Cleanskin

by Val McDermid

[ibeforem]

Though this was my first time reading Val McDermid, I was already a fan. Her books are the basis of a great British crime drama, Wire in the Blood, and as soon as I discovered that all of her books found a spot on my wishlist. This was just a novella, but I think it’s a good taste of what McDermid can do. The story opens at the scene of the brutal murder of Katie Farrell, who has been burned to death in her own bedroom. Katie is the daughter of Jack Farrell, an organized crime boss that DCI Andy Martin refers to as a "cleanskin", meaning he has no criminal record. The story follows Andy as he tries to figure out who would dare to kill Jack Farrell’s daughter. I found the writing to be tight and the suspense level appropriate. Though there were some plot twists that weren’t exactly unexpected, the final outcome was not something I would have guessed. I can’t wait to read something more fleshed out and developed from McDermid.