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Summary: you'll feel the chill of the Scottish moors upon you....
Review: A PLACE OF EXECUTION is the first of Val McDermid's books I've read. I saw a feature on CBS Sunday morning and picked up the book immmediately. Everything you've read about her books is true---she is an excellent storyteller.From the first pages, she sets the mood very effectively. Ms. McDermid grew up in a small Scottish mining town, much the same setting as the novel. The imagery of the Scottish countryside will literally bring chills up and down your spine! The characters are well-drawn, the plot hooks you from the start, and the conclusion is quite a surprise. She well deserves all the awards she has received for writing this extraordinarily disturbing murder story. Read it then pass it along to a friend who can appreciate fine writing and a plot to match it. I really would give it 6 stars out of 5!
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Summary: Out of genre for me, but loved it!
Review: I normally read American hard-boiled mysteries, so when a friend told me to read A Place of Execution, I was really skeptical. Anything that is set in the UK, especially in a small village, usually screams "cozy" at me. Boy, was I won over! This book is more like a true-crime book than anything else. The story about the missing Carter girl is written in a satisfying way to those who like gritty details, psychological reasoning, police officers with humanity, and people in bad situations who don't curl up and die. I was really impressed with how much I was won over by this book, since it is so far out of the genre I normally read. I generally don't pick up books set in the UK since the language difference can be jarring to me. That didn't happen with this book at all, much to my enjoyment. I suspect this book will win over a lot of American readers, as well as satisfy those who read a lot about Scotland. A very satisfying read. A successful jaunt out of genre for me. I will be reading more McDermid books.
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Summary: McDermid's most chilling non-series work
Review: Val McDermid can be laugh-out-loud funny in her Kate Brannigan series but she goes for a darker feel in this non-series novel. The portrait of an insular English village is chilling -- the village itself is a compelling character in itself. Deeply felt and thoughtful, not exploitative, despite the tricky subject matter of a kidnapped and murdered child. A wonderful writer no matter what she sets her hand to.
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Summary: Spellbinder Transcends the Genre
Review: I tend to think of myself as somewhat jaded in reading mystery books. It seems I've read so many in the past 20 years that it takes more and more to hold my attention, especially from writers unfamiliar to me. Furthermore, I can seldom remember the plot unless the story is truly unique. That applies to my favorites as well: Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine, James Lee Burke, Michael Connelly, Elizabeth George, Thomas H. Cook So, on those increasingly rare occasions when I really like something, I want to share it with friends. And I do via a "group email." And, I did with McDermid's book. She really had me going because I kept returning to the Foreward, pondering the truth vs. illusion of the overall story. She has created a very vivid series of characters, beginning with the young Mr. Bennett who may set new standards for tenacious detectives. I would guess there are an entire group of young actors champing at the bit to play the film role. The parallel story of Bennett and his pregnant wife, apart from the search for Allison Carter, is quite moving. I hesitate to raise my only (minor) negative because the overall book is such a terrific read. While the denoument is a grand surprise, one is suddenly faced with many questions. For the sake of the new reader, I don't even want to go there in this commentary. Suffice it to say the book is a real treat!
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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.
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Summary: Not your ordinary murder mystery . . .
Review: It's December 1964 in a remote, almost feudal Derbyshire village and thirteen-year-old Alison Carter has gone missing while taking her dog for a walk after school. When she hasn't returned after five hours in freezing weather, her panicked mother calls the cops, and so begins the first major case in the career of newly-promoted Detective Inspector George Bennett, a university graduate on the fast track. Alison can't be found, nor is there a body, but enough evidence gradually accumulates to convince Bennett and his principal helper, Detective Sgt. Tommy Clough, that a murder has indeed been committed -- but whodunnit? Hang on, though -- it's not as simple as all that. Not even close. Because thirty-five years after the crime has apparently been solved, after the case has come to a firm legal conclusion, journalist Catherine Heathcote, who grew up nearby, becomes interested in the case and George agrees to help her in writing a book. And then things begin to unravel. McDermid is very good at developing and delineating character and in leading the reader (especially American readers) through the complexities of British police and judicial procedure, and while she tends to over-write on occasion, she certainly makes you care what happens to the insular inhabitants of Scardale. Properly cast, this book would make an excellent film.
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Summary: A GREAT READ
Review: I read A Place of Execution about three years ago, when it was first published. I had tried reading Mermaids Singing by Val McDermid, and just could not get into it. It was just too gory, too bloody for me. But I had heard such great things about A Place of Execution, I decided to give it a try. Wow! I could not put it down, I was so completely captivated by this mystery. McDermid really knows how to sweep the reader along--she creates memorable characters and creates a real sense of ambiance. Although the ending stretches one's sense of disbelief, it was a satisfying conclusion to a mesmerizing read. I've read McDermid's stand-alone mysteries since, and while I love them all (though I still have no desire to plunge into Mermaids Singing again), this one is my favorite read. I still think about it. I'm glad McDermid is gaining fans on this side of the Atlantic--she deserves acclaim from mystery lovers who crave intelligent reads.
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Summary: Excellent Crime Novel
Review: Val McDermid's A Place of Execution is an excellent crime novel, well-written and well-paced. The novel concerns the disappearance of a young girl in 1963 rural England. Evidence surrounding her disappearance leads everyone to believe she has been murdered, despite the lack of a body. The book flap reveals that many years after the crime is "solved", new evidence is revealed that changes the whole story. Therefore, as you read the novel, you wonder whodunnit, but on two levels. Who will be found guilty, but then, who really did it. The novel succeeds in keeping your interest and with its "surprise" ending that is at once believable and satisfying. A Place of Execution is an excellent read. I highly recommend this novel if you are in the market for crime fiction. Enjoy.
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Summary: movie worthy
Review: I was given this book by a co-worker. I was warned of the seriousness of the topic and thought it may be too much to read. Thank God I didn't heed the warning! I can say this is one of the best books so far for my 2003 reading!As I was reading, I could picture the characters in this small village, the stress and helplessness of George Bennett and Tommy,the pompous Phillip Hawkin.Bravo to Alison and Ruth!The only thing I would have changed was the time span, maybe only 20-25 years so George might be able to be more involved in the story later; the next generation would still have been old enough to be where they were in the story line Someone needs to get this book to John Cusack, Jeremy Pivan and Kevin Spacey!
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Summary: Wow!
Review: Given to me by my sister, I initially had trouble slogging through the foreign verbage, but once I got pulled into the book (and it wasn't long!), I couldn't stop reading it! Possibly one of the finest suspense novels I have ever read! I loved the characters and felt great empathy with them. . . and so will you! Read this, or you're missing out!
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