Fans of the novels featuring profiler Tony Hill (of the TV series Wire in the Blood fame) might find this stand-alone a bit of a departure from McDermid’s usual fast-paced and gruesome style.
The intricacy is still there though - the book begins with two mysteries: the discovery of a recent murder in a Tuscan villa that holds clues to a 25-year-old kidnapping and the long-ago disappearance of a pit worker. Gradually, as cold-case expert DI Pirie investigates, the stories are woven together, building up to a stunning climax.
McDermid’s usual fast pace is exchanged for a more thoughtful encompassing of politics, sexual relations and social changes as she explores the horrific British miner’s strike of the mid-’80s. The result is a novel that will please staunch fans as well as satisfy readers who aren’t aficionados of the classic mystery genre.
A DARKER DOMAIN by Val McDermid (R138,95, Harper)
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Genevieve Callaghan
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