PositiveThe Minneapolis Star TribuneThis prolific Scottish writer can spin a crime tale ... Other than minor complaints about the opening and the ending, How the Dead Speak is a compelling read, with multiple developing plots. Yet it’s easy to follow them all and the dialogue keeps one interested with a British touch added: bollocks, gov, bloke et al ... But the reader is left to wonder exactly how Hill and Jordan got into the predicaments they are in. Must have been in the previous book in this series. This is the 11th...And book No. 11 ends with one of its big plots unresolved. Must be in the next book ... Those are minor quibbles, though. Overall, McDermid grabs you and won’t let you go with this book, which is filled with a large, diverse cast of characters, and compelling story lines. I’ve just read How the Dead Speak a second time in a span of a few months and enjoyed it just as much.
Andrew Miller
PositiveThe Star TribuneThere are fights, missteps, hard journeys on horseback, in coaches and on ships. Nothing violent or sexual is detailed too graphically—just suggestions offered of what occurred. Instead, Miller keeps readers engaged in other ways. Characters are richly developed. Places are meticulously described. The dialogue is plausible, authentic, with a few Spanish and Gaelic words sprinkled in. The tale builds to a climax, a reckoning, if you will. The ending offers a twist or two and, even after 400-some pages, you want a little more. Not all story lines are neatly tied up at the end. But all in all, this is escapism at a compelling level.
Jeff Passan
PositiveThe Minneapolis Star TribuneI approached [The Arm with modest expectations and was captivated by the wealth of information that author Jeff Passan presents, all entertainingly. It took him more than three years to research and write this book and he spent his time well. It's fascinating.
