A review by geraldinerowe
The Distant Echo by Val McDermid

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was my first Val McDermid and I was expecting good things. At first I was a little disappointed with the writing style. It was a little bit pot-boiler thriller style, and there were some rather lazy clichés (I don't  believe anyone would really say "There must be some mistake" when told a loved-one has died, but it was used three times in this book). However, once the plot got going I couldn't stop reading. It's the first book in a long time that has made me read irresponsibly late into the night. I felt very smug through the last half of the book as I thought I'd guessed who the murderer was. I was wrong. I don't read a lot of crime fiction - my annual Sara Paretsky is usually enough for me - but I might add a Val McDermid into the mix occasionally from now on.
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