2.5 stars

Love the first and the second of the series. But this one ...the undercover scenario is just too unconvincing. The serial killer plot was good at the beginning ( just as usual) but ended up in a very casual way without logic. Pity.

What a terrible book. Thankfully I read the earlier ones in the set previously - if this was the first of hers I'd read, I'd stop with this one. The plots drag along at a snail's pace, none of the villains have engaging characters and then the ending is just so stupid - an undercover police officer gives herself away by kissing someone in front of a window without drawing the curtains? Highly implausible. The rape is also a crass addition and serves no point whatsoever - why McDermid thought to include that is anyone's guess. Anyone reading this set would be best to skip this one altogether.

Two things annoy me about this series of books.

One: the expositional dialogue - this is written as if for TV. And yes, I know the books ended up as TV dramas but it's still irritating.

Two: between each of the first three books in the series, there is a complete shift of setting and circumstance. Presumably we're supposed to be holding on to Carol and Tony as fixed points in a moving world but, frankly, I'm often more interested in the supporting characters and what they're up to.

That being said, for the last 25% or so of this book, I couldn't put it down. It was tense, well plotted and absorbing. And I've gone and bought the fourth book in the series although I strongly suspect I'll have the same old gripes as soon as I start reading the bloody thing...

Plot-wise, this novel had far too much going on. It was just over the top and a little implausible, even for Tony Hill and Carol Jordan: evil gangsters dealing in drugs and illegal immigrants and weapons, undercover operations, rescuing an informant's kid, a serial killer, Nazi childrens' psych ward victims, several violent deaths, violent rapes, four protagonists, and two romances. Far too much for a mere 481 pages.

( Feira do Livro )

Another excellent McDermid novel, not an easy read - disturbing on many levels but a book that really gets under your skin. Gripping, exciting, scary, tense and thrilling in equal measure!

Hmm, this book was not quite up to my expectations.
And also, I didn't buy into the 'set up'.

This third book in the series is very good, building on McDermid's earlier development of the characters Tony Hill and Carol Jordan in some really interesting ways. The book could have been five star, but there are a couple of moments when McDermid seems to become stymied by trying to work out a plot sequence and steamrollers through with a very unsatisfying leap in the narrative. One of these is when both Carol and Tony forget all about security and reveal themselves to the people Carol has been aware are tracking her, blowing Carol's cover and putting Tony in danger. The second is the scene when Tony finally confronts the murderer. This scene feels unfulfilling, though we know from the murderer's firsthand accounts that he has the right person.

This is a game-changer for the series. Eager to boost her career, Carol takes an undercover assignment in Germany to bust a major drugs, guns, and human trafficker. At the same time, Tony leaves his retirement from profiling to work on a case in Germany as well, where a serial killer seeks revenge on experimental psychologists, who he believes are responsible for his abuse at the hands of his grandfather.

As Carol and Tony begin to navigate their relationship into more intimate waters, Carol's sting operation and the search for Tony's serial killer get more and more dangerous. I would have given this five stars if the storylines had been slightly more connected. Of course, they're connected through Tony and Carol, who are each helping the other on their cases. But the surprisingly brutal end of the novel brings out a little too much martyrdom in each of them, and the serial killer plot isn't wrapped up as well as I would have liked. There's a lot going on in the book, from the history of German experimentation on children to human trafficking to the morals of undercover policework, and I just didn't feel it was tied together as well as it could have been. So not perfect, but still a great read.

Carol Jordan applies for her dream job only to be offered another one. She is to work undercover to bring down a European mafia outfit who traffic people and drugs. Along side this Tony is inveigled to profile a serial killer operating in Germany and the Netherlands. The story lines also follow the developments in their relationship. There is a huge amount of background information that is really interesting but the the tying together didn't work for me. The silly slip that allows them both to be placed in deadly situations was too trite and the ending was very unsatisfactory.

I’m unsure why Val McDermid’s books always take me so damn long to read. I read The Wire in the Blood last year and despite it taking me 2-3 weeks to finish, it still was one of my favorite books of the year. This one was not nearly as good but still thoroughly gripping. I continue to adore the characters of Tony Hill and Carol Jordan.