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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
After reading Out of Bounds by Val McDermid last year, I came away surprised to discover that she had a whole franchise I wasn’t aware of - despite having read all the books in the series. Karen Pirie, I assumed, must not be a memorable character. Well, after re-reading The Distant Echo, I’m letting myself off the hook a little. Karen Pirie appears here even less than Jane Rizzoli does in the first Rizzoli and Isles novel (although granted, more than the aforementioned Isles, who doesn’t show up until book two). Pirie is very much a side-character here, tasked with working a cold case murder from the seventies.
The Distant Echo centres on the murder of barmaid Rosie Duff, and the lives of the four students who find her body. The murder’s effect on the close-knit friends spans decades, and leads to bloody retribution in the present day.
Although I’m sure I have read this before, my only clear memory is of the opening scenes - a raucous group of Kirkcaldy lads all nicknamed after Bowie characters, tripping around drunkenly in the snow. The rest of the book is a blur. On this basis, I enjoyed it more than I expected to. The distinct lack of female characters may be why it didn’t rank high on my radar - although McDermid shoehorns in an obligatory lesbian, her entry and sudden emphasis is very much out of place and doesn’t feel organic within the story.
The crime itself is deftly plotted and well told. Means, motive and opportunity are all accounted for, and there’s essentially nothing here to dislike. The narration by Tom Cotcher provides an authentic touch of Scots (although his attempts at American accents are highly amusing!). As the beginning of a series it’s more of a backdoor pilot than anything, but it was still enjoyable to revisit.
[Review originally published on my blog at Line After Line.]
The Distant Echo centres on the murder of barmaid Rosie Duff, and the lives of the four students who find her body. The murder’s effect on the close-knit friends spans decades, and leads to bloody retribution in the present day.
Although I’m sure I have read this before, my only clear memory is of the opening scenes - a raucous group of Kirkcaldy lads all nicknamed after Bowie characters, tripping around drunkenly in the snow. The rest of the book is a blur. On this basis, I enjoyed it more than I expected to. The distinct lack of female characters may be why it didn’t rank high on my radar - although McDermid shoehorns in an obligatory lesbian, her entry and sudden emphasis is very much out of place and doesn’t feel organic within the story.
The crime itself is deftly plotted and well told. Means, motive and opportunity are all accounted for, and there’s essentially nothing here to dislike. The narration by Tom Cotcher provides an authentic touch of Scots (although his attempts at American accents are highly amusing!). As the beginning of a series it’s more of a backdoor pilot than anything, but it was still enjoyable to revisit.
[Review originally published on my blog at Line After Line.]
This was my first Val McDermid novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A fast-paced police procedural, Val McDermid writes extremely well, creating characters that are believable and individual, no two voices sound the same. I really enjoyed the structure of this book; the story moves back and forth in time and by giving the first part of the story the same attention as the 'present day' plot, Val McDermid created a connection with the characters that is often missing in the genre. I loved the sense of place that shone through, I found the plot engaging and twisty and, given these types of books are my 'bread and butter' reading, it kept me guessing for a lot longer than I expected. I'm excited to read the rest of Val McDermid's backlist.
Really good whodunit while also looking at the effects getting caught in the crossfires of a murder case. Some parts frustrated me. Such as why were the police so set on the idea that the kids who found Rosie killed her? Enough to drag their names through the mud without any sufficient evidence! There's a reason it's innocent until proven guilty and there needs to be unreasonable doubt if guilt to convict. But I can forgive this as it was set in the 70s and the author did a good job of capturing the mindset of the witnesses turned suspects and the police, without making the police seem completely corrupt. I also enjoyed the twist.
Well-plotted novel though not really inspired by any of the characters.
First instalment of the 'Karen Pirie' series from one of the giants of the mystery genre. Four young men discover the body of a young girl and soon become the victims of suspicion and cruelty at the hands of the locals. The case is never solved but the scars live on for the four men. 25 years later and the case is reopened. The four find themselves face-to-face with a past they'd rather forget, and while some people are gunning for their conviction there's another party who has other ideas about justice. Great spinning and weaving within the narrative and solid characters that you get behind - even if they may be the guilty ones!
This is the third novel I've read by Scottish crime writer Val McDermid, and they've all been engrossing. "Distant Echo" begins with four friend, students at St. Andrews College. As they stumble home from a party one December night, they find a young woman bleeding to death in the snow. The police and the community are suspicious of all four, but no evidence directly ties them to the crime and they are never charged. They live the next 25 years under a pall of suspicion, however. When the murder becomes part of a cold case review, they hope they will be cleared, but instead someone seems to be targeting them for belated revenge.
What I like about McDermid's books is that she creates interesting characters. The books aren't just pulpy mysteries. I'm not always happy with her endings, though. This time out, I had figured out the original mystery long before the end. In "A Place of Execution," which overall I thought was her best, I thought the solution was ingenious but implausible.
What I like about McDermid's books is that she creates interesting characters. The books aren't just pulpy mysteries. I'm not always happy with her endings, though. This time out, I had figured out the original mystery long before the end. In "A Place of Execution," which overall I thought was her best, I thought the solution was ingenious but implausible.
Well-written, suspenseful mystery, set in Scotland. Four college student stumble over a dying woman. No one is ever convicted of attacking and killing her, and they remain the chief suspects. The story takes place half at the time of the murder, and half 25 years later.
Inspector Karen Pirie is a tiny role in this first book -- presumably becoming larger in the rest of the series?
Inspector Karen Pirie is a tiny role in this first book -- presumably becoming larger in the rest of the series?
From BBC Radio 4 Extra
25 years on, police review the unsolved murder of a young woman in the snow - but is the killing over?
25 years on, police review the unsolved murder of a young woman in the snow - but is the killing over?
A favorite author, I'd never read this series. Time to start. 3.5, really.
A little disappointed. There was a lot of clunky repetition and some of the voices felt forced, especially the computer professional (Macfadyen), Weird at certain points (saying "he had not accepted Jesus Christ as his saviour" which strikes me as not something someone in his position would typically say...I hear people in his position describing those as "unsaved" way more often), and I felt Weird's characterization came off as caricaturish at points. Alex and Lynn in the middle of the book, etc. The pacing was kind of weird and I think it felt too slow/labored for me to really be able to fall into it as a reader being *thrilled* reading a thriller, or in an intellectual puzzle sense. And that pacing/repetition for me took me out of the story at a couple points; there were moments when it felt more like a constructed work of fiction and less like a compelling, real story. It was still gripping enough for me to finish it quickly though, especially the beginning. I was hoping also for more subversion of common LGBT tropes, like I thought it would be an interesting twist if certain characters turned out to be LGBT (ex. Rosie) rather than the ones that were. This is the first McDermid book I've read, I've heard great things about her and definitely want to give her another try. I picked this book because it seemed like it was the beginning of her most recent series and I'm craving more modern crime mystery novels. I do admire what she did in terms of subverting common mystery/detective tropes. Like the building of tension driven by a party trying to take revenge against innocents, rather than the more typical "suspect is afraid detective will catch them, so the detective is in danger because the suspect is trying to protect themselves." The time skip. The telling of the story from the witnesses point of view, trying to defend themselves. I do think Alex's motivation for getting involved in solving the crime later in the book does feel a little bit tacked on and I feel like I wanted to shake him and get him to behave less like a plot vehicle at certain points. I love Ziggy. Wish there had been more development of Ziggy's character. I love Ziggy's father.
Also I thought for Macfadyen to be driven to such extremes, he would need to be written in a less heavyhanded way...it felt a little forced and difficult to believe his voice/constant reiteration of his motives. Characters in general seemed to overexplain their motives so we readers would REALLY get it. Like Jackie, p.359: "I'll be honest with you, Alex. I can't say I've got any great interest in saving your skin. But you're right. I've got something at stake here too. Helping you find who killed David gets me off the hook. So, who should I speak to?"
The police and private detectives involved also seem too incompetent/amateurish for reality, more a plot device to allow plot to happen. Ex. The PI Weird hires calls 3 funeral home florists to see if they made a rosemary wreath. I'd expect more innovative investigating.
For me a lot of these issues could have been resolved if there were a more of a puzzle/intellectual mystery element to the story that would draw more of my attention.
Also I thought for Macfadyen to be driven to such extremes, he would need to be written in a less heavyhanded way...it felt a little forced and difficult to believe his voice/constant reiteration of his motives. Characters in general seemed to overexplain their motives so we readers would REALLY get it. Like Jackie, p.359: "I'll be honest with you, Alex. I can't say I've got any great interest in saving your skin. But you're right. I've got something at stake here too. Helping you find who killed David gets me off the hook. So, who should I speak to?"
The police and private detectives involved also seem too incompetent/amateurish for reality, more a plot device to allow plot to happen. Ex. The PI Weird hires calls 3 funeral home florists to see if they made a rosemary wreath. I'd expect more innovative investigating.
For me a lot of these issues could have been resolved if there were a more of a puzzle/intellectual mystery element to the story that would draw more of my attention.