This audacious opening plays to McDermid's strengths at writing multiple points of view, which she expertly uses to tell this twisted tale through the eyes of the novel's victims, the perpetrator and the Yorkshire crime team who hunt him … Carol's personal struggles are overshadowed by the Wedding Killer, as Tony dubs him, who, along with his victims, commands center stage in this gripping novel … While the construction of the novel and its genuinely shocking conclusion preclude revealing any more of the plot, 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.
The narcissistic, controlled killer is engaging quarry and McDermid’s procedural details are as on point as ever. But, as usual, this story’s true center is the evolution of Tony and Carol’s relationship as the pair questions each other’s strong interdependence, and Tony fights to pull Carol back from a path of self-destruction. The final twist is both shocking and fitting, a must-read for series fans.
Insidious Intent is number 10 in the series featuring DCI Carol Jordan and psychological profiler Dr Tony Hill and it is the most shocking to date … Some authors would take an easy route here, developing the investigation but little else. But this is Val McDermid, so rest assured there’s plenty more to keep us occupied. First and foremost is the mental state of Carol Jordan … The plot is cleverly constructed and the tension is at times unbearable.
The plot is not that complicated, telling in chilling detail how a serial killer’s mind works and the care with which he plans each slaying. There is nothing secret about the killer who is identified almost from the beginning and whose psychology is studied in meticulous detail … This is Ms. McDermid’s most complex study of personal desperation and it is made more of a puzzle by the difficulty encountered by a new and experimental crime team struggling with a boss whom many consider a failure in the job because of her own vulnerability and tendency toward personal torture.
...stirring … 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.
Back on the job as head of the newly formed regional Major Incident Team, DCI Carol Jordan is tested to the max by the Wedding Killer … McDermid keeps...these pots simmering, raising the heat in agonizingly tiny increments, until she’s ready for a finale guaranteed to leave you reeling.
