Insidious Intent

October 16, 2017
At the start of Diamond Dagger Award–
winner McDermid’s stirring 10th novel featuring Det. Chief Insp. Carol Jordan and profiler Tony Hill (after 2015’s Splinter the Silence), office manager Kathryn McCormick meets an attractive man at a friend’s wedding in the north of England. Less than three weeks later, Kathryn’s body turns up in a burning car. Jordan, who now heads a newly formed regional major incident team, has little evidence to go on. Kathryn didn’t seem like the type to make enemies, but she turns out to be the first in a string of single women who are all killed and set alight in their cars. Jordan and her team members eventually learn that each victim was a guest at a recent wedding where she met a new man. Jordan wants to solve the case not only to get justice for the victims but also to prove to herself, and the world, that she’s able to lead despite her struggle with alcoholism. Even her friend Hill has trouble traversing the complicated emotional space she’s in. The finale will shake readers to their core. Agent: Jane Gregory, Gregory & Company (U.K.).

Tony Hill and Carol Jordan are back! Narrator Saul Reichlin delivers the tenth title in Val McDermid's riveting crime series. His charming British accent and clarity ensure that all the suspense of this fast-paced mystery is easy to follow for both fans and newcomers alike. Reichlin, aided by McDermid's well-defined dialogue, relies on subtle accent shifts along with variations in pace and intensity to differentiate characters. Although there is a tantalizing amount of backstory and increased development of all the characters' personal relationships, the plot, involving a serial killer, takes center stage. The result is a home run by the McDermid/Reichlin team with an ending that knocks it out of the park! Don't miss it. M.O.B. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine