I am a big fan of murder mysteries, strong female characters, and anything to do with Scotland! Val McDermid delivers all of these elements in this new novel featuring Karin Pirie. I must confess that this is my first introduction to McDermid's books. And wow, now I have over 30 NEW mystery books to read. Glad I have the summer off to do this! I am going to start with the first four books featuring Karen Pirie so I can catch up on all the background stories mentioned in this book, and the characters that were or are her friends.. Broken Ground was a well written story that held my attention throughout. All characters and plot lines were realistic and believable..

Thank you to NetGalley and Val McDermid for an ARC of this book.

I really liked the first four Karen Pirie books, so I was very excited to read this one. Great characters, and a well written story. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Broken Ground by Val McDermid will not disappoint those who will decide to spend several hours with this book. The author, who has written over thirty novels, uses the recipe which always works with lovers of the genre: a mystery going back WW2 blended together with the descriptions of stunning landscapes of Scotland and characters who show both their strengths and weaknesses. Karen Pirie, in charge of Historic Cases Unit, tries to solve the case of a body found accidentally in a peat bog.
I have read several novels by McDermid and her latest one is another good read for her fans.
I got the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

For me, a new Val McDermid novel is a glorious thing, and the new one is another homerun. I loved it. The fully drawn characters, and past and present crime is entertaining and terrific. Happy as always to talk it up, and get it in readers hands.

Alice Somerville travels to a Highland peat bog to claim the vintage motorbikes her grandfather buried there at the end of the Second World War. But a body entombed with one of the motorbike crates short circuits her plan to claim the bikes and return home. Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie, working the Historic Cases Unit and still grieving the loss of her lover, begins an investigation.

But this isn’t the only case landing on Karen’s desk. There’s new evidence in a cold case involving several violent rapes. And an overheard conversation in a coffee shop gives her cause for concern. Can she solve the cases and bring justice to the victims as she deals with a difficult boss and an underhanded investigator newly-assigned to her unit?

With a strong sense of place, well-defined, believable characters, and a twisting plot, tension mounts as the narrative unfolds, slowly revealing the backstory as it follows the present-day investigations. Seamlessly woven into the narrative, the storyline for all three of the crimes maintains both interest and suspense; the accurately-detailed process of investigating a crime adds depth and realism to the story.

Although the story is well-told and readers are likely to remain involved in the telling of the tale, the often-recurring, offensive expletives are likely to be particularly off-putting for many readers.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Grove Atlantic and NetGalley
#BrokenGround #NetGalley

DCI Karen Pirie, head of Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit, is grieving the loss of her boyfriend, but she has cases to solve, plus a new boss whom she hopes will be supportive of her team’s efforts.

The plot revolves around three different cases. The first situation involves new evidence arising from a series of violent rapes from the 1980"s. The second issue is that of a man, wearing 1995 Nike tennis shoes, found buried in the site where a motorcycle was thought to be buried in 1945. The last event is a result of a conversation Pirie overhears one morning while drinking coffee at her favorite cafe.

These stories are seamlessly woven together along with scenes from 1945. All of the characters, even the supporting ones, are fully created individuals. The sense of place, from the streets of Edinburgh, that Pirie walks when insomnia gets a fierce grip on her, to the fields and hills of Wester Ross, is so vivid I felt like I was actually there watching the action.

“Broken Ground” is such a marvelous crime novel that I savored every scene.

A couple have a treasure map from a deceased relative, but when they go to dig up the goods, they find a little bit more than what they bargained for--a body. Meanwhile, when a forensic investigator comes in to check it out she sees that it's within the time remit of an old friend in cold cases--Karen Pirie.

Number five in the Karen Pirie series, we get to see as a few cases unfold, and Karen is still mixed up in some internal politics. She's still dealing with the fallout of the death of her partner, but when one of the witnesses turns out to be a sweet, gorgeous Scot, that part of her life might be healing, too.

McDermid knows how to unravel a good crime tale bit by bit, giving us enough time to savor every bit. She's an excellent writer, and I've loved Karen Pirie almost as much as the messed up Tony Hill. I look forward to more in this series.

4 and 1 / 2 stars

Detective Inspector Karen Pirie is currently investigating a series of rapes that took place several years earlier. They have identified a red Rover as the suspect car. She and her teammate DC Jason “Mint” Murray have been going through the list of registered red Rover 214 owners for that time period.

Also foisted upon her by her very unlikeable boss, is one DS Gerry McCartney.

Meanwhile, her good friend River Wilde who is a forensic anthropologist is investigating the case of a body found in a peat bog. All cases under seventy years old are referred to DCI Karen Pirie’s Historic Cases Unit. As soon as River sees the body, she knows it is more contemporary than the 1944 date thought to be the burial date. The victim, a large man, is wearing Nike Air tennis shoes. She phones Karen and tells her it is now her case as well.

A successful match for their photo-fit ID provides a name and occupation for the deceased man. He is Joey Sutherland. He competed in strong-man type competitions and was very good at it. He traveled all over Europe and North America competing. An interview with one of his friends reveals a sister and Joey’s parents are still living.

Meanwhile, Karen hears something that confirms for her that DS McCartney is a plant by her contentious boss. The problem is what to do about it.

Mint and Karen follow the clues in Joey Sutherland’s case and it leads them to a surprising and very well-known suspect. Their leads in the other cases also bring them to a head.

This is a fine book. It is well written and plotted as are all of Val McDermid’s novels. I like the character Karen Pirie in spite of her tendency to go off script. And with her new boss, Ann Markie, she has a lot of reason to do so. Kaaren’s passion for justice for her victims, though long dead, is amazing. I applaud her. I like Mint too and don’t think that he is quite the numpty that Karen thinks he is. They work well together.

I like McDermid’s descriptions of Edinburgh, Scotland and the surrounding mountains and countryside around Edinburgh They sound lovely and I would very much like to travel there. But alas… I can hardly wait for the next book in this series.

I want to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read, enjoy and review.

Another cracking, page turner from Val McDermid. The author expertly weaves the main story and two sub plots together. It is great to have another series besides Tony Hill/Carol Jordan to look forward to and fill the void between books. Great characters and look forward to the next instalment.

I’m a huge fan of McDermid and was really excited to read this story, that features one of the authors lesser known protagonists, DCI Karen Pirie. She gets involved with the case of Alice Somerville and the body she’s found in a peat big. The beauty and mystery of Scotland plays a huge role in this exceptional mystery