Silent Bones is the eighth book in Val McDermid’s Karen Pirie series. There are a few copies of the book still available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4rIPT3w The book is one of Deb Lewis’ December picks for The Poisoned Pen.
Critic Oline Cogdill recently reviewed Silent Bones for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, and shares the review here.
‘Silent Bones’ by Val McDermid; Atlantic Crime; 448 pages; $28
“Silent Bones,” the eighth novel in Val McDermid’s Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie series, is a master class in Scottish cold case investigation and politics in a tightly wound plot.
Karen and her Historic Case Unit are called to an unusual crime scene. Human remains are found when a section of Scotland’s M73 highway collapses after a mudslide caused by torrential winter rainstorms. The skeleton was identified as investigative journalist Sam Nimmo, the prime suspect in the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, who had vanished shortly after the crime 11 years ago.
The team, including Daisy Mortimer and Jason “The Mint” Murray, also becomes involved with another case that had been ruled accidental. Drew Jamieson insists he has evidence that his brother, Tom, didn’t fall from Edinburgh’s Scotsman Steps about five years before, but was pushed.
Various motives may be related to the murder of Sam, whose in-depth reporting uncovered corruption, fraud and assault involving politicians and businesspeople. His stories on Scotland’s independence uncover more graft. Tom, who managed the nearby Scott Monument Hotel, seemed to have no enemies, though he’d recently had a public disagreement with the hotel’s sommelier, who was angry Tom quit their football club to join an elite, secretive book group with a murky history.
The author realistically draws together the plots, avoiding coincidences and combining believable clues with solid police insight in “Silent Bones.” Her storytelling prowess shows characters who continue to sharpen their investigative skills while juggling personal lives.
McDermid’s various series and standalones have put her in the top tier of mystery writers. “Silent Bones” continues her solid reputation.