In the 5th book in McDermid's Karen Pirie series, Pirie and her sidekick Jason Murray have to solve a baffling case when a pair of motorcycles buried after WWII are unearthed with an unexpected addition--a much more recently buried murder victim. Pirie and Murray have to identify the body and and figure out who might have wanted him dead. They are also facing challenges from within the administration when an officer is transferred into the Cold Case Unit. Something seems off about Gerry McCartney--has he been sent to spy on Pirie?

I tend to enjoy Scottish crime novels and Val McDermid can always be counted on to deliver a compelling story that nicely balances crime and the private lives of police. In this one, Karen Pirie may be on the brink of a new relationship but is her career in jeopardy?

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

This is the fifth of the Karen Pirie cold case novels. I enjoyed this book a lot. Karen has moved with Fife to Edinburgh. She is working on discovering the owner of a red car that was seen when a prostitute was picked up and beaten so badly she was unable to walk or talk. Then a new case about a body found in a peat bog is given to her by her friend River Wilde. Karen and Jason (the Mint) take on this case leaving McCartney (an officer forced on her by the boss, nicknamed The Dog Biscuit) to follow up on the red car. Interesting learning how a body buried in peat does not deteriorate as it would in soil. I felt that ending was rather short and rushed, but enjoyed the investigation and meeting new characters. I dislike reading a series out of order as things may have happened in previous books which are revealed in the new one. Such is the case with this one. Now I want to read the two in this series that I have missed.

This is the fifth book in the Karen Pirie Historic Cases Unit police procedural series by prolific writer, Val McDermid.  I’ve read one prior novel in this series and really like the main character.  She is strong, intelligent, vulnerable, but not overly flawed.  

Karen is juggling three cases, two historic ones that are in her perview and a current one that she has insinuated herself into based on an overheard conversation.  Although still mourning the death of her love, Phil, she meets a new interesting man and her new supervisor, seemingly out to get her, has planted a spy in Karen’s three person department.  

The unfolding of the primary case is told through the revelation of evidence as well as flashbacks to both 1944 which set the scene for the crime and 1995 when the crime was committed.   There were some unique aspects to the cases which made them interesting and the book held my attention throughout.  I thought the resolution came quickly and the final disposition of the case could only be assumed.  McDermid did lay some ground work for the next in the series and I look forward to it.

The Body In The Bog is a nicely alliterative strapline normally used to liven up reports of archaeologists discovering some centuries-old corpse in a watery peat grave. The deaths of these poor souls does not usually involve an investigation by the local police force, but when the preserved remains are wearing expensive trainers, it doesn’t take the tenant of 221B Baker Street to deduce that the chap was not executed as part of some arcane tribal ritual back in the tenth century.

A pair of hopefuls from England have traveled to the bleak Scottish moors of Wester Ross, armed with what they hope is a treasure map. They hope to uncover not a sturdy wooden chest bursting with pirate doubloons or King John’s lost gold, but treasure of a different sort – two mint condition vintage motor cycles, worth a fortune at 2018 prices. They disinter the motorcycles with the help of a friendly local crofter and his mini JCB, but their elation is soured by – yes, you’ve guessed – the aforementioned fellow and his 1995 Nike Air Max sportswear.

Motorcycles? Buried in a Scottish peat bog? Marked on a map? Has Val McDermid finally lost her marbles after years of inventing fiendish ways for people to die? Leaving no question unanswered, I have to say yes, yes, yes – and an emphatic NO! Breaking Ground is the fifth in McDermid’s DCI Karen Pirie series and is shot through with the author’s trademark brilliance. McDermid does complex, clever, conflicted women like no-one else, and Pirie – of Police Scotland’s Historic Crimes Unit -  is a fine cop, scarred by personal tragedy, studiously unglamorous in looks and style, but with a fierce determination to seek justice for victims of crime, both living and dead. The police procedural aspect of the story is cleverly done, and provides the essential counterpont of rivalry, betrayal and bitterness which run beneath the main tune which is the public face of policing. 

If music halls were still in vogue, McDermid would be the dextrous juggler, the jongleur who defies gravity by keeping several plot lines spinning in the air; spinning, but always under her control. There is the Nike bog body, a domestic spat which ends in savagery, a cold-case rape investigation which ends in a very contemporary tragedy, and an Assistant Chief Constable who is more concerned about her perfectly groomed press conferences that solving crime. They say that the moon has a dark side, and so does Edinburgh: McDermid takes us on a guided tour through its majestic architectural and natural scenery, but does not neglect to pull away the undertaker’s sheet to reveal the squalid back alleys and passageways which lurk behind the grand Georgian facades. We slip past the modest security and peep through a crack in the door at a meeting in one of the grander rooms of Bute House, the official residence of Scotland’s First Minister, even getting a glimpse of the good lady herself, although McDermid is far too discreet to reveal if she approves or disapproves of Ms Sturgeon.

Karen Pirie battles the metaphorical demons of her own personal history, while facing more literal malice in the person of a senior officer who is determined to bring her down. The death of her beloved partner Phil has bequeathed emotional turmoil, anger and longing. When she meets a potentially interesting man in the course of a murder investigation, she is conflicted. Is he lying to her? Is he just a glib charmer, ruggedly beautiful in his kilt, or is his interest in her – intentionally dowdy and brusquely professional as she is – genuine?

Val McDermid answers all these questions, and poses a few of her own, particularly about the state of modern Scotland and the role of cash-strapped police forces in a society which demands quick solutions, and to hell with integrity. Broken Ground is published by Little, Brown and is available in hardback and as a Kindle. Amazon says that it will be out in paperback early in 2019.

This is my first Val McDermid novel and wont be my last! I was apprehensive at first with this being the 5th book in the series, but it stood well on its own. It does connect with the previous books so i might recommend reading those first. The flash backs between past and present were done and well and I enjoyed getting to get that closer look to how certain things in the book came about. Overall I found the characters real and easy to connect with. The writing was imaginative and brilliant!

Broken Ground is the latest story about Detective Chief Inspector Karin Pirie by Val McDermid. Definitely a stand alone story, as I didn't realize it was part of a series until I was far into the book. Karin Pirie is an enjoyable character who the reader can relate to and enjoy following the bread crumbs as she does, to discover the culprit in cold cases. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series. I was given an early copy to review.

Absolutely enjoyed this book, I have read the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series but this is the first time I have read any of the Karen Pirie series. The storyline does tend to switch between past and present but as the storyline unravels you can start to get a sense of how an action in the past can impact so heavily in the present. Highly recommended

In Val McDermid’s Broken Ground, DCI Karen Pirie is juggling two investigations, a hostile supervisor and the possibility of a new relationship.  As th head of the Historic Crime Unit, Pirie is called in when a body is found buried with two vintage WWII motorcycles in a peat bog.  While the motorcycles date the body beyond Pirie’s seventy year time limit, when the body is removed they discover a pair of Nikes on his feet.

As the HCU works on identifying the body they also have new information on a series of violent rape cases from 1986.  A witness has finally come forward claiming a red Rover was in the area on each of the nights that the attacks occurred.  Tracking the ownership of every red Rover from that year finally gives them hope of clearing another case.

Val McDermid has long been one of my favorite authors.  She has taken historical elements, office politics, greed, revenge and a budding romance and combined them into a true page-turner that I would recommend to fans of Peter Robinson or anyone who loves a good mystery.  I would like to thank NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Val McDermid book and it quickly drew me in.  The female protagonist, Kaen Pirie, was interesting and seemed like she could be a real person.  I liked the intersection of her personal life and the case, which was both meticulously plotted and suspenseful. The internal politics also made for additional suspense. I give it two thumbs up!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.. This is actually book 5 in the Karen Pirie Series - I haven't read any of the others so I don't know if that affected my  opinion or if it is that fact I'm not a really big fan of procedurals.   I think this book was well written with excellent characters but it just wasn't my favorite.   If your a fan of this type of novel you will probably enjoy it.

“My ambition is to clear cases that everybody else has given up on. To give answers to people that have been waiting way too long to find out who blew a hole in their lives and why.”

This is the fifth novel in the Karen Pirie series by Val McDermid. Karen works in Police Scotland’s Historic Case Unit HCU. She is called in to investigate when a perfectly preserved body is found from a Highland peat bog. Karen is also involved in a fresh case. Something she tried to prevent from happening.
McDermid portrays Scotland and Highlands beautifully. I could see the view before my eyes when I was reading. The story mostly stays in 2018. There are also chapters beginning from 1944 onward telling the background story parallel to how the investigations unravel.
Karen Pirie is strongly dedicated to finding answers for the families and loved ones of the victims in her cases. She has an excellent track record for solving cold cases. And therefore she also has enemies who wish to undermine her. She has also suffered a recent loss and is slowly recovering.
The story was excellent and the build-up kept me on the edge of my seat. But I feel the ending was too abrupt. Like everything was wrapped up in a hurry. All in all it was a good mystery.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic Monthly Press for providing a copy of this book for review.

Thank you Net Galley. This is one author I had not read previously.. I loved the book and look forward to reading more of her work. Highly recommended.

Broken Ground has made me a new fan of Val McDermid.  I am reading everything I can find by this author now.  The book was well paced and I enjoyed the protagonist very much.  Will be looking forward to more in this series.

I have read all of Val McDermid's books and I have to admit I found it a little hard to get into this particular title at first. I have read the others in this series and felt engaged with Karen Pirie so was surprised. It did not take long for me to engage again, enjoying the surroundings in which much of the novel is set, the complications the Historic Cases Unit experience from within the force, DS McCartney's attempts to thwart the cases  and Karen's attempts to move on after the loss of her partner.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Val McDermid/Grove Atlantic for an advanced digital copy of this title. All views expressed are my own.

An excellent novel, mostly based in Scotland. An investigation into a decades old case brings up new clues. Exciting, interesting and a mystery that is finally solved. You won't want to put it down! Broken Ground is a book with something for every type of reader.

This is the first book in a while I have read by Val Mcdermid. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Full of back stabbing, ambition and drama. Dealing wirh all sides of police work and forensics. Plenty to keep the reader interested.

A wonderfully developed mystery. Quite a few twists and turns in this one. I liked Karen Pirie. She is smart and knows her worth as a detective and as a person. Watching her find the clues to pursue until she had enough to get an arrest was interesting. Not your usual body found in a peat bog and lets find the murderer kind of book.

There are so many layers to this novel and the body in the peat bog is only one of the cases Karen Pirie is working on. There is also a young lady who has been in a wheel chair for thirty years. New information and new DNA testing is available to find the man who beat her so severely that she never walked again.

When I saw this book available on NetGalley I was intrigued by the description. I am very happy that I asked for an advance copy of this one. It kept me turning the pages well into the night. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel.

Oh it is like meeting up with a well-loved, old friend. How my heart gladdened to welcome this author once again. Throughout the book I just felt quite excited as I knew I would enjoy it; just knew it. I was not disappointed.

In all honesty, when I first saw the subject matter – a body recovered from a peat bog – I did think ‘been there, done that (well, read that)’ but I needn’t have worried for it never strayed into the familiar. Yes, there was a body in a peat bog, been there since 1944: but never has the body been buried with two Indians! No, not the cowboy type – these are motorcycles – I kid you not. Does it sound plausible? It does when it is written by Val Mcdermid. With Karen Pirie as the detective in the Historic Crime Unit we are taken through the police and forensic procedures backed up by vivid descriptions of Edinburgh and Wester Ross and for humour we have her back up Murray, known as Mint.

What can I say? Oh, I suppose, if you are a lover of a well-thought out plot; great characters and brilliantly written – you will never be disappointed with Val McDermid.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. 
Ms McDermid is the creator of one of my top 5 favourite investigative teams of all time: Tony Hill and Carol Jordan. I’ve consistently rated the books in this series 4 stars, which is really rare for super critical me!  And it was with eager anticipation that I started Broken Ground, the fifth novel in the Inspector Karen Pirie series. 
Unfortunately my expectations were perhaps too high and I quickly realised that Karen Pirie is no Tony Hill.  The argument that not reading a series in order can affect the reader’s connection with a character has merit. However, I did not start the Tony Hill series with the first book and yet I was immediately intrigued by him. Enough that I went back to the start to see what I’d missed.
What I liked: 
The skilful writing and use of language is a delight to read. Ms McDermid is such a talented author.
What I disliked: 
Inspector Pirie did not resonate with me. She did not come across as a fully rounded individual. Again, her personality might have gradually developed over the course of the series, but I just did not ‘feel’ her. The story itself was good, but relied heavily on improbable coincidences and conspiracies. There was also a reference to a previous investigation, hopefully not the plot of an earlier instalment, identifying the murderer. Possible spoiler for someone reading the series out of order?
Stars awarded:
Two and a half, rounded to three. I’m not keen on reading any of the other Karen Pirie novels, but will definitely read (or re-read) Ms McDermid’s other works.  
Recommended to fans of the Inspector Karen Pirie series. If you really want to see the extent of Ms McDermid’s considerable talent, start with The Mermaids Singing!

This police procedural set in Scotland is delightful!  I was very sorry when I finished it as DC Karen Pirie is fresh and original and having a procedural set in the Cold Case Unit is unusual. The characters are slowly developed and the main ones are very likeable including Karen’s colleague DC Jason Murray and some of the peripheral police and technical officers. There is a possible love interest developing and I hope there are more stories with these characters and we get to see that relationship unfold. The unlikeable characters are delightfully bad and a joy to have in the story as counter foils to the main characters. #netgalley was very kind to allow me to read an ARC of #brokenground and I recommend this wholeheartedly.