Still Life - Val McDermid
She read; he will probably read also has he likes this series as well
I like Val McDermid’s Karen Pirie Historic Cases Unit police procedurals. This is the third consecutive of six that I have read. I really like the main character, a strong, intelligent, vulnerable, but not overly flawed, DCI.
Karen is balancing two cases. A skeleton has been found in a van parked in the garage of a recently deceased woman. She is drawn into the second case, albeit a current one, because one of the suspects in the years old killing of his brother has been found dead. The familiar supporting characters are here, as well as a new female colleague, Sergeant Daisy Mortimer. Still mourning the death of her love, Phil, Karen has established a new relationship with Hamish, who was introduced in the prior novel.
Although I think many of the twists were known to the reader before discovered by Karen, this did not detract from the readability or enjoyment of the story. I always like the the inclusion of topical issues in McDermid’s novels. In this one, there is a hint of the pandemic to come and the book ends just as Scotland is about to go on lockdown for Covid.
McDermid’s vivid descriptions of various locales place you right there in the middle of a scene. And, all the food consumed….you can just about taste those bacon rolls, curry, and croissants!
This reads well as a stand alone, but I think reading the prior novels will give provide more context. Plus, they are a joy to read.
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