Review: Broken Ground by Val McDermid

Title: Broken Ground by Val McDermid
Inspector Karen Pirie Series Book Five
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 432 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Internationally bestselling author Val McDermid is one of our finest crime writers, and her gripping, masterfully plotted novels have garnered millions of readers from around the globe. In Broken Ground, cold case detective Karen Pirie faces her hardest challenge yet.

Six feet under in a Highland peat bog lies Alice Somerville’s inheritance, buried by her grandfather at the end of World War II. But when Alice finally uncovers it, she finds an unwanted surprise—a body with a bullet hole between the eyes. Meanwhile, DCI Pirie is called in to unravel a case where nothing is quite as it seems. And as she gets closer to the truth, it becomes clear that not everyone shares her desire for justice. Or even the idea of what justice is.

An engrossing, twisty thriller, Broken Ground reaffirms Val McDermid’s place as one of the best crime writers of her generation.

Review:

Broken Ground by Val McDermid is a very clever mystery that features two cold cases which are getting a second look by investigators in the Historic Case Unit. This fifth installment in the Inspector Karen Pirie series can easily be read as a standalone.

Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie, her trusted underling, Detective Jason Murray and newcomer to the unit, Detective Sergeant Gerry McCartney are investigating a series of rapes that occurred thirty years earlier.  A new development with one of the victims is the impetus for reopening the case and thanks to Murray’s research, they now have possible suspects to question. However, the discovery of a murdered man in a peat bog means Pirie has another case to investigate since evidence proves the victim’s death occurred in the distant past. Along with the two new enquiries, Karen is suspicious of DS McCartney’s assignment to the unit by Assistant Chief Constable Ann Markie.  Juggling  two cases and interference from Markie, will Karen and the rest of the team unmask the perpetrators of the long unsolved crimes?

Karen is still mourning the loss of her significant other but she works hard to keep her personal life from interfering in her professional duties. She is dedicated to providing answers to the families who have been left to wonder what happened to their loved ones. Tenacious and hardworking, Karen is a veteran detective with a sharp intellect and keen instincts.

Karen and Jason mainly focus on solving the case of the person found in the peat bog. The circumstances of the discovery are also quite intriguing. Although they quickly identify the victim, the biggest question that needs to be answered is why this person was at the scene of the crime. Karen and Jason meticulously research each lead they find and follow where the evidence leads. Jason is gaining confidence and he proves to quite adept at uncovering obscure information.  Once they exhaust the leads about the victim, Karen turns her attention to their suspect in hopes of building an airtight case.

With her attention on the more recent murder, Karen puts McCartney tracking down the possible suspects in their cold case. As his resentment towards Karen grows, she becomes certain that Markie has an ulterior motive for assigning him the HCU. How far will McCartney go to harm Karen’s career? And will Markie’s personal feelings for Pirie interfere with the ongoing investigations?

Broken Ground is an engrossing police procedural with a captivating setting and interesting characters. The main storyline is engrossing with flashbacks that provide compelling information about the investigation in the present. The secondary story arcs are equally appealing and while the cold cases are solved, Val McDermid leaves a few dangling threads that will leaving readers anxiously awaiting the next novel in the Inspector Karen Pirie series. I truly enjoyed and highly recommend this outstanding police procedural to fans of the genre.