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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
A Karen Pirie book in name only.
I am being generous with two stars.
This is the first book I have ever read that was not even close to being as good as the movie/TV series.
The TV show was co-written by Val with Emer Kenny, and directed by Gareth Bryn, with Karen Pirie as the central driving force.
In the book she is a quite frankly useless bit part with nothing to offer
The only reason it's not one star is that I can only hope the next book actually develops Karen into the character I have seen on screen
I am being generous with two stars.
This is the first book I have ever read that was not even close to being as good as the movie/TV series.
The TV show was co-written by Val with Emer Kenny, and directed by Gareth Bryn, with Karen Pirie as the central driving force.
In the book she is a quite frankly useless bit part with nothing to offer
The only reason it's not one star is that I can only hope the next book actually develops Karen into the character I have seen on screen
Watched the ITV adaptation a couple of years back and was keen to read the source material.
It differs wildly, mostly in the latter half, from the TV show and is a much more cohesive story as a result.
I won’t detail what is different as that would be pretty spoiler heavy but suffice to say that even though the key characters are all the same those who only know Karen Pirie through the telly will get a lot out of the books.
On to book two now...
It differs wildly, mostly in the latter half, from the TV show and is a much more cohesive story as a result.
I won’t detail what is different as that would be pretty spoiler heavy but suffice to say that even though the key characters are all the same those who only know Karen Pirie through the telly will get a lot out of the books.
On to book two now...
Intricately woven plot, a compelling read, and more than one jaw-dropping twist!
Karen Pirie may not have played a significant role in this story, but her contribution was key in its resolution. Very tempted to start on the next book immediately. Lol!
Karen Pirie may not have played a significant role in this story, but her contribution was key in its resolution. Very tempted to start on the next book immediately. Lol!
I picked this up free from a recent stay in a holiday cottage, originally only interested because of her close association with Ian Rankin and Iain Banks, two of my very favourite authors. I didn't expect much, after learning that she's at least partly responsible for a TV series involving Robson Greene, but I must admit to being pleasantly surprised.
It's very much a game of two halves, the first following four close friends in their student years as they cope with the pressure of being unjustly vilified as murder suspects in a small community. The second half follows some 25 years later, as their rebuilt lives begin to crumble when a cold-case review reopens the case, and the suspects start being bumped-off in suspicious circumstances. Although the book is well-written throughout, with a tightly constructed plot, the first half was what really gripped me. Once the victim's body has been literally stumbled upon, the way the author handles the behaviour of the four protagonists is a marvel. Each of the four react differently, yet entirely believably to the pressure, some growing as individuals, some experiencing understandable psychological crumblings.
In the second half, the details that seemed to be little more than circumstantial detail turn into important turning points, and the plot unfolds quite beautifully. It's not quite water-tight, and finding a friendly local forensic expert specialising in paint is quite a slice of luck for a case hinging on such evidence, but by the climax that barely seems to matter. The resolution is probably the least interesting aspect here, it's the handling of character here which really matters, and in that, it's something of a masterclass. Clumsy clichés are skilfully avoided, and genuine insight appears to be reached. It's the first book I've read by Val McDermid, but if the rest are in this kind of class, it will only be the first of many.
It's very much a game of two halves, the first following four close friends in their student years as they cope with the pressure of being unjustly vilified as murder suspects in a small community. The second half follows some 25 years later, as their rebuilt lives begin to crumble when a cold-case review reopens the case, and the suspects start being bumped-off in suspicious circumstances. Although the book is well-written throughout, with a tightly constructed plot, the first half was what really gripped me. Once the victim's body has been literally stumbled upon, the way the author handles the behaviour of the four protagonists is a marvel. Each of the four react differently, yet entirely believably to the pressure, some growing as individuals, some experiencing understandable psychological crumblings.
In the second half, the details that seemed to be little more than circumstantial detail turn into important turning points, and the plot unfolds quite beautifully. It's not quite water-tight, and finding a friendly local forensic expert specialising in paint is quite a slice of luck for a case hinging on such evidence, but by the climax that barely seems to matter. The resolution is probably the least interesting aspect here, it's the handling of character here which really matters, and in that, it's something of a masterclass. Clumsy clichés are skilfully avoided, and genuine insight appears to be reached. It's the first book I've read by Val McDermid, but if the rest are in this kind of class, it will only be the first of many.
I did things a bit differently and read this book after having seen the show and read the other Karen Pirie books. This was going all the way to the beginning for my journey with this character and I have no regrets. The show changed a lot of things about the story, including the perspectives - this novel is mostly told through the voice of the four St. Andrews students who happened upon a murder victim 25 years ago. Significant portions of the book are about the murder investigation in the 1980s told from the pov of the witness/suspects and the investigators. When the case comes under view near the 25th anniversary of the murder, a young Karen Pirie is assigned to it and without spoiling the story, I think people who watched the show will find the book to be entirely different in how the mystery unfolds. This is one of Val McDermid's best.
As a boy from Fife, this book had me gripped from start to finish. My first dip into crime fiction and I was not disappointed.
mysterious
slow-paced
Enjoyable to read a crime story set in Scotland. I like in walking distance from Jackie's flat! I felt there were some clichés in the characters, and I guessed the murderer about half way through. Like many of Val McDermid books there was good technical forensic knowledge used to help nail the killer.
This was not what I expected.
Brilliantly written, emotionally draining and overall an excellent story.
Brilliantly written, emotionally draining and overall an excellent story.