A slow burn that is big on police procedural and immensely satisfying to read!

Out of Bounds

Inspector Karen Pirie #4

Val McDermid

Hachette Australia

Little, Brown

ISBN: 9781408706923

 

Description:

Internationally bestselling author Val McDermid is one of our finest crime writers, whose gripping, impeccably plotted novels have garnered millions of readers worldwide. In her latest, Out of Bounds, she delivers a riveting cold case novel featuring detective Karen Pirie.

 

When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car and ends up in a coma, a routine DNA test reveals a connection to an unsolved murder from twenty-two years before. Finding the answer to the cold case should be straightforward. But it’s as twisted as the DNA helix itself.

 

Meanwhile, Karen finds herself irresistibly drawn to another mystery that she has no business investigating, a mystery that has its roots in a terrorist bombing two decades ago. And again, she finds that nothing is as it seems.

 

An enthralling, twisty read, Out of Bounds reaffirms Val McDermid’s place as one of the most dependable professionals in the mystery and thriller business.

 

 

My View:

A slow burn that is big on police procedural and immensely satisfying to read!

 

Another great read from this author – and another series to add to you list of must reads. Fantastic character driven police procedural – twists, turns and surprises and as a bonus McDermid subtly weaves in some contemporary social issues. McDermid looks at the plights of political refugees and discrimination in the UK and deftly crafts minor storylines that offer a positive positions/reflections of life to contrast populist ethnocentric views. Bravo!

 

 

And as if that isn’t enough to draw you in – it is an educational read as well – I learnt so much about the different brands and flavours of gin available in the UK (which prompted me to check out our local liquor store, sadly there was only 4 types of gin on the shelves of which I selected one to bring home with me) the lack of choice was very disappointing after being tantalised with the many many types Karen and Jimmy sampled and judged during their Monday night soirees.

 

And I learned a new the expression – the Scottish word – numpty, which for the unenlightened means; a stupid or ineffectual person. J And by coincidence – I was in the hairdressers to day and heard that word used in conversation, remember I am in Australia and this is not a word that is ordinarily a part of colloquial language but my hairdresser was from the UK. Glad I understood what she me and and that she wasn’t talking about me J

 

Out of Bounds is a well written, engaging, educational,  complex, character driven and socially relevant police procedural that you will find immensely satisfying to read (as a bonus there are glimpses of the authors sense of humour in her writing which made me smile as I read) I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.