Trick Of The Dark. By Val McDermid (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
Considering it's been a while since I last read anything by Val McDermid I tend to forget what a truly great storyteller she is. The stand alone thrillers of her's that I've read before have varied from being a great read to an outstanding mnd blowing experience. What gets me is for a seasoned thriller reader such as myself your mind starts to consider all the possible outcomes, especially when it comes to the classic question of "whodunnit?" There is a certain level of satisfaction you get when you come to realise you've hit the nail on the head but what really thrills me is when a writer can twist a stroryline and take you in a direction that you never expected to go. Nowadays it seems that Val McDermid is one of the few writers who can still give me that bowled over sensation. When I had the priviledge of reading "A Place of Execution" for the first time it literally blew me away, I was reeeling from the impact for weeks and as a consequence every other book of Val's has had that to live upto. Bearing that in mind in my humble opinion "Trick of the Dark" in the chart of Val's stand alone thrillers comes a respectable second. I have never been disappointed with this particular writer I try not to miss a Val McDermid book, and I especially like these dark, psychological stand-alones. I had missed this one, but a review, now lost, of some other book led me here. I don't like books with no characters to care about, so I shouldn't like this one, as they're all flawed, but I find McDermid's storytelling so addictive, that I get caught up in it all. I also like her turn of phrase--Charlie Flint, our heroine, is a clinical psychologist, a "detective of the interior state." Something very satisfying about that idea and where it leads here. So Charlie's career is on hold (see numerous summaries below) and she's investigating on behalf of her mentor: did another former student (Jennifer/Jay), who is now having an affair with mentor's daughter, actually kill daughter's husband, and her former partner, and a business adversary. That would be 3 murders. I hate talking about plot. So it's investigative, step by step, but filled with emotional land mines. Uneasy, unsettling tone; measured pace that builds in intensity; vividly drawn, flawed, interior characters; satisfying plot twist at the end; smart writing, compelling, polished, and persuasive. Interestingly two narrators with very similar voices, both dark, husky, smoky, and sensuous, but the book doesn't lend itself as well as some to 2 narrators. Basically one reads sections that are Charlie's point of view, and the other reads Jay's. Worth a listen.
What do You think about Trick Of The Dark. By Val McDermid (2011)?
Although Val McDermid is one of my favorite authors, this was by no means a favorite of her books.
—Nophieta
Good, pacey thriller only spoilt by the somewhat unbelievable ending.
—dimitrios
Have enjoyed this series and this was no exception.
—Abigail
Brilliant book, I found it hard to put down.
—Marie
