Rating: 
Summary: Killing crime novellists!
Review: A killer is on the loose and his prey are writers of bestselling crime novels. They are unaware that they have written the script of their own murders. Indeed the killer stages the most chilling scenes in his victims' books. For one woman writer, the desperate hunt to uncover the killer's identity becomes a matter of life and death. Will Dr Cameron, an academic psychologist, be able to track the serial offender with the help of computer technology? Soon Dr Cameron will be caught in a race against time as her lover, Kit, also a thriller writer, disappears... The race culminates in a tense confrontation between hunter and a hunter. What will be the outcome? This thriller is really excellent. You should read it if you appreciate suspense combined with a literary touch, in this case the crime genre.
Rating: 
Summary: Stunning
Review: Britin has many shining stars of writing, almost all of whom can outstrip most their American counterparts by miles, in my opinion. (sorry, folks!) Minette Walters, Reginald Hill, Ian Rankin, Ruth Rendell, P.D. James, Nicci French, John Connolly, and Val McDermid. These are all the shining lights of British writing, and with this spectacular new novel by Val McDermid proves why she is among them. It was a while ago that i read this (it came out in the UK in 2000), but it's all still fresh in my mind. the compelling characters, the cracker of a plot, the great writing...All of it. The plot, first of all, is startlingly original (although on first appearances it seems to not to be, but if you look closer, it actually is.). The occasional passages from the books of the dead writers are refreshing and invigorating, and the "diary" of the criminal also adds pace and interest to the book. The beginning chapter is truly inspirational, and although it is one of the sections which come from the books of the slain writers, we must not forget that it ultimately comes from McDermid, and shows how great her talent really is. The actual device of killing writers is interesting in itself, and because i have an intense interest in them, that made the plot, for me, all the more enjoyable. it gives insight to the world and mind of a writer, and the closed environs of the publishing world. The claustraphobia and loneliness of the profession is brought over well in how Kit feels and acts. Which brings me on to the characters. Fiona Cameron is a great lead. Resourceful, intelligence, an all-round no nosense person and woman of the nineties. She's interesting and compelling. Senisble and attractive, even though we can't actually see her. Haunted, too, by the death of her sister Leslie, which gives a great Epilogue to the tale. There are some other great characters, too. Terry, for example, who lights up the page whenever she appears, and Steve Preston, who's repressed feelings for Fiona make the book shimmer with an undisclosed tension. Upon reading A Place of Execution, i didn't think she could do any better, but she has. This is probably one of the best novels of the year, certainly the best she has written. It is compelling, exciting, interesting, haunting, chilling. A expertly told tale. This morning i began her latest novel "The Last Temptation" ... and ithe third novel in the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series. So far she is showing signs of improving yet again. ... Val McDermid is probably Britain's brightest star, and this novel is worthy of her immense talent.
Rating:
Summary: A gripping thriller
Review: Dr. Fiona Cameron ( aka "Candid Cameron") is drawn into the middle of a nightmare that also threatens her lover Kit Matrin, although at first she refuses to believe that Kit might be in danger too. Working on several cases at the same time, more and more she gets drawn into the undertow of events. Candid Cameron has a few character traits that remind me of Dr. Kay Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell Daniels' heroine. I assume that is one of the reasons why I liked the book so much.Let me assure you that you will not be able to put the book down until you have found out about the end of the story.It is worth every single cent!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed Fan
Review: I absolutely loved A Place of Execution and when I saw this book I was so excited. Unfortunately my excitement dwindled after the first couple of chapters. While the plot was a little unbelievable, I could have dealt with that if the characters were people you could care about. I also felt the characters used unnatural wording and phrases. The constant use of the f-word in situations where it was so contrived was almost as if the author thought I need to get this in this book so many times so I think I'll throw it in here. I'm anxious to read more of Val McDermid's work hoping that she will not be a one-time wonder.
Rating:
Summary: Another winner for McDermid
Review: I fell in love with Val McDermid’s work after reading A PLACE OF EXECUTION. Since then I have read at least one novel from two of her series characters, Kate Brannigan, a private investigator and Lindsay Gordon, a former journalist. KILLING THE SHADOWS is a stand-alone mystery and fairly entertaining. The main character in her novel is Fiona Cameron, a college professor who used to work in conjunction with the police by doing geographic profiling of crimes. She quit working with the police after they ignored her advice and used another expert. The other professional hired entrapped a sexual homicide suspect and caused that all the evidence against the accused be thrown out of court. A self-righteous serial murderer is killing several crime novelists. He takes heinous scenes from their works and tries to imitate as close to the novel as he can. Fiona gets involved in the case because her boyfriend is a world-famous thriller author and she fears he might be targeted. Cameron also feels a sense of personal responsibility due to several aspects in her past that are revealed earlier in the book. There are two subplots involved in this novels that help enhance the character personalities in this book. One involves a sexual homicide that occurs early in the book and a serial killer who is terrorizing tourist in Toledo, Spain One factor in McDermid’s book that I enjoyed was the inclusion of excerpts of the victim’s work before they were executed. I also learned something I did not know about Agatha Christie. The killer’s motivation for the authors’ murders was unconvincing, but I did not particularly care. Val McDermid is one of the best authors I have experienced in a long time. I intend to continue to read her novels as her books become more readily available.
Rating: 
Summary: A sad voice...
Review: I found Vari Sylvester's performance a bit disappointing. Her voice on this audiobook is too monotonous, most of the character are read in the same tone so that listening to her can become tiresome at times.
Rating:
Summary: Another edgy thriller
Review: I just love Val McDermid's books! This one did not disappoint me in the least. McDermid has a remarkable ear for dialogue and a gifted capacity fo creating contemporary , believable and compassionate characters. Characters such as Fiona who at different stages in the novel are forced to deal with their inner conflicts and emotional demons. Mcdermid also paints a riveting portrait of the serial killer mentality, and juxstaposes this effectively with the science of geograpic profiling - which I must confess, I new nothing about until I read this novel. The issues of the novel are also its strength - friendship, honesty, companionship, and the coming to terms with the haunting "shadows" of the past. I also enjoyed the inclusion of the "gay" characters - a device which is not often employed in contemporary crime fiction. This novel renders beautifully the Scottish highlands, in fact, it's made me want to visit the area for my next holiday! A great read, and I await with baited breath for her next one. Michael Leonard
Rating:
Summary: As mysteries go it's top notch
Review: I love Val McDermid! Having said that I also want to mention that I can never read two of her books in a row. She leaves me seriously disturbed and gets under my skin the way no other writer can, and I need to read something cheerful and light once I've turned the last page of one of her novels.
The plot of this particular novel is gruesome and wholly engaging. We meet Dr. Fiona Cameron a geographic profiler (which by the way really works, we use it in my line of work) and her partner Kit who happens to be a crime writer. There are dual plots happening, and the story takes off and gains momentum right from the beginning. Crime writers are killed off using the methods their serial killers used in the books that they wrote. McDemid pulls off a basically simple plot with brilliance, and even though I felt a stab of disappointment when the killer is revealed, the overall excellence of this book is well worth it. My only question is: How can Val McDermid sleep at night??
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent and gripping
Review: I picked this up because the New York Times Review of Books gave it the biggest rave I've ever read there, and I wasn't disappointed. This book nailed me to the wall, because it had everything. The plot is tight, immaculately structured, and totally gripping. The characters are interesting and engaging, you feel like Fiona and Kit and Steve are people you'd be happy to meet for a drink. And the killer is creepily believable.
But more than that, this is a book that deals with the big, thorny questions about the relationship between what writers produce and the reality of violence in our society. If you're interested in the big moral questions, McDermid is unquestionably the writer for you. I didn't think she could top A Place of Execution, but I think she might just have done it with this.
Rating: 
Summary: a bore
Review: I really enjoyed A Place of Execution but couldn't even finish this one. What was interesting and unique about her previous book was endless and contrived in this one.
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