The Mermaids Singing

This is a brilliant piece of crime fiction that earned its 5 stars from the first chapter through to the last. In a fictitious northern England town 4 young men have been found murdered with their bodies showing evidence of the most gruesome torture before death. All the broken bodies have been meticulously washed spotlessly clean of any obvious forensic evidence such as blood, skin, hair, fibres or the like which could provide a link to the killer. The police force is split between old-fashioned coppers with their traditional crime solving methods and the forward thinking university educated detectives who know that modern tools and techniques are what are required. The decision to bring in criminal psychologist Tony Hill to come up with a profile of the killer is thus a divisive one. The old-time detective leading the manhunt will not admit that there may be a serial killer on his patch, preferring to let the public think it is merely a wave or unrelated murders. The early conclusion by Tony Hill that it is certainly the work of a serial killer further alienates him from the chief investigator. Author Val McDermid allows us to read the diary of the psychopath as an introduction to each chapter, keeping up a parallel story in the same time frame. We see how each victim is selected and stalked in the lead up to his capture. We also see how the killer selects the torture instrument of choice and designs, builds and tests it. McDermid cleverly researches these mediaeval instruments. Hill's main support from within the crime squad is Detective Inspector Carol Jordan who campaigned successfully for the services of a criminal psychologist. A tenuous relationship gradually builds up between Carol and Tony, which despite their best efforts strays just beyond the professional. This relationship provides an element of relief and romance from the otherwise black storyline. The whole story is beautifully written and each character comes to life with his or her foibles, weaknesses and strengths. The plot is well conceived, well developed and the tension allowed to build to breaking point as the climax is reached.

As serial killer novels go, this one is first class. Certainly one of the best i have ever read, almost as good as "The Silence of the Lambs" and her very own "Killing the Shadows". In a genre in which originality is a rare commodity, this book really shines. IN many instances it does contain every aspect we would expect from a serial killer novel, but Val McDermid builds on that, giving us, as Thomas Harris did so many years ago now, an excellent all round novel, rather than just a piece of genre fiction. The two lead characters are probably the best duo you will come across in all thriller-dom. The ... tension between the two just smoulders the pages beneath your eyes, and the rigid professionalism and determination of both adds a hard edge and hint of stubbornness to their relationship. They are both very human and very likeable. The reader warms to both Carol and Tony instantly. They are well drawn, characterised, and are immensely real. The killer is chilling, and the murders come close to Mo Hayder's "Birdman" in terms of gruesomeness. The descriptons of the dead bodies, and how those bodies met their deaths, has great capability to turn stomachs. The writing is packed with detail and grittiness. It is also enfused with quite a well evoked sense of place. High class prose, styled as only a master can, manipulates the reader, preparing them for a stuning final twist to the story, which has you kicking yourself whilst stunned at the same time. And the showdown between hunter and hunted is a brilliant climax to the entire book. So, if you like good serial killer thrillers, this is definitely one of the best you could choose to read.

Another winner from Val McDermid! Building slowly but relentlessly, profiler Tony Hill uses psychological maxims now accepted but at the time of the story were innovative and a novelty in the forensic pursuit of a serial killer. This story is different from other serial killer novels. It traces the profiler and his own psychological problems as well as the killer and their thought processes prior to and after each murder.While the police are split in their acceptance of profiling, some problems remain the same and never seem to change, especially intrusion from the media. Mistakes in the media occur and they are deadly.In the final confrontation, Hill is forced to use all his training, skills and insights. He begins to realize the perp may be hunting the profiler. The way McDermid has inserted life into the usually predictable tales of death has once again made my skin crawl. Even as I write this and remember, the hair on the back of my neck stands up and I need to turn around to assure myself no one is there. Read "The Mermaids Singing". You won't be disappointed.

A fantastically well-written, gritty drama that grabs you right in - I was scared by the end of the prologue!All serial killer books compare themselves to Silence of the Lambs. I've read dozens of supposedly good ones since by all the major crime authors, and this is the first and only book that's been just as clever, creepy and well-characterized. I just read Messiah, a similar blend of medieval torture with modern realism, and this is much better. It's not a gentle murder mystery by any means, but the gore and rough language fit right in with the story instead of being gratuitous, like they are in most murder books. I'd only read one Val McDermid book before, one of the Kate Brannigan ones, which I didn't like at all, and got this book just to make up my library quota. It's hard to believe it's the same author - this is honestly one of the best crime books I've read. It looks like this book is not available in the US, so it's probably not getting the readership it deserves. If you've been wanting a book as good as the early Thomas Harris ones, then this one's worth back-ordering - I can't recommend it highly enough.

Very rarely does one stumble across a book this thrilling and disturbing at the same time. Thrilling thanks to the structure of the novel, where the killer's account of his crimes, going back in history and moving on to the present, is intertwinged with the description of the investigation's progress, closing in on the killer. Disturbing because of the feel of danger and tension mounting as the killer's objectives become clear to the reader. Disturbing also because of the insight presented in a serial killer's deeply disturbed and twisted logic. This crime novel is truly one of the best of its kind! Gripping right up to the surprisisng end, it will undoubtedly keep you on the edge of your seat.