Broken Ground

By: Val McDermid

Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron

Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Internationally best-selling author Val McDermid is one of our finest crime writers, and her gripping, masterfully plotted novels have garnered millions of readers from around the globe.

In Broken Ground, cold-case Detective Karen Pirie faces her hardest challenge yet. Six feet under in a Highland peat bog lies Alice Somerville’s inheritance, buried by her grandfather at the end of World War II. But when Alice finally uncovers it, she finds an unwanted surprise - a body with a bullet hole between the eyes.

Meanwhile, DCI Pirie is called in to unravel a case where nothing is quite as it seems. And as she gets closer to the truth, it becomes clear that not everyone shares her desire for justice. Or even the idea of what justice is.

An engrossing, twisty thriller, Broken Ground reaffirms Val McDermid’s place as one of the best crime writers of her generation.

©2018 Val McDermid (P)2018 WF Howes

Loved the book, great narration

The storylines were greatly enhanced by the excellent Scottish narration. The characters come to life, and would have been flatter and less interesting without the Scottish tones.

Well worth waiting for

This is a must-read series for me.

There were multiple stories going on here. Karen and the Mint make a great team. He is growing in his job as a DC. Karen is still ruffling feathers.

The ending (before the epilogue) was a tad disappointing. I found the narrator to be confusing. Too many people sounded like Jason. Even Karen at times.

But this is a great book from a fabulous author. I anxiously await the next book since much was left hanging.

Karen Seemed Out Of Sorts—Missing Phil

A good read but not as good as first 4 books. The story seemed disjointed with lots of back to the past and then to the current time. I liked the descriptions around Edinburgh and the patience Karen showed with Jason, her right hand man. Not sure why her boss took such a dislike to her but then it was revealed. Glad Karen stood up for herself and is speaking for the dead by solving the cold cases. There is always lots of tense moments where she is concerned. She is strong and independent. The way the book ended, I’m expecting to revisit some of the characters and actions. I listened in Audible. The narrator, Cathleen McCarron, had a good voice for the characters.

Excellent on all counts but for the unfathomable brogue of the narrator

Excellent on all counts but for the unfathomable brogue of the narrator. McCarron excels at her narrative craft but her delivery is difficult to follow for my ears. Story is excellent as well.

Excellent interweaving of storylines

The author continues to portray complex characters as this series progresses. As usual, “Broken Ground” presents several storylines that intertwine in unexpected ways.

The author and the narrator bring Scotland to life with rich detail.

5

Val Mcdermid's books have just come to my attention, I've been reading the older books. And what fun they all are. In this book I was pleased to see how our detective's Syrian friends are doing. And I wondered how the rest of the book would go as I agreed with our star detective that each of her cases crashed suddenly and seriously. There was one case that ended the book just fine. Whew. What a ride.! If you enjoy a thinking read, this series will be a pleasure for you. How long will I have to wait for the next book?+ Oh, the books stand alone, no need to
read back volumes first. read/ listen.... The narrator reads beautifully and I do enjoy the Scotland sounds as our shared English rolls off her tongue.

Loved it!!

story within a story within a story. very well told. I simply loved it.

Favorite so far

This story was so interesting. All the characters were so well developed and I learned a lot of history. A great listen!!

Runs out of steam

Overall this was better than the previous in the series but in a similar fashion, after a complex build up, it seemed the author struggled to end the tales in a compelling manner. It held my attention but I felt a bit let down with the conclusions. Three and a half stars

Gritty and satisfying

Only this author can make a paper trail intense! I enjoyed the pace, the performance, and most of all, the detective work. The tidying of loose ends was satisfying, and I love her accuracy of Detroit haunts.