Praise for Insidious Intent
“Here McDermid is at her finest . . . Insidious Intent is a bold gamble that has the potential to shake long-cherished characters from their emotional complacency and advance the series into uncharted territory.”—Los Angeles Times
“One of crime fiction’s most eminent writers returns with another intricately plotted thriller.”— Entertainment Weekly “Best New Books”
“A highlight of novels written by Val McDermid is the tight control she maintains over her complex plots that are enhanced by believable and complicated characters . . . McDermid brings something special to the table as she shows in her latest novel . . . The intense plot moves briskly. McDermid keeps each twist believable . . . The author’s expert exploration of the human experience has never been better.”—Washington Post
“The 424 pages just flew by to a very shocking conclusion . . . You mustn’t skip this one. When you read it, you’ll understand.”—Deadly Pleasures
“McDermid puts both her characters and the reader through the emotional wringer with Insidious Intent . . . It’s both a terrific individual read and a culmination of ongoing character arcs throughout the books. McDermid is a maestro still at the top of her game, and adroitly balances shock and inevitability as events for beloved characters take a dark turn.”—Mystery Scene
“The narcissistic, controlled killer is engaging quarry and McDermid’s procedural details are as on point as ever . . . The final twist is both shocking and fitting, a must-read for series fans.”—Booklist (starred review)
“DCI Carol Jordan is tested to the max by the Wedding Killer . . . McDermid . . . rais[es] the heat in agonizingly tiny increments, until she’s ready for a finale guaranteed to leave you reeling.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Thoroughly pleasing, engaging, indeed compelling, a very fine piece of craftsmanship.”—Scotsman (UK)
“Val McDermid, known as the queen of psychological thrillers, surpasses herself here, delivering one of the most surprising twists you’ll read this year. Outstanding.”—Irish Independent (UK)
2019-09-02
Sidelined in very different ways since their last collaboration ended so disastrously for them both, DCI Carol Jordan and psychological profiler Dr. Tony Hill are reduced to subplots as the Regional Major Incident Team founded by Carol plows on under DI Paula McIntyre.
To bring readers who skipped Insidious Intent (2017) up to speed: Tony's now in prison for manslaughter, and Carol's no longer with the Bradfield Metropolitan Police. Tony, who refuses to see Carol because he wants to spare her more anguish, is pressured by Vanessa Hill, his monstrous mother, to get Carol to hunt down Harrison Gardner, the Ponzi artist who made off with her life savings. Vanessa doesn't want anything as old-fashioned as justice; she just wants her money back. But even though she's unemployed and barely holding things together, Carol's time turns out to be unexpectedly valuable. Defense solicitor Bronwen Scott, with whom she's crossed swords many times before, wants her to work with After Proved Guilty, an innocence project Bronwen's launched, to exonerate Saul Neilson, who's three years into a sentence for murdering Lyle Tate, a gay sex worker who vanished after his last appointment with Saul and is presumed dead. Such is McDermid's generosity in plotting that neither of these cases is the main course here. That would be the discovery of some 30 unmarked graves on the grounds of the former St. Margaret Clitherow Refuge and School, which, until it closed five years ago, was under the iron control of Sister Mary Patrick of the Order of the Blessed Pearl. As Paula and her ReMIT squad work the case, they confront layer upon layer of unctuous professionals and religious whose sole emotion seems to be abstracted annoyance that their coverup is coming undone. Little does the squad know that there's even more to cover up than they've bargained for.
A vast, absorbing smorgasbord of crime, malfeasance, and corruption that ultimately has no more momentum than most bountiful buffets.
