Scotland, 2025. When torrential winter rain causes a landslide on a motorway, it dislodges more than mud and asphalt—it reveals a skeleton, concealed when the road was built eleven years prior. Sam Nimmo, an investigative journalist who'd been poking his nose into the murky politics of the Scottish independence referendum, had become the prime suspect in the brutal murder of his girlfriend when he vanished. Now he's reappeared, buried under the motorway. It's the perfect cold case for DCI Karen Pirie, chief of Police Scotland's Historic Cases Unit. But when an allegation of murder surfaces over the supposedly accidental death of a hotel manager, it unearths a series of interlinked puzzles that will test Karen and her team unlike ever before.
The author realistically draws together the plots, avoiding coincidences and combining believable clues with solid police insight in Silent Bones. Her storytelling prowess shows characters who continue to sharpen their investigative skills while juggling personal lives ... Continues her solid reputation.
Not many writers can stand toe to toe with Val McDermid. For decades, she has put forth a catalogue of outstanding and cleverly plotted mysteries and thrillers ... Silent Bones is the latest release in McDermid’s Karen Pirie series, and it may be one of her best stories yet ... So deviously plotted, with McDermid always in full command, that I read it while holding my breath practically the entire time. It is an exhilarating read and a worthy entry in this memorable series.
