The Mermaids Singing

By: Val McDermid

Narrated by: Graham Roberts

Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

The bodies of four men have been discovered in the town of Bradfield. Enlisted to investigate is criminal psychologist Tony Hill. Even for a seasoned professional, the series of mutilation sex murders is unlike anything he's encountered before. But profiling the psychopath is not beyond him. Hill's own past has made him the perfect man to comprehend the killer's motives. It's also made him the perfect victim. A game has begun for the hunter and the hunted. But as Hill confronts his own hidden demons, he must also come face-to-face with an evil so profound he may not have the courage - or the power - to stop it....

©1995 Val McDermid (P)1996 ISIS Publishing Ltd.

Critic reviews

"Complex...powerful...psychologically terrifying...impossible to put down." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Exciting, rapid-fire...a satisfying descent into the territory of a twisted mind." ( Booklist )

"Compelling and shocking…." (Minette Walters)

Not for the squeamish

Would you listen to The Mermaids Singing again? Why?

My brother-in-law recommended Val McDermid to me, so I downloaded this, the first in the Hill-Jordan series. I almost stopped reading it because of the graphic descriptions of gruesome and sadistic tortures. I did finish the book, though, and even bought another, in the hope that maybe the author would realize that she didn't need to make her murders so graphic in order to write a gripping thriller. Overall, I enjoyed the book, and am looking forward to seeing whether the author gets better.

What about Graham Roberts’s performance did you like?

Very skillful performance -- almost too much so. Hopefully without giving too much away,...the performance made it easy to guess at the identity of the villain.

Nice to be able to go back to the begining

What made the experience of listening to The Mermaids Singing the most enjoyable?

You just get caught up in the twists and turns of the plot and the characters

Which character – as performed by Graham Roberts – was your favorite?

Tony

Any additional comments?

I read the book many years ago and now I get to liten to itwhen driving on a long comute. It has not lost the ability to draw me in and it was nice to be able to listen to the start of the series again.

WAY too graphic - author a serial killer??

What did you like best about The Mermaids Singing? What did you like least?

I should have trusted the reviews warning about graphic violence - I couldn't get past the description of spilling dog entrails and the sounds of torture on the rack, and deleted this selection. The procedural component may be good -- I don't know -- but the violence is so graphic I couldn't listen to this.

What could Val McDermid have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

There are many proven ways to convey this type of violence, and portray this kind of monster, without punishing the reader. Please use a less graphic technique. I won't try another of your stories until one of the comments says you've toned down the graphic violence.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Any additional comments?

I understand this may be a talented voice in procedural fiction. I'll never know.

On the fence maybe a 2 and a half

Tony is not very likable, the story was very predictable. Previous reviews about the graphic nature were in my opinion correct. However, it was at least engrossing in a way.

I am getting tired of every new police procedural and/or detective novel being about a serial killer, move on to something else.

One of the best narrations I've heard!

Loved this book. It was interesting, I enjoyed the characters and the story. Plus the narration was masterful!

Great narration....gruesome details

Too detailed scenes of torture for me. Storyline and twists good. Plot keeps reader interested. Great narrators and background music.

Excellent writing & mystery but deeply disturbing

Although I appreciate Val McDermid's talent, it's not my cup of tea. Always excellent writing and clever storytelling, but very, very dark. Graphic scenes, deeply disturbing sociopaths. Each time read one of her books, I can't stop because they are compelling, but I do regret it when I'm done, because they are grim and it sticks with you. If you like that sort of story, then she's amazing. However, I want to sleep at night.

Loved it!

This was the first book of Val Mcdermid's that I had read. I thought it was fascinating. The narrator was too over the top for my taste but I got accustomed to him half way through.

Audio snuff book

well - i ran out of things to read and everyone always raves about Tony and Carol so I started at the beginning where you have to with a series. It's interesting because its 1995 so its the infancy of profiling. When you read and watch all the current mystery thrillers etc you will probably have this figured out before the author chooses to let you in.

But be warned when its the serial killer talking it is really like listening to a snuff film. Its very very graphic, almost embarrassing to a point. If this were made into an accurate movie it would get an X rating i think.

But its the intro to a very popular series so now i am on to the next in the series.

do not like

Do not like the narrator. sorry, I just can't get past the pompousness of either the verbiage or the voice. will try another if narrator is different.