A Place of Execution

Rating:
Summary: A Thinking Person's Mystery
Review: This is my first outing with Val McDermid. I am not usually a fan of English mysteries, finding them a little too slow for my tastes. The story begins in 1963 in a small village. A 13 year old girl disappears and the police, led by young detective George Bennett, are called in. George, assisted by his assistant, Tommy Clough, is immediately drawn in by the case and by the village of Scardale, a world unto it's own. As the investigation continues, an arrest is made for the murder of the missing girl, presumed dead.
The story picks up 35 years later, when the retired George Bennett agrees to sit down with an author to write a book about the case. On the eve of the novel going to press, George contacts the author to insist that the book not go to press, citing new evidence. What ensues is a fascinating end to an intricate novel.

Rating:
Summary: Top Mystery Story
Review: This was my first Val McDermid mystery and I enjoyed it very much. The riveting story begins on a cold winter morning in 1964 and spans the lives of DI Benett and his sergeant Tommy Clough for the next 35 years. The plot quickly draws the reader in and doesn't let go until the last page. We follow the detectives as they investigate the disappearance of a young girl and bring a murder to what appears to be a successful conclusion. It's particularly interesting to meet the characters again 35 years later, when fresh evidence surfaces.
The only irritating habit that Val McDermid characters seem to have in common is one of too much drinking and smoking. Despite my growing annoyance with cigarettes on every page, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Rating:
Summary: Atmospheric and Enjoyable
Review: Yes, it is a long and somewhat slow read, but it certainly has great atmosphere.
Perhaps because I once spent a few weeks in the location, I found this novel quite evocative. (I listened to the audio book - the british accent also helped!)

Rating:
Summary: Clunky and Infuriating, But Good Style and Atmosphere
Review: Partly a police procedural, partly a psychological study, partly a study in gothic atmosphere, and partly a glimpse back into the '60s, this long crime novel by veteran writer McDermid takes the traditional "village cozy" mystery and injects it with all of the above. The framework is a little clunky however-the novel is written as a faux work of "true crime" journalism in which contemporary sections bookend the main section, which is set in 1963. In the first section, the reader is prepared for some controversy regarding the entire work, a controversy that is played out in the third part. In the middle, the basic story is deceptively simple: 13-year-old Alison Carter goes missing from a tiny, isolated village in England's northern Peaks District, and the case is given to George Bennett, young detective inspector on his first assignment.

From the very start, the missing persons case takes on a gothic atmosphere. The village is a spooky place and the inhabitants aren't very keen to assist the police- it's not for nothing the '70s cult film "The Wicker Man" is invoked partway through. What seems like a pretty straightforward case rapidly grows complicated as the days pass and evidence of foul play mounts, but no body is found. It doesn't help that there have been two other missing children in the area in the previous half year, and it's not clear if Alison's disappearance is related. And of course, there's a provocative and nosy newspaperman sticking his oar in.

The procedural elements are all very strong, as Bennett orchestrates the investigation with the assistance of his rough-edged sergeant and other aides, while remaining in close contact with Alison's mother and stepfather. Bennett is a likeable character, a striving university graduate who is eager to prove his worth to his less educated colleagues. The early '60s setting is vividly brought to life, especially the cultural gulf between the small feudal village, where "the squire" owns everything, and the comparatively bustling towns that lie nearby. Despite a few red herrings, one obvious suspect is in evidence from the very beginning. Eventually, this person is charged and a the book descends into a very long-winded and redundant trial sequence that simply restates and rehashes the investigation so ably detailed previously, with the result that the book almost grinds to a total halt.

Following the court case, the third section brings the reader back to the present, where it is explained who has written this "true crime" book and how it all came about. Here, one must allow for a remarkably unlikely coincidence, one so forced and preposterous that some readers will likely heave the book across the room once they realize what has happened. All of which gets to the heart of the controversy alluded to the first section, and then a final huge plot twist, which most readers will have spotted several hundred pages previously. And yet McDermid's command style and atmosphere makes it just worthwhile-despite the ire-inducing "gotcha" ending, the weak trial sequence, and the hefty coincidence.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: This is one of the finest mystery novels I've ever read. The plot is complex and interesting. The characters are well developed and I cared what happened to them. Ms. McDermid created a true gem here.

Rating:
Summary: Above Average Procedural
Review: This is a solid police procedural set mainly in early 60s England. The plotting is ingenious and the quality of writing is good. The characters are believeable with good attention to historical detail. Decent entertainment reading.