TRICK OF THE DARK

Written by Val McDermid

Review written by Ayo Onatade

Ayo Onatade is an avid reader of crime and mystery fiction. She has been writing reviews, interviews and articles on the subject for the last 12 years; with an eclectic taste from historical to hardboiled, short stories and noir films


TRICK OF THE DARK
Little Brown
RRP: £18.99
Released: 2nd September 2010
Hbk

As much as I have always enjoyed Val McDermid's series books it is in my opinion her standalone books that showcase how good a writer she is. A Trick of the Dark is no exception.  Val McDermid is not one to shy away from different situations nor is she the type of writer that uses a situation to fill up pages.  In this case it is academic life that has come under her scrutiny.  

At the heart of  the book is a murder; that of Philip Carling who has been brutally murdered on his wedding day purportedly by his two business partners.  But did they and why would they have done so?  Could it have been his wife Magda's partner or even the successful but ruthless businesswoman Jay Macallan Stewart?  The possibilities are rife. 

The vicious murder happened on the grounds of St Scholastica's the alma mater of disgraced psychiatrist Charlie Flint. Flint sent anonymously a bundle of press cuttings soon unexpectedly finds herself involved in investigating Carling's death.  St Scholastica's does not inhabit the same milieu that readers are used to in Colin Dexter's Morse series. It does however still have the rivalry and jealousy that can be found amongst academic life and it is not always behind closed doors.  

Taking on Oxford as a background is also a challenge, which in my opinion McDermid has done with vigour and insight.  As can be expected contemporary questions are examined in Trick of the Dark. How to balance a private life with that of a celebrity one as well? Is it easy to combine the two and how does one cope with the pressures that this gives rise to? How to cope with the life style and the fact that the relationship is a lesbian one and therefore an easier target for the press who will do anything to slake their reader's taste for scandal. McDermid very ably deals with the various issues that arise as a result of the murder and Flint's involvement. She also, without a hint of self-righteousness or pretension deals with the difficulties that arise when coming out as a lesbian woman and the effect that it has on a professional and personal life. 

The best thing about McDermid's novels aside from the smooth, succinct and absorbing writing, which is par for the norm with Val McDermid, is the way in which she is able to engage the reader from the start. It is a technique that only the best can do and McDermid is one of the best. The title is a misnomer but do not let that distract you from absorbing yourself in a brilliant psychological thriller.  From start to finish the Trick of the Dark is a novel that will leave you pondering and wishing for more.


buy generic viagra online redirect go
i dreamed my husband cheated on me i cheated on my husband website
what makes a husband cheat why women cheat with married men what causes women to cheat
link redirect click here
spy on phones spyware on android phones phone tracking app
aids picture hiv in women hiv symptoms in men pictures
rite aid photo coupons in store walgreens photo coupons walgreens transfer prescription coupon
ciprofloxacin 500 mg tablets uses of ciprofloxacin ciprofloxacin hcl uses
cheat go infidelity signs
the unfaithful husband blog.gobiztech.com married men that cheat
free prescription drug discount card damske.com cvs online coupon
celecoxib pill link temovate 0.05%
coupons prescriptions gallaghermalpractice.com prescription coupon card
free discount prescription card viagra discount coupons drug coupons
abortion at 10 weeks click abortion papers
discount prescriptions coupons lilly cialis coupon discount card for prescription drugs
cialis contre cialis contre cialis contre
cialis savings and coupons link free cialis coupon 2016
gedeones geodon mecanismo de accion geodon pfizer
viagra kaufen blog.toolroom.at viagra bei frauen
dalsy dalsy y varicela dalsy y apiretal
ventolin prospecto click ventolini cali
discount coupon for cialis coupons for cialis 2016 cialis coupon card
amoxicillin nedir link amoxicillin 500 mg
dexamethasone suppression test dexamethasone suppression test dexamethasone mechanism of action in cancer
motilium cena motilium cena motilium
lamisil spray lamisil para que serve lamisil spray
cialis coupon ambito20.it free cialis coupon 2016
xarelto prix skydtsgaard.dk xarelto prix
how much does abortion pill cost continentalnord.com natural abortion pill
flagyl suspension flagyl plm flagyl vademecum
free trial voucher free trial voucher strattera 60 mg price
coupons prescriptions cialis free sample coupons cialis coupons 2015
coupon prescription free cialis samples coupon discount prescription coupons
electric vacuum aspiration alsarayabahrain.bh where can i have an abortion
priligy thailand priligy keskustelu priligy 30 mg
information about abortion pill supermaxsat.com aspiration abortion
cialis blog.bjorback.com cialis pris
information about abortion pill third trimester abortion pill average cost of abortion
how to get an abortion pill buy abortion pill abortion pill centers
acetazolamide 250 mg tablets acetazolamide acetazolamide blood brain barrier
neurontin 400 neurontin cena neurontin
abortion pill pictures post abortion pill abortion pill facts
free cialis coupon 2016 cialis.com coupons prescription coupon
revia manufacturer read naltrexone depression treatment


Home
Book Reviews
Features
Interviews
News
Columns
Authors
Blog
About Us
Contact Us

Privacy Policy | Contact Shots Editor

THIS WEBSITE IS © SHOTS COLLECTIVE. NOT TO BE REPRODUCED ELECTRONICALLY EITHER WHOLLY OR IN PART WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION OF THE EDITOR.