The Skeleton Road

October 20, 2014
The discovery of a man’s skeleton atop an Edinburgh building slated for demolition kick-starts Diamond Dagger Award–winner McDermid’s hit-or-miss follow-up to 2008’s A Darker Domain. Det. Chief Insp. Karen Pirie identifies the remains as those of Gen. Dimitar “Mitja” Petrovic, an intelligence expert with ties to the Croatian army, NATO, and the U.N. Karen learns that he had lived for years with Oxford University professor Maggie Blake, who met the general during her time as an academic in Dubrovnik during the Balkan conflict. Maggie, who hasn’t seen or heard from Mitja in eight years, always assumed that he returned to Croatia. The answers lie in the past, particularly the bloody Serb-Croat conflict in the 1990s, so it’s inevitable that Karen and Maggie end up traveling to Croatia. McDermid does a fine job recreating the brutal Balkan years, but the characters lack depth, leaving readers yearning for the richness of her long-running Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series. Agent: Jane Gregory, Gregory & Company.

Val McDermid's stand-alone novel crosses geographical boundaries: a crime in Scotland, persons of interest in England, and possible ties to the Balkans. Davina Porter's narration consistently maintains the authenticity of the accents and clearly distinguishes among the subplots. However, McDermid is known for her strong characters--especially women--and Porter's portrayal weakens them beyond the vulnerabilities McDermid exposes. While Detective Karen Pirie exhibits great patience with her subordinate officer, she comes across more mother than mentor. Porter's tone works somewhat better with Professor Maggie Blake, but additional edginess for both women would better reflect their life experiences and personal strengths. Despite this minor drawback, the thriller excites, and the audio will keep listeners fully engaged. J.F. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine