crime novelists, whom he/she blames for generating the hoopla). There seemed to be a whole bunch of murders at the outset. It took me a few chapters to realize that all of the murders in italics were excerpts from crime novels which are then replicated by the killer. Once I understood what the deal was, reading was facilitated.
The flaws: a very annoying overreliance on the pluperfect tense. Isn't there some way around this? Surely it is possible to visit moments in a character's past without resorting wholescale to a string of she'd, he'd, she'd, he'd, they'd, she'd, he'd, she'd, she'd, she'd, she'd.
There are too many words. Surely by 2000 one could write about computers without invoking clunky phrases like "electronic filing cabinet" and "her favourite metasearch engine, which combed the vast virtuality of the worldwide web at her command." I hope the next serial killer isn't angry at crime novelists who use bloated technology descriptions. "Where can I find Drew Shand?" types profiler Fiona Cameron into her metasearch engine, because apparently her metasearch engine needs a complete sentence.
Smiling: I've noticed in weak writing that characters are always smiling. Oh, there may be variations - "a tiny, tight smile"; "a wry smile"; "managed a frail smile"; and tons of wide grins. I don't think people smile this much in real life, unless they're phony fakers or Tom Cruise. Writers make characters smile and laugh when they don't trust their dialogue to show us what the mood is.
The protagonist, Dr. Fiona Cameron, is completely uninteresting. She feels guilty for surviving the rape and murder of her younger sister years ago: boring. She became a profiler in order to redeem herself: Very boring. She has a perfect, perfectly annoying relationship with her lover, crime novelist Kit Martin. Kit is always rubbing his hands over his bald scalp, and they're always gettin' it on or talking about how much they'd like to get it on. Criminally boring. "Kit had watched Fiona walk up the hill from San Tomas, admiring her smooth stride and the way the cut of her trousers gave emphasis to the gentle swell of her hips. I am a lucky bastard, he congratulated himself, luxuriating briefly in the memory of their leisurely morning in bed." Smooth stride? Trousers? Gentle swell? Could that be any less sexy? I hope it's not a hernia. Why don't these two get married, anyway? I guess Fiona doesn't care about having legal claim to any of Kit's assets from all his bestselling crime novels, but maybe she should take a lesson from Stieg Larsson's lover.
The flaws: a very annoying overreliance on the pluperfect tense. Isn't there some way around this? Surely it is possible to visit moments in a character's past without resorting wholescale to a string of she'd, he'd, she'd, he'd, they'd, she'd, he'd, she'd, she'd, she'd, she'd.
There are too many words. Surely by 2000 one could write about computers without invoking clunky phrases like "electronic filing cabinet" and "her favourite metasearch engine, which combed the vast virtuality of the worldwide web at her command." I hope the next serial killer isn't angry at crime novelists who use bloated technology descriptions. "Where can I find Drew Shand?" types profiler Fiona Cameron into her metasearch engine, because apparently her metasearch engine needs a complete sentence.
Smiling: I've noticed in weak writing that characters are always smiling. Oh, there may be variations - "a tiny, tight smile"; "a wry smile"; "managed a frail smile"; and tons of wide grins. I don't think people smile this much in real life, unless they're phony fakers or Tom Cruise. Writers make characters smile and laugh when they don't trust their dialogue to show us what the mood is.
The protagonist, Dr. Fiona Cameron, is completely uninteresting. She feels guilty for surviving the rape and murder of her younger sister years ago: boring. She became a profiler in order to redeem herself: Very boring. She has a perfect, perfectly annoying relationship with her lover, crime novelist Kit Martin. Kit is always rubbing his hands over his bald scalp, and they're always gettin' it on or talking about how much they'd like to get it on. Criminally boring. "Kit had watched Fiona walk up the hill from San Tomas, admiring her smooth stride and the way the cut of her trousers gave emphasis to the gentle swell of her hips. I am a lucky bastard, he congratulated himself, luxuriating briefly in the memory of their leisurely morning in bed." Smooth stride? Trousers? Gentle swell? Could that be any less sexy? I hope it's not a hernia. Why don't these two get married, anyway? I guess Fiona doesn't care about having legal claim to any of Kit's assets from all his bestselling crime novels, but maybe she should take a lesson from Stieg Larsson's lover.
March 28, 2021
Segunda toma de contacto que tengo con esta autora y segunda (y última vez) que me quedo como a medias...
Esta historia se me ha hecho algo pesada, tiene partes interesantes y que mantiene la intriga pero se hace eterno con descripciones y subtramas que no aportan nada de nada a la historia en si. Como por ejemplo explicar una colaboración en otro país con pelos y señales sin tener ningún tipo de relación con el caso que nos ocupa. En este sentido 50 páginas dedicadas a eso...pues cansa y más cuando veo que no tiene relación ni aporta nada salvo llegar a la conclusión de que la protagonista es buena en su trabajo. Eso se puede argumentar en algunas líneas, no son necesarias páginas y páginas que a mi modo de ver son puro relleno.
La trama gira en torno a un asesino cuyas víctimas son escritores de éxito, y cuyas muertes son reflejos de sus propios libros. Para mí que he leído tanto, no supone una novedad ya que podemos encontrar estos mismos planteamientos o similares en otras novelas y con mejores resultados.
Así que...con esta autora y esta novela en particular encontramos una de cal y otra de arena.
Si hubiera leído esta novela en mis inicios seguramente la hubiera encontrado más atractiva, pero ahora me ha resultado pesada. Busco más emociones fuertes, que vaya más al grano y que me mantenga pegada a sus hojas (aunque sea un argumento que haya leído hasta la saciedad) 🤣
Esta historia se me ha hecho algo pesada, tiene partes interesantes y que mantiene la intriga pero se hace eterno con descripciones y subtramas que no aportan nada de nada a la historia en si. Como por ejemplo explicar una colaboración en otro país con pelos y señales sin tener ningún tipo de relación con el caso que nos ocupa. En este sentido 50 páginas dedicadas a eso...pues cansa y más cuando veo que no tiene relación ni aporta nada salvo llegar a la conclusión de que la protagonista es buena en su trabajo. Eso se puede argumentar en algunas líneas, no son necesarias páginas y páginas que a mi modo de ver son puro relleno.
La trama gira en torno a un asesino cuyas víctimas son escritores de éxito, y cuyas muertes son reflejos de sus propios libros. Para mí que he leído tanto, no supone una novedad ya que podemos encontrar estos mismos planteamientos o similares en otras novelas y con mejores resultados.
Así que...con esta autora y esta novela en particular encontramos una de cal y otra de arena.
Si hubiera leído esta novela en mis inicios seguramente la hubiera encontrado más atractiva, pero ahora me ha resultado pesada. Busco más emociones fuertes, que vaya más al grano y que me mantenga pegada a sus hojas (aunque sea un argumento que haya leído hasta la saciedad) 🤣
May 9, 2019
Killing the Shadows (hardback) by Val McDermid.
5 Stars from beginning to the end. The writing (theme/plot/characters) was superb! The vivid descriptions of the highlands and inner cities in Scotland could only have been written by an author that loves her Country. A Country with a living culture, rich in history described in lavish detail.
The main theme is the hunt for this serial murderer of crime writers; however, there is another murder to be solved that has gone cold for years. Professor Fiona Cameron has been in demand from several official bureaus. She has been using advanced computer technology system to narrow the areas a culprit may be found. The cold case is that of Leslie, Fiona's younger sister, who was murdered with the murderer never being found. Fiona has never been able to put her sister's murder out of her mind. That's one of the main reasons she became a psychological profiler.
Fiona receives a request from Major Salvador Berrocal in Toledo who has heard of Fiona's computer technology system in tracking down criminals. He needs her skills in Spain and he needs it now.
The backdrop to these 3 separate yet intertwining cases is Fiona's significant other, Kit Martin. A crime writer in popular demand they've bonded as a pair and still hold each other in respect to their careers.
This book/story was tremendous! I loved it from beginning to end. This author has won numerous awards and rightfully so. Most highly recommended.
5 Stars from beginning to the end. The writing (theme/plot/characters) was superb! The vivid descriptions of the highlands and inner cities in Scotland could only have been written by an author that loves her Country. A Country with a living culture, rich in history described in lavish detail.
The main theme is the hunt for this serial murderer of crime writers; however, there is another murder to be solved that has gone cold for years. Professor Fiona Cameron has been in demand from several official bureaus. She has been using advanced computer technology system to narrow the areas a culprit may be found. The cold case is that of Leslie, Fiona's younger sister, who was murdered with the murderer never being found. Fiona has never been able to put her sister's murder out of her mind. That's one of the main reasons she became a psychological profiler.
Fiona receives a request from Major Salvador Berrocal in Toledo who has heard of Fiona's computer technology system in tracking down criminals. He needs her skills in Spain and he needs it now.
The backdrop to these 3 separate yet intertwining cases is Fiona's significant other, Kit Martin. A crime writer in popular demand they've bonded as a pair and still hold each other in respect to their careers.
This book/story was tremendous! I loved it from beginning to end. This author has won numerous awards and rightfully so. Most highly recommended.
June 9, 2025
This is a very thoughtful and informative police procedural. McDermid knows crime better than anybody after all she is indeed the Queen of Crime.
The plot is not fast paced but it is beautifully written as only McDermid can. Like I said everything the author does is informative from art, Spanish history, previous wars. McDermid talks about art, crime, history and human relationships with the ease of an intelligent writer.
I love McDermid, crime fiction do not have to be a thrill seeking adventure and a pulse pounding action experience, sometimes that leaves the reader flat, like the author tricked the reader. Let crime fiction be the genre that explore all other avenues like history and politics, art and science. Anybody can write a fight scene few astonished us with great writing and McDermid is one of them.
This book was written in 2000 but Fiona is talking about her floppy disks like they are new technology. Is it just me or floppy disk were extinct by then? Probably I’m wrong, the Queen is always right.
The plot is not fast paced but it is beautifully written as only McDermid can. Like I said everything the author does is informative from art, Spanish history, previous wars. McDermid talks about art, crime, history and human relationships with the ease of an intelligent writer.
I love McDermid, crime fiction do not have to be a thrill seeking adventure and a pulse pounding action experience, sometimes that leaves the reader flat, like the author tricked the reader. Let crime fiction be the genre that explore all other avenues like history and politics, art and science. Anybody can write a fight scene few astonished us with great writing and McDermid is one of them.
This book was written in 2000 but Fiona is talking about her floppy disks like they are new technology. Is it just me or floppy disk were extinct by then? Probably I’m wrong, the Queen is always right.
August 2, 2011
I love Val McDermid! Having said that I also want to mention that I can never read two of her books in a row. She leaves me seriously disturbed and gets under my skin the way no other writer can, and I need to read something cheerful and light once I've turned the last page of one of her novels.
The plot of this particular novel is gruesome and wholly engaging. We meet Dr. Fiona Cameron a geographic profiler (which by the way really works, we use it in my line of work) and her partner Kit who happens to be a crime writer. There are dual plots happening, and the story takes off and gains momentum right from the beginning. Crime writers are killed off using the methods their serial killers used in the books that they wrote. McDemid pulls off a basically simple plot with brilliance, and even though I felt a stab of disappointment when the killer is revealed, the overall excellence of this book is well worth it. My only question is: How can Val McDermid sleep at night??
The plot of this particular novel is gruesome and wholly engaging. We meet Dr. Fiona Cameron a geographic profiler (which by the way really works, we use it in my line of work) and her partner Kit who happens to be a crime writer. There are dual plots happening, and the story takes off and gains momentum right from the beginning. Crime writers are killed off using the methods their serial killers used in the books that they wrote. McDemid pulls off a basically simple plot with brilliance, and even though I felt a stab of disappointment when the killer is revealed, the overall excellence of this book is well worth it. My only question is: How can Val McDermid sleep at night??
February 13, 2011
I really, really like Val McDermid--usually. But this one was too full of unnecessary details. I thought I'd never get to the end of it. I didn't much care for the premise either: someone is killing crime writers supposedly because they stole his (or her) ideas. I might have been able to swallow it if McDermid hadn't inserted diary entries from the killer, which turned out to be totally misleading. She used this technique in The Mermaids Singing, but it worked there. I didn't care for the main character either; I couldn't warm up to her. Plus everyone was ridiculously slow to agree that a serial killer was at work. It wasn't threatening enough either. The murders seemed unreal and a bit ridiculous, even the ones that sounded like they'd be really upsetting. I just found it too hard to relate to any of it.
February 26, 2015
I enjoyed this thriller / crime story. It has three crime stories in one book, really, and the main story evolves into a thriller rather than a detective story. Fiona Cameron is the lead character - she is a psychologist who has worked with police in the past to do what she calls "geographic Profiling" of crimes, leading to detection of where and how a suspect may be living. She is not a psychological profiler, she tells us. As the book begins, she has sworn off working with the London Metropolitan Police, as they ignored her advice in a case, which then blew up in their faces.
That case thus becomes the first one in the book. If it wasn't the person who was tried for the crime, who was it? Fiona grudgingly helps out to see if a new suspect can be found. She is then tapped by the Spanish police in Toledo to help in a series of murders of tourism-related workers; this involves a trip to Toledo and its interesting locales. But the main story revolves around a serial killer who is targeting crime writers, and killing them in ways that mirror the deaths in their books. The case starts out as a detective story, but as I mentioned, when Fiona's writer boyfriend is targeted, it becomes a race of life and death across the Highlands. I liked it a lot, though I prefer my detective stories to be more about detection than chase. But it was still good.
That case thus becomes the first one in the book. If it wasn't the person who was tried for the crime, who was it? Fiona grudgingly helps out to see if a new suspect can be found. She is then tapped by the Spanish police in Toledo to help in a series of murders of tourism-related workers; this involves a trip to Toledo and its interesting locales. But the main story revolves around a serial killer who is targeting crime writers, and killing them in ways that mirror the deaths in their books. The case starts out as a detective story, but as I mentioned, when Fiona's writer boyfriend is targeted, it becomes a race of life and death across the Highlands. I liked it a lot, though I prefer my detective stories to be more about detection than chase. But it was still good.
April 16, 2020
O que atrapalhou mais a minha leitura foi o ritmo lento. De resto, gostei imenso do enredo e quero ler mais livros desta autora fantástica e minuciosa na forma como desenvolve os crimes e as personagens
August 31, 2024
Sometimes the author tries very hard to come up with a mystery that isn't logical, but gives a twist that is tough to guess. This was a book that was 90% gripping and the last 10% - sheer effort to outmaneuver the reader.
Fiona Cameron, the geo profiler who uses data to predict profile and location was a welcome change to a typical brooding detective. In this book, we understand she is upset with the Met for setting up a person for a series of rape-murders, ignoring her advice. We also get to see murders happening in tourist locations in Spain. All of a sudden it leads into a serial murder of mystery authors.
The problem is Fiona's husband Kit is a mystery author himself and she is now hypersensitive for his safety. While she is solving other crimes and advising on crimes with intelligent data correlations - the murderer is going around making gory crime scenes.
The author does a good job of building up tension when Kit actually gets kidnapped. Also, the murder methods replicating what the crime authors themselves have written is a clever one. When people commit such gruesome murders, they need a strong motive or seriously deranged. This book did not have one - not really. Except, the author acknowledges that too.
A good time pass mystery.
Fiona Cameron, the geo profiler who uses data to predict profile and location was a welcome change to a typical brooding detective. In this book, we understand she is upset with the Met for setting up a person for a series of rape-murders, ignoring her advice. We also get to see murders happening in tourist locations in Spain. All of a sudden it leads into a serial murder of mystery authors.
The problem is Fiona's husband Kit is a mystery author himself and she is now hypersensitive for his safety. While she is solving other crimes and advising on crimes with intelligent data correlations - the murderer is going around making gory crime scenes.
The author does a good job of building up tension when Kit actually gets kidnapped. Also, the murder methods replicating what the crime authors themselves have written is a clever one. When people commit such gruesome murders, they need a strong motive or seriously deranged. This book did not have one - not really. Except, the author acknowledges that too.
A good time pass mystery.
August 30, 2017
Murder mysteries, thrillers, suspense are my type of book... and this mystery novel doesn't disappoint. Though I was long and took me a while to finish it I still enjoyed this book and highly recommend it if you're into these types of books.
July 22, 2024
Killing the Shadows was a fantastic book. It kept me hooked from the start.
Val Mcdermid writes dark crime novels. They are not for the faint-hearted! This book definitely comes with trigger warnings. Several times, it did cross my mind how wonderfully dark her mind is. 🤣😍
Narrator : Imogen Church
Listened via Audible,
Currently free via Audible membership.
Kindle £3.99
Amazon £11.29
Will definitely be reading the rest of her books 🫶🏻
*Crime
*Thriller
*Psychological
*Suspense
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Val Mcdermid writes dark crime novels. They are not for the faint-hearted! This book definitely comes with trigger warnings. Several times, it did cross my mind how wonderfully dark her mind is. 🤣😍
Narrator : Imogen Church
Listened via Audible,
Currently free via Audible membership.
Kindle £3.99
Amazon £11.29
Will definitely be reading the rest of her books 🫶🏻
*Crime
*Thriller
*Psychological
*Suspense
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 17, 2022
Книгата привлича със сюжета, че ще се трепят писатели, по начин описан в собствените им криминални романи. На някои места има интересни хрумки, които подвеждат историята към различна развръзка.
Краят ми се стори доста слаб и нереалистичен - героинята тръгна по следата на една хипотеза, която сякаш си я извади от тесте с карти, но беше 100% убедена, че тя е правилната??
Все пак книгата е увлекателна и се чете с интерес!
Краят ми се стори доста слаб и нереалистичен - героинята тръгна по следата на една хипотеза, която сякаш си я извади от тесте с карти, но беше 100% убедена, че тя е правилната??
Все пак книгата е увлекателна и се чете с интерес!
October 25, 2024
It is a very long time since I have read a book by Val McDermid, and it may be a while until I read another.
It is not that this book is bad, but I felt that the main characters were too "perfect", with no flaws to make them interesting! The plot strands are okay, but nothing made them particularly original.
It is a shame, I had been looking forward to it.
It is not that this book is bad, but I felt that the main characters were too "perfect", with no flaws to make them interesting! The plot strands are okay, but nothing made them particularly original.
It is a shame, I had been looking forward to it.
July 24, 2024
Reading a serial killer psychothriller after a long time. Wavered between 3.5 and 4 stars, finally decided to be more generous as it deals with mystery writers..
August 18, 2015
Toledo, Espanha
”Assassino de Sombras” - numa excelente edição da extinta e saudosa editora “Gótica” - é mais um policial/thriller da escritora escocesa Val McDermid (n. 1955).
A Dra. Fiona Cameron é uma psicóloga académica, uma profiler, especialista na utilização de programas de computador, que permitem desenvolver um sistema, onde se vai aglutinando a informação recolhida na investigação policial, organizando-a e associando-a de modo a criar perfis de comportamento criminal, incluindo as questões psicológicas e a componente geográfica - uma tecnologia sofisticada em contínuo desenvolvimento.
O enredo de ”Assassino de Sombras” desenvolve-se em três sub-tramas: a ligação da Dra. Fiona Cameron com a Polícia Metropolitana de Londres, através de uma relação de amizade e profissional como inspector Steve Preston, na investigação e resolução do assassinato de uma mulher em Hampstead Heath, um parque situado em Londres; o apoio na análise de dois crimes na lindíssima cidade de Toledo, Espanha, numa tentativa desesperada do Major Salvador Barrocal, da polícia espanhola, para solucionar os dois homicídios perpetrados por um serial-killer e o surgir de uma série de assassinatos de escritores de livros policiais “utilizando” os detalhes descritos numa das sequências dos seus romances – um serial-killer que utiliza e “copia” os mesmos métodos sanguinários.
Fiona Cameron que vive maritalmente com Kit Martin um conceituado escritor de romances policiais começa a temer pela vida do seu amante...
Val McDermid desenvolve e complementa o enredo através da inserção de pequenos trechos dos romances policiais/thrillers dos escritores referenciados, de e-mails, do site “Crime por trás dos títulos dos jornais” e do “enigmático” diário do serial-killer.
O ”Assassino de Sombras” revela-se um bom policial/thriller, destacando-se uma memorável descrição das cenas e dos cenários deslumbrantes, onde a complexidade de algumas personagens acentua o suspense, mas a inclusão da sub-trama referente à investigação criminal em Toledo, Espanha é questionável e a motivação do serial-killer relacionada com os assassinatos dos escritores é pouco convincente.
No final são 4 estrelas muito tremidas - ”O Canto das Sereias” e ”Compulsão” são muito melhores.
Hampstead Heath Park, Londres, Inglaterra
June 4, 2018
I now know what will eventually kill me.
Not old age, not some accident, not the impending downfall of my country thanks to the ineptitude and corruption of the current administration...
My inability to stop reading a book that I'm clearly not enjoying will be my downfall. I could tell within the first chapter that this was not going to be one of McDermid's better books. But I slogged through 422 pages anyway...and low and behold, it wasn't.
It's a very slow start, the first 100 pages (a quarter of the book mind you) are about a completely separate case that has nothing to do with the central plot and serves no real purpose. Sure, it introduces characters and the science that they use...but these are all things that could have been done with the OTHER b-story. Yes...there is ANOTHER case they are dealing with, which surprise surprise, ends up being tied together with the main plot. How original.
After these first 100 pages, the initial case is rarely brought up again. When it is it's only to say "hey, remember this thing? Yep, that was a thing that happened." It serves no other purpose.
The characters are bland, and despite McDermid trying really hard to make them likable, I really only felt invested in one of them.
The primary character is shrill and annoying. Her "heroic" actions in the end of the book are little more than "BUT I JUST KNOOOOOOOOOOW I'M RIGHT" and running off half cocked.
Also, the ending is goddamn stupid as all hell. So, yeah moral of the story...if you think you might not like a book after the first few chapters, it's best to go with that instinct and let it go.
Not old age, not some accident, not the impending downfall of my country thanks to the ineptitude and corruption of the current administration...
My inability to stop reading a book that I'm clearly not enjoying will be my downfall. I could tell within the first chapter that this was not going to be one of McDermid's better books. But I slogged through 422 pages anyway...and low and behold, it wasn't.
It's a very slow start, the first 100 pages (a quarter of the book mind you) are about a completely separate case that has nothing to do with the central plot and serves no real purpose. Sure, it introduces characters and the science that they use...but these are all things that could have been done with the OTHER b-story. Yes...there is ANOTHER case they are dealing with, which surprise surprise, ends up being tied together with the main plot. How original.
After these first 100 pages, the initial case is rarely brought up again. When it is it's only to say "hey, remember this thing? Yep, that was a thing that happened." It serves no other purpose.
The characters are bland, and despite McDermid trying really hard to make them likable, I really only felt invested in one of them.
The primary character is shrill and annoying. Her "heroic" actions in the end of the book are little more than "BUT I JUST KNOOOOOOOOOOW I'M RIGHT" and running off half cocked.
Also, the ending is goddamn stupid as all hell. So, yeah moral of the story...if you think you might not like a book after the first few chapters, it's best to go with that instinct and let it go.
May 1, 2020
I've read a few of Val McDermid's mysteries and for the most part have enjoyed them. She is responsible for the Wire in the Blood thriller series which is excellent. McDermid also has written a number of standalone thrillers, Killing The Shadows is one of them. And yes, it's quite a thriller
Fiona Cameron is an academic psychologist who uses a computer program to geologically track murders and help the police find serial killers. In this story, there are three different cases on the go. In the first, we come in at the middle of the case, the rape and murder of Susan Blanchard. The police have rejected Fiona's advice and followed the advice of another analyst, coming up with egg on their face, when the purported killer is released. Fiona refuses to help the Met anymore because of the case.
She is asked to assist the Spanish police with another possible serial murderer and agrees to assist. Finally someone is murdering thriller authors. Fiona isn't directly involved in the case, but because she is in a relationship with another thriller writer, Kit, she has a peripheral interest and is concerned for Kit's safety.
The story progresses nicely, jumping from one case to another, from different characters to others, including the main murderer. It's a long story but it doesn't really matter as everything is interesting and grabs your attention. Fiona is a fascinating character, not perfect by any means, but that just fleshes her out. There are many other interesting people as well, including her boyfriend, Kit. But also there is Police Chief Inspector Steve Preston, an old friend of Fiona's, still investigating the murder of Susan Blanchard, trying to develop a life and maintain his at times frustrating friendship. Also later in the story, DCI Karen Duvall is introduced, as the third investigation begins to gather steam, that being the murders of the thriller writers. She is a competent, hard-nosed cop and investigator.
So with these varied characters, different murders, neat forensic techniques and continuing and rising tension, the story is fascinating and relatively fast-paced. The last third builds and builds with Fiona and Kit in increasing danger. Great story and thriller. (4 stars)
Fiona Cameron is an academic psychologist who uses a computer program to geologically track murders and help the police find serial killers. In this story, there are three different cases on the go. In the first, we come in at the middle of the case, the rape and murder of Susan Blanchard. The police have rejected Fiona's advice and followed the advice of another analyst, coming up with egg on their face, when the purported killer is released. Fiona refuses to help the Met anymore because of the case.
She is asked to assist the Spanish police with another possible serial murderer and agrees to assist. Finally someone is murdering thriller authors. Fiona isn't directly involved in the case, but because she is in a relationship with another thriller writer, Kit, she has a peripheral interest and is concerned for Kit's safety.
The story progresses nicely, jumping from one case to another, from different characters to others, including the main murderer. It's a long story but it doesn't really matter as everything is interesting and grabs your attention. Fiona is a fascinating character, not perfect by any means, but that just fleshes her out. There are many other interesting people as well, including her boyfriend, Kit. But also there is Police Chief Inspector Steve Preston, an old friend of Fiona's, still investigating the murder of Susan Blanchard, trying to develop a life and maintain his at times frustrating friendship. Also later in the story, DCI Karen Duvall is introduced, as the third investigation begins to gather steam, that being the murders of the thriller writers. She is a competent, hard-nosed cop and investigator.
So with these varied characters, different murders, neat forensic techniques and continuing and rising tension, the story is fascinating and relatively fast-paced. The last third builds and builds with Fiona and Kit in increasing danger. Great story and thriller. (4 stars)
July 25, 2021
Me encanta Val Mcdermid.
La psicóloga Fiona Cameron és una experta en analizar mediante datos científicos y nuevos progamas informáticos para atrapar a criminales. Un asesino en serie anda suelto y no para d matar d un modo escabroso....una novela d misterio y asesinatos.
La psicóloga Fiona Cameron és una experta en analizar mediante datos científicos y nuevos progamas informáticos para atrapar a criminales. Un asesino en serie anda suelto y no para d matar d un modo escabroso....una novela d misterio y asesinatos.
January 3, 2014
This book was impossibly wonderful! I fell desperately in love with all the characters (except for Terry, that idiotic little ditz deserves nothing less than a boot to the head because really, why would you EVER turn off a policeman's phone... just because you want him all to yourself!!! I had to put the book down and just breathe for a few minutes because I wanted to hit her!)
Anyways, I fell desperately in love with Kit, Fiona, and Steve almost immediately and I am absolutely heartbroken that this book isn't part of a series. The plot was fantastic, even though there were three separate mysteries running through the book, each was solved beautifully. There was a perfect blend of suspense and mystery and romance and everything about this book was just too perfect for words.
Also, I tremendously admire the fact that the author wrote each of those "chapters" of books by the murdered authors and they all truly sounded like a different person wrote them. I'm so jealous of her skills!
Anyways, I fell desperately in love with Kit, Fiona, and Steve almost immediately and I am absolutely heartbroken that this book isn't part of a series. The plot was fantastic, even though there were three separate mysteries running through the book, each was solved beautifully. There was a perfect blend of suspense and mystery and romance and everything about this book was just too perfect for words.
Also, I tremendously admire the fact that the author wrote each of those "chapters" of books by the murdered authors and they all truly sounded like a different person wrote them. I'm so jealous of her skills!
September 22, 2020
DNF at 22%
I have a 100-page-rule. If a book doesn't grab me after 100 pages or is at least promising, I quit. That was the case here. 100 pages in the stakes didn't feel high, I didn't care for the characters and their relationship, many parts could've been left out and the plot was boring.
Besides, as I have studied psychology, some things Fiona did/said didn't sit well with me or annoyed me.
I have a 100-page-rule. If a book doesn't grab me after 100 pages or is at least promising, I quit. That was the case here. 100 pages in the stakes didn't feel high, I didn't care for the characters and their relationship, many parts could've been left out and the plot was boring.
Besides, as I have studied psychology, some things Fiona did/said didn't sit well with me or annoyed me.
January 16, 2010
I have not read McDermid for quite a while, but I have loved her novels in the past. This book was a disappointment. It had a subplot that seemed irrelevant and it was building to a climax that was a real let-down. There was a lot of potential here, but it was never developed.
January 13, 2017
Actually I didn't finish that one. After a third I thought that I didn't care enough to finish it. I didn't like the characters, I didn't really get into the story - that's about it. So don't waste time on books you don't like!
August 29, 2018
This was my first Val McDermid, but I'm aware that she's a giant in the genre. That reputation is very well deserved and I loved this book. It's a bit of a slow, deliberate build-up, but I wouldn't call it boring.
September 7, 2021
В първите около 200 страници действието се развиваше много мудно и на няколко пъти ми се прииска да оставя книгата, но инатът ми надделя над неприятното четиво. В крайна сметка нещата се раздвижиха доста и динамиката се задържа до края на романа. Линията с убийствата в Испания ми се струва страшно излишна и само увеличава обема на книгата - историята спокойно можеше да се побере в под 400 страници.
Бях сигурна, че призналият се за виновен няма общо с убийствата - изглеждаше прекалено лесно. Много ми допадна идеята с избиването на писатели според сцени от собствените им произведения, но мотивът на убиеца ми изглежда някак недостоверен и недоизмислен - сякаш авторът на книгата не е успяла да измисли нищо по-добро и в движение е претупала нещата.
Нещото, което най-много ме подразни, е колко лесно Кит се подведе с куриера - когато имаш и най-малкото подозрение, че може да си следващата жертва на убиец, който пресъздава сцени от творчеството на жертвите си, първата ти работа трябва да е да преговориш собствения си сюжет и ако той включва куриери, в никакъв случай да не отговаряш на такива.
Оценявам силата на Фиона, харесва ми идеята за жертвоготовна и борбена жена, която се впуска да спасява любимия си без чужда помощ - за някои може да е натрапване на неправилно разбрана феминистка идеология, но за мен е една от добрите идеи в романа.
Бях сигурна, че призналият се за виновен няма общо с убийствата - изглеждаше прекалено лесно. Много ми допадна идеята с избиването на писатели според сцени от собствените им произведения, но мотивът на убиеца ми изглежда някак недостоверен и недоизмислен - сякаш авторът на книгата не е успяла да измисли нищо по-добро и в движение е претупала нещата.
Нещото, което най-много ме подразни, е колко лесно Кит се подведе с куриера - когато имаш и най-малкото подозрение, че може да си следващата жертва на убиец, който пресъздава сцени от творчеството на жертвите си, първата ти работа трябва да е да преговориш собствения си сюжет и ако той включва куриери, в никакъв случай да не отговаряш на такива.
Оценявам силата на Фиона, харесва ми идеята за жертвоготовна и борбена жена, която се впуска да спасява любимия си без чужда помощ - за някои може да е натрапване на неправилно разбрана феминистка идеология, но за мен е една от добрите идеи в романа.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2017
Although this one stars out very slowly and takes time to get rolling, it's another solid Val McDermid thriller. This paperback edition came in at over 460 pages and really didn't get rolling until about 150 pages in. But, once the story takes off this one is an incredible thriller. As usual with Val McDermid's stories the characters are very well established. The plot has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader on edge to how this one will work out. As a huge fan of all Val McDermid's novels this one is a do not miss. Although this one is not in scope of a Carol/ Tony novel it's still a pretty good read. Three stars out of a possible five stars. Really could be a 3.25-3.33 star book. Check it out.
February 24, 2021
A very fast paced, page turning read. Would have been 5 stars except the ending was implausible although very satisfactory. Featuring Fiona Cameron a criminal profiler with a difference as she used a statistical mapping method to link similar crimes to determine if the same perpetrator was responsible for them and to then be able to provide the police information as to type of personality and area to look for the offender. I had no idea that as with so many careers there are different specialities. I would read more novels featuring this character but so far I have enjoyed all the books I have read by this author, Val McDermid.
July 4, 2024
A cracker of a thriller. Loved reading it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 434 reviews