Published by Harper. March 2008. ISBN: 978-0-00-724328-0
When one reads a Val McDermid novel, the expectation is that it will involve a serial killer. This book is no exception, although the author intertwines a couple of twists. To begin with, her protagonists—Dr. Tony Hill, psychologist and profiler, and DCI Carol Jordan—are continually at odds in attempting to solve their personalproblems, as well as the crimes they are involved with. Tony's insights seem far out to Carol, which she sometimes attributes to the fact that he's in the hospital with a smashed knee, courtesy of a patient in that hospital, where he practices.
Be that as it may, the challenge, at first, is to solve the poisoning of a popular footballer on the eve of a big game. Then during the game, an explosion under the stands kills 35 persons. Are the events related? Is the bombing a terrorist act? Carol and her team's efforts are complicated by the invasion of a specialized terrorist
force which takes over with strong-arm tactics. Two more poison murders gives Tony and Carol a few leads, and Tony continues to have free-thinking thoughts about all the crimes.
The intricate lot is surpassed only by the smoothness of the writing. Tony and Carol are two marvelous creations, and they continue to enchant this reader. The book works on several levels—as a mystery, in delving into the relationships and personalities of the characters, and the contemporary nature of the "terrorist explosion," which was set off by a Muslim male.
Great reading, and highly recommended.
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