Reviews

It's been a while since I've read Val McDermid, and reading this, I wonder why I stopped. She creates an intense mystery here, with Tony Hill and Carol Jordan returning to their element, with more tension thrown in due to their estrangement.
When women in the area are found murdered, and the evidence points to Tony, Carol has no choice but to pitch in and solve the puzzle, pitting her formidable intellect against a thoroughly cruel killer. The race is against time, as Tony is closer to getting incarcerated with every passing minute.
Though not as strong as Mermaids Singing, this book has all the elements that make a classic noir thriller work - psychologically damaged killer, disturbing crimes and a frantic race to the finish line. The book is gripping and the writing is so engaging that you cannot put the book down without getting to the end.

paulshepherd888's review against another edition

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5.0

Brilliant, enjoyed every step of the way and looked forward to picking it up everytime, also an excellent follow up to the previous one

janpd24's review

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2.0

I’ve long lost patience with the unappealing and unconvincing drama that is the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan relationship. However, I quite enjoy the crime-solving part of the books and McDermid remains one of my favourite authors. However, I found this to be the weakest of her Hill/Jordan series -- the plot seemed like something dusted out from before, the killer was easy to guess, the characters uninteresting (apart from Paula)... My full review is here: http://writeside.net/books/crime/val-mcdermid/cross-and-burn

devrose's review

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2.0

This book is a bridge between The Retribution and whatever's next in the series. It's one of those necessary evils when the characters have to work out their problems before they can work together again. I'm ready for what's coming next.

amothersmusings1's review against another edition

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5.0

My favourite series of all time are the Carol Jordan, Tony Hill books. If you love this series too then this book is a must. We pick up from where The Retribution left off, with Carol and Tony not talking and more killings taking place. It's a fast page turner that keeps you gripped from the start hoping and hoping that Carol and Tony sort things out between them. Would recommend.

relish_books's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

lirael's review

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4.0

This one was more satisfying because of the relationship progression, how people are responding to trauma and learning to forgive each other and themselves. The crimes of the serial killer are as twisted as previous ones in the series but the best part of the book is seeing the characters continue on their respective journeys of brokenness and hope.

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