Val McDermid recommendations please

Carbuncle, I "still" have Still Life (along with book by Sarah Winman of the same title) on my TBR as well as 1979, books #10 and #11 in the Jordan/Hill series and a couple of standalones by VMc. I continue to hope that whenever I finally get to them I enjoy them all.

Another Karen Pirie fan, her latest in that series "Still Life" was really good.

I didn't like 1979 at all.

I know this is an old thread but I think my post fits better here than on the most recent Val McDermid thread I can find (from last weekend). in case anyone is still about and interested from 7 months ago, her new novel 1979 is a Daily Deal on Kindle today - Tuesday 25 January - for 99p.

If you're reading this after today, hopefully it will recur as a deal. Or I was thrilled to find a copy on the new books shelf in my local library, and have been surprised that no one has placed a hold. I can take the library copy back now.

She's someone whose books I often borrow and then buy later but I still have quite a few of her many books TBR.

I love the Tony Hill books, some more than others, but I don’t think I’ve read Place of Execution before.
I’ve just placed a hold at the library for it.

Karen Pirie is far and away my favourite. I think they’re making a TV programme of it at the moment - v interested to see how she’s played!

Thank you. I really liked that book.

I’ve read pretty much most of her books
The one where it’s based on a Tv star who is a serial killer of young girls is old but pretty good but very gruesome
And the one with the killer who killing men is also pretty good but again very gruesome

[quote elkiedee]@cheeseisthebest The university students one is The Distant Echo (the title comes from a song lyric by The Jam) and it's a cold case story. Karen Pirie features as a police detective but it doesn't really focus on her as a character - it was originally written as a standalone I think.

'@thecognoscenti Try the first proper in the Karen Piriie series - they're not an imitation of the Hill/Jordan books and they're not as dark perhaps, but I think you might enjoy it - perhaps see if you can borrow from the library. While she appears in The Distant Echo this isn't really focused on her as a police detective and I would recommend the first book about her that is as a starting point.[/quote]
Thanks @elkiedee! I'll give it a go!

@cheeseisthebest The university students one is The Distant Echo (the title comes from a song lyric by The Jam) and it's a cold case story. Karen Pirie features as a police detective but it doesn't really focus on her as a character - it was originally written as a standalone I think.

'@thecognoscenti Try the first proper in the Karen Piriie series - they're not an imitation of the Hill/Jordan books and they're not as dark perhaps, but I think you might enjoy it - perhaps see if you can borrow from the library. While she appears in The Distant Echo this isn't really focused on her as a police detective and I would recommend the first book about her that is as a starting point.

I love the Jordan/Hill ones (they do have some very dark bits in them though), and A Place Of Execution is superb. I haven't read any of her others because I think I'm so steeped in the Jordan and Hill ones that I'd be disappointed in them!

I've read one, about 4 uni students who get accused of a murder. Not gory or gruesome, really good. Can't remember the name!

I wanted to pop in and say that thanks to the thread I found Val's Northanger Abbey tribute and read it, which was thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you for starting the thread OP!

Great, thanks for coming back to tell us. I love feedback on book recs!

Elkiedee I tried googling for the interview just now but only found stuff where she's supposed to have said "it was definitely based on JS" whereas I think I read something a bit more buried in the archives where she said she didn't know but he was someone (along with others) that gave her the creeps when she was a journo and she suspected stuff so created a celeb killer from that.

Tough position though, if you say you "knew" you'll get asked "why didn't you do something".

Love love love the Karen Pirie series too. Def start there and you should read in order, they do build upon each other more so than other series do.

Also A Place of Execution is fantastic.

banivani, I've heard or read that from Val McDermid too, and Jimmy Saville wasn't the only one. Plus I think the fictional character is more of a conventional heartthrob type, whereas JS was never publicly identified as someone you imagined having relationships (or any other type of sex life), though I don't remember when he was younger (again, I think the man in the book is rather younger than JS would have been by the late 70s and early 80s).

ah that's interesting - I didn't know that.

There’s an interview with McDermid somewhere where she says it’s not directly based on Savile as such but she’d heard rumours in general and had the idea thinking how easy it is for a “loved public figure” to hide in plain sight. Then it turned out to be true and she was horrified.

banivani I gave up after that one too - think it was the 2nd Jordan/Hill one? Much too gruesome for me. Though I thought it was fascinating how blatant some of the Savile references were given that it was written some years before his death.

@elkiedee that's interesting, no 4 is next on my list.

I wasn't sure about Number 3 from the blurb but wanted to see where the characters went and ended up enjoying it although I thought the loose ends of one case were tied up a bit too fast at the end.

I've listened to them all on audiobook so far but might give reading the next one a go as I'm not entirely convinced by the narrator.

I have a real soft spot for Val McDermid but not her Jordan/Hill ones - I'm glad they paid her bills and happy for her success but I'm not a fan of that serial killer stuff for various reasons. I read the one that everyone thought was about a veiled Jimmy Saville and it was horribly gruesome.

Another Karen Pirie fan here, I can't cope with the really gory stuff in some of the other books!

@MintyCedric I didn't dislike any of the Jordan/HIll books but I was a bit disappointed by #4 - but as I've now read, I think, 9 of the 11 books so far in the series.... this is a series where character and relationship development are significant and it's a good idea to read in order. I wouldn't say it's so bad people shouldn't read it as part of the series. I think I read it fairly soon after publication on that occasion, and had a bit of a wait for the next instalment.