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canada_matt's review against another edition
4.0
As McDermid creates a new psychopathic mystery for her readers, Tony Hill and Carol Jordan are back to test their wiles and personal chemistry. Seeking a new position, DCI Jordan interviews for a job with Europol, in hopes of using her skills to help those all across the continent. Handed an interesting file, whereby she must infiltrate the depths of a human smuggling ring, Jordan goes undercover to weasel her way right to the top. Stationed in Berlin and working with a German cop, Jordan seeks the assistance of Dr. Hill, who offers valuable insight into how to have those around her become trustworthy without blowing her own cover. Meanwhile, a serial killer may be on the loose, slaying experimental psychologists in The Netherlands and Germany. When Jordan posits that Hill may wish to help look into these cases, he jumps at the opportunity to leave academia (a position he took when profiling became too personal). Diving deep into Germany's past, he discovers what might be the perfect rationale for such murders, but cannot fathom the gruesome experiments the Nazis undertook, nor the reaction our killer is having in modern-time. As both cases inch towards success, passion between our two characters, long suppressed, may be the one thing that derails the entire mission. Explosive plot lines mesh together and leave the reader gasping at the lengths to which McDermid will go to shock the reader.
McDermid is sensational in her character development and storytelling. She gets to the core of the matter and pulls no punches. While some are queasy by her graphic murder scenes and description, I find it useful to offer the reader the full-scale knowledge of what Hill and Jordan are seeing, which only adds to the story. This is the second novel in the series that seeks to show the killer throughout, offering up their identity and hoping authorities can piece it together before it is too late. McDermid paints a vivid/gruesome backstory that fully complements the killings and the impetus. My one critique might be the continual change in jobs both Hill and Jordan undertake, making any character foundation all the more difficult, even if it opens up new and exciting characters in each novel.
Kudos, Madam McDermind on this wonderful addition to the series. You shock me when I think I've seen it all!
McDermid is sensational in her character development and storytelling. She gets to the core of the matter and pulls no punches. While some are queasy by her graphic murder scenes and description, I find it useful to offer the reader the full-scale knowledge of what Hill and Jordan are seeing, which only adds to the story. This is the second novel in the series that seeks to show the killer throughout, offering up their identity and hoping authorities can piece it together before it is too late. McDermid paints a vivid/gruesome backstory that fully complements the killings and the impetus. My one critique might be the continual change in jobs both Hill and Jordan undertake, making any character foundation all the more difficult, even if it opens up new and exciting characters in each novel.
Kudos, Madam McDermind on this wonderful addition to the series. You shock me when I think I've seen it all!
angiex's review against another edition
4.0
Entertaining, engaging, well written (as always), although a little predictable. The ending was harrowing and Val McDermid showcased her substantial skill in building a sense of horror at what was coming. I am looking forward to seeing what is next for the duo at the heart of this series.
radella_hardwick's review against another edition
This is my favourite of the series
therewithal's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good, better than the previous two. I was quite invested in the TV version of the Tony/Carol relationship and this book felt like a believable/satisfying continuation of that, in addition to the two interesting cases. Not sure how I feel about the ending, though.
sdoire's review against another edition
4.0
Tony Hill and Carol Jordan are my new favorite detecting pair. This was a compelling story, and would have been near perfect except for one crucial plot device. You cannot create two intelligent, careful, methodical characters and expect readers to believe they are capable of making the mistake that blew Carol's cover. McDermid and her editor really needed to think more creatively in that regard. On to book 4!
wyvernfriend's review against another edition
3.0
Not quite as satisfying as previous instalments this is the story of Carol Jordan working undercover and Tony Hill trying to work out who killed some women close by. The two of them are a little too caught up in themselves to be believable as a working team and not as a pair of people bent on self-destruction.
I didn't get as caught by the story as by previous I think the two parallel stories fell a little flat occasionally.
I didn't get as caught by the story as by previous I think the two parallel stories fell a little flat occasionally.
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