How the Dead Speak

By: Val McDermid

Narrated by: Saul Reichlin

Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

After an explosive case that forced Tony Hill and Carol Jordan to reassess everything they thought they knew about right and wrong, both are dealing with the fallout in their own separate ways. While Tony must pay the price for his actions, Carol is conducting investigations into suspected miscarriages of justice. But when a shocking discovery is made on a construction site, and skeletal remains are found to belong to a killer who is supposedly alive and in prison, suddenly Tony and Carol are brought into each other's orbit once again....

©2019 Val McDermid (P)2019 W. F. Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

"McDermid remains unrivalled...brilliant.” (Observer)

Fine.

Sorry to say it but after more than a decade of just being ok with this particular voice actor, I have to say it. Enough. Sometimes you just have to acknowledge that age is causing havoc with tone, timbre and emphasis. The characterizations were so difficult to differentiate and all people universally sounded not young. It’s a shame to spoil an ok listen.

Dull.

If this was the first McDermid book I had ever read perhaps I would have a different opinion. However, it wasn’t and I haven’t. The appeal of many McDermid books are Tony and Carol. And both of them are pretty well bit part players throughout. The things Tony always did well never appeared. The references to Tony’s book at the start of every chapter were pointless. The plot was over complex and fizzled out. No excitement. No would he or wouldn’t he. No. It was dull. The narrator was excellent. He made the characters different. He was the best feature. Sorry to rubbish it but compared to the Tony Hill personality made famous in Wire in the Blood this book was a poor relative.

I have to say I struggled with this one

I have to say I struggled with this one. I found the story disjointed and kept losing interest. It was like a warm up movie while you're waiting for the feature film. Saul Reichlin's narration really helped me through it. Lower half of the second tier in my library for this one.