Past Lying: The twisty new Karen Pirie thriller, now a major ITV series
£12.30
KAREN PIRIE RETURNS. A MASTERFUL THRILLER BY THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER VAL MCDERMID
THE HEART-POUNDING NEW NOVEL IN THE KAREN PIRIE SERIES, NOW A MAJOR ITV SERIES STARRING LAUREN LYLE
__________
‘Another jewel in Val McDermid’s crown’ MICK HERRON
‘A must-read for anyone who enjoys top-knotch crime fiction’ YOURS
‘A chilling, twisting triumph. Past Lying is a classic mystery’ CHRIS WHITAKER
Edinburgh, haunted by the ghosts of its many writers, is also the cold case beat of DCI Karen Pirie. So she shouldn’t be surprised when an author’s manuscript appears to be a blueprint for an actual crime.
Karen can’t ignore the plot’s chilling similarities to the unsolved case of an Edinburgh University student who vanished from her own doorstep. The manuscript seems to be the key to unlocking what happened to Lara Hardie, but there’s a problem: the author died before he finished it.
As Karen digs deeper, she uncovers a spiralling game of betrayal and revenge, where lies are indistinguishable from the truth and with more than one unexpected twist . . .
The Queen of Crime Val McDermid is at the top of her game in her most gripping and fiendishly clever case yet.
Praise for Val McDermid
‘McDermid is at her considerable best’ GUARDIAN
‘Irresistible’ PATRICIA CORNWELL
‘A brilliant novel by a supremo of the genre’ PETER JAMES
‘Outstanding’ SPECTATOR
‘Another masterpiece’ DAVID BALDACCI
‘Sensational. One of Britain’s most accomplished writers’ SUNDAY EXPRESS
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Additional information
| Publisher | Sphere (12 Oct. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 2797 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Not Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 439 pages |
by Paris
I have read many of VM’s books, especially the Tony Hill series and do enjoy the current Karen Pirie ones. My initial response was dismay that this was a lockdown novel. Not VM’s fault, just my personal preference of finding reminders of such a grim time not relaxing or entertaining. It is a tribute to VM that I stuck with this but perhaps for this reason, I found it less gripping than many of her others. I did like the conceit of the crime writing setting; I doubt few know more about that than VM herself! As a minor aside, I thought her name checks of other writers was a lovely touch and she jogged my memory of one I had hugely enjoyed but forgotten about. Thanks, Val, I’ve bought a few new books on the strength of that.
As a plot, I found this a little thin and I had guessed the unravelling from less than halfway through. I do like the character development and that, together with the usual good way with a story kept me reading to the end. Hopefully, the next in this series will be definitely post Covid, so I can once more relax with a good murder and no isolating.
by Kizzia Mildmay
Of all the series Val McDermid writes, the Karen Pirie books are my favourites and this, the lastest, does not dissapoint. Well written, as always, with an intruigingly twisty plot (I didn’t see the last twist coming) and the threads that run from book to book woven well through out. There were several things that I was thrilled to see happen, several things that made me laugh and one that made me bawl my eyes out.
The only note of caution I would sound is that it’s set at the beginning of the pandemic and Val has captured the atmosphere of that time incredibly vividly, so if that might be distressing to you it may be one to set aside for a while.
by James Brydon
This book marked a welcome return for Val McDermid’s highly empathetic character, Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie, who leads the Historical Crimes Unit in Edinburgh. The novel opens in 2020, shortly after the United Kingdom was plunged into lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid 19. DCI Pirie has opted to spend lockdown in the capacious flat owned by her partner Hamish, although he is now living in the Highlands where he is running a recently acquired still, which he has converted to the production of hand sanitiser. Karen has been joined in Hamish’s flat by her colleague, Daisy Mortimer. The third member of the Unit, Jason (“The Mint) Murray, is in lockdown with his girlfriend Eilidh, and finding that patience with each other is starting to fray.
It is Jason who sets this story going, after taking a call from an archivist at Scotland’s National Library. Just before lockdown came into force, she had been working through the papers of a recently deceased successful writer of crime fiction, whose papers had been passed to the Library for retention. She had noticed that the unfinished manuscript of the writer’s last work bore a very close resemblance to the details of the unresolved disappearance of a young woman about a year earlier. In ordinary circumstances, she might have thought nothing of it, but having time on her hands in lockdown, the story had preyed on her mind. DCI Pirie and colleagues also have time on their hands, having been consigned to lockdown themselves, and decide to look into it further.
Val McDermid gives us a novel within a novel, and we get to read much of the manuscript. She also offers great insight into the methodology of some authors, and also touches on the potentially awkward subject of authorial jealousy, as one hitherto successful writer’s star wanes while that of a newcomer to the crime fiction scene waxes.
As always with McDermid, the storyline is complex but very well managed. There are several different storylines behind the principal one of the investigation. In addition to the normal fits and starts that accompany any developing police case, there are the added complications of Covid. I was also struck by the differences between the regulations prevailing in Scotland, compared to those down in London where I passed my lockdown periods.
I remember hearing an interview that Val McDermid gave a couple of years ago supporting the publication of her novel 1979. She had decided to write a novel set in the past because she did not yet feel ready to engage with Covid in her books. I can readily understand that, and two years ago it would have felt all too current.
by Alan in Durham
Not a fan of book within a book. But even at 34% stage a few times her Ross character is renamed Rob from the book within. Small but a need to re-read in case it is the surname that is wrong flipping the understanding of action.
Finished it a few weeks ago. The name errors were restricted to two. So not protracted niggle.
She has taken a gamble putting a story in a period of the World in trouble. But unlike survivalist-type situations in fiction [ thinking I AM LEGEND in particular ] which seem aimless at times this is a shared, real life pandemic everyone went through, or ignored!.
I think she gets away with having so few interactions and the number of characters reduced to a minimum. Really gets into real life situations.
We have one death but it has two elements. The law abiding Mint follows the science while brother Ronan breaks all the rules. Who is right? The brother who went to great lengths to see his mother or goodytwoshoes Jason? Judgement?
And we see Ronan is not alone in that aspect. Hamish also ignores the guidance believing he is taking non-existing precautions. Do we consider them equally culpable? Ronan for emotional reasons. Hamish for personal profit. Judgement?
Against that we have mystery to solve. Karen following the procedures and walking us through what she can get away with as a Polis but straddling the boundaries!! Occasionally more straddle than limitation.
The Syrian involvement exposed Hamish in his jealousy and control. Realised that long after finishing the book! Was this a hidden trait laid bare by the absence of socialising? Otherwise hidden in plain sight? I think, Yes.
And the book within the book is crucial in the restriction on personal movement. A research project that may have gone on the back burner for years and leave the murder undetected were the archive items not a means of occupying staff time while public buildings were closed off for other services.
Much better by miles than1989 and 1979. Not Tony Hill/Carol Jordan standard but as good as a Kate Brannigan at her best.