• Insidious Intent

  • By: Val McDermid
  • Narrated by: Saul Reichlin
  • Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (281 ratings)

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Insidious Intent  By  cover art

Insidious Intent

By: Val McDermid
Narrated by: Saul Reichlin
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Publisher's summary

Widely recognized as one of our finest crime writers, with numerous accolades and legions of devoted fans worldwide, internationally best-selling author Val McDermid is back with the latest installment in her series featuring psychologist Tony Hill and former police detective Carol Jordan. In Insidious Intent, Tony and Carol are on the hunt for a serial killer who victimizes women at weddings without a date - and forces the duo to confront their most haunting moral dilemma so far.

In the north of England, single women are beginning to disappear from weddings. A pattern soon becomes clear: Someone is crashing the festivities and luring the women away - only to leave the victims' bodies in their own burned-out cars in remote locations. Tony and Carol are called upon to investigate - but this may be the toughest case they've ever had to face. Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant Paula McIntyre and her partner Elinor must deal with a cruel cyber-blackmailer targeting their teenage ward, Torin.

Impeccably plotted and intensely gripping, Insidious Intent reaffirms Val McDermid's place as Britain's reigning Queen of Crime.

©2017 Val McDermid (P)2017 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"Narrator Saul Reichlin delivers the tenth title in Val McDermid's riveting crime series. His charming British accent and clarity ensure that all the suspense of this fast-paced mystery is easy to follow for both fans and newcomers alike.... The result is a home run by the McDermid/Reichlin team with an ending that knocks it out of the park! Don't miss it." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about Insidious Intent

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another stellar mystery. Unfortunate narration.

I struggled through nearly half the audio book before deleting it and downloading the novel on kindle to finish this excellent new installment in Val McDermid's Tony Hill/Carol Jordan mysteries.

I'd grown so used to Gerard Doyle's narrations, this new voice threw me for a loop with his interpretations of Ms. McDermid's stellar characters.

Others may enjoy this narrator, as he's enthusiastic. Unfortunately, he's not my cup of tea.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Disappointing, and poorly narrated

I love the Tony Hill series, and I look forward to each installment eagerly. In my opinion, this was the weakest entry in the series so far. Tony had little to do here, other than shore up Carol's psyche as she struggled with demons both personal and professional. It's not until the very end of the story that he figures large, but he makes a move that is improbable at best.

I felt there were too many side stories that seemed to be there to pad the story, there was far too much attention paid to Paula's foster son and his troubles and far too little attention paid to the killer, his background, and the details of the central case. I don't care much about the personal lives and/or troubles of the supporting cast in these books. I care about Tony Hill, Carol Jordan, their relationship, and the cases they work on. The only exception is Stacy, the computer geek. Her motives and slippery morality are pretty interesting.

In this entry, the crime story felt poorly defined and not well imagined. Carol is going through or trying to recover from several personal and professional crises, and Tony is her support system, but too late realizes he's been enabling her instead. This creates a crisis in their relationship, and the fallout from that is devastating. But, and it's a big but, the actions they take in the final chapters of the book are out of character in my opinion. In spite of everything she's going through, Carol, as she has been written so far, would never truly take the action she threatens. And Tony, as much as he loves her, would never do what he did to protect her from herself in the final act.

I also felt the narration was gawdawful, slow and choppy, somewhat breathy and lispy too, with accents that bear no resemblance to previous vocal incarnations of these characters. Tony's voice sounded almost effeminate! Get Simon Prebble to read these books...his voice has the gravitas needed and he does wonderful voices and accents. Saul Reichlin was terrible and I hope he's not hired to read any more of McDermid's novels.

It will be interesting to see how McDermid brings Tony back from this situation he's landed himself in, if she continues the series that is. I can certainly see her ending it here, or at least ending the Tony/Carol portion of it. She is clearly setting Paula up to eventually replace Carol, and really....how much more can she put either Carol or Tony through after this?

If there are more books in this series, I will read them. I read pretty much everything McDermid writes, she's extraordinarily talented. Her thrillers are among the best in the business. But this was not her best effort, and it was further hampered by the terrible narration. If you're a die hard fan like me, then you'll want to know the story. If not, I really can't recommend this one. Use your credit for something else.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

WHERE IS GERARD DOYLE????

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, because I wanted to know what is going on with Tony and Carol, with Torin, and with Stacey. No, because it was painful to listen.

What didn’t you like about Saul Reichlin’s performance?

He is no right for this series. The cadence and accents were off. The tones were wrong. In some instances it was hard to distinguish one character from the other. The voices of Stacey, Carol and Tony were wrong, wrong, wrong. Torin's was fine.

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

Yes.

Any additional comments?

I confess I am ignorant of the process of publishing an audiobook, but I guess sometimes the narrator changes for any reason. Please try to maintain some semblance to the voices already established in the series. It can kill the experience.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Yeah, the other reviews are right.

This is a good solid Val McDermid mystery. The end is a little abrupt, but a very enjoyable listen. EXCEPT....A really unfortunate choice of readers. Many have commented on many qualities this narrator lacks. I was most struck by a certain halting quality. He reads as if he can't actually read very well. It wasn't intrusive enough that I gave up on the book, but it certainly diminished the overall story.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

My Mistake

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I acknowledge that I clearly should have read earlier books in the series before jumping in at book 10. And would recommend anyone else do the same. The characters obviously have complicated backstories that need to be rolled out, because I found it hard to develop any kind of connection with them as they appear in this book.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Didn't like the abrupt ending.

Would you be willing to try another one of Saul Reichlin’s performances?

No! Why would they choose a reader with a faint but discernible South African accent for a story set in Yorkshire? His regional accents were awful, and his attempt to read women was terrible.

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

Probably not.

Any additional comments?

I've always heard great things about Val McDermid and was looking forward to discovering her books. I would try one more with a different reader.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No

If you’ve listened to books by Val McDermid before, how does this one compare?

Not my favorite - but I think that was down to the narrator more than the story itself

How could the performance have been better?

A different narrator -

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

Yes

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

How Do I Love Thee, Val McDermid?

Val McDermid has been my favorite crime writer for many years, and Insidious Intent is probably her very best work. I found myself smiling often at the plot twists, and unexpected situations cropping up, all weaved together in an intricate web.

I'll not go into the plot line at all, and I certainly won't even hint at the ending except to say that it will knock your socks off.

PS: The narrator, too, is right at the top of her game. Fabulous.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Yes or No? Tough Call

McDermid is one of today's best mystery writers, and I would have purchased this audiobook despite some of its negative reviews. The story was very good and the narration was excellent, but the ending was not what I expected from a McDermid story. (I cannot explain further without revealing things I shouldn't.) To be fair to McDermid, I would recommend her book, if only to understand the prior thought processes of the characters in her next book and because I'm anxious to know how she's going to get herself out of this book's unlikeable ending.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Should've got a female narrator; book is solid

No spoilers - the end of this one reminds me of the earlier Tony Hill-Carol Jordan book where Tony's mom encounters a serial killer: what happens is perfect but I don't think enough time was spent on the ending. It happens so quickly and shockingly, that I wish McDermid had spent more time on the buildup and then lingered afterward. But it’s just a metaphorical “Boom!” ripping through the main characters. Anyway, in this one, a serial killer targets women who are alone at weddings and wishing they had a partner. The killer’s gimmick feels slight at first but as the book goes along, his motivations feel like they could really happen. One observation on the overall series: the earlier books were creepier and darker. For the past five or so, the methods of killing are less skin-crawling and more about the relationships of the investigators. In this case, I think more skin-crawling would've justified the ending better. Still good. Bechdel test: Pass. Grade: B+

As for the new narrator, I didn't initially like his voice for young men but he soon faded into the background and it was just about the story. Yes, I like the narrator of the earlier books better. But this new one is good, too. However, if the publisher had to change narrators, a woman should've been chosen. The author is female, and the majority of main characters are female. Feels like a poor decision by the publisher.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

disappointing

what a disappointment. narration was so-so. the story was lacking momentum or any kind of excitement. horrible ending.

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