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pjgal22's review against another edition
4.0
Read this one a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I like Val McDermid's writing. Her characters are richly drawn and her plots engagingly complex and quite satisfying.
bri_8d's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
git_r_read's review against another edition
5.0
A superb addition to the series. Fascinating thriller.
alixv's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
dja777's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely not for the squeamish! Suspenseful and interesting, I did guess who the killer was before it was revealed, but I changed my mind a few times before I settled on my suspect. Narrator of the audiobook was very good, too.l
chartsh's review against another edition
Too distributing. Sexual torture as part of murder
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
rita_book's review against another edition
dark
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
raxxq's review against another edition
4.0
I started reading Val McDermid because I was watching Wire in the Blood on Netflix streaming on demand. So anyone who says that the television and internet rot people's brains and cause them to stop reading, I call bulls**t. Anyway, I didn't have particularly high expectations of the book, of course it had to be good enough that they made an entire television series out of it, but then again, they've made movies out of Disney rides, right (no, I am not knocking PotC, but come on, the Haunted Mansion?) But, just as the television show puts to shame its closest US counterpart, Criminal Minds, so did The Torment of Others put to shame other thriller mysteries that I have read. And that is having already watched the show, and knowing how the book will end.
This book gave me nightmares. And for the record, the last time that a book gave me a nightmare was in third grade when I read The Witches. Val McDermid writes Carol Jordan with a degree of depth that I find pretty astonishing. I wonder if she might not have had some of the experiences that she attributes to her female protagonist, so well conceived are her emotional and intellectual responses.
Anyway, this book falls just shy of five stars, because for five stars it has to be truly remarkable, life changing and challenging. Though this book is a great murder mystery, it is none of those things. An all around enjoyable read (aside from the nightmares).
This book gave me nightmares. And for the record, the last time that a book gave me a nightmare was in third grade when I read The Witches. Val McDermid writes Carol Jordan with a degree of depth that I find pretty astonishing. I wonder if she might not have had some of the experiences that she attributes to her female protagonist, so well conceived are her emotional and intellectual responses.
Anyway, this book falls just shy of five stars, because for five stars it has to be truly remarkable, life changing and challenging. Though this book is a great murder mystery, it is none of those things. An all around enjoyable read (aside from the nightmares).
kaityreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75