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A review by billymac1962
The Torment of Others by Val McDermid
5.0
I've been on a real horror kick lately. I guess I've never shaken
that desire to be scared ever since the occasionally grim (or should I
say Grimm?) Magic Realm of Fairy Tales was read to me by my Mom,
oh, about 45 years ago.
This helps to explain why, on my excursions to my favorite used book
stores, the list I'm armed with is still half-full of horror novels. The
rest are assorted science fiction, fantasy, fiction, mystery, etc, etc.
The last time I stepped out of the (totally awesome) Book Gallery
in Carleton Place, I had a bagful of a lovely assortment of all of
these genres, Val McDermid's The Torment of Others being among them.
I figured I would get to this one once I'd had my fill of horror literature and was in the mood for a psychological crime novel.
Months went by. McDermid's novel sat by quietly and benignly on my bedside table as I plowed my way through novels I hoped would seep under my skin and creep there for a while. Some delivered the goods, some, ehh, not so much.
But, bless the little book's heart, she sat there patiently waiting her turn as I snubbed her time and again.
You know where this is going, don't you?
Yes, you're right.
None of the recent horror novels I read came close to setting me on
edge as much as this one did.
I love Val McDermid. Several years ago, someone had highly recommended
The Mermaids Singing to me. It was one of the best psychological
suspense novels I had read. The Torment of Others is the fourth novel featuring
two main characters, Carol Jordon, DCI, and Dr. Tony Hill, Forensic Psychologist, or psychological profiler.
I had found the past two novels, The Wire in the Blood, and The Last Temptation, didn't quite match up to the first. But I stuck with them, because, apart from it never being a waste of time to read McDermid, I had read raving reviews of The Torment of Others. And, with a series, I can't skip anything for fear I'd hit gaps as far as plot lines and character motivation goes.
Sure enough, it's imperative to have read those others because there are very important developments to the characters with regards to what happens in this story.
The less you know about the plot, the better. Don't even think about reading the back cover synopsis (I never do). The publishers saw fit to disclose about 2/3 of the story with this one, so do yourself a favor and go in raw.
The more you don't see coming, the better. You've been warned.
McDermid does a masterful job weaving two investigations at the same time, both of them with their own senses of urgency, and neither taking steam away from the other. Another warning: this lady does not hold back. Her novels are not for the squeamish, so you know who you are. If you like your mysteries to be laden with psychological suspense and the evils that people are capable of, this is for you.
If I have one negative thing to say, it's that it felt to me that McDermid was rushed in ending the story. I would have preferred a little more fleshing out where the villian's psyche was concerned, but that's not enough for me to take a star off this rating.
This is first class suspense. I love her characters and I care about them a lot. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, and that's about the highest praise you can give a novel of this genre.
Furthermore, it proves that some of the best horror out there will never be found on the horror shelf.
that desire to be scared ever since the occasionally grim (or should I
say Grimm?) Magic Realm of Fairy Tales was read to me by my Mom,
oh, about 45 years ago.
This helps to explain why, on my excursions to my favorite used book
stores, the list I'm armed with is still half-full of horror novels. The
rest are assorted science fiction, fantasy, fiction, mystery, etc, etc.
The last time I stepped out of the (totally awesome) Book Gallery
in Carleton Place, I had a bagful of a lovely assortment of all of
these genres, Val McDermid's The Torment of Others being among them.
I figured I would get to this one once I'd had my fill of horror literature and was in the mood for a psychological crime novel.
Months went by. McDermid's novel sat by quietly and benignly on my bedside table as I plowed my way through novels I hoped would seep under my skin and creep there for a while. Some delivered the goods, some, ehh, not so much.
But, bless the little book's heart, she sat there patiently waiting her turn as I snubbed her time and again.
You know where this is going, don't you?
Yes, you're right.
None of the recent horror novels I read came close to setting me on
edge as much as this one did.
I love Val McDermid. Several years ago, someone had highly recommended
The Mermaids Singing to me. It was one of the best psychological
suspense novels I had read. The Torment of Others is the fourth novel featuring
two main characters, Carol Jordon, DCI, and Dr. Tony Hill, Forensic Psychologist, or psychological profiler.
I had found the past two novels, The Wire in the Blood, and The Last Temptation, didn't quite match up to the first. But I stuck with them, because, apart from it never being a waste of time to read McDermid, I had read raving reviews of The Torment of Others. And, with a series, I can't skip anything for fear I'd hit gaps as far as plot lines and character motivation goes.
Sure enough, it's imperative to have read those others because there are very important developments to the characters with regards to what happens in this story.
The less you know about the plot, the better. Don't even think about reading the back cover synopsis (I never do). The publishers saw fit to disclose about 2/3 of the story with this one, so do yourself a favor and go in raw.
The more you don't see coming, the better. You've been warned.
McDermid does a masterful job weaving two investigations at the same time, both of them with their own senses of urgency, and neither taking steam away from the other. Another warning: this lady does not hold back. Her novels are not for the squeamish, so you know who you are. If you like your mysteries to be laden with psychological suspense and the evils that people are capable of, this is for you.
If I have one negative thing to say, it's that it felt to me that McDermid was rushed in ending the story. I would have preferred a little more fleshing out where the villian's psyche was concerned, but that's not enough for me to take a star off this rating.
This is first class suspense. I love her characters and I care about them a lot. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, and that's about the highest praise you can give a novel of this genre.
Furthermore, it proves that some of the best horror out there will never be found on the horror shelf.