Book 3

The Skeleton Road

by Val McDermid

Published 11 September 2014
When a skeleton is discovered hidden at the top of a crumbling, gothic building in Edinburgh, Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is faced with the unenviable task of identifying the bones. As Karen's investigation gathers momentum, she is drawn deeper into a world of intrigue and betrayal, spanning the dark days of the Balkan Wars. Karen's search for answers brings her to a small village in Croatia, a place scarred by fear, where people have endured unspeakable acts of violence. Meanwhile, someone is taking the law into their own hands in the name of justice and revenge -- but when present resentment collides with secrets of the past, the truth is more shocking than anyone could have imagined ...Atmospheric, spine-chilling and brimming with intrigue and suspense, this is Val McDermid's richest and most accomplished psychological thriller to date.

Book 4

Out of Bounds

by Val McDermid

Published 25 August 2016
"McDermid excels in putting the reader at the center of the action . . . A tightly paced mystery . . . My bones tell me we haven't seen the last of Inspector Pirie--or at least I hope not." --Janet Napolitano, Los Angeles Times on The Skeleton Road

Internationally bestselling author Val McDermid is one of our finest crime writers, whose gripping, impeccably plotted novels have garnered millions of readers worldwide. In her latest, Out of Bounds, she delivers a riveting cold case novel featuring detective Karen Pirie.

When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car and ends up in a coma, a routine DNA test reveals a connection to an unsolved murder from twenty-two years before. Finding the answer to the cold case should be straightforward. But it's as twisted as the DNA helix itself.

Meanwhile, Karen finds herself irresistibly drawn to another mystery that she has no business investigating, a mystery that has its roots in a terrorist bombing two decades ago. And again, she finds that nothing is as it seems.

An enthralling, twisty read, Out of Bounds reaffirms Val McDermid's place as one of the most dependable professionals in the mystery and thriller business.

"McDermid melds the political thriller with the police procedural for an intense novel that . . . feels both intensely personal and global . . . Karen . . . once again proves herself a formidable character worthy of her own series."--Associated Press on The Skeleton Road


Book 5

Broken Ground

by Val McDermid

Published 23 August 2018

Don't miss the electrifying new Karen Pirie thriller - STILL LIFE is out now
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'A compulsively readable tale' Irish Times
'Another stellar read from McDermid, and further evidence that her "Queen of Crime" status will not be challenged' Scotsman

'Somebody has been here before us. And he's still here . . .'

When a body is discovered in the remote depths of the Highlands, DCI Karen Pirie finds herself in the right place at the right time. Unearthed with someone's long-buried inheritance, the victim seems to belong to the distant past - until new evidence suggests otherwise, and Karen is called in to unravel a case where nothing is as it seems.

It's not long before an overheard conversation draws Karen into the heart of a different case, however - a shocking crime she thought she'd already prevented. As she inches closer to the twisted truths at the centre of these murders, it becomes clear that she's dealing with a version of justice terrifyingly different to her own . . .

Number one bestseller and queen of crime Val McDermid returns with her most breathtakingly atmospheric and exhilarating novel yet
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Praise for Queen of Crime Val McDermid:

'It grabs the reader by the throat and never lets go' Daily Mail

'As good a psychological thriller as it is possible to get' Sunday Express

'One of today's most accomplished crime writers' Literary Review

'McDermid remains unrivalled' Observer

'The queen of crime is still at the top of her game' Independent