Broken Ground - Val McDermid

Broken Ground - Val McDermid

She read

Release date: Dec. 5, 2018

This is the fifth book in the Karen Pirie Historic Cases Unit police procedural series by prolific writer, Val McDermid.  I’ve read one prior novel in this series and really like the main character.  She is strong, intelligent, vulnerable, but not overly flawed.

Karen is juggling three cases, two historic ones that are in her perview and a current one that she has insinuated herself into based on an overheard conversation.  Although still mourning the death of her love, Phil, she meets a new interesting man and her new supervisor, seemingly out to get her, has planted a spy in Karen’s three person department.

The unfolding of the primary case is told through the revelation of evidence as well as flashbacks to both 1944 which set the scene for the crime and 1995 when the crime was committed.   There were some unique aspects to the cases which made them interesting and the book held my attention throughout.  I thought the resolution came quickly and the final disposition of the case could only be assumed.  McDermid did lay some ground work for the next in the series and I look forward to it.