“[A Darker Domain] combines a thrilling story with heartbreaking questions of social justice and history.”
—Seattle Times
The New York Times calls Val McDermid, “As smooth a practitioner of crime fiction as anyone out there…the best we’ve got.” Time spent with her extraordinary thriller, A Darker Domain, will prove that it’s true. Set in Scotland, the milieu of Ian Rankin’s John Rebus, McDermid’s brilliant exploration of loyalty and greed intertwines the past and present. It was chosen as a New YorkTimes Notable Crime Book of the Year and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.
McDermid’s latest is a stand-alone set in Fife, Scotland. Detective Inspector Karen Pirie, newly appointed head of the Cold Case squad, has a hard time with desk work, so when a woman reports her father missing and last seen in 1984, Pirie can’t resist. But her boss, a paper pusher known as the Macaroon, wants Karen in the office, at least until Bel, an investigative journalist, turns up new evidence in a 20-year-old heiress kidnap case. As Karen and Bel investigate, friends’ and family members’ memories of the missing people are delivered as flashbacks, resulting in short chapters, multiple viewpoints, and a moderately quick pace. As Karen’s two cases seem to converge, the complex and layered plotlines come together, and McDermid does an excellent job creating tension around a cold case. Sure to be a hit with McDermid’s large fan base, it should also appeal to those who read other Scottish police mysteries, such as Stuart MacBride’s (Flesh House, 2008). Those who enjoyed the cold-case aspect may also enjoy Johan Theorin’s Echoes from the Dead (2008). --Jessica Moyer
Description:
“[A Darker Domain] combines a thrilling story with heartbreaking questions of social justice and history.”
—Seattle Times
The New York Times calls Val McDermid, “As smooth a practitioner of crime fiction as anyone out there…the best we’ve got.” Time spent with her extraordinary thriller, A Darker Domain, will prove that it’s true. Set in Scotland, the milieu of Ian Rankin’s John Rebus, McDermid’s brilliant exploration of loyalty and greed intertwines the past and present. It was chosen as a New York Times Notable Crime Book of the Year and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.
**
From Publishers Weekly
When Michelle Gibson reports her father, Mick Prentice, missing at the start of McDermid's intricate but underwhelming stand-alone psychological thriller, Det. Insp. Karen Pirie, head of the Fife police Cold Case Review Team, isn't interested until Michelle reveals that Mick disappeared during the 1984 miners' strike. At the time, everyone believed Mick went scabbing in Nottingham. Later, Karen is summoned to the home of wealthy Sir Broderick Maclennan Grant, whose daughter, Catriona, and baby grandson, Adam, were abducted in 1985. A botched ransom hand-off left Catriona dead and Adam nowhere to be found. New evidence linked to the kidnapping has surfaced, and now Karen has two missing people to locate. McDermid tries to pack too much story into one book, and the connection she draws between the cases feels forced. Fans of the Scottish author may be better off waiting for the next outing of McDermid's series to feature psychologist Tony Hill (The Mermaid Singing, etc.). Author tour. (Feb.)
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From Booklist
McDermid’s latest is a stand-alone set in Fife, Scotland. Detective Inspector Karen Pirie, newly appointed head of the Cold Case squad, has a hard time with desk work, so when a woman reports her father missing and last seen in 1984, Pirie can’t resist. But her boss, a paper pusher known as the Macaroon, wants Karen in the office, at least until Bel, an investigative journalist, turns up new evidence in a 20-year-old heiress kidnap case. As Karen and Bel investigate, friends’ and family members’ memories of the missing people are delivered as flashbacks, resulting in short chapters, multiple viewpoints, and a moderately quick pace. As Karen’s two cases seem to converge, the complex and layered plotlines come together, and McDermid does an excellent job creating tension around a cold case. Sure to be a hit with McDermid’s large fan base, it should also appeal to those who read other Scottish police mysteries, such as Stuart MacBride’s (Flesh House, 2008). Those who enjoyed the cold-case aspect may also enjoy Johan Theorin’s Echoes from the Dead (2008). --Jessica Moyer